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Blakerolled her eyes but didn’t deny itbelongedto her.
“Still, I’m sure it was a bit of a shock to the system.” Corey glared at him from her spot on the other side of the table. Linc and Maddi never cared about his player ways; they’d both been the same as him before they met and fell in love. Corey, however, was the mother hen. He was sure she’d been relieved when Riley bonded with Blake and she didn’t have to worry about her preciousbuddycontinuing to followJasper’sfuck-boy lead. “Can’t be fun bearing witness to Jasper’s never-ending parade of one-night stands.”
Forfuck’ssake. Jasper couldn’t help but glance up at Callahan. Her nose was wrinkled, like she smelled something she didn’t like. He assumed it was more like sheheardsomething that turned her stomach. The girl pregnant with his baby didn’t need to be reminded of how many had literally come before her.
Her palm went to her mouth, and she stood abruptly. He couldn’t help himself. Hedidn’tseem tohave control over his limbs. He jumped to his feetashis chaircrashedto the floor. “Second door on the right.” He pointed out of the dining room, showing herinwhich direction she could find a toilet to puke.
She bolted. And he made himself sit back down even though all he wanted to do was go help her. He was the reason she was going to be loudly vomiting in mere seconds. They were shifters, most of them would be able to hear it all too clearly. His wolf preverbally picked his head up, alerted to Callie’s distress,and now to the fact that they were home with their pack.
“Quick reflexes, bro.” Linc nodded, like he was impressed.
Jasper swallowed thickly, adjusting Allison backtohis lap. “I was in direct firing line.” He shrugged it off like it was no big deal.
“Uh, Blake?” Molly leaned forward. “Aren’t you going to go help her?”
She made a face, wincing. “Ew, no way, I hate…Dammit.” Blake clenched her teeth, smiling tightly while secretly shooting Jasper a death glare. “Of course,I’m going to helpmy friend.” She made a show of wiping her mouth and setting her napkin in her chair. “Why wouldn’t I go hold her hair back while she pukes her guts up?” She was still muttering her annoyance as she strode out of the dining room.
“Blake is going to pay you back for that.” Jace leaned over and whispered next to his ear. “And I hope she makes it hurt like hell, you irresponsible prick.”
“Jasper, make yourself useful and help me grab dessert.” Axie stood from her spot to Jace’s left, gathering her dinner plate as well as the empty ones nearest to her. He handed Allison across the table to Linc and piled plates in his palm before following his twin’s mate into the kitchen. “Duck out and go help Callahan.”
“You know?” He shouldn’t be surprised, if Jace figured it out, Axie could too.
“Jace may have been whispering, but I learned a long time ago to read his moods, whims, and lips.” She put her hands on his shoulders, shaking him lightly. “We’re going to figure this out, okay? But right now, go take over for Blake. My lovershouldn’thave to clean up your messes, no matter how many Hot Pockets you find in the couch.”
He gathered what he needed, what he already knew would help Callahan. It felt right being beside her while she was going through all this. Like he was paying penance. Apenance he deserved and didn’t mind, at the same time.
Blake was standing outside the door. “She wouldn’t let me in, she said no one wants to watch someone vomit.” Blake gave him a quick peck on his cheek. “But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need help.”
He didn’t bother to knock, or to ask.
After Blake headed in the direction of the kitchen to hide out without him having to ask, he pushed the door open. “I brought you some water and crackers.” He set his offering on the edge of the powder room sink, then sank down onto the cool tile beside Callahan. “I’m sorry my level of fuck-boy made you puke.”
She snorted, which was unlike her. “Are you referring to the one-night stand parade I was part of, or the baby you left in my womb?”
“Both, I guess.” A single evening with Blake and Axie as bookends,and already sweet, polite Callahan was making sarcastic comments like the best of them. Not that he didn’t earn it.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t the reminder you’ve slept with most of the freshman and sophomore class at UNC. It was the cheesy broccoli.” She took the water bottlehe’dopened for her, swallowing a small sip. “I don’t think the baby likes cheese.” She’d been repulsed at the smell of the pizza the other night as well, so that made sense.
“I thought you didn’t want to tell them you were pregnant. Whatmade you change your mind?” A heads-upwould’vebeen nice. Her softly spoken admissionalmost madehimvomit all over the dinner table.
She shrugged, taking another drink of water. “They were all being so nice, so inviting and kind. If we do decide to co-parent, I don’t want their first memories of me to be deceit.”
“Noone would blame you for not wanting to announce your pregnancy to a room full of strangers.” He understood her need for honesty and how much lying bothered her. He also knew that no matter what, no one in his pack, his family, would ever think unkindly about the mother of his child.
She used the corner of the sink to pull herself up, putting the lid back on her water bottle. “I’m really tired. Do you think you can show me to my room?”
“Jace, my twin, he knows the baby is mine. He put two and two together when you mentioned the English lit class.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.I wasn’t even thinking and—”
“No.” He stood, resting his hand on her shoulder, his fingers engulfing her chest and collarbone. “Don’t apologize. There’snothing to be sorry for. Noneof this is your fault. I wanted you to know that once everyone leaves, ifyou want me tolie downwith you, uh…I can.”
He didn’t like the thought of her being alone, being sad and scared in a room she’d never set eyes on before. The house, the people he’d surrounded her with, they were all foreign and he couldn’t image how unnerving all this was for her.
“I’m okay.” She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, for,um, well, me to depend on you, you know? We aren’t together, and we don’t know what we want to do about the pregnancy, and…I appreciate how wonderful you were last night, but I’ll be okay.”
“Is there anything else I can do? Anything I can do to help you make your decision, to make this easier on you?” He knew she was overwhelmed because he was too.
