AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I turn around, just in time to see Blake’s fist swinging atme. I try to step back, but he’s way too fast. He hits me right in the middle of my face, and I stagger backward and fall to the ground. He’s staring down at me, looking more appalled than I’ve ever seen him.
“What the fuck?” I say, spitting out blood.
“Had to do be done,” he says, his voice strangely calm. “You betrayed me and hurt my sister. But the both of you fuckwits are still in love with each other, and I’m not going to get in the way of that. So, clean yourself up, get a cold shower, and come with me. We’re going to go get her.”
Thirty minutes later,we’re pulling up in front of Brit’s apartment.
“She’s set to leave for the airport in a couple of hours,” he says as he steps out of the car. “So, there’s not a lot of time. Whatever speech you’ve prepared, make it snappy.”
After a good scrub in the shower, I feel more myself than I’ve felt in a while. Particularly when I mull over the fact that I’ve got a chance of having Brit in my life again.
And that’s why I feel bold enough to do this.
I step in front of Blake.
“Wait,” I say, ignoring his narrowed eyes. “Where does this leave us?”
Blake stares at me for a few more seconds. And then, he drops the angry act.
“If this works out, you’re going to be my brother-in-law and the father of my nephew . . . or niece,” he finally says. “We’re going to be family. So, don’t let me down now.”
Brother-in-law. The fact that Blake is almost certain this could end in marriage sends a thrill through me. I expect it to be one of terror, something to remind me of the fact that my family is broken.
But the only thing I feel is excitement. Blake and Britney had basically been my family growing up. Making it official isn’t going to change anything between us. It is merely going to bond us forever.
And right now, that’s all I need.
We’re in front of Brit’s door in less than a minute. Even from outside, I can hear the shuffling of feet and furniture.
She is moving today. And wondering what would have happened if I’d let today pass by is almost unbearable.
“I’m coming in, Brit,” Blake says. And then he turns the doorknob, and we walk in.
As I step into the apartment, I’m surprised at the anxiety I feel. A few weeks ago, this is where she told me she loved me.
And I ran out on her like a punk.
I have to remedy that.
I catch sight of her instantly. She’s in the middle of the room, dragging a heavy dresser out of her bedroom and into the living room.
“Great,” she says. “You’re here. I’ve got Grandma’s dresser ready for the movers. You can . . .”
She stops dead when she spots me.
“Great,” Blake says with a tiny smile. “You both have fun.”
He turns to leave, but not before Brit’s shriek cuts him off. “You brought him here?”
“You have a lot to discuss.” Blake turns to me, maintaining his cool. “I should thank you for making my sister into a girl that can speak up.”
Brit looks up at me. It’s surprising how much she has changed over the last few weeks. She’s completely lost the air of vulnerability that was around her the night she told me about her pregnancy. She’s collected and sure of herself. And she seems to hate me far more than the last time we saw each other. So, when she speaks, I’m not surprised at her words.
“You should leave. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Fine. But I’m going to say it anyway.”
She crosses her arms. “It? What? The ‘your brother dragged me out here to apologize to you for abandoning you like a coward after you confessed you love me’ speech? Or the ‘I’m going to ask you to marry me because deep down, I’m a patriarch, and it looks weird if you go off to another state and have my baby without my help’ one?”
