“So, it looks like you and my brother are going to forget this idiotic ‘just friends’ idea and go for it. Thank God!”
“Emma, I think you have the wrong idea…” I started to try to explain to no avail.
As she continued, I could tell her emotions were running high. Her hands were waving around as she gestured and practically danced with glee from her seat. “I mean you are both two of the best people I know. And you’re having a baby. Together! You deserve all the happiness in the world, Maggie May.”
It was upon those words, delivered straight to my heart, that I promptly burst into tears. Well hell, this was the hormone roller coaster that never came to an end.
“Maggie, what is going on?” Emma pulled me forward, wrapping her arms around my shoulders as I sobbed into my best friend. I didn’t have a sister, but in Emma I had found one so many years ago. I knew she wouldn’t judge, and I hadn’t realized how much I was holding back. I tried catching my breath, but the tears kept coming.
Thundering footsteps headed toward the two of us. Wonderful.
“Christ, Emma. What did you say?” I heard Sully’s hushed voice over my shoulder at the door, but the dam had burst and there was simply no going back. Trying to catch my breath just caused the stuttering sound that made me sound like a lunatic. In seconds an additional set of arms wrapped around me from behind. Sully.
“Sully, I’ve got this,” Emma said from my front. “Get your ass out of here.”
“Got this? You caused it!” Sully hissed at his sister over my shoulder. “You go.”
Christ. God save me from these two and their good intentions. I just wanted to pull it together. Stop. Fucking. Crying. What the hell? Maybe I was pregnant with a girl after all? Could the female hormones needed to grow a girl make me more emotional? Was that even a thing? Mental note to add that to the gargantuan list to ask Doc Graham next time.
Another stuttering breath slipped out. Damn it.
Max’s voice floated in from somewhere by the door. “Well, isn’t this a pretty picture? Want me to snap a shot for this year’s Christmas card? Or maybe this can be the photo for a baby shower invite?” His amusement was palpable and only served to piss me off, which in turn helped begin to slow the tears.
I caught my breath. “Go to hell, Max.”
“Aww, there’s the Maggie I know,” he replied with a soft smile.
“I’m fine. Really.” I tried to reassure them all. The sobbing had subsided at least. Silver linings and all.
Sully ran his hand through my hair and down my back. Damn, it felt so good. My body just wanted to curl up with him, pull the covers over both of us, and sleep for days. Well, let’s be honest. Sleep would not be the only activity that came to mind.Don’t wiggle back against him. Don’t do it, Maggie.
I took another fortifying breath and thought about relaxation breathing. My heart rate slowed down. The tears stopped. Sully’s hand slipped lightly over the back of my shirt. His light touch moved up and down my back again, ending at my waistband as he traced it from one side to another.
“Breathe, Maggie,” he whispered.
Gradually, the tears stopped.
Emma pulled my chin away from my chest, and I met her eyes. “You’re good?”
“I will be,” I whispered.
She looked into my eyes for a minute, then in a no-nonsense voice that would fill any teacher or mother with pride said, “Anyone who has a penis, out. Girl-talk time, and you two are not invited.”
I felt Sully stiffen behind me, but then Max said, “Yo, Sullivan. Let’s give them a few. Maybe get a drink and head outside?”
At the wordoutside, Ranger perked up and took off to the kitchen and back door, barking the entire way.
Sully sighed, letting his arms loosen around my waist, and he began to pull away. Before he left me, his mouth found my ear and he whispered, “I’m not far. If you want me to kick these two out on their asses, I’m on it.”
A laugh escaped and my chest loosened. So he was a mind reader. That could work against me and my good intentions. “I’m good. I swear. Pregnancy hormones are running amuck.”
Max leaned over and squeezed my shoulder, then headed back toward the kitchen. He really was great, even if he treated me like a little sister. Sully gave me a glance, then followed him. I sat, staring down the hall after them, contemplating what God put those two amazing male specimens in my life.
“All right, chickie, spill. What the fuck was that?” Emma’s eyes were dancing once again. “Or more to the point, what the hell did we walk in on?”
I fell back into the pillows, looking up at the ceiling. “I have no idea.” I said, more confused than ever.
The thing about being friends with someone since the age of eight is that there isn’t really any hiding from the truth.
