“When did you find out?”
“Just after the game. From her friend.” I gave her details that I knew, including Neva's plan for the restaurant. “I’m mad. I’m fucking furious that she didn’t tell me first, but I get why.”
“Because she was probably shitting herself at what you’d say?” Her eyes narrowed at me. “I get why you’re pissed off, Nate. This is a huge thing, but that sort of news could wreck your world. I thought I was going to have to tell someone that once, and I knew it wouldn’t end well.”
“Who was it? I’ll make sure he doesn’t end well.”
Jez laughed. “I was at uni. He was a lecturer. If I had been pregnant it could’ve side-lined his career. Luckily, I wasn’t pregnant. The relationship ended straight after because I realised how much I didn’t want to have a baby with him.” She took a sip of her drink. “Is she keeping it?”
“I don’t know. She’s known a few weeks. Neva said she thought if Amber wasn’t going to go ahead with the pregnancy, she’d have done it by now. By the sounds of it, she’s been really sick.” I wanted to kick something that wasn’t a football. If she’d have told me, I could’ve at least supported her.
“Stop it.” She reached her foot out to try and kick me. “Do you want a relationship with her? And don’t mention Chan. It’s been almost two years; you don’t need to carry on wearing black.”
I rested my head back on a cushion. “I don’t know. Maybe. She was adamant about the family thing. I never got the impression that she was interested in taking on my girls.”
“Did you really talk about that though, or were you too busy boning?” She put her glass down on the coffee table. “You’ve known her a few years though?”
“Since I joined the club.”
“So you do know her. Put it like this: if you hadn’t been with Chan and you didn’t have the girls, would you have asked her out? I know it’s hypothetical but humour me.”
I thought about Amber; her sharp tongue that hid her vulnerability, her kindness, patience, that body and those tits.
“Yes. One hundred percent.”
Jez smiled. “You need to talk to her. She’s going to be a mess right now – hormones and all that jazz. If she’s not keeping the baby, then you grieve and you have to move on. If she is, she’s made more than one decision.”
“What’s that?”
“That she does want a family, and that’s going to involve being part of this family too, because her baby will automatically have two half-sisters.”
I felt my stomach turn upside down. “How the fuck do I explain this to them?”
“With honesty – or as much honesty as kids their age need. But you have time. You have a few months to prepare them. But don’t worry about that now – worry about her. Put her first, Nate. I know you can do that. She’s going to be so mixed up.”
“What if - ”
She cut me off. “No point. You need to find out where her head is before the what ifs. No reason to worry about something that might not happen.”
I laughed, somehow managing to. “When did you get so wise?”
She smiled. “According to our parents, I’m not. But I am writing though. I did four thousand words today.”
“I’m never reading it.” It was steamy romance, and I did not need to know what went on in my sister’s head, least of all about that.
“You might pick up some tips.”
“Fuck no.”
“Are you going to turn up at the restaurant tomorrow?”
“That was a terrible segue. Yeah, I am. With flowers. She’ll know I know when I get there because Neva’s face will give it away.”
Jez was quiet for a moment. “You’re a good man, Nate. If she’s going to have a baby with anyone, you’re the best person I can think of for the job – not in the baby-making way. I never want to think about that.”
Repulsion looked hilarious on my sister.
“I’ll take the compliment and go to bed. Thank you for the chat.”
