The WRONG Brother: A Friends to Lovers Romantic Comedy (Love You Forever Book 1)

by Alexis Winter

  “No one knows yet, and we’re not telling everyone until after we’re married. So you have to keep this secret. Got it?” I point at him.

  “I guess we have you to thank, Preston. If you hadn’t walked in and distracted me, I would’ve been able to pull out in time.” Calvin smiles over at him.

  “You’re welcome, I guess,” Preston says, finishing off his beer.

  “Oh, and Pres . . .” I say, sitting up and turning to face him. “We’ve talked about it and in addition to being this baby’s uncle, would you also like to be the godfather?”

  This surprises him. He sits up a little taller. “Well, who’s going to be the godmother?”

  “We were thinking of asking my friend Riley.”

  “So the godfather and the godmother get to hook up, right?” He smiles wide.

  My jaw drops. “What? No, you freak!”

  “Why not?”

  I shake my head. “Never mind.”

  He laughs. “I’d be more than happy to be godfather to your child, but I will show you that the godfather and godmother do get to hook up.”

  “Leave my friend alone, Preston,” I say, leaning forward and pointing my finger at him.

  But he doesn’t take me seriously. Instead, he only laughs harder.

  “I can’t believe my whole life I’ve been the screw-up and Calvin’s been the golden child, and now he’s the one having the shotgun wedding,” Preston laughs. “I can just see Mr. M standing at the altar with you two, holding the shotgun on you, Cal.” He laughs some more. “I mean, seriously, if you’d asked our parents which one of us they thought would knock a girl up and have to marry her, 10 to one, they would’ve said me.”

  Calvin holds up his middle finger. “Yeah, but it’s not like Piper and I were just fucking around. If you knock someone up, it’s going to be some woman whose last name you don’t know.”

  Preston looks pissed for being called out. He doesn’t respond though. He just grabs his phone and starts typing. A few seconds later, “White Wedding” by Billy Idol starts playing.

  Calvin picks up a couch pillow and chucks it at Preston’s head. His head goes flying back from the force of the pillow, but Preston just holds up his middle finger and smiles.

  “Hey, I know what we can do. Let’s pick out the wedding playlist. We could make CDs—I know, so retro—and hand them out at the wedding as party favors. We’ll start with ‘White Wedding,’ and after that, we’ll switch gears to ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ by Madonna.” He looks up from his phone and flashes me a grin.

  I can’t do anything but laugh as I shake my head at how stupid he is.

  Time passes by in a blur as we chug along to our wedding day. There’s a lot of traveling back home to set things up for the wedding. Calvin manages to sell his penthouse. It takes us almost a week, but we finally get all of his things moved into my place—our place.

  We start working on the room that will soon belong to our baby. Even though we don’t know the sex yet, I wanted to get a jump on things. I picked out a beautiful cream-colored carpet and painted the walls a soft yellow with white trim. We’ve both been buried in work and I had a doctor’s appointment where we got our first sonogram picture. I was only eight weeks along at the time, so I’m not able to make out much in the picture, but I love it anyway because I know it’s a product of the love Calvin and I have for each other. I get a frame for the picture and place it on a shelf in the baby’s room, next to a picture of Calvin and me that I had framed. Above the shelf, it reads All Because Two People Fell in Love.

  The pregnancy is still a secret where our families are concerned, even though morning sickness is hitting hard. We spent last weekend at home while we reserved the church and the great room for the reception, and the entire time I had to come up with excuses to run to the restroom and empty my stomach. But Calvin was great at covering for me and choosing things in my absence.

  I’ve never been the type of girl who fantasized about her wedding day, so every choice I make is like shooting in the dark. But my mom and Calvin’s mom are always there to help. They even volunteered to plan the whole thing since I’m far away and buried in work. I almost took them up on their offer, but decided that this wedding is about Calvin and me. We should be the ones to plan it and represent our love. I did give them a few tasks to handle on their own, though, like sending out invites to family, keeping the church up-to-date on any changes, and managing the families.

  Calvin and I have decided not to register for any gifts considering we have everything we need. We actually have twice as much as we need since we combined two homes into one. Most of his things are in storage or in boxes in my garage. Despite all the stress I’m under with work, the wedding, and the baby, I’m unbelievably happy and never pictured my life going this way. I love that when I get home from work, he’s already preparing dinner. I love falling asleep in his arms every night and waking up to him bringing me a hot cup of coffee every morning. I even love the little things like seeing his shaving kit on the bathroom counter, his car in my garage, and his favorite coffee cup sitting next to mine. I love that I’ve finally found my other half and feel like kicking myself most days for not truly seeing him sooner. Calvin is absolutely perfect for me in every way, shape, and form. In fact, I think I need to punch Preston for standing in our way for so long. Plus, it would help to let out some of this stress.

  Now that Calvin and I are living together, Preston seems to be around that much more. He’s at our house every day, and we have dinner with him most nights. Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t tried climbing into bed with us yet. It’s like we’re all one big, happy family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  This evening we have a dinner planned to tell Riley about the pregnancy. I’m also going to ask her to be the godmother. We weren’t planning on inviting Preston, since we knew he’d suggest that they sleep together as part of their duties as godparents, but he overheard us talking about it and invited himself.

  The doorbell rings at 5 p.m., and I know it’s Riley because Preston would’ve just walked in. I answer the door and she pulls me in for a hug.

  “Where’s the wine?”

  I laugh as I hug her back. “It’s already being chilled,” I promise.

  I walk her into the house and out to the patio where Calvin is standing at the grill.

  “Riley, this is Calvin, my fiancé. And honey, this is my friend Riley.”

  They shake each other’s hands and have a moment of chitchat before Preston makes his presence known—striding onto the patio with an open beer in his hand. He looks Riley up and down. “Who’s this?”

  “Preston, this is Riley. Riley, Preston. He’s Calvin’s brother and my best friend since kindergarten.”

  She holds out her hand to shake. “It’s nice to finally meet the man who broke my best friend’s heart on national television.” She knows everything worked out for the best, but she just wants to put him on the spot.

  Preston’s mouth drops open and his eyes move from her, to me, and then to Calvin. For the first time in his life, he’s speechless. “Umm, I . . .”

  She bursts out laughing. “I’m just joshing ya. Relax.”

  He lets out a nervous laugh and goes to sit at the patio table.

  We all take our seats and Calvin reaches over to hold my hand. “Riley, we actually have something to tell you,” I start.

  “Wow, this feels very formal. And all without a drink in my hand.”

  Preston pulls a beer out of his pocket and hands it over.

  She laughs. “Thanks.” She pops it open and takes a sip.

  “As you know, Calvin and I are getting married this winter.”

  She nods.

  “Well, the reason we’re having the wedding so soon is because I’m pregnant!”

  Her eyes double in size and her mouth drops open, the corners turning up slightly. “What? Seriously?”

  I smile and nod. “And since you and I are so close, I was wondering if you would consid
er being the baby’s godmother.”

  She seems surprised and taken aback. “Godmother? That’s a thing?”

  I shrug one shoulder. “I mean, it’s mostly just a promise to help guide the baby when he or she needs it. Be a parent without all the responsibilities.”

  “Oh. And who’s the godfather?” she asks.

  Preston smiles wide and holds up his hand. “It’s going to be you and me, baby.” He winks at her and I can’t hold back my laugh.

  “That in no way, shape, or form means you two get to have sex,” I point out, just to remind him again.

  “What?” she asks.

  I wave off her question. “Preston is stupid and thought that him being the godfather was a free pass to try out the godmother.”

  “I’m still down to try,” he says, wagging his bows and nodding his head while his eyes stay locked on her. He looks more creepy than anything.

  “Riley, I’m sorry my brother is such a dumbass,” Calvin says, glaring at Preston. I can tell he’s afraid that Preston’s going to mess this up for us.

  Riley laughs. “Yes, I’ll be the godmother!”

  “You will?” I ask, wondering if she knows what she’s gotten herself into.

  She nods. “Yes! How could I pass up being a member of this family?”

  I stand up and pull her in for a hug. “Thank you so much. And don’t worry about Preston. We all just beat the shit out of him whenever he needs it. Now that you’re in the family, you have that right too.” I smile over at him.

  “Hey!” he says, frowning in my direction.

  Nineteen

  CALVIN—THREE MONTHS LATER

  “Are you ready for this?” Piper asks me as we pack our bags to go back home for the wedding.

  I’m holding my phone charger and toss it into my bag that’s sitting on the bed as I turn to face her. She’s only a foot away from me, so I pull her against my chest, then spin us around so I can lay her back on the bed, careful to keep my weight off her belly. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

  She smiles and it seems like all her nervousness falls away.

  “I think the real question is: Are you sure?”

  She frowns. “Why wouldn’t I be sure?”

  I shrug as I lie at her side. “I don’t know. I just don’t want to have some kind of runaway bride situation on my hands. You know, me standing up at the altar waiting for a bride who’s suddenly run off with my brother,” I joke.

  She laughs. “You think I’d run off with Preston?”

  “No, I’m just saying that if you were to run away, you’d probably take your best friend with you.”

  She wets her lips as her eyes take in my face, starting at my eyes and falling down to my lips. “There’s no place on earth I’d rather be than with you, Calvin.” She lifts her head and presses her soft lips to mine.

  As I kiss her deeply, I place my hand on her stomach, holding our child. Piper’s so thin that I can notice even the smallest bulge. She doesn’t look pregnant though. If anything, she looks like she’s gained a few pounds, which could be written off given the stress of planning a wedding. She’s already become self-conscious about it, though, so outside the house, she’s opted to wear loose-fitting tops. She’s afraid someone will notice her stomach and think she’s either pregnant or fat. I’m just glad we’ll finally get to tell our families about the baby at the reception this weekend.

  We’ve talked about how to tell them over the last few months. We thought telling everyone over the toasts would be a good idea, but you know Piper—everything has to be a grand gesture. After mulling over several ideas, we finally figured out the perfect way to tell them . . . though I wonder if they’ll catch on.

  “Let’s hit the road,” I say, pulling away and helping her to her feet.

  The drive is long and with her growing belly comes more bathroom stops than I’m used to. All the stopping to pee, eat, and stretch her legs because of a cramp almost doubles the drive time, but we finally make it.

  The wedding is tomorrow, so we’ve agreed that she will stay with her parents tonight and I’ll stay with mine. Then after the wedding and reception, Preston will take us to the airport for our honeymoon in Hawaii. She loved our little vacation spot so much that she’s been dying to go back. In fact, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have a problem with staying there forever to become a professional beach bum. I have to admit, the sun, sand, and ocean are a hell of a lot better than the windy city of Chicago.

  I pull the car up to my parents’ house and grab her bag out of the back. Preston has already arrived and he comes walking out.

  “Hey, you guys got a minute?”

  “Sure, what’s up?” Piper asks as I set down our bags and close the trunk.

  “Would it be cool if I brought a date to your wedding tomorrow?”

  Piper laughs. “Really? Who?”

  Preston looks at his feet as he kicks at the rocks. “Riley?”

  “Riley? My maid of honor, Riley? She’ll already be there,” she points out. Then it hits her. “Wait, the two of you have been seeing each other?”

  He wrinkles his nose like he’s afraid to admit it. “Yeah . . . I mean, it’s nothing serious, but after that dinner at your place, we kind of hit it off and have been hanging out here and there.”

  “That was three months ago, Preston. Why didn’t you tell me?” She’s obviously getting slightly annoyed, so I put my arm around her to calm her down.

  “We just didn’t want to tell you until we knew what we were doing. We didn’t want our relationship to end badly and put a strain on you guys.” He looks up at the sky for a moment. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

  I laugh and she rolls her eyes. “Preston, she’s my best friend. I swear, if you treat her like the rest of your whores, this won’t end well for us. Why would you risk our friendship like this?”

  He frowns as he crosses his arms and leans against Dad’s truck. “You mean like you risked our friendship by dating my brother?”

  I don’t say anything, I just wait. She shakes her head. “That was different. Calvin and I didn’t blow through the opposite sex the way you do. What we had from the beginning was real, unlike anything you’ve ever had in your life.”

  I lean in and whisper in her ear. “I think you’re overreacting, Piper.”

  She nods and takes a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Pres. It’s just all the stress and the hormones.”

  “So, you’re cool with Riley and me?”

  She laughs and nods her head. “Well, I guess you found a way to sleep with the godmother after all, didn’t you?”

  Preston just shrugs and smiles.

  “I need a nap,” Piper says.

  “Let’s get you home.” I lead her across the street to her parents’ house. I carry her bag to her room then turn to give her a kiss. “I’ll see you at the church.” I press my lips against hers.

  “I’ll be the one in white,” she whispers against my lips.

  I kiss her for a while longer before pulling away. “Rest up, baby. You’re going to need it.” I flash her a grin before retreating.

  Later that night, Preston, our dad, and I are sitting around the kitchen table with a glass of scotch. “Come on, Cal. You wouldn’t let me throw you a bachelor party. At least celebrate your last night of being single.”

  I groan. “Fine, but I better not be hung over tomorrow,” I point out.

  Dad looks at me. “Well, we could always go across the street for some garage fun. No hangovers with that stuff.”

  I laugh. “No way. I’m never smoking again.”

  Preston laughs as he talks about all the stupid shit I said and did that day. I just hold up my middle finger.

  Mom walks in with a photo album and sits with us. “While you’re getting drunk, I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane.” She sets the book on the table and opens it up. The first picture is of her and my dad when they first got married. She turns the page
and there’s a picture of me right after I was born. Then Preston shows up on the scene. The following photos have us growing up and turning from babies to toddlers to kids. That’s when Piper makes her way into the photos.

  There’s one of us climbing the tree in our backyard. In another, we’re all sitting on the edge of the pool with our feet dangling in the water. We’re all wearing arm floaties and eating Popsicles. There’s Preston, Piper, and me. In fact, over the course of the rest of the book, it’s pretty much the same—Piper right between my brother and me. It makes me laugh because she said she didn’t want to be stuck between us forever, yet that’s where she’s always been.

  The photos go through their teenage years, but I’m rarely in them. Most of the pictures are just of Preston and Piper. It almost makes me a little jealous, but then I realize that most of the photos from here on out will be of Piper and me. He got her for the first part of our lives, but for this part—the part that really matters—she’s all mine. We’re getting married, having a baby, and soon, I’ll be right here doing this same thing with my child the night before his or her wedding. I smile, knowing that I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  I’m getting ready in the church with Preston—as well as Piper’s brother, Jake—when my brother looks up at me. He’s posing in front of a mirror. “Hey, Cal? You think Pipes would have a meltdown if I walked down the aisle wearing my Chucks instead of those uncomfortable dress shoes that came with the tux?”

  I chuckle. “I think she’d stop the wedding and make everyone wait while you went to change.”

  Jake pipes up. “Yeah, don’t do that. Let’s not delay the boring part any longer than we have to. The reception is where it’s at!” He smiles wide, and when he does, I see so much of Piper in him it isn’t funny.

  I haven’t seen Jake in years. He’s older than me and went off to college before I was even in high school. After college, I think he spent a summer at home before moving to the city, where he started working in insurance. He met his wife and they started a family, only recently moving from Chicago to New York for his work.