by Nia Arthurs
“You’re insane.”
I walk away, but Aiden jumps in front of me, slightly crouching like he’s preparing to leap on my back if I say no again. “I’ll call Gwen. Arrange everything. All you have to do is show up and get her talking.”
“Why do I have to entertain your baby mama?”
Aiden winces. “Please don’t say that ever again.”
“Yeah, it felt weird to me too.”
Aiden straightens. “Fine. We don’t even have to go anywhere. I’ll bring Melissa and Gwen here. We can all get to know each other together.”
I look over my shoulder. The thought of seeing Gwen again makes me feel slightly nervous, and I don’t want Aiden to notice. “Alright.”
“Thanks, man.” Aiden slaps my shoulder. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“Sure.”
Aiden rushes down the hall to change. The moment he heads out to get the ladies, I run through the house, picking up clothes and documents littering the sofa and floors.
Last time, I had to clean up in front of Gwen. Not gonna happen again.
When I’m satisfied that the house is good enough to pass my mother’s inspection, I jump into the shower. On my way back to my bedroom, a memory of Gwen bumping into me last week strikes.
I remember the way her eyes widened. Her gaze made a slow, sensual perusal of my torso. I’m sure it was instinctual. If she knew how intently she stared at me, she would probably be embarrassed.
I struggled to act nonchalant back then, but I was just as flustered. Everything in me demanded I kiss the surprise right off her face.
Thank God I didn’t.
I return to my room and stand in front of my closet, debating what I should wear. It takes me ten minutes and three outfit changes before I settle on a button-down shirt and jeans.
I’m spraying on cologne when I hear keys rattling in the lock.
They’re here.
It’s just Gwen. Why is my heart skittering like this?
I head outside, praying I don’t do or say anything stupid in front of my best friend and his family.
I notice Gwen first, but I drag my gaze away from her and focus on Melissa. Aiden’s girlfriend clings to his arm. She’s taller than the average Belizean girl with long, wavy black hair and a nice body.
Gwen is prettier, but that’s just my biased opinion.
“Danny, was it?” Melissa stretches her hand out. “We met at Joanna’s party.”
“Right.”
Melissa giggles. She has a high-pitched voice. I hope the kid doesn’t inherit that.
“Who’s Joanna?” Gwen asks. Chocolate brown skin glistens in the light streaming through the French windows. Her hair is twisted into a braid that moves around her head like a halo. The word ‘stunning’ does not do her justice.
“A mutual friend,” Aiden explains quickly. “I ordered Chinese. Hope you girls don’t mind.”
“Babe,” Melissa pouts, “I’ve been having morning sickness. I can’t eat anything too greasy.”
“What do you want then?”
“A salad?”
Aiden shoots her an incredulous look. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“I didn’t know what I wanted before.”
“Fine,” he says through gritted teeth.
“I have a restaurant I like. They don’t do deliveries though.”
Aiden glowers, but keeps his annoyance in check. “Give me the address. I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks, babe.” Melissa grins, showing off large, pearly white teeth. “Isn’t he just fantastic?”
“He’s… something alright,” Gwen says.
I snort.
Gwen responds with a knowing wink.
Melissa observes us both, a strange look in her eye. Awkwardly, I whirl around and usher the ladies inside.
Melissa clasps her hands, round chin bobbing as her gaze skitters from one end of the room to the other. “This place is so gorgeous.”
“Haven’t you been here before?” Gwen asks.
I try to catch her attention and wave her away from that topic, but it’s too late.
Melissa stiffens, her voice climbing to an even higher pitch so she sounds like one of those singing chipmunks. “No, I haven’t. Aiden never invited me.”
Gwen frowns. “How rude is that, bro?”
Aiden chuckles and swoops in front of his sister. He pierces her with a dark glare. “Of course I planned to ask her over. I just didn’t get around to it.”
I clear my throat and bail Aiden out. “We’ve got snacks if you ladies are hungry.”
“No thanks.” Melissa rubs her flat stomach—which is on full display in a pink crop top. “I’m trying to watch my diet. I don’t want to get fat.”
Gwen reels back, her eyes narrowed. “You… do understand what’ll happen to your body over the next few months, right?”
“Of course.” Melissa covers her mouth as she giggles. “I just meant I don’t want to get any fatter than I have to.”
“It’s important to eat enough so you and the baby are healthy.” Gwen pulls on her ear. A clear sign of her irritation.
“I’m sorry. I missed the part where you were a doctor.”
“I didn’t say I was a doctor.” Gwen puts a hand on her hip. “I’m just trying to help.”
“I don’t remember asking for that either.”
All that’s left is for Gwen and Melissa to launch their claws and maul each other.
“Okay…” Aiden slips between the two women. “I’m not getting through to the restaurant. Why don’t you come with me to order the salad?”
“Whatever.” Melissa tosses her hair over her shoulders.
“We’ll stay here to pay for the takeout,” I say.
Aiden taps Gwen on her shoulder. “Behave.”
“She started it,” Gwen mumbles.
Melissa storms out of the house.
“Honey, wait up!” Aiden follows her, locking the door behind him.
Gwen doesn’t waste a moment. She paces the living room, eyes sparking. “Can you believe the nerve of that girl? I wasn’t trying to be rude. She’s about to gain a crazy amount of weight. What if she goes on a diet and hurts the baby?”
“She’s not going to do that. Aiden will watch over her. Plus, your dad’s a doctor. He can recommend an OB-GYN to make sure both Melissa and the baby are healthy.”
“Do you think that girl will listen?”
“Girl? She’s two years older than you.”
Gwen stops and wags her finger. “I don’t need your snark right now, Danny.”
“It’s a fact.” I watch her walk up and down. “Gwen, relax.”
“I am relaxed!”
I roll my eyes. Sometimes, the siblings are more alike than either of them realize.
I walk in front of her. Gwen skids to a stop, almost falling into me. I hold her sides to steady her. The air shifts from friendly to… something else.
Don’t do anything stupid, Danny.
Gwen’s eyes search mine. She raises her chin. The wrinkle between her brows appears, pointing to her confusion. My gaze lands on her plump lips. They move. She’s talking.
I have no idea what she’s saying.
What would Gwen Ferguson do if I swooped down and took her first kiss?
She licks her lips, pink tongue darting over the glossy surface.
That’s it.
I’m doing something stupid.
9 Gwen
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Danny ignores my question. He leans down, his gaze glued to my lips. My heart is bouncing around my chest, moving faster than the Energizer Bunny.
Is he doing what I think he’s doing?
Yes. Yes!
I don’t know why or how this moment is happening, but I’ve wanted to kiss Daniel Kwan since forever so questions are moot at this point. My eyes flutter closed. I pucker my lips, anticipating his touch.
His hand cradles my face. Danny’s thumbs are roug
h. Calloused. It’s like being brushed with a thicket. I don’t care. They’re manly hands. Gorgeous hands. Because they’re his.
All I can see is the darkness tattooed behind my eyelids, but I can feel him coming closer. Bearing down on me. Lips hovering above mine. Breath mingling. Exchanging.
A knock sounds at the door. “Delivery!”
My eyes burst open. My lips shrivel, cold and alone. Danny steps back, putting a massive amount of distance between us.
Come back.
He coughs. “It must be the food.”
“Food?” I shake my head and try to act like he wasn’t about to fulfill a dream that’s a decade years old. “Right. You should get that before the delivery guy leaves.”
“I’ll be right back.” Danny swipes his wallet from the sofa.
“I’ll be here!” I call to his back like the collected and sophisticated woman that I am. “Just… chilling.”
The moment Danny steps outside, I plop into the sofa and cup my chin in my palms.
What just happened?
Danny was about to kiss me. I did not make that up. My heart is still thumping like crazy. Every nerve is on fire. A memory of his soulful brown eyes flashes in my mind. Heat sears my chest.
If only that delivery had come five minutes later…
I glare at the door. As if summoned, it swings open and Danny walks in. His arms are burdened with plastic bags. The fragrance of fried chicken fills the room.
I would offer to help him, but I’m afraid of what will pop out of my mouth if I open it right now.
Danny avoids my gaze. It’s impossible to read him so I give up and drool over him instead. His grey shirt hugs his broad shoulders and sets off his golden skin. His silky black hair is brushed over his forehead, the way I like it. Almond shaped eyes simmer with untapped passion.
Okay, I made that last part up. His eyes look normal. No ‘passion’ to be seen.
Danny disappears into the kitchen. For a moment, I debate following him, but end up grasping my knees and staring at the ground instead.
A few minutes later, the front door opens again and Aiden and his girlfriend walk in. They stop in the foyer to slide their shoes off and then stroll to the living room.
Aiden startles when he sees me. “Hey, sis. What are you doing out here?”
“Yeah,” Melissa says in a squeaky voice that makes me want to slap her, even if she is pregnant. “You look like one of those orphans in the sad commercials.”
“How… flattering.” I have no idea what Aiden sees in this girl. Well, apart from the obvious. Melissa’s got the body of one of those video vixens on B.E.T.
“Where’s Danny?” Aiden glances around. “Why are you just sitting here by yourself?”
Danny appears in the doorway to the kitchen. “Hey, guys. You back already?”
“Did you and Gwen fight or something?”
I, too, would like an answer to that question.
Danny breaks out in a sheepish smile that makes my heart melt despite my uncertainty. “Nah, I was just setting out the food. Did you get the salad?”
Aiden raises the plastic bag in his hands. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
We gather in the dining room. Unfortunately, I’ve got the chair across from Melissa so I have the pleasure of staring into her face for the duration of our lunch.
I have no idea what it is about this girl that grates on my nerves.
She’s carrying my brother’s baby. I have to suck it up.
I look away from her and focus on the food. The meal is spread out buffet-style. Golden fried chicken, oily and crisp, huddles in a paper-lined basket. Perfectly crunchy fries showered with just enough salt lies beside it. A cup of sweet and sour sauce releases a gorgeous fragrance.
Everything looks scrumptious, but my stomach is all tied in knots, and I doubt I’ll be able to eat anything. A side-glance at Danny says he’s going through the same thing. His plate is full, but he’s absently nibbling on a fry.
At least Melissa doesn’t seem to have a problem with the food. She’s tearing into her salad. Leaving nothing on the plate.
Silence fills the room.
Is anyone gonna… say something?
Aiden raises an eyebrow at Danny and clears his throat. “Hey, Dan… didn’t you have some questions you wanted to ask Melissa?”
“Me?” Danny sticks a thumb in his chest.
“Yes.” Aiden flutters one eyelid in a flurry of winks. “You did.”
I knew those two were weird, but this is some next level bizarre.
“Right.” Danny wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Melissa, tell me about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
I snort. “Is this a job interview?”
My chair surges back. I glance beneath the table. My brother’s socked foot is still outstretched.
“Aiden!”
“Five years?” Melissa tips her fork to her chin, ignoring us. “Before the baby, I saw myself working in my dad’s store. Now I want to be a housewife.”
I shoot my brother a dark glare. “Why did you do that?”
Aiden shrugs.
Danny nods sagely. “What do you enjoy doing for fun?”
Since no one is paying attention to the injustice my brother committed against me, I scoot my chair back under the table.
“I enjoy shopping.” Melissa’s grin lights up her face. “My favorite color is pink, so that pretty much makes my entire wardrobe. I like binge watching shows on Netflix. And baths. I looove baths.”
My tongue darts out of my mouth as I concentrate on kicking my brother’s chair. It doesn’t budge. My back straightens. My fingernails dig into the table. I shove on his chair with all my might.
Nothing. Doesn’t even make a squeak.
What the heck?
A fork clanks into a plate. Melissa screams. “Gwen, are you okay?”
I freeze. Glance around. Everyone at the table is staring at me. Including Danny.
I shove my tongue back into my mouth. “I’m fine.”
Aiden catches my eye and smirks.
The jerk.
A glance beneath the table reveals his feet curled around the legs of his chair. That’s why he wouldn’t budge.
“My turn!” Melissa’s annoying voice rings in my ear. “I have a question for you, Gwen.”
I straighten. “Me?”
“With such a… unique personality and fashion sense—” There’s so much smug in her tone that I know better than to mistake her words for a compliment—“how are you still single?”
“Excuse me?”
Melissa turns to Aiden. “Does she have a boyfriend?”
“Who? Gwen?” My brother laughs. “I wish.”
I lift my chin, struggling to pretend that Danny isn’t there and this isn’t the most humiliating moment of my life. “For your information, if I wanted a relationship I could have one. I’m choosing to focus on more important things, like my volunteer efforts and where I’ll live when school starts.”
“Where you’ll live?” Aiden loses his smile and rests his elbow on the table. “Aren’t you rooming with your friends again?”
“Did I say that?” I nervously pick up my fork and shove a piece of chicken in my mouth. I left Aiden in the dark about my home-situation because I was trying to figure it out on my own.
School’s starting in two days, and I still don’t have a place.
So maybe I’m not so good at that.
Danny stares at me, his mouth screwed in concern. “What do you mean you have nowhere to live, Gwen?”
I wince. “I’m working on it.”
“Is this a joke?” Aiden glances at Danny and Melissa as if they’re in on it too. “You’re joking, right?”
“If you must know, Winnie and Britney weren’t sure when I’d return from Haiti, so they gave my room to someone else.”
“What?” Danny yells. “Where do they expect you to st
ay then?”
“Like I said. I have it under control.”
“You, dweeb.” Aiden folds his arms over his chest. “I told you to ditch those chicks when they tried to hit on me.”
“They hit on anyone,” I say in Britney and Winnie’s defense. The words sound stupid the moment they taint the air.
“What school are you attending?” Melissa asks with phony concern.
“Balen University in Cayo.” I glance at my brother and Danny. “Relax, guys. I’ll commute for the first semester and hopefully, I find an apartment next year.”
“Driving on that highway is too dangerous,” Danny says.
“What else can she do?” Aiden frowns. “It’s not like she knows how to take the bus.”
“Who doesn’t know how to take the bus?”
Aiden turns to his girlfriend. “Our dad’s the overprotective type. Gwen knows nothing about public transit.” My brother rubs his chin. “Give me Winnie’s number. I’ll call her and try to straighten this out.”
“Um…” Melissa tosses her hair over one pale shoulder, “exactly when did these friends try to hit on you?”
Aiden’s face shifts from concern for me to concern for himself. Faint wrinkles form around his dark brown eyes. “It was a long time ago.”
“Did you,” Melissa’s gaze sharpens, “flirt back?”
Aiden scratches his temple. “I don’t remember.”
“Try.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re the only woman in my life now.” He takes her hand.
Melissa shakes him off. Her answering smile is cold. “I better be.”
My brother shivers in response and shoots me a look that screams, ‘help me’. Since I’m the one who technically put him in this position, I try to bail him out.
“Aiden is old news for my friends, Melissa. I assure you.” I swing my hands around to indicate Danny. “They’re all about him now.”
Danny does not seem flattered. At all. His frown deepens. “What are you going to do?”
“Nothing. Britney and Win are harmless. I mean… they might stalk you a little, but—”
“Not about that,” he bites out. “About your living arrangements.”
I lower my gaze to the table and answer softly, “I don’t know.”
