Riverside…
The Weddings
(A Riverside Novella)
Heather Mar-Gerrison
Kindle Edition
Heather Mar-Gerrison Copyright 2019
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No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.
This book is dedicated to Martin, who is unwavering in his support of my books and always gives me his honest opinion. So, Martin, put the knitting to one side and get your teeth into this one…
Tom and Will’s Wedding…
Prologue
Tom
I couldn’t wait to marry Will. Seriously, I could not wait. He was the love of my whole life and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else – not ever.
We had a really great relationship but there was one thing I regretted not telling him when we first got together and that was the small fact that I was named on my best friend’s daughter’s birth certificate… I know, right…
I wasn’t her baby’s father but she didn’t want the loser who knocked her up to have any say if he ever came back on the scene – and so she’d asked me if I would do her the honours…
She’d never wanted any money from me – it wasn’t that sort of a relationship. We were just best friends and I wanted to help her.
It never occurred to me that I might actually have to step up and become Dad one day. No one could have predicted that Sarah would fall ill with a terminal illness but I still hadn’t plucked up the courage to confess to Will what I’d done. He was still happily oblivious, or so I thought…
True, my very lovable but very nosy sister, was aware, though – since I’d confessed to her in a moment of weakness when she was tearing a strip off me for cheating on my boyfriend, which was of course, absolutely not true…
Chapter 1 – True
Tom sighed and threw himself down in the chair next to where I was feeding Zsófia. She was only three months old and still slept most of the time but she was awake right now and her eyes followed Tom’s every move – she really loved him. Well, didn’t we all?
I looked towards the door and then back at my brother, “So?” I prodded, “Where’s Will?”
Tom sighed again, looking like he was in pain, “We’ve had a bit of a disagreement,” he said, “So I thought I’d give him some space.”
I raised an eyebrow. They were having a few of those recently. Tom spent quite a lot of time with his friend Sarah and her little girl and I suspected that was the root of the problem. Will was still a little jealous of their relationship, “Nothing serious, I hope?” I said. I didn’t know what I’d do if those two broke up – they were totally our shining example of the perfect couple. No one loved each other more than they did…
He sighed and shook his head, “We’ve been talking about having kids since this little cutie came along,” he nodded towards Zsófia, “not right now,” he hastened to add as I raised my eyebrows in surprise, “but in the future, you know? And he wants us to use a surrogate...”
I blinked in surprise, “Really?” I asked, “And so what’s your take on it?”
He sighed, “I don’t.” he sighed, rubbing his eyes and looking stressed out. He suddenly looked up at me and leaned forward, “Listen, there’s something I really need to tell you.”
I raised an eyebrow questioningly.
He took a deep breath, “You know Sarah?”
I nodded, ice flooding my veins. Please tell me he didn’t have a thing with her… “Sarah, as in your best friend? That Sarah?” I asked, dreading the answer.
He nodded, “Well, you know she’s got a little girl?” My heart started pumping and I was about to break out in a sweat. I nodded. Holy shit – what was he going to say next? He looked at me sheepishly, “I’ve never told any of you lot, but she named me on the birth certificate,” At my horrified look he was quick to explain, “She’s not mine but Sarah didn’t want the real father to come back and claim her.”
I frowned, “I don’t follow.” Tom had done some really dodgy things in the last couple of years. It really wouldn’t have surprised me if this was one of those dodgy things. Hell, he’d dated her best mate for long enough…
He sighed and rubbed his eyes again. He looked totally stressed out. “She’s sick.” He said, his voice heavy with emotion, “And I mean really sick – she’s been through loads of chemo over the last couple of months but nothing’s working. She refused treatment when she was pregnant and I think in doing so, she left it all too late. She’s going to die, True – and she wants me and Will to have Millie.”
“Millie?” my heart started to thump. Mum’s name was Millie. It was a sign…
He nodded, “Yeah, I know.” He said, reading my mind, “It’s like she was destined for us, isn’t it?”
I nodded, “And what does Will say about all of this?”
He shook his head, looking really sheepish. “He doesn’t know yet. I haven’t actually told him. It was the perfect time to tell him when he brought up the subject of us having kids but I totally bottled it because I should have told him a year ago when I agreed to be named on the birth certificate – only we’d only just got together so I let it slide.” He ran his hand through his hair, looking totally stressed out, “And then it got to a point where it was too awkward to bring it back up… And now he’s getting all stupid and jealous because I’ve been going to see Sarah a lot more often than he’s used to.” He looked at me incredulously, “I think he still secretly worries that I’m going to leave him for a woman – and particularly her because she admitted once that she’d always loved me.” He rolled his eyes and let out a snort, “Like that’s ever going to happen. Sarah will always be my best friend, but I love him. He’s the only one for me, True.”
I nodded. “Well of course he is,” I agreed indignantly. I was a little cross that my best friend was so ready to think the worst of my brother.
I put the bottle down and started to rub Zsófia’s back to bring her wind up, “You need to tell him the truth, though – and fast. And you need to introduce him to Millie if he’s gonna be her dad, too.”
He nodded, “I know that,” he snapped, “Don’t you think I know all of this? I’m totally freaking out here!”
I smiled, “Oh, Tom.” I said fondly, “You’re adorable, do you know that?”
He rolled his eyes but he flashed a small grin, “Thanks, dude.” He said, “I feel the same way about you.”
I smiled, “So you’re definitely not seeing someone else?” Well, best to be absolutely certain…
Chapter 2 – Tom
“Seeing someone else?” I cried indignantly. Did I not just spill my guts, like, totally?
She was peering at me as if I was about to confess that, yes, I’d totally just lied about my best friend dying and was instead shagging some big hairy-arsed bloke with tattoos and piercings and the biggest nob known to man…
I stared at her as if she was completely off her rocker, “What the actual fuck?” I asked in horror, “Cheating on Will? Are you fucking kidding me? Did you just leave the room when I was explaining or something?”
She shook her head, “I just had to be absolutely certain, Tomas. He honestly thinks you’re having a secret affair with Sarah.”
Oh, holy shit… It killed me a little bit inside that I’d inadv
ertently hurt him. I shook my head and groaned, “She’s just really ill and she can’t cope with Millie on her own anymore.”
True looked worried, “How ill? How long has she got?”
I grimaced. How ill? Really fucking ill. So ill I was freaking out. I didn’t even know where to begin with the news to Will that he might have to be a dad with me soon… “She’s pretty damned ill.” I mumbled, “A couple of months maybe?” Looking up into my sister’s concerned face, I wanted nothing more than to just throw myself into her arms and sob like a child. My best friend was dying… “She’s got cancer, True. Well, I guess it’s more like leukaemia, really. It’s what her mother died of...” And it was terrifying me…
The colour drained from True’s face, “Oh, my God… Her mother died when she was small, didn’t she?”
I nodded, “Yeah.” I agreed, “She was barely three years old...” And history seemed to be repeating itself in the cruellest way…
She nodded, “You really need to tell Will then –and Tom?”
I looked at her, “What?” I croaked, trying my best to hold it all together.
“Tell him soon.”
I let out a huge sigh and nodded, “I will. I’ll get around to it – I promise.” I bit my lip. I didn’t really have the faintest idea how to tell him. But he had to understand that I’d only ever loved her as a friend. She was important to me – but I had to admit that I was shitting myself that she wasn’t going to make it and leave me to bring up her baby. I was crap with babies, as everyone well knew…
Chapter 3 – Will
“I’m terrified True.” I admitted, “I’m terrified that he’ll ultimately choose Sarah.” We were in the bar and Tom had been gone half the day – again. He was back now but he seemed to be avoiding me like the plague…
She frowned at me, “Why?” she asked, incredulously, “What makes you think that?”
I sighed. It wasn’t my imagination. He’d been round to Sarah’s every single fucking night this week alone – not to mention all the times he’d lied about where he was. I felt like I was losing him… “He’s always around there…”
She raised her eyebrows, “Well that’s news to me – have you asked him why?”
I looked at her sheepishly. Damn it, why was she always so damned direct – and so intuitive? “No,” I replied a little sulkily.
She eyed me beadily, “Why not?”
I sighed, “I guess I don’t want to hear the answer…”
Chapter 4 – True
I sighed. I was sick of this nonsense. Tom had to tell him what was going on. He was going to lose him otherwise, “Ask him,” I urged, “you need to tell him how he’s making you feel, too – this is unhealthy, Will.”
He nodded, his eyes filling with tears, “I know,” he gasped.
My heart went out to him. It wasn’t my place to tell him what I knew, though. He needed to have this conversation with my brother. “Do you want me to tell Tom how you’re feeling?”
He swallowed hard, doing his best not to break down, “Would you mind?” he asked.
I shook my head and smiled, “Not at all,” I promised. What a bunch of fuck-ups we all were – none of us able to tell the ones who meant the most to us how we felt… Tom and Will, me and Sawyer and Tate and Maddie. We were all as bad as each other. We really needed to get our shit together… “Consider it done.” I went in search of my rather wayward brother. I found him in the cellar.
He looked up and smiled as I approached, “Hey True,” he said.
“Hi,” I said flatly, “your boyfriend is really freaking out. You still haven’t told him, have you?” I asked accusingly, giving him a look.
He frowned, “What?”
I nodded, “He truly thinks you’re going off him.”
His eyebrows about shot off the top of his head, “What?”
I nodded. Seriously? He hadn’t seen this coming? Give me a break… “Please tell me he’s wrong.”
“He’s wrong!” He shouted, “Of course he’s fucking wrong. I love him so much.”
I sighed in relief, “Then, please, go and tell him because he’s very upset.”
Tom nodded and bolted past me.
“He’s in the bar!” I yelled after him.
Chapter 5 – Tom
I burst into the pub area of the restaurant. Will was stood behind the bar. He looked up at me pensively.
I stood there, panting a little. “It’s not what you think,” I said, “It’s something really important and I really should have told you before but it’s not about us – or not about us breaking up or anything, anyway.” Oh, God, Please don’t break up with me when I tell you…
He nodded, his lips pressed together to stop himself from showing too much emotion. I knew him so well now, though, it was futile. I knew I’d hurt him. I just hoped it wasn’t beyond repair… “Sarah’s not well,” I started, “and she needs me at the moment.”
He nodded, “Okay,” he said, “That’s fine, but just so you know – I need you too.” He said quietly.
I sighed and nodded, “I really need you too, man.” I said honestly, “Now more than ever…” He frowned at me. I looked back at him. I had to confess – right now. I took a deep breath, “I should have told you this months ago…” Fuck. Would he still want me? Would he tell me to go to hell? I was freaking out as much as he was, I was sure… Well, fuck it – in for a penny… I started to explain…
“What do you mean it’s your name on the birth certificate?” He was absolutely horrified, “Why?” he asked, looking at me, totally mortified, before the next (inevitable) thought crossed his mind, “Oh, God,” he looked temporarily suicidal, “you mean…?”
“NO!” I yelled, “How many fucking times, Will, I’ve never slept with Sarah!” I dragged in a breath, “I’ve only ever loved you.” I paused. Where did I start? At the beginning, I guess… “When she told the guy who was the father that she was pregnant, he told her to get rid of it and walked out on her. She was freaked out but she couldn’t go through with the termination, and she was afraid that one day he might come back looking for the kid. So, she asked me if she could and I agreed for her to put my name on the birth certificate.” I took a breath. This had to be dealt with empathetically – something I wasn’t all that great at, if truth be told, “You and I had literally only just got together the same day that she asked me. I didn’t want to box you in, so I didn’t tell you that day and then that day became the next week and then the next month and it got to the point where it was just too late to bring it up without it being all weird. And I honestly never thought it would come to this…”
He frowned, “Come to what?” he asked, searching my face for a clue, “I don’t understand. What are you still not you telling me?”
I sighed, fighting back the tears, “Sarah was never supposed to die of leukaemia, Will,” I took another deep breath, “That was never the plan.” I was close to breaking point. Dragging my hand through my hair, I closed my eyes. I hadn’t felt anxiety like this in months – since we’d been together as a couple actually and it was quite unbearable. I took a couple of deep breaths and concentrated on ignoring the negative feeling that was building up in my chest. “I’ve been trying to work out a way to tell you all this for months. She’s dying, Will.”
He was never going to want to do what I wanted. It was too much – and far too soon. Hell, we’d only been together just over a year. We weren’t even married yet… “And she wants us to bring up Millie.”
He stared at me. A myriad of emotions crossed his face before he answered me, “Oh, God,” Will started to cry too, “Of course I’ll do that with you,” he reached for me and gathered me in to him, “but you’re right – you should totally have told me before.” He took a deep shaky breath. “I’ve been imagining all sorts of things…” he broke off, his face reddening with embarrassment at what he’d been thinking. He pulled away and looked at me, “Can I come with you to see her tomorrow? We really need her to know that Millie’
s going to be looked after – and that both of us are totally on board.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my face, “thank you.” I whispered, “You are everything…”
He gathered me back into his arms and I melted into him, all of the anxiety fading away. I should have confided in him from the beginning. I knew that – but I was so worried that I’d have scared him off. “I just wanted you to love me.”
“I’ve always loved you – you idiot.” He chuckled, “Always.”
*
Will came with me to pick up Millie from the nursery that she was enrolled in. He looked around in mild horror. “Do you really think she should be in here with all of these other babies?”
I shrugged, “They’re well looked after.” I murmured, looking around through fresh eyes. To be fair, of course they were well looked after – it just wasn’t quite so nice as seeing the children with their mothers but life wasn’t perfect... True and Sawyer were always on hand for Zsófia and I guess we’d been spoilt in seeing that as the norm. The reality was that this was actually the norm for most parents – paying someone else to bring up their child… It wasn’t what either of us really wanted for our soon-to-be daughter, though…
“We’ll just have her at home.” I said, “I’m sure we can work something out.”
Will nodded, “I’ll cut my hours at the office.”
I beamed at him, “You are amazing.” I breathed.
Millie was so tiny. She was only six months old. She smiled when she saw me and held her arms up. My heart melted and I went to her. “Hey, baby.” I said, “Uncle Tom’s here.”
She giggled.
“She’s had her dinner.” The nursery nurse said, “And she’ll probably need changing again, soon – shall I do it before you go?”
Riverside... The Weddings Page 1
