by A. E. Neal
I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time, noticing the tiny wrinkles that had formed around my eyes overnight. I looked worn out, tired, skinny and my eyes were dark and swollen from crying so much.
He would definitely leave me for the perky blonde if I didn't get my shit together, I thought.
Twenty minutes had gone by, and he still hadn't returned. I feared the worst, but I trusted him to make the right decision. Inwardly praying he would have the guts to tell her to kick rocks.
I took the picture from the coffee table, grabbed my bag and phone and headed for the door. I took a deep breath and opened it, then I peeked out carefully. When I didn't see any sign of him, I hurried down the stairs to my car and sped out of the apartment complex.
Chapter 28
Kennedy
Now was as good as time than ever, I thought as I turned my engine off and stared at the front of our townhouse. I took a deep breath, grabbed my things and made my way inside.
The front door creaked a little as I opened it slowly.
"Hello?" a male voice called from Ally's room.
"Hey, B, it's just me," I said.
"Kennedy?"
"Yeah, I'm home."
"Ally just left to go get some things at the grocery store," he said.
I peeked my head into the room. He was laying with his back propped against a stack of pillows, shirtless. His casted leg was raised by an equally large stack of pillows at the end of the bed.
"How you feeling?" I asked.
"I'm sick of laying in bed," he chuckled. "I'm bored out of my mind."
I laughed. I knew how he felt, but I wanted nothing more than to just curl up in my own bed and sleep for days on end.
"You look like shit, Ken. You alright?" he asked and I nodded.
"Gee, thanks, buddy," I said. "I'm just exhausted," I lied and he saw right through me.
"Something's going on, isn't there? You can talk to me, you know?"
"Thanks, but I don't really wanna talk about it."
"I know I'm not Ally, but you can always talk to me."
"Thanks, Brody. Really, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go lay down. Tell Ally to wake me up when she gets home, okay?"
"Sure thing," he said and I waved weakly before retreating into my room.
Zac
"Skittles?" I called. The apartment was empty, no sign of her or her stuff. She'd even taken the photograph with her, wherever she'd gone.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called her. Straight to voicemail. Perfect.
She hadn't left a note and my stomach sank. She had probably thought Kirsten and I were..."Fuck," I cursed under my breath.
Maybe she just needed some time alone to think or do whatever it was girls did when they needed time to think. I paced the living room several times, staring at my phone, hoping she'd call me back, but after several minutes, I realized she wasn't.
"Damn it, Ken," I muttered under my breath.
Surely she hadn't gone home, I knew she wasn't prepared to talk to Ally without me.
That was exactly where she was. I parked next to her car, hopped out and noticed Ally's car wasn't in the parking lot. I sprinted for the door, not bothering to knock, because really, who would be there to stop me?
"Hello?" Brody called from the bedroom.
"Hey, man. It's Zac," I said and stepped into the bedroom. "Is uh...Kennedy here?"
"Yeah, she got home a little while ago and went straight to her room."
I turned to leave and I found myself face to face with my sister. Her hands were crossed over her chest. Crap.
"Hey, bro." The tone of her voice told me she was not that happy to see me.
I was in for it. I mentally prepared myself for the wrath I was about to receive.
"Hey, Al."
"Don't you fucking 'hey Al' me," she snapped and grabbed my arm, pulling me into her room before slamming the door behind us. "Sit," she commanded and I sat on a bench at the foot of the bed.
I looked at Brody, who just shrugged, looked back at my sister, who's cheeks were red and looked as if steam might come out of her ears at any second.
"Look, Ally. We wanted to tell you about it together. But she ran off and I didn't have a chance to..."
"Stop." She put her hand up and I closed my mouth. "You promised me you would bring her straight home. Instead you took her to your shitty apartment for the last two...wait...what'd you say?"
Shit, shit, shit! Think of something. Anything. Damn it!
"Tell me what, Zac?" she repeated.
"Awe, fucking hell," I said as I covered my face with my hand. "Couldn't keep my damn mouth shut," I muttered.
"Zac?" she pried, but I still wasn't talking. Kennedy's plan to reveal the baby was so ingenious and there I was, sitting in my sister and her fiancé's room like a complete jackass about to ruin everything.
"Ally? Can I come in?" Kennedy asked from outside the door. I glanced up from behind my hand and nodded to her.
"Sure," she said and Kennedy entered the room, carrying the photo she and I had worked on all afternoon.
"Hey, B. Sorry for crashing your party," she apologized.
"Anything is better than watching reruns of CSI. They sorta lost me on the last couple of seasons. I don't like the guy who replaced Grissom, he's kind of a jackass" he said, lowering the volume on the TV.
"Brody," Ally warned as she shot daggers at him.
"Sorry, I don't get much company," he said, adjusting one of the pillows behind his head.
"Maybe we should wait until another time, Ken," I said, eyeing my sister and Brody.
"I'll deal with your ass later," she scolded. Great, I'd done something wrong and I had not idea what it was. Typical.
"Fine," I shrugged.
"Ally, maybe you should sit down," she said sweetly.
My sister's lips drew a hard line and I knew she wouldn't budge.
"Fine, suit yourself." She took a few steps toward Ally and I felt the bile rise in my throat. "I don't know how else to say it, so here," she said and handed the picture to her.
She looked it over for a moment and her eyes went wide, then she looked confused. "I don't understand," she mumbled as she stared at the photograph.
Kennedy went to her side. "I thought it was clever when I saw it, but maybe it's just confusing," she said as she tried to take the picture from Ally's grip.
"No," she snapped and pulled it back into her chest. "But...but..."
"Sweetheart, maybe you should sit," Brody offered and took her free hand.
"No, no, no...this is all wrong. You," she said, pointing at me, and then turning to Kennedy, "and you? And..."
She was definitely in shock and I wanted to speed up the process, so I could get over the ass kicking I was bound to receive.
"Kennedy's knocked up," I offered, "with my baby."
Her eyes went wide again. She looked at Kennedy and back at me, her face was crimson and she squeezed Brody's hand so hard, he actually groaned.
She handed the photograph to Brody, took a deep breath and took a few steps toward me. I ducked, buried my face in my hands and waited for the inevitable blow to the head.
"Nice job, man," Brody said and both girls scowled at him.
Another step and she smacked the top of my head, not as hard as I expected, but it stung a little all the same. "I can't believe it...my best friend...and my shit-head brother. Ugh...after all this time...you guys have been...together?"
We both nodded.
"Oh my God, he's the one? The one before Deacon, it was Zac all along?" She sucked in a breath. "It was Zac all along and you didn't tell me?" she snapped.
"Ally, listen..." Kennedy began to say, but she was cut off abruptly by my sister who now had tears in her eyes.
"How long?"
"I'm six-and-a-half weeks," she said.
"No, not that. I mean, well yeah, but I meant how long have you two been...you know?"
"Fucking?" I said in a hushed tone.
; "Ugh...God. Really, Ken?" she pleaded.
Kennedy looked as embarrassed as I felt. It was like we were sixteen and being forced to explain to our mothers that we'd just had sex for the first time.
"Since he got back into town," she said. Ally glanced at me and I nodded.
She whirled around to face Brody. "You knew, didn't you? And you didn't bother to tell me?"
"I swear, I didn't know. I just heard some rumors around the bar, but I didn't think it was a big deal."
"Al," Kennedy said and reached out to take her hand. "It's not his fault. I should've told you a long time ago. But I was afraid of losing my best friend. I'm sorry."
My sister's face seemed to soften a bit and she shook her head. "But when I asked you, you told me nothing was going on between you. You lied to me, Ken."
"I know. I'm sorry. I just wasn't ready to make a big deal out of it. We were just...uh..."
"Fucking," I said again.
"Whatever. We weren't serious, then."
"And, now? All of a sudden things are serious between you? What about Deacon?"
"I don't know how things are gonna look in the future, but right now, I'm happy. I'm actually happy being with him," Kennedy said softly and her eyes lit up as she glanced at me. I smiled. God, I fucking loved her.
"So that's it? You're just gonna have a baby with my brother and hope things work out?"
"I know it sounds reckless and completely irresponsible, but yeah, that's about as far as we've gotten."
And as if it hit her all of a sudden, she shrieked, causing all of us to jump. "Oh my fucking God, I'm gonna be an aunt!" She turned to face Brody and he pulled her into his chest where she squealed even louder. "You're gonna be an uncle! Awww...Uncle Brody and Aunt Ally."
I got to my feet, took Kennedy's hand and pulled her toward me and she wrapped her arms around my waist. "I'm so happy she didn't disown us."
"Me, too," I said as I pressed my lips to her hair and watched Ally dance around the room, excitedly. Yeah, my sister was nuts, but at least she was taking the news well.
Chapter 29
Kennedy
"I know this is crazy, but..." Ally began.
"Oh God, here we go," I said, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"Shut up, and let me finish."
"Fine," I said before I took a sip of tea. I really missed coffee and decaf tasted like piss water.
"So Brody and I were talking and we really want you to be in the wedding, but I know how you feel about being super pregnant and in a bridesmaid's dress, so we decided to wait until the baby is born and we're gonna get married here. You know, so you don't have to bring a newborn on an airplane for seven hours."
"Seriously, Al. You don't have to rearrange your plans because of me." I dropped my gaze to the floor. "I think I've done enough as is."
"Oh stop. It wouldn't be a wedding without you there, so yeah, we're gonna wait. Besides, Brody will be out of his cast and back on his feet by then."
Things have a really funny way of working out. First off, I didn't expect my friend to be okay with Zac and I. Second, I never expected her to put her life on hold, just because I was pregnant.
"Hey," I said softly and she looked up at me. "I'm so happy you're okay with all of this."
"Uh...I'm still getting used to the fact that my best friend and my brother are together. Yeah, the baby is a shock too, but even if it weren't Zac's, I'd still be just as excited all the same."
"Thanks, friend."
"Oh! That reminds me. So, we're moving back to Brody's in a week. He's getting crutches, thank God, and I know you guys don't really have a place together, so I was thinking Zac could move back in."
I rested my forehead in my hands. "I dunno. I don't know if I'm ready to live with him again. We fucked things up so bad the last time, I just don't want that to happen again."
She reached over and took my hand. "Can I be honest with you?"
"Of course," I said, looking up at her.
"I've known."
"What?"
"Zac's been in love with you since we were thirteen and I always told him that you were way too good for him. Because honestly, Ken, you really are. But I see the way you look at him now, and it all makes sense. You weren't afraid of being in a relationship, you were just afraid of what might happen when you felt it too."
I shot her a confused glance.
"Before Mom died, he used to tell me that the only reason he had to hold onto life, was because you were there. I knew you kept him company while I was visiting her and because you were my best friend, I knew you wouldn't jeopardize our friendship for my jackass brother."
"But that's exactly what I did," I interjected.
"It wasn't the same. He had his heart set on you and you wouldn't give him the time of day," she laughed.
I shrugged. After Zac had told me he had been watching me since we were teenagers, I couldn't help but fight the lump in my throat. I'd blown him off for so long, but I realized finally, I might have been the whole reason he left town in the first place.
"I'm the reason he left, huh?"
"I don't know, Al. It was hard for both of us after mom passed away. I just think he couldn't stand to be in the house she made our home, anymore. It wasn't you."
"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
"I wanted to, but I secretly hoped it was just a phase, 'cause honestly, I didn't want you to get hurt."
"Hurt, how?"
"You know his past, Ken. Probably better than I do."
"True. But I think he's changed. Or at least that's what I'd like to believe."
"What'd you mean?" she asked.
I sighed loudly. "I dunno. I think he still has feelings for Kirsten. And when I'm fat, bloated and look like a hippo, I feel like he's gonna look at me in disgust and run back to her."
She scooted closer and pointed her index finger into my face. "Don't you dare say that. I swear to God, if he even so much as goes near her, I'll clam kick her myself."
And we both laughed. I loved my best friend. Though I knew deep down, she couldn't fight even if her life depended on it, I still loved her.
That morning, I woke to the smell of pancakes, bacon and maple syrup. I'd missed Ally's cooking and she didn't do it often, but it was like a festival of flavor when she did.
I rubbed my eyes, rolled out of bed and grabbed my robe off the hanger on the back of the door. I padded into the kitchen to find Zac, flipping pancakes and frying up bacon.
"What're you doing here?" I asked sleepily.
He hadn't spent the night with me, so I could only assume he'd come over early in the morning.
"Thought you'd like some breakfast before you went in today," he said sweetly.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and inhaled his familiar scent. I kissed his shoulder and he turned to face me, wielding a spatula in one hand and a piece of bacon in the other.
I reached out to grab the bacon, but he swatted my hand away.
"I read you shouldn't eat bacon," he said and I pouted.
"What? That's dumb," I said, snatching the crispy piece of pork fat from his hand and shoving it into my mouth. "Where'd you read that?"
"Google."
I laughed. "And you believed it because everything on the internet is true?" I teased.
He wasn't amused. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't feeding you the wrong thing," he said genuinely.
"I appreciate it, I do. But after not being able to eat anything, I think I'll take my chances," I said before stuffing another piece of bacon in my mouth.
"I should've just cooked up a whole pig for you," he said under his breath, but I still heard him.
I smacked his arm, reached into the cabinet next to the stove to grab a mug and he swatted my backside with the spatula. "Ow!" I winced and rubbed the spot on my ass that now stung.
He threw his head back and laughed. "Wuss," he taunted.
I set my cup on the counter, reached for the dish towel hanging off the
oven door and snapped it at him. The towel connected with his thigh and he jumped back. "Damn, woman, that hurt."
"Muahaha," I said wickedly and snapped the towel again. This time he grabbed it and wrapped it tightly around his hand, pulling me toward him.
I quickly let go and made a dash for the living room, but he caught me by the waist. I flailed in his arms, kicking my feet out in front of me. "Stop...stop it," I giggled as he found my ticklish spot behind my knee.
I thrashed and kicked, but he had a strong grip on me and I couldn't get away. Tears spilled down my face as I laughed hysterically. "I'm gonna pee, Zac. Stop!" And that was all it took. He let me go and stepped back with his hands over his head.
"Sucker," I teased and lunged for him. He grabbed my by both wrists, twisted me around so my back was against his chest and my arms were held immobile. "Not fair, you're stronger than me," I whined.
"Yep," he breathed into my neck, causing goose bumps to cover my skin.
"Jesus, what hell are you two doing?" Ally asked, wrapping her long hair into a knot at the nape of her neck. "Sounds like a freaking WWE fight out here."
Zac released me and I apologized to her for being so loud.
After breakfast, Ally insisted on going baby shopping, which in my mind was a stupid idea, since we didn't know what the sex was yet and I wasn't even sporting a pregnant belly, yet. I whined, but eventually Ally won and Zac was put on Brody duty, which seemed to irritate him, but he finally agreed.
"We'll be back in an hour, so don't get into any trouble, 'kay?" I said.
"Yeah, I know the drill. When the bell rings, the servant tends to his majesty."
Ally rolled her eyes and I laughed. She had Brody on a crazy schedule and the poor guy wasn't even allowed to leave the room unless he had to use the bathroom, but even that required a lot of work on her part. It would be good to let the two guys have some male-bonding time.
"Be nice, Zac," I whispered and he smiled. I leaned over the back of the couch and gave him an upside down kiss. "Spidey-kiss," I said against his lips.
"Get a room," Ally said in disgust.
We both laughed and I followed Ally out the front door, glancing back at Zac who was watching ESPN. "Bye."
Without looking away from the TV, he threw a hand up. "Later."
It seemed like ages since we'd gone shopping together and of course, our first stop was my favorite boutique. Ally pulled her car into the parking garage adjacent the strip mall and we headed toward the store.
