“That’s not what happened, and you know it, Jade,” Nathan protests, his face reddening as he speaks. He’s not angry at her. He’s embarrassed at her words.
Wait.
Nathan is the father.
He slept with Jade.
Since when are they a thing? How long has this been going on? Why didn’t anyone tell me?
I mean, I asked her who the father was, but it only made her cry harder, and it was hard to understand anything she was saying. If she had said it was Nathan, I would have remembered.
“Please, enlighten us as to how you knocked me up then. I’d love to hear your explanation. In fact, let me record this because I think my parents are going to want to know, too, when I tell them.”
“You haven’t told your parents yet? You’re almost through your first trimester, Jade.” It’s hard to hide my astonishment that she’s keeping this a secret, and then I’m reminded that I just found out who the father is.
“I’m about ten weeks.”
“But I thought you said it happened right after we graduated.”
“I thought it did, but I was wrong.”
“So how do you know Nathan is the father then?” I ignore the fact I had no idea he was until thirty seconds ago and press her for information.
“Because he’s the only asshole I’ve slept with in the last year.”
Looking to Nathan, his focus is on the soda in front of him as he stirs it with his straw. I can feel the anger radiating off Jade from across the table. Anger that’s not even directed at me. I can only imagine how he feels.
Has felt for the last few weeks since she found out.
“I think this is a good thing,” I remark as I open my menu and pretend to browse even though I plan on getting the same thing I always do when we come here for lunch. “You two would be good for each other, but even if you don’t plan on trying to be a couple, I know you’re both going to do what’s right for the baby and be great parents.”
“We are not a couple.” Jade’s voice is dismissive of my statement, but she doesn’t comment on the good for each other statement. She can’t. She knows it’s true.
The table falls silent when the waitress returns to take our order and remains that way long after she walks away. Nathan keeps his focus on his straw, stirring long after all the bubbles have disappeared, his drink going flat. Jade has her phone in her hand, thumbs poised to type, but she’s not moving.
Quinn is the only one who seems to be in a chipper mood still. He’s rubbing my thigh under the table as I watch two of my best friends ignore each other. Ignore what’s between them and the commitment they’re silently making to each other for the next eighteen years.
Three months ago, they tricked me into facing my issues. I was angry, but I knew what they did was coming from a good place. I was miserable, and if they hadn’t intervened, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Quinn and I wouldn’t have started over and taken the adventure of a lifetime together.
It’s my turn to repay the favor.
“Okay.” Leaning across the table and taking Jade’s phone from her hand to get her attention, I lower my voice so only the four of us can hear what I’m about to say. “I don’t know how long this has been going on or how it all started, but I do know one thing. You two are opposites in almost every way possible. That’s also why you complement each other. This child is going to be lucky to have both of you in their lives. They’ll feel more love than they know what to do with.
“They’ll also feel the distance between the two of you if you don’t work your shit out. A wise woman once told me that all it takes is a conversation to change course. One sentence, maybe two. All truths, no lies. Lay it all on the table so you don’t regret it. If I hadn’t listened to her, I wouldn’t be the happy woman I am right now. You should take your own advice.”
Tears begin to well up in Jade’s eye. That’s when I know I’ve broken through the stone walls she built around her heart to keep people out. To avoid getting hurt.
When she looks at Nathan and a small smile appears on her face, I know everything is going to be okay. Whatever decisions they make, it’ll be what’s best for them and their unborn child.
Epilogue
GABRIELLE
2 years later
* * *
Even with Jenny screaming bloody murder the entire ferry ride, I was in my happy place. Jade did everything she could think to calm her, but nothing was working. At only 18 months, she’d apparently decided she didn’t like riding on boats. Before we boarded, she had been excited about the big boat, squealing with glee.
That changed the moment we pulled away from the dock.
It’s been the longest fifteen minutes of my life, but once the lighthouse comes into view, signaling the end of our trip, I breathe a sigh of relief.
In eight short hours, I’m going to be marrying my best friend. The love of my life. The one person put on Earth just for me.
Needless to say, I was surprised when Quinn proposed only a month after we returned from Europe. It was the one-year anniversary of when we signed the contract for our fake relationship. He took me out for dinner to celebrate making it through the stupidest decision we’d ever made, but also to celebrate making that stupid decision together because it’s what opened our eyes to the way we really felt about each other.
It took me a while, but I’d finally realized how grateful I was I hadn’t listened to my gut and backed out from meeting him that day. If I hadn’t agreed to at least hear him out, if Gavin hadn’t showed up with his skank, we wouldn’t be where we are right now.
About to get married. On the island that brought us together in the first place. Where we formed our friendship the first time around.
“Are you ready?” Jade asks, adjusting so Jenny is sitting higher on her hip.
“No.”
“Too bad. Your fiancé is waiting for you, and if I don’t deliver you to the hotel in the next twenty minutes, he’s going to send out a search party. Nathan’s already texted me twice in the last ten minutes wanting to know where we are.”
Oh, Nathan. I’m sure only part of those texts were because Quinn asked you to find out why we hadn’t arrived yet. The other part was probably to ask about Jenny or flirt with Jade. To his credit, he tries really hard to play it cool, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a proposal in Jade’s future.
Very near future if what I overheard Quinn saying to him on the phone the other say is any indication.
“This is our weekend. I swear to God if you propose and steal Gabby’s moment, I will kill you on the spot.”
As happy as I would be for Jade, I appreciate Quinn protecting our big day. Not to mention, I have no idea if Jade would even say yes, to be honest.
She’s a tough cookie.
Even though they had been hooking up for almost a year and she was pregnant with his child, Jade refused to be his girlfriend for the first few months. It was close to Christmas before she finally let him in and introduced him to her parents, and that may have been more because they insisted he come over for the holidays.
They weren’t thrilled she was pregnant and single, but they supported her decision to have the baby and to do it on her own. After they met Nathan and saw the way he took care of her and doted on her, I have a feeling they encouraged her to give it a try.
For the baby, of course.
They’ve been together ever since. Twenty-one months and counting.
Quinn made sure there was a carriage to take us to the hotel as soon as we arrived. I’m not supposed to see him today until I’m walking down the aisle, but coincidentally he was in the lobby when we walked in.
“Hey, handsome,” I greet him, pushing up on my toes to kiss him on the lips.
It’s a perfect seventy-five-degree day on the island, and he’s dressed in cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but the way his shirt hugs his every muscle has me imagining ripping it off right here. In the middle of the lobby for all to see
.
Over the past few years, I’ve managed to tame the wicked seductress inside me. His shirt will be ripped off, but I’ll do it later. After we’re alone. After we’re married.
Oooh.
It’ll be the first time we have sex as husband and wife. I’m sure it’ll be as great as the first time we had sex as friends. Then as a couple. Then as an engaged couple.
What if it’s better?
It’s hard to imagine it being any better than it already is, but it has my mind reeling and my body humming.
“Oh, no. None of that. It’s bad luck,” Jade insists, tugging me away from my future husband, killing my buzz.
“After all we’ve been through already, I’m not sure anything is going to stop us from getting married today,” Quinn says as Jade continues to tug my hand, putting distance between us. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” I echo, maintaining eye contact for a few more steps before Jade nudges me in the side.
She needs to get laid. Where is Nathan? Why isn’t he down here to greet us?
“You two are sickening. You don’t see Nathan and I acting like that. Can’t you keep it in your pants until after the ceremony?”
Raising an eyebrow at her, I look between her and Jenny who is sucking on her hand, drool running down her chin and onto Jade’s blouse. “Look who’s talking.”
Rolling her eyes at me, she releases my hand, and we follow the bellhop carrying our luggage. It’s time for me to get ready for the ceremony. Our guests should begin arriving any time along with the stylist I hired to help me and Jade with our hair and makeup.
“Where’s Nathan?”
“He’s in the garden making sure everything is set up for you guys. Best man duties. Quinn was supposed to be with him, but apparently he went rogue when I texted Nathan that we were on our way in the carriage.”
Doesn’t surprise me. Staying away from each other today wasn’t our idea. Quinn sleeping on the island last night wasn’t our idea. Anything that’s traditional about our wedding . . . Jade’s idea. And you don’t argue with your Maid of Honor when she’s as hormonal as she has been the last few weeks.
It doesn’t matter. Tonight we’ll be in the same bed. In the house we once lived in together. Alone.
A wedding gift from Nathan and Jade who rented it before we could as a surprise for us.
And once we’re alone . . .
Checking the time on my phone, I look at the countdown timer on my lock screen.
T-minus seven hours, six minutes, and fifteen seconds until I see Quinn again.
Fifteen minutes after that, I’ll become Mrs. Quinn Turner. With only our closest friends and family attending, it’s going to be a short and sweet ceremony. We’ll be married in the garden of the hotel in the gazebo and then have a small reception on the hotel’s outdoor patio.
But first, I need to make it to six o’clock without going insane.
“I, Gabrielle Lynn Miller, promise to love you with all my heart until the day it stops beating. I promise to support you every day and to be your guiding light through every storm. I may not have loved you from day one, but I’ve loved you every day since you awoke feelings in me that I didn’t know were possible. You’re the best mistake I’ve ever made. I’d do it all again, for the right reasons or the wrong ones, as long as it still leads us here. You own my heart, Quinn. Not a piece of it, all of it, and I know you’ll treat it with care.”
I barely make it through my vows without crying. Not because they were sappy, they truly weren’t. I was already on the verge of tears from listening to Quinn’s vows. I shouldn’t have let him go first. He’s a hard act to follow. I heard Jade sniffling behind me as Quinn spoke, but I couldn’t take my eyes off my husband.
Once the minister pronounced us husband and wife, I jumped into Quinn’s arms and pressed my lips to his. My heart was complete. I had everything I’d ever dreamed I wanted in life.
A good man who made me feel safe and protected. Who loved me the way I needed to be loved. Who accepted me for who I was and who I wanted to be.
We may have started dating for all the wrong reasons, but if you truly believe that everything happens for a reason . . . who cares how it started?
* * *
THE END (for now anyway)
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Readers who’ve enjoyed For All The Wrong Reasons may also enjoy Waiting on Someday. Flip to read chapter one…
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Waiting on Someday
Chapter 1
FEBRUARY 1991
* * *
Everyone’s life is full of obstacles and issues. I’ve always tried to see the brighter side of things, but lately, it’s been a challenge. Instead of being able to see the rainbows after the storm, I can’t seem to look past the storm itself.
When I was six years old, there was a storm. It swept through quickly, leaving the Earth saturated. My mother took me outside, and I spent the next few hours jumping in the puddles of water left behind. When I stepped in the puddles, small waves caused the surface to distort. Every time I stomped my foot, water would splash up, getting the hem of my dress wet and disturbing the surface of the puddle.
Sometimes it feels like my life has been a series of puddles I’ve been pushed in, causing the entire surface to be disturbed. The biggest puddle, the reason I jump over them and not in them anymore, was the day my parents died. That day changed the rest of my life, and nothing's felt right since then.
As the car pulls to a stop, I stare at the house and take stock of where I’m about to land. Nice yard. Large front porch. An adorable, middle-aged couple waiting for me. They look… normal. Looks can be deceiving, though. The people I just left looked normal until the door closed behind me. That’s when their true colors started to shine.
It didn’t take long to understand why they were interested in an older foster kid. I was a slave. If I wasn’t cleaning their house or washing their clothes, I was forced to watch the other kids so they could have a break. There were nights when they came home well after we were all in bed and days when they still weren’t there to make breakfast. That became my job.
Three weeks, that’s all I lasted. The moment he backhanded me for forgetting to close the bread bag properly was the moment I decided it was over. I was done. I’d never been one to run from my problems, but those bastards changed that. Instead of walking to school like I was supposed to, I ran as fast as possible, straight downtown to the DFS office.
To say they were surprised to see me is an understatement. My case worker even did a double take when I walked in her office.
“Charlotte. What are you doing here?” she asked, a look of surprise on her face.
“I can’t live there, Beth.”
“I know it’s hard. It’s an adjustment, and it’s only temporary. I need you to try, though. It’s only been a few weeks. You didn’t even give them a chance.” Walking around her desk, Beth took the seat across from me, placing her hand on my knee.
“You’re right. I should give them a chance,” I replied, my voice heavy with sarcasm. “In fact, I better get back before they notice I’m gone. If I don’t, the toilet may never get cleaned.”
Standing, ready to leave, I felt Beth’s hand on my arm. I pulled away, not wanting her pity. I knew the reality of my situation: two more years before I’m out of the system—two very long years before I’m free and able to stand on my own two feet.
“We’ll find you somewhere else, Charlotte. I promise.” Her voice was soft, caring.
I’d only known Beth for a few weeks, but she’d been honest with me since the moment we met. I trusted her. Trust was something that was normally earned with me, but I’d given it to Beth freely. I wanted to trust her.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I focus o
n today. The woman waves from the porch, and I find myself raising my hand to return the gesture. I catch my hand before it rises above the window, stopping myself. Her smile becomes tentative as she turns to the man standing beside her. He meets her gaze, and her demeanor changes after a few beats. She relaxes, her shoulders sagging forward, as she reaches for his hand.
It’s time.
I reach for the handle, pull it toward me, and push the door open. As I place my foot on the concrete of the driveway, I take a deep breath and say a silent prayer. I pray this place will be different than the last, better. I pray for a normal life. I pray I will be safe here. Finally, I pray my parents will watch over and protect me.
The bottom step creaks as I place the majority of my weight on it. I focus my attention on the step, where my foot has landed. They are in pristine condition. There is no reason it should shift under the weight of my one hundred ten pound frame. Was the noise a figment of my imagination, or did it really happen?
“Charlotte.”
My attention is drawn to the woman standing on the porch as she sweetly says my name. Her arms are wrapped tightly around her middle as if she’s giving herself a hug. There’s a nip in the air today. She’s wearing a jacket, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to keep her warm. I watch as her husband wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her in close.
“Hi,” I finally reply.
“Why don’t we all go inside and get to know each other a little better,” Beth suggests from behind me. I had almost forgotten she was here.
I feel her push against the small of my back, encouraging me to move up the steps and toward the front door. I look down at my legs and will them to move. They cooperate after a few seconds, and before I realize it, I’m walking through the open door and into a nicely decorated living room. I turn and look behind me to see the man closing the door, my heart skipping a beat.
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