Page 76

Marlow

The thud of Cammie’s handbag landing on the wood bench should have been an early warning sign for her mood.

“Rough day?” I ask, pushing the chips closer to her just in case she’s hangry.

“Yes.” She slides into the booth and rests her arms on the table. “Why am I the last to know that you moved in with Jackson? Hello? That’s huge news.”

“You’re not the last. I haven’t told Rad.”

“He knows because of Tealey.”

“Or Cade.”

“He’s the one who told me because Rad told him.” Sitting back, she crosses her arms over her chest. “By the way, Tealey is stuck working. The fundraiser committee called an emergency meeting. The caterer wants oysters, and apparently, they’re out of season in February or something like that.”

“Of course they’re out of season. Oysters spawn in the summer months.”

“How do you know that?”

I shrug. “I’ve been to a lot of parties. I never eat oysters out of season.”

“Good to know.” Her skin takes on a greenish hue, and she looks tired for someone so fired up this evening. Cammie’s usually the level-headed one between Tealey and me, too.

I raise my hand up to flag the server down. I’m thinking she needs a drink to help relax, and more importantly, because I need one under the friendly fire.

Unfortunately, the server is nowhere to be found, so I lower it again.

“As for Jackson and me, I wasn’t hiding it from you. I was literally in my apartment two days ago, and now I’m not. To say it happened fast is an understatement.”

She rests forward again as if the news is too much to sit still. “You claimed you didn’t want anything more with him but sex, Marlow. I’m worried.”

“Are you more worried about him, me, or the group?” I lean forward and lower my voice so only she can hear instead of the eavesdroppers that keep peeking back in the booth behind her. “Because it was a pause regarding the relationship stuff, not an end. And a discussion, not a commitment.”

“This isn’t Friends with one deeming they were on a break and the other free to do as they please. I’m worried if this goes south?—”

I push up, my irritation getting the better of me. “You’re worried about the group dynamic and not my happiness?”

“That’s not true. Please stay.” Releasing a breath, she reaches for my hand.

“You have every right to put yourself first. I’m not worried about the rest of us.

We can handle ourselves.” She squeezes the top of my hand.

“I’m worried about you and only you. Not us and not Jackson. You’re going through so much?—”

Flopping back down, I’m exhausted from this conversation. “Now you’re scaring me because I know you like Jackson.”

“He’s a good guy, and maybe I’m getting soft, but I kind of like you two together.”

It’s hard to stay mad at her. “This conversation may have started off on the wrong foot, but I know you care about me, Cam. I think this just hit a nerve because we were supposed to be pausing, but now, we’re living together. It’s like zero to eighty in one point five seconds.”

“How does that make you feel?”

I take a chip from the basket and swirl it through the salsa, giving myself a hot second to touch base with my feelings again. “The past two days have been a blur.” When I look up, I shrug. “I’m not upset about how things are working out.”

She smiles. “That’s progress.” Her voice is soft with kindness laced in, and I sense her support may have gotten off track under my defenses. “I always want the best for you, whether that’s with Jackson or not.”

“I know. I just don’t want to make big decisions on that part of my life when my attention needs to be figuring out the rest first. But I’ll tell you,” I say, unable to stop the swoon that overcomes my tone.

“Twenty-four hours in and I’m finding myself weak to that man.

And I’m not just talking sexually,” I blurt, probably too loud for a restaurant.

She’s too busy laughing, so I go on. “Why did it take me all these years to see how incredible he is?”

She takes her napkin out from the silverware on the table. “You two have been oil and water for so long that I almost don’t recognize you when you’re together.”

“Guess we’re turning a corner in our relationship.”

“It will be a lot more peace for you guys and the rest of us if you do.” She fists the napkin in her hand, and her eyes begin to plead before she speaks. “Marlow? I need to tell you something.”

Just when I thought we could enjoy the rest of our time together. “What?” I ask, feeling sick to my stomach.

She takes a shaky breath, and now I’m really worried. “What’s going on, Cam?”

The tears form so fast in her eyes there’s no stopping them from falling. “I’m pregnant.”

I jolt like I was slapped across the face. “What do you mean?”

Giggling, she replies, “I’m pregnant, Marlow. I’m having a baby.”

This was not what I expected despite the tears that flood my eyes.

“A girl needs some warning for major news like this.” The purest joy I’ve ever felt fills my chest, and I jump out of the booth and slide in next to her.

“Cammie, this is amazing news.” Wrapping my arms around her, I rest my head on her shoulder as she rests hers on mine. “You’re pregnant.”

“I am, but I’m scared.”

“You don’t have to be. This is wonderful.”

She cries, but I can’t tell if they’re happy or sad tears, so I pull back and grasp her face. Her hair is smooshed under my hands as her eyes look into mine. Then a smile appears, and she starts crying again. “We’re having a baby.”

“We are.”

She cracks up laughing. “I meant Cade and me.”

Now I’m laughing. “Eh, it’s always been the six of us.”

“It has,” she replies, nodding. Taking my hands, she holds them in hers. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Everything’s changing and . . .” She pauses, letting her gaze drift down.

That’s when I realize what just happened between us wasn’t about me at all.

I’ve had those same fears. She may have been projecting, but she would never hurt me.

Not on purpose. But this wasn’t about Jackson and me, though she had a right to be mad that she was the last to know.

This is about the group changing and never going back to how we once were.

“Changing for the better, Cam. We’re all changing for the better.” When she looks up again, I add, “This baby will be loved by so many.”

She nods again as if her emotions have clogged in her chest. I give her hands a squeeze but can’t help that my gaze lowers to her belly. She covers it quickly and says, “Don’t judge. I had a big lunch.”

I laugh when she does. “There’s a baby in there.”

“There is.” Her smile falls just a little. “I’m not sure what I’m doing here, Marlow.”

“It will come so naturally for you. Trust me. You’re going to be an amazing mother.”

“No, not about that. Have you seen the size of my husband? He was a ten-pound baby.”

We laugh again. I pat her hand and then slip out of the booth and return to my side. “Well,” I say, taking a chip from the basket. “I’d say you knew what you were getting into, but that won’t do you any good now.”

She grabs a chip. “Did you know Jackson is two inches taller than Cade?” Crunching down on the chip, she smirks. “Just think about how big that baby would be.”

My mind wanders. Us having kids together is something I’m definitely not ready to consider or even think about. Talk about putting a kibosh on a relationship before it has a chance to begin. Her smile grows wider, and then she starts laughing. “You’re messing with me.”

Holding her fingers an inch apart, she’s still laughing. “Just a little.”

“You’re evil, you know that?”

“I do.”

“Good thing I love ya.”

The server pops around, and she asks, “What can I get you?”

“I’ll take a large water,” Cammie says.

“Out of solidarity, I’ll have the same. We’re having a baby,” I say proudly and then realize how that sounds and laugh. “Well, she’s having a baby, but I’m going to be an aunt.”

“Congratulations,” she says, grinning. Her eyes dip to Cammie’s stomach.

Cam’s quick to drape the napkin over her lap, tugging it higher. “Thank you. We just found out.”

After we order our food, I say, “You know I’m going to spoil her rotten, right?”

“I’d expect no less, but what if it’s a boy?”

“My gut tells me it’s a girl.”

“Of course, it does.” She laughs. “If she has any fashion sense at all, I’ll know she got it from you.”

“Thanks.” Caught up in this exciting news, I lean forward again. “What are we going to name her?”

“Oh, my God!” I push my laptop to the couch and rise to my knees. Throwing my fists into the air, I say, “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yessss! I did it.”

Jackson comes running from the office. “What is it? What’d you do?”

I bounce off the sofa and throw myself into his arms. “I sold my handbags.”

“What? How? All of them?” He sounds skeptical instead of excited.

“Yes.” I flatten my feet 0n the floor. “The five I listed.”

“Oh. I thought you meant all of them.”

“No way. I’m not ready to part with all of them. I’m taking things slow and only listed five to see if this would work.”

He’s grinning, and although I feel shy in the limelight of the pride he appears to hold in his eyes, he takes me by the hips and wiggles me back and forth. “Congratulations.”

I slide my hand up his chest and around his neck again. I’m not used to always having someone around, but I think I could, especially Jackson. “Want to celebrate?”

“At eleven at night?”

“I didn’t know you were such an old man, Jackson. You do realize it’s Friday, don’t you?”

The realization hits his expression as his arms tighten around me. “Fuck, that totally slipped my mind. It’s been a week. I’m sorry. I was thinking I had to go into the office in the morning.”

“It’s okay. It should be good news that you don’t.”

“It is,” he says, smiling. He leans down and kisses me as if I’m the fresh air he needs to reset for the weekend. “Really good news.”

“Dinner with Cammie was fun.” I take a breath and fold against him, resting my eyes. “But I’m too tired to go out tonight.”