Page 36 of One Little Kiss

“Fuck you, Easton. Pres too. I’ve spent years trying to keep us together, and the second I need you, what happens? Y’all turn on me like I haven’t had your backs my entire life. So, excuse me if I don’t want to talk, East. Excuse me if I don’t want to see any of you right now.”

With that, I shove past him and take the stairs two at a time. Doors slam behind me, curses are shouted, but I block them all out and take refuge in Ashton’s guest room until a gentle knock lands on my door.

“Come in,” I yell from my prone position. I’m sprawled out on my back, arms crossed behind my head. It’s a relaxed position, yet I’m anything but. My body is a tightwire, ready to snap.

“Hey,” Rylan, my oldest friend and newest sister-in-law, says quietly as she enters the room. “Sorry I missed the welcome party.” She glides across the room and climbs in beside me. We lay side by side, staring at the ceiling. “I’m sorry,” she eventually whispers.

My neck cranes to look at her. When I see a tear slide down her cheek, I roll to my side just as Halton walks into the room, uninvited.

“Never thought I’d actually be okay with finding my wife in bed with my brother, but then again, I should have known marrying my brother’s best friend that nothing would ever be normal.”

Rylan chokes out a sob, and I cast a worried glance in his direction. Halton wears his concern like a coat of armor as tension settles in my spine. When she finally turns her gaze to mine, I scan her face in confusion. I know this girl. She’s happy, sad, and fucking terrified all at once.

“I’m sorry,” she repeats. “I haven’t been a very good friend lately. You’ve always been there for me, and I know you’re feeling neglected.” Halton shuffles around to the other side of the bed and takes her hand. “W-We’ve been trying to have a baby, Colty. Unsuccessfully.”

Understanding slices through my heart. My best friend has been suffering, and I’ve been the prick, worried about being left out of movie nights. Uncomfortably, my eyes shift to my brother, and he shrugs.

“You’re my best friend, Colt, but th-this was something Hatty and I had to go through on our own.”

Emotion clogs my throat, so I nod through the painful haze.

“But,” she peeks up at Halton, and a smile spreads from her face to his, “we just made it through the first trimester.”

Shock registers first. “You’re … you’re pregnant?”

Rylan nods while more tears slip down her cheeks. A genuine smile forms on my face as I hug her and punch Halton on the arm at the same time.

“Congrats. I’m so happy for you guys. I’m sorry I’ve been such a shit.”

I examine how they stare at each other, and I’m overwhelmed with many warring emotions. Happiness, sadness, emptiness. I’m ecstatic for them, but know it’s another step in the opposite direction for me.

When did I become such a selfish asshole?

“We wanted to tell you first because obviously, we want you to be his godfather.” Rylan smirks.

“His? It’s a boy?”

She nods emphatically. “We found out this morning.”

Halton has been quieter than usual during this exchange.

“Are you sure you still want me in that role?” I ask, never breaking eye contact with my older brother.

Sighing, he pinches the back of his neck. “Of course we do,” he grumbles. “This entire situation is fucked up, Colt, but I know it’s not your fault. It’s just put everyone under unbearable stress. We have to scramble to find a solution before the board shuts us down completely. And with you on leave—” He cuts off, but I know what he was going to say.

“You’re down a man,” I finish.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll still pull my weight through Tilly,” I say, pissed off I didn’t think of it earlier. “She’s family, so she’s invested, and she can handle it. She’s been by my side for almost two years. I can still do my part. Well, if Preston and East don’t murder me first.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Halt mumbles, pulling his wife to his side.

I stand and walk to the sitting area of the room. Three in a bed and all. A shiver tears through me, recalling what the world already thinks about me.

Halton smirks, like he knows exactly what’s running through my mind. “I don’t think you slept with those girls,” he finally answers. “Emory got your blood results a bit ago. She’s running toxicology on them, but there was something in your system.”

“Fuck.” Ashton’s curse causes us all to turn toward the door where he leans on the frame.