Page 3 of Seduced By My Brother’s Best Friend (SEALs of Aster Falls #2)

(Alex)

______

Relationships are complicated and stressful. You don’t get hurt when you’re all on your own.

These are words I’ve tried to live by for most of my life. I’ve pushed people away and made it my mission not to care too much about anyone. But that ends now.

Fallon arrived in Aster Falls yesterday.

She called to inform me that she was heading home afterall.

I feel much better knowing she’ll be close to me.

We haven’t had a chance to really talk about this yet.

I have no idea what’s going through her mind and what her plans are.

One thing I know for sure is that she’s at least confided in her brother.

He stormed my house some days ago, ready to kill me, but Damien eventually backed off.

After a few punches that is. I’d never seen my best friend so furious, but I deserved it.

“I’m sorry, honey, could you repeat that?” Fallon’s mother questions staring at her daughter with wide eyes.

I’m in the Wright home. Damien called me over as soon as Fallon decided to tell their parents. According to him, I should at least be present to witness just how fucked I made his sister’s life. I’m actually dreading her parents’ reactions right now.

Jason and Mellissa have always seen me as some form of a bad egg.

They always warned Damien and Fallon away from me.

Damien never listened, but I guess they were okay with that because he’s a man, but with Fallon, it’s different.

She’s their little girl, their angel. She has lived all her life trying to please them.

More than anything, they’ll see her pregnancy for me as a betrayal of everything they’ve taught her.

“I said I’m pregnant, mom. I found out a few weeks ago,” Fallon says, eliciting a gasp from Mellissa. Jason looks on with a clenched jaw.

More than anything, I’m surprised by how calm she sounds. I wasn’t expecting her to be so brave right now. It’s like she has resolved herself to whatever happens next.

“How can you be pregnant? With who?” her mother asks in rapid succession.

Finally, Fallon’s expression wavers. She briefly looks at me, and I try to give her a small reassuring smile. I’m standing to the side of the living room, leaning against the wall and doing my best not to draw any attention towards myself.

“Answer your mother, Fallon,” her father speaks up.

This feels like watching a train going off its tracks. It’s going to crash eventually, and the consequences will be devastating.

Mellissa scoots closer to her husband and clutches his hand in hers for support.

Her face has gone pale. Fallon looks a lot like her.

Same green eyes and the same blonde hair.

However, their countenances are very different.

I always found Mellissa to be like a drill sergeant in the army.

Commanding, unwilling to bend, stubborn.

“I-I can’t do that,” Fallon says quietly.

Damien looks at me then. I understand what he’s saying without him having to say it.

This is my mess, and I have to take responsibility.

I lean off the wall and walk towards the couches, stopping directly beside Fallon. She gets to her feet upon seeing me approach and shakes her head.

“Do not do anything stupid,” she says, her voice low.

“It’s fine,” I tell her with a small smile before turning to her parents.

“Jason, Mellissa. It’s me. I got Fallon pregnant,” I announce.

The words still sound surreal even now. It still hasn’t settled that I’m going to be a father. I have a bad habit of compartmentalizing my feelings. Things usually don’t feel real to me until after I’ve had time to think about it.

Mellissa blinks, and Jason stares at me in shock. I stand there silently, waiting for my words to sink in. A few seconds later, Jason gets to his feet abruptly.

“Is this some kind of joke? You impregnated my daughter?!” he yells.

I don’t reply. There’s no use repeating myself. Jason moves to grip my shirt, but Damien stops him.

“Calm down, dad,” he says, helping his father back onto the couch.

Mellissa takes a deep breath before looking at Fallon.

“You slept with him?” she says accusatorily.

“It was a mistake, mom.”

“A mistake?!” Mellissa screeches. “So not only have you destroyed your future, you did so with the worst person in Aster Falls.”

Damn.

“Mom, don’t talk about him like that,” Fallon says sharply.

“Get out,” her mom retorts. “If you care about him so much, you can go live with him. You and your unborn child have no place in this house.”

Then she falls onto the couch and sobs. “You had such a bright future, Fallon. How could you have done this?”

“Mellissa- “I start, but she looks up and glares at me.

“Shut up! I always knew you were trouble, but I didn’t realize just how much trouble you would bring my family.

Listen closely, Alexander, you got my daughter pregnant, which means she’s your responsibility now.

Hopefully, you don’t mess this up like every other area of your life,” she scornfully states.

“Mom!” Fallon yells.

“Get out,” Mellissa says icily before standing and walking out of the living room. Her husband follows suit.

There’s silence for all of five seconds before Damien speaks up.

“Fall, you need to leave. I’ll talk to them. You know they’ll calm down soon,” he says to his sister.

I notice that Fallon’s green eyes glisten with unshed tears, and it causes my heart to clench. Her brother places his hand on her shoulders.

“It’s not the end of the world, little sis. You can do this. You’ve lived life being the strongest you could be for everyone else. Now you’ve got to do that for your own baby, you understand?”

Fallon nods. “Yeah, I do. Thanks, Damien.”

Then my best friend turns to me. His green eyes are cold, and it’s obvious he hasn’t forgiven me yet.

“I don’t presume to know your plan, Alex, but my mom was right. Fallon is your responsibility now. I swear I’ll kill you if anything happens to my sister.”

“I’m literally a five-minute drive from your house,” I state, trying hard not to roll my eyes.

Aster Falls is a small town. Do they really think they won’t be running into her? They’re all being really dramatic right now. And her parents were so wrong for kicking her out. She’s a twenty-five-year-old woman, not a teenager.

“Come on,” I say to Fallon.

She doesn’t meet my eyes, and that worries me slightly. We haven’t talked about the future yet, and I have no idea what’s going on in her head. Everyone’s right, though. She’s my responsibility now. Mine to protect.

I follow her into her room, help her pack a few more things into her already-packed suitcase, and then lead her to my car. She raises an eyebrow when she sights it.

“You bought a new car?” she questions, staring at the silver BMW.

My parents were wealthy. My dad was the CEO of a small company before he died.

After my family passed away, all his wealth was passed down to me.

I don’t mind the matters of the company, but I have enough money to make me comfortable for a very long time.

I suppose that includes my baby and his mother now.

“Yeah. I was bored,” I reply, opening the passenger seat and gesturing for her to step in.

“People don’t simply buy cars because they’re bored, Alexander,” she says. I can hear the judgment in her voice.

“I can,” I say.

I head over to the driver’s side and then drive her over to my house in total and complete silence.

Her gaze is fixed on the side of the road as she watches houses and little trees speed by.

I don’t know what brought me to Aster Falls.

After my parents’ death, I needed a purpose so badly.

I knew I didn’t want to go to college. And then I heard about a small picturesque town in Virginia.

I thought it was the best place to hide from everyone who knew me and from myself.

I moved to disappear. But I guess there’s no time for that anymore.

Fallon walks into my house with me. It’s a two-storied five-bedroom home, and I’m hoping she will be okay with living here.

Granted, I have no idea if she even wants to live with me because she hasn’t said anything to me.

She could very well choose to go back to Jersey once her morning sickness eases.

She sits on the living room couch and takes a deep breath.

“Is there anything you need?” I ask her.

She shakes her head without looking up at me.

“All right then. I guess I’ll go and prepare us some dinner,” I say.

“Alex,” she calls, stopping me in place. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Or asking me anything.”

She sounds distraught, and I immediately feel bad. I move to take a seat on the table in front of her.

“Because I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me. I’m the reason your life is ruined after all,” I state.

She shakes her head. “I’m pretty sure I’m the person intruding on your life right now. If you don’t want me here, say the word, and I’ll leave.”

I frown. “Why wouldn’t I want you here?”

“So, you do want me here? Alex, we’re talking about a baby here. An actual child that’s going to be yours to protect. I’m not sure you’re ready for the responsibility, and it’s fine if you’re not. I won’t hold it against you if you decide you don’t want to be a part of this baby’s life.”

“Why is everyone always so good about making assumptions about me and my actions?” I ask, getting to my feet.

“Because we judge based on what we see,” she replies.

“Really? And all you see is a playboy, a reckless person that’s incapable of taking care of you or the child?”

“No, Alex, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Listen to me carefully, Fallon. That baby inside of you is mine. Which means you’re not taking it away from me.

We might not have been expecting it, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to care for it.

I’m going to try my hardest to be the best fucking dad, and I’m going to take care of you.

I’m not like your parents, I’m not going to throw you away, and our baby isn’t a mistake. Understood?”

She looks up at me, those green eyes filled with surprise and a little gratitude.

“Thanks, Alex.”

I don’t get it. That was the bare minimum. Were her expectations of me really that low that she would think I didn’t want any part of my baby’s life?

I sit back down in front of her and take one of her hands into mine. They’re so small and dainty. Delicate, like they could break with any effort. I rub her palm with my thumb before interlocking our fingers.

“I’m here for you, Fallon. I’ll always be here for you,” I promise her.