“You find anything out, you share the gossip.”
I shake my head. “If she says not to, I can’t break girl code.”
He places his hand to his chest and gasps. “Not even for …” He briefly pauses and furrows his brows. “Your guy best friend?”
I frown. “Is that what you are still? My guy best friend?”
He fixes his deep stare on me. “I’d love to say boyfriend, but I don’t want to assume anything. I’m afraid of jumping too fast and scaring you, Grace.”
“Us together doesn’t scare me.” My words are rushed out.
“You want to be mine then?” He strokes his jaw while waiting for my answer.
“I want to be your everything.”
He narrows the gap between us, grips my waist, and lifts me onto the counter. “You’ve been my everything for years.”
“First things first,” Georgia announces when the waitress returns with our drink orders—lemonade for Cassidy and me and mimosas for everyone else. “Lola, we need to know what the hell happened last night.”
It’s a tradition for us girls to go out for our birthdays and then do a brunch the day after. Brunch is where we hand over gifts and gossip. Lola chose a small bistro that makes the best sandwiches, and the weather is nice enough for us to sit outside. Not too hot, yet not too cold. We’re seated around a table, ready for food and gossip.
Lola, sporting oversize black sunglasses, shakes her head. “First things first. I’m hungover, and I’ll talk about anything but that.”
“Come on,” Georgia says, the only one having the guts to question Lola. “What pissed off Silas so much that he acted how he did?”
Since Cassidy and Jamie are new to the group, they don’t push the friendship boundaries as much as Georgia does with everyone. For some reason, my short, sarcastic friend can pull the truth out of anyone. Although Lola is a tough nut to crack.
“I’ve never seen him like that,” I add. “He threw you off his lap.”
I’m certain my comment will cause Lola to come to Silas’s defense. Even with whatever happened to them last night, she’s always his biggest supporter.
Lola snatches her mimosa. She wraps her fingers around the glass, her long black nails on display. “Silas doesn’t like it when I drink that much.” She shrugs as if we’d believe her half-assed answer.
“There’s no way he was that mad over you having a few drinks,” Georgia deadpans next to her. “Not to mention, you looked like you wanted to jump his bones.”
“It was actually hot,” Cassidy inputs. “Until the whole dropping you on your ass part.”
Lola winces at the reminder. “Sorry, but I’d prefer not to talk about my best friend rejecting me. It was dumb on my part, smart on his.”
Silas and Lola are two of a kind. They share a give no fucks attitude and are fun. We’ll give last night a get-out-of-jail-free card for their bizarre behavior. We all insist they hook up on the down-low, but they deny it. Last night makes me rethink that notion.
“What about his stepbrother?” Jamie asks, letting Lola off the hook. “You two looked chummy.”
Lola sighs dramatically. “He’s nice. We exchanged numbers. He walked me to Lincoln’s car, where he and Cass took my drunken ass home.” She throws Cassidy an appreciative nod.
“He was a gentleman,” Cassidy adds. “With how Silas described him, I expected him to be a jackass. While we waited for Lincoln’s car, he chatted with us. I think Silas was jealous of him buying Lola a drink.”
“Is it weird, though?” I ask, hoping I don’t sound like a Debbie Downer. “With him being Silas’s stepbrother?”
Lola licks her red lips. “They’re not close. Their parents didn’t start dating until their senior year of high school, and they never hung out. Silas’s mother left his father for Trent’s dad. I understand Silas not being a fan, but Trent had nothing to do with what his dad did. According to Trent, Silas has hated him since the day they met.”
“As bad as it sounds, I get his anger,” Sierra says. “I was pissed when I found out my father had an affair and secret child. I took it out on my brother’s girlfriend for a while since she had something to do with it.”
Lola nods. “My father was the king of affairs. It’s why I don’t trust men.”
“Since Lola won’t share anything, let’s move on to Grace and Finn,” Georgia says, causing everyone’s attention to flash to me. “Finn looked ready to kill Silas for what he said about you getting pregnant because Finn was a wuss.”
My straw squeaks as I move it in and out of my cup. “I’m happy he did. It knocked sense into Finn.” A smile spreads across my lips at thoughts of being with Finn last night.
On my drive to brunch, I devised different stories to explain how our night went. With all of Lola’s drama, I wasn’t sure if Finn and I would come up. I should’ve known if Lola stayed quiet, I’d be the next in line.
Georgia gapes at me. “What?”
“Now, this is a much better conversation.” Lola leans back in her chair and sucks on the orange from her drink. “Did you fuck?” She’s never one ot beat around the bush or worry about her words.
I play with my hands in my lap. “We didn’t … have sex. Just messed around.”
“First base?” Georgia asks. “Second base?”
A collection of amused stares is pinned on me.
“What base is tongues?” I relax in my chair.
It’s a relief to finally say that Finn and I share the same feelings out loud. These are my friends, and they’d never judge me. There isn’t one person at the table who doesn’t show a sign of excitement. Even Lola’s hungover ass is grinning.
“How was it?” Cassidy asks.
My smile is so wide that my teeth are showing. “It was amazing. I could spend the rest of my life having him … go downtown on me.”
“Cheers to that!” Georgia says.
Everyone raises their glasses and clinks them against each other’s.
“Does that mean you’re dating now?” Sierra asks.
“I don’t know.” My shoulder slump, and I lose the grin I’ve worn all day. “His feelings for me might change after the baby is born. I’m going to get fat—”
“Shut the hell up with that attitude,” Lola interrupts. “Finn worships you. He isn’t going anywhere.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Finn
After Grace leaves, I shower, grab the baby book from her nightstand, and stride into the kitchen to make myself a lunch. With a plated turkey sandwich in hand, I venture to the living room and make myself comfortable on the couch. Taking a bite, I start educating myself on all things pregnancy and baby. I want to be able to help Grace with whatever she needs.
I try to block out what’ll happen when the baby is born. Before last night, I was sure I’d never be able to have her. Now? I have more hope of that not happening.
My baby education is interrupted when my phone chimes with a text.