I giggle to myself. Jules is so not a selfish woman, she just thinks that things are simple. Like, everyone in the world should have no problem taking a day off work to recover from a hang-over.
“You’re coming,” she pins me with a glare, daring me to say otherwise. I quickly run through my schedule in my head, aware that Will’s eyes are on me.
“I believe I have next Sunday night off. I’ll let them know I’m not available for on-call that night.”
“Good,” Natalie grins. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Steven stands, holding his beer in the air. “I want to propose a toast. To my family, which has grown by leaps and bounds this past year. I am a blessed man, to be surrounded by good men, beautiful women, and the most amazing babies ever born.”
“To family!” Luke’s dad agrees, and everyone drinks, and then breaks off into conversation again.
As we’re finishing dessert, the sky opens up. I knew I smelled rain earlier. We are, thankfully, under a covered patio, and most of the food has been cleared away. The four brothers work together to cover the now-cool grill, and we take the babies inside out of the humidity. For the rest of the afternoon, a football game plays on the television and adults play card games with the twins. The babies are fed, rocked, changed and fussed over.
Luke, Stacy and Brynna’s parents all leave.
Will and I are lounging at one end of a large leather sectional couch, watching football, my head in his lap. I yawn and feel my eyelids droop.
“Hey, lazy bones, are you ready to go home?”
“When you are. I’m in no hurry.”
He smiles gently down at me, his eyes soft. “I love you,” he mouths.
I grin up at him, happily, and run my hand down his smooth cheek. “You’re so handsome.”
He grabs my hand and kisses my palm. “Let’s get out of here.”
He helps me out of the couch and we say our goodbyes, which takes another half hour. Will’s mom, Gail, hugs me close.
“Please, come back soon, Meg. We enjoyed you.”
“Thank you,” I murmur shyly.
“She’ll be back,” Will comments as he kisses his mom on the cheek.
I tilt my head back as we step outside and enjoy the rain. It’s dark now, and the rain is heavy, but not cold. It’s that warm, late summer rain that feels like tap water.
“I love the rain this time of year.”
“Great. Get in the car, babe.”
I laugh over at him. “You don’t like the rain?”
“It’s fine, but you’ll get sick if you don’t get out of it.”
“No I won’t, that’s a myth.” I wave him off and stand in the rain for a minute longer, then join him in his car.
“Are you always this stubborn?” he asks.
“How long have we been seeing each other?” I ask.
“A while. More than a month.” He responds and pulls away from his parents’ house.
“Then you should know by now that I’m always this stubborn.” I grin sweetly as he chuckles.
“So, about those texts you sent me…” He turns hot blue eyes on me and offers me a half smile.
“Yes?”
“Gonna make good on them?”
“I don’t know your mood seems to have improved without me needing to resort to oral sex.” I feel my phone vibe in my pocket and I pull it out as I laugh at Will’s scowl.
Tell your bf thx for the $250k.
“Pull over.”
“What?”
“Pull the fuck over.”
Chapter Nineteen
“What’s wrong?” His voice is panicked but I can’t look at him. I have to get out of this car.
Now.
“Just pull over, Will.”
“Are you sick?”
“Yes! Pull over!”
We’re in a remote part of Seattle, mostly deserted, and dark. The sky has opened up even more, pouring rain as if someone has turned on a faucet.
He skids to a stop at the side of the road, and before he even puts it in park, I barrel out of the car, slam the door and start walking, fast, in the headlights.
“Meg!” he calls from behind me. “Megan, stop!”
“Leave me alone, Will.”
“What the fuck has gotten in to you?” I hear him gaining on me, his feet shuffling in the gravel on the side of the road, so I twirl and confront him.
“How dare you?”
He stops in his tracks, his eyes wide with fear and worry and holds his hands up like he’s being robbed.
“What?”
“I told you not to give her any money.”
“Fuck.” He hangs his head and props his hands on his hips, both of us ignoring the rain falling in sheets around us. “Meg…”
I spin on my heel and start to stomp away from him again, but he grabs my arm and spins me back to him. “You’re not walking home.”
“Fuck off, Will.”
“Megan, stop this.” He takes both of my shoulders in his hands and holds me in front of him, and all I can do is glare at him, panting. My anger is palpable.
“I told you, Will. You saw how it was last week. Why in the hell would you do this? She’ll just keep coming back for more. She would have gone away if you would have just left it alone.” I can’t stand the break in my voice as I feel the tears mix with the rain on my face.
“She never would have gone away, sweetheart.” His voice is calm now, but firm. I shake my head back and forth and bury my face in my hands.