10. Selena

Ican't believe what I'm seeing.

It can't be real.

Two pink lines stare back at me.

"I need another test," I tell Sam adamantly from where I sit on the toilet, my knees pressed together as my forearms rest on my thighs, a test in each hand.

"Selly, you've drank eight bottles of water and taken twenty tests in the last three hours. All of them have said the same thing. You're pregnant, baby. I know you haven't been with anyone since your mother's wedding, so it has to be one of the brothers. You need to talk to them." He squats down in front of me, taking the sticks from my hand and placing them on the counter, not even caring I peed on them.

"I can't and I won't. Not after what they said. Plus, Julia will kill me. It would be something else I ruined for her. Dad dying and now this."

"Hold on one fucking minute. Cancer killed your father, not you. I'm going to ring that bitch of a mother's neck if she's filling your head with that bullshit."

I let out a sigh as my eyes water, blurring my vision. "Selly."

Sam's kindness and love are all it takes for the damn to burst and the tears begin streaming down my face, dropping onto my bare legs.

"What am I going to do? I can't tell them. This will be just another thing my mother can use against me. Belittle me by calling me a tramp and reminding me of what a failure I am, especially now that I'm bringing a child into the world. What am I going to say when she asks who the father is?"

He takes my hands in his, running his thumb over the top of them. Sam's friendship has been the only true bright spot in my life.

"I'll be the little chicken nugget's father. If anyone asks, it"s me."

My eyes widen at his words. Is he really saying what I think he is? I must've heard him wrong.

"What?!"

"You heard me, Selly. I'll be the father as far as your mother or anyone else needs to know."

"I can't let you do that. What would Jose say? You need to think about him and what it'll do to him. Besides, I think you're forgetting something very important."

"And what's that?" He gives my hands a comforting squeeze.

"Umm, the very obvious taco I have. You're a firm hotdog man. How is anyone going to believe we're together when you need fucking Benadryl anytime a vagina gets near you?"

He lets out a laugh that earns a frown from me. Is he serious? My life is ending, and he's laughing.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm kneeling right in front of you and your taco is showing itself to me in all its glory, and not one break out. Besides, your taco I like. It's the other bitches' I can't stand. As far as Jose goes, you're going to get dressed and we're going to go talk to him. I'll be Daddy, and as far as your mom and new family know, I'm your man. Hell, it's not like we have to see them every day."

I let out a sob. What did I ever do to warrant a best friend as good as Sam?

"But—"

"There's no but's. I'm going to wait for you in the living room. Finish up here, and we'll pick up some takeout and head over to my place and talk with Jose. Should we get tacos or hot dogs? I think both. But definitely not chicken nuggets." He stands up and leaves the room, laughing at what he thinks is a funny joke.

Thinking about how he didn't wash his hands after handling the pee sticks, takes my mind off being pregnant by one of my three stepbrothers for a brief moment.

Standing up, I pull up my leggings and step over to the sink, taking another look at the sticks lining the counter, all confirming the small life growing inside me.

I turn on the water and quickly wash my hands, then splash some on my face in an attempt to clear up the blotchiness from crying. I look up at my reflection, at the woman staring back at me. She looks scared. What am I going to do?

"Okay, let me make sure I have this right. Sam, you want to pretend not only that you're her boyfriend but also the father of her baby to Abel and the bitch... But you actually do plan to be the daddy for this baby. And I'll be the guncle? Is that what you're saying?"

Sam pushes away his plate before leaning forward, resting his arms on the table as he shifts his gaze between us. He's been growing out his hair, but it still doesn't all fit in the bun on the top of his head, so strands of his dark hair have fallen down in his face.

"Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying, baby," Sam replies. I shift in my seat, my nerves on overdrive.

"And the actual father?" His eyebrow raises in question.

"Umm, that's the tricky part. I don't know who he is. Well, I, umm, it could be one of three men." I stumble over my words as I pick nervously at my cuticle. The perfect manicure from my mother's wedding has long grown out, and the paint chipped away, only tiny pieces remain.

"Okay, well, they could test them and then we'd know. You're not the only person who slept with multiple men in a short window. Let me get my laptop and I'll check on how early a paternity test can be done." Jose starts to stand, but Sam takes hold of his arm, pushing him back down in his seat.

It would seem that Sam didn't tell Jose everything about all the dirty business of my mother's wedding.

"It's not that easy. Turns out the potential baby daddies are my new step brothers and two of them are identical twins. So if it was one of them, it'd be impossible to know which one was the father."

"Girl, you like to live dangerously," he draws out, shaking his head as he laughs.

God, why can't I be sitting in quicksand so it could pull me in, taking me away from the train wreck that is now my life? Why does all the weird shit have to happen to me? It's what I get for throwing caution to the wind.

"It's okay, Jose. It's too much to ask of you and not fair, seeing how you and Sam are in a relationship. I told him it was a bad idea." I bite on my lip, my face heating with embarrassment.

"Hold on now. Don't go putting words in my mouth. First off, I'd be happy to be this baby's guncle. If Sam wants to help you save some awkwardness with your family, then I'm okay with it. From what I've heard you and Sam say, I am well aware that your mother is a judgemental bitch. But I do think the baby's father deserves the right to know. If it were me, I would want to know."

"I couldn't love you more, baby." Sam takes hold of Jose's face, turning it to face him, and kisses him. Their lips move gently against each other and fuck me if it isn't the hottest thing I've ever seen.

It feels like I'm intruding on their moment, but I can't look away. These two fuckers should be doing porn. They'd make some serious money with how hot they look together.

"Umm, I'm going to go." I scoot back in my chair to stand up, the only thing pulling them from their lip lock is the legs scraping along the floor.

"No, don't go. We're sorry," Sam says breathlessly.

"It's okay. I'm tired and have a full day of working on accounts tomorrow."

"Fine, but I'm taking you home. We need to decide when to announce the news to your mother. You're not going to be able to hide it for long. We also need to call and set up an OB appointment to make sure everything is good with Chicken Nugget."

"Can we please stop calling my baby Chicken Nugget?" I glare at him with a stern look.

"Absolutely not. It's my name for the little bambino. Come on, let"s go." He turns to Jose and I watch as his gaze intensifies. "I want you naked with your ass in the air when I get back." He leans over and nips at Jose's lip.

Fuck, I need to get laid.

My hormones are all over the place and I'm getting turned on by watching my best friend make out with his partner. How depraved am I?

Needing a break from the scene in front of me, I pick up my purse and keys off the counter and head for the front door. I'll wait for Sam outside.

A few minutes later, he steps out the front door and makes his way over.

"Sorry about that. Whenever I'm around him, I can't keep my hands to myself."

"Don't apologize. I'm envious of what the two of you have. And Sam, just so you know, you don't have to go to my doctor appointments. All you're doing is saving me some heartache with my mother. I don't expect you to really act like the father in everyday life."

"That's nice of you to say, but you can forget about it. I told you I'm going to be this baby's father and I mean it. Until you're ready to let the real father know, you have me. When he steps up to the plate, I'll slide into the guncle role. Until then, it's me and you, babe."

"I love you, Sam." He opens the passenger door for me, and I slide inside.

"I love you too, bitch."

We spend the ride home holding hands and it's all I need. That one act fills me with the strength to get through this.

I wave goodbye to him from my front door of my apartment building and watch as he drives away.

When he's completely out of sight, I make my way over to the elevator and head upstairs to my apartment.

It doesn't take long for my once content mood to dissipate.

My phone vibrates in my pocket as I step through my front door. Pulling it out of my pocket, I turn to engage my lock before seeing who it is. I was expecting a message from Sam or an email from one of my clients.

My heart plummets when it's neither of those, but a text from my mother.

Mom: Family dinner tomorrow night at 6. I expect you there and not a minute late.

Me: I don't think I can make it. I've taken on new clients and I'll be working,

Mom: That's no excuse, especially since you work from home and you're your own boss.

Mom: 6 sharp Selena and don't be late.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. What do I do?

It's okay, I'm only a couple of months along. It's not like I'm showing. I just need to stay far away from my new brothers.

I can do this.

I take off running for the bathroom as a wave of nausea hits. Dropping to my knees, I lift the lid, expelling the contents of my stomach.

What if this happens tomorrow? I could just say I'm sick. That could get me out of dinner early, at least. But lord knows my mother would be a raging bitch about how I ruined our first family dinner. Why can't I just have the balls to not show up? I'm an adult, it's not like she can punish me. But for some reason, I feel I have to. Even as an adult, I have this need for her approval. She has me so fucked up.

I need to talk to Sam. He'd said he would pretend to be Daddy. Maybe he'll go with me in case the news slips. With him by my side, I won't have to worry about being cornered by one of them.