Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Briar

" F uck," Emmett says, driving his hips up off the bed as I ride him.

"Oh my god, it feels so good."

He slides his hand down between us and toys with my clit. I rock back on him, my hands on his thighs, giving him all the access he needs. He takes me to the edge as he always does.

"Come for me, sweetheart," he says.

I slam down, and he grunts, his chest rising off the mattress. I fall forward, my hands on either side of his head.

"That's it. Right there." I take the control I need, using his finger for the friction I need on my clit.

My orgasm hits me hard and fast, and I collapse on him, but he rolls me over, putting one of my legs on his shoulder, and drills into me so deep I gasp.

"Fuck, I-love-you-so-much," he says as if it's all one word.

It's a common confession he makes when we're having sex.

He pumps in and out of me before he curses and lets some of his weight bear down on me. But he quickly rolls away, still afraid he might hurt the baby. We both lie on our backs, staring at the ceiling, breathing hard.

"Let me drive you," he says, not taking my previous nos for an answer.

I face him, propping my head on my palm. "This is a good thing for Gillian and me to do together. Plus, Parker isn't going to want a man around. Sorry."

He runs his hand over my cheek. "I hope she believes you."

"Me too, but I would want to know. It's not like he had a one-night stand. Looking back, I'm sure I wasn't the first woman he had an affair with, and I probably won't be the last. Plus, I want to give this one an opportunity to know her siblings someday. I mean, technically Gillian and I are only half siblings, but it's never felt any different with her than it does with Koa."

"Are you nervous about the lunch?"

I draw in a deep breath. "Yeah. Gillian pulled some strings by using Ben's name to get us a private area in a restaurant. I didn't want to go to Parker's house because what if Chad showed up?"

"I trust Gillian to protect you."

I laugh and straddle him. "Second only to you." I bend down and kiss him briefly before sliding off him. "Shower time."

I turn on the water, pee, and undo my ponytail that looks like most of Wren's if I'm honest. I shower, surprised Emmett doesn't join me as he usually does. Then I get dressed and ready to make the drive up to Lincoln to tell Parker about Chad.

My stomach is a ball of knots, but I keep reminding myself that I would want to know. I'm only telling her the truth. She can do with the information what she wants.

"Are you going to lie in bed all day?"

He sets his computer on my side of the bed. "I'm behaving myself, okay? I gave you time to get ready without being all over you. But I'm probably going to beat off when you leave."

I laugh. "Why? I'll be home tonight. And we just had sex. Literally."

"It's my way of controlling myself with you."

I sit on the edge of the bed, putting on my sandals. "Are you telling me you beat off just as much as before we got together?"

"Probably more honestly."

I shake my head. "You're always full of surprises, aren't you, Emmett Noughton?"

I stand and bend to kiss him goodbye. He holds my face to his mouth, sliding his tongue through the seam of my lips, and I sink down on his lap. I keep thinking I'll wake up, and we'll be one of those couples who never have sex. And maybe when the baby comes it will happen, but I can't imagine a time I don't look at Emmett and get turned on.

I pull away. "I gotta go."

"Okay, hurry back, and don't worry if you see a black truck following you on the highway."

I push his chest, and he falls back to the mattress. "And Ben will be with you?"

"Probably." He shrugs.

"I secretly love it, you know that, right?"

"I do. It's my job to know that." He touches the small swell of my belly. "Go before I chain you to the bed."

I step back toward the door. "Love you."

"Love you more."

I walk down the stairs, finding Gillian already on the porch. I open our front door, staring at the framed picture of the ultrasound right under one of Emmett and me by the lake that's on the wall.

"What are you doing? Why didn't you knock?" I ask.

"I'm cool with you two and all, but I don't want to hear you going at it. And I don't want to see Emmett naked." She has a whole-body shiver. "Ready?"

I grab my purse. "Yeah."

She takes my hand and squeezes it. "It's going to be fine. You're doing the right thing. Please remember that no matter what her reaction is, you aren't at fault here."

"Thanks for doing this with me."

She tightens her grip on my hand. "We're sisters."

"Yeah, we are."

We smile at one another. There's still some sadness in her eyes. I think she feels guilty for how protective she was and the fact that I didn't feel I could tell her about what I was going through.

We drive up to Lincoln, and Gillian valets her new SUV outside the lunch place. Standing on the sidewalk, staring at the sign and knowing Parker might be there, makes all the nausea that dissipated on the ride reappear.

"Come on." Gillian walks in first, telling the hostess we're here under a reservation.

We're taken to a small room that is roped off for privacy, and Parker sits at a table facing the doorway. She doesn't stand and doesn't look all that thrilled to see us. But she did agree to this meeting, so there's that.

"Hi, Parker. You remember my sister, Gillian?" I say, taking my seat.

"Yes, hello." She straightens her back, repositioning herself.

"Hi." Gillian sits down on the other side of Parker.

"The daddy shower thing is never going to happen now. Chad would never go there again. I'm not sure why you wanted to meet with me, but I hope it's to apologize."

I lean back in my chair. "I understand. There's something I want to tell you, and I wanted to do it face to face, so I'm glad you agreed to meet me."

Gillian nods.

Parker looks nervously between the two of us. "Your family is really dramatic, just so you know. Spit it out."

"I'm pregnant, but Emmett isn't the father." I press my hand to my stomach, trying to get my nerves under control.

She stills. "And that involves me how?" she asks, but her body language isn't as defensive as her words.

"I recently moved back to Willowbrook. I used to live in Chicago, but I went through a really bad break-up and moved home. Shortly before my move, I realized I was pregnant, and it was my previous boyfriend's baby."

Her demeanor shifts from defensive to something softer, more vulnerable. "Keep going." She lifts the sparkling water she must have ordered before we got here to her lips, and I notice that her hand is shaking a bit.

"The guy I was dating turned out to be married with kids. I never knew. He told me he lived in Chicago but traveled a lot for work and that was why he was out of town so much. I believed him. I had no reason not to. He was in hospitality, so it seemed legit. One night we were at my apartment, and I woke up in the middle of the night. The bathroom door was shut, but there was light coming out from under it. I thought maybe he wasn't feeling well, and when I went to check on him, I heard his voice through the door."

"Just tell me." Tears gather in her eyes, but I don't want to just spit it out. I want her to understand the situation.

"He was telling someone he'd be home tomorrow. That he was sorry they'd had such a hard day, and that he'd make it up to them when he got home. He said to book a babysitter and he'd plan a date night. That he was sorry he'd missed their wedding anniversary, but she couldn't have all those things she liked without him working. And him working meant him traveling."

Parker's hand shakes even more as she reaches for her glass again. "And who was the guy, Briar?" she whispers.

"I think you know." My gaze shifts to Gillian, who nods. "I didn't know Chad was your husband until the day you showed up on the ranch. I swear."

She takes a sip from her glass but tips the glass farther and farther back until she finishes it. "That's why I agreed to meet you. He told me that Emmett hit him because I forced him to go to the ranch when they told me not to come that day. He blamed me for getting punched, but I saw your face." Tears swim in her eyes. "Sure, there have been signs over the years, but he always made me feel like I was crazy. That I was purposely looking for something bad between us when we were happy. I've been with him since freshman year in college. We have three kids, and this one on the way." She runs her hand over her stomach, eyeing my barely-there bump. "Oh god, they're related."

"I'm sorry." My voice shakes.

She nods. "I need to go." She stands and grabs her purse.

"Wait, I?—"

She stops at the opening of the room. "I know it took a lot to come to me, so thank you. And I believe you. Don't think I don't. I just need… time. My entire life just imploded, and I have to piece myself together because when I get home, there are three kids, not including this one, who need me. They come first, always. But…" Her gaze falls to my stomach once more. "I'll be in touch."

She leaves, and the tears that threatened to fall drip down my cheeks.

Gillian slides into Parker's chair and puts her arm around me, letting me cry on her shoulder. "It's okay. I know. It's emotional for everyone, but"—she draws back to meet my gaze—"he did this. To both of you. Neither of you are to blame, and I know you feel like the other woman, but you weren't because you didn't know. You thought you were the only woman. So, don't blame yourself for her pain. You didn't cause it, he did."

I nod, but I still feel like complete shit for what she has to go through.

"Now, we're going to have a nice lunch and…" She chuckles and looks toward the doorway.

Emmett walks through with Ben right behind him.

"What the?" I look at Gillian.

"I'm a big enough person to know that you need him right now, so I told them to drive up. I knew that poor woman wasn't going to have lunch with us. Now the four of us can get to know one another as couples. Jude and Sadie wanted to come, but Jude's all paranoid about her being too far from the hospital."

I hug Gillian. "Thank you."

She pats my back. "I'm sorry. I'll never fail you again."

I squeeze her tightly, and when she releases me, I step into Emmett's arms, the tears falling more steadily now.

He tucks his face into my neck. "I've got you."

I close my eyes, and for the first time in my life, I feel at peace because I have everything I could ever want. Bruce was right. I'm one of the lucky ones.