Page 128 of My Fiancé's Brother
I worked to school my expression. “Have a good flight.”
We stared at each other. Finally, he nodded curtly and then turned and was gone.
CHAPTER 46
I was walkingtowards Matt’s room when Irene appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my arm.
“Where were you?”
Even though I had done my best to cover the bruises with makeup, I instinctively touched my neck.
“Hi, Irene.”
Her eyes bore into me. “Thanks to you, Matt had two difficult nights. What did I tell you about not upsetting him?”
I swallowed the fear down my throat. I had spent an entire hour practicing telling Matt that we could no longer get married. If he couldn’t handle me going missing for a day and a half, how would he take this news?
"The doctors are worried about the blood vessels in his brain. Remember that," she hissed.
I hated this. How long would I be trapped in this charade?
I folded. “I promise I won’t upset him.”
In his room,Matt flirted with a cute nurse.
“Hey, there's my girl,” his smile brightened when I walked into the room.
I pasted a smile on my face. “Hey there.”
By some unspoken consent, Matt and I did not broach the subject of Jackson or the penthouse. Nor did I mention that I had gotten attacked the day before. I certainly didn’t mention that I had moved into the penthouse. Instead, we chatted about non-events, like how his roommate had gone home, and how the fire alarm had gone off twice yesterday. He also mused that he thought we should add ten people to the guest list for our wedding.
Each nightI returned alone to the penthouse. To make myself feel better, I alternated between lying on top of both Jackson’s bed and my granny’s. I practiced countless renditions of telling Matt that it was over and telling Jackson that I was pregnant with his child. I barfed two mornings in a row. I made an appointment to see my GP, and the rest of the time I sat listlessly on the patio lost in my thoughts.
The shock of being pregnant wore off and the reality set in. Every conversation that Jackson had told me that he didn’t want children, I replayed in my head. I looked for any faint clue that he might have been on the fence about the subject and came back to the conclusion that he was certain that he did not want kids. He did not want a family. He did not want a wife.
Financially, the baby and I would have no problems, but the more I contemplated being a single mom, the more scared I got. How was I going to cope? How would I make all those scary decisions myself? I could barely take care of myself, so why did I think I could take care of a child?
I was sure that Jackson would want nothing to do with us. And I was even more certain that the moment he found out, he would disappear. It was an understatement to say that I dreaded telling him.
I told no one. Instead, I went back, day after day, to the hospital and pretended that I was the happy and blissful fiancée of Matt. I chatted about the wedding with him. Watched TV with him in the big chair beside his bed. I wheeled him down to the cafeteria for lunch one day and dinner the next. The rest of the time I mentally counted down to Friday, the day that Jackson would return.
On Friday,I spent an inordinate amount of time on my hair and make-up. I even put on a skirt. Jackson hadn't indicated when his flight was, so I procrastinated going to the hospital hoping that he would show up before I left.
Finally, mid-afternoon, I headed to the hospital. Matt’s door was propped open, and I could hear laughter. Matt and Irene. Tension left my shoulders. If both of them were in a good mood, it would mean that we'd have a good day.
I stepped into the room and stopped short. Jackson sat on the chair beside Matt's bed, and Irene perched on the end of Matt’s bed. Matt, unaware of my arrival, laughed at something.
Only Jackson saw me. His gaze flicked to me, but he smiled at Matt’s story. I swallowed as I noticed the faded jeans that hugged his hips so perfectly and a basic grey t-shirt stretched over his chest. I think my heart was trying to pound out of my chest.
Had I stepped into some alternative universe? How was it possible that Jackson was included back into the family fold when they had shunned him a couple of weeks ago?
Matt turned his head, and his smile was huge. “Emily.”
My face felt frozen in shock. “Hi.”
Irene avoided my glance, but Jackson pinned me with his green gaze.
“I had the most amazing idea,” Matt said, waving me over. “You’re going to love it.”
