Unfinished Ex (Calloway Brothers, #2)(67)

They pass our table, then stop and turn. Uh oh.

“Well, if it isn’t the happy couple,” Hawk, the eldest McQuaid brother, says. “Guess her being a TV star trumps all the cheating she did on you. Kinda makes you a shallow fucker, don’t it?”

Jaxon tries to stand, but I coax him down. “Don’t let them get to you.”

“She didn’t cheat on me. It was a misunderstanding.”

“As in some dude’s cock mistakenly wound up between her legs?” Hunter laughs. “And I’ll bet she has some land in Siberia to sell you too.”

Hudson looks between Jaxon and me. “So you two are… together?”

Jaxon puts his arm around my shoulder. “We are.” Hudson laughs as they walk away. Jaxon scoots out of the booth. “Be right back.”

“Jaxon, don’t goad them.”

“I just need to talk to Hudson. I’ll be quick.” He taps him on the shoulder. “A word.”

They step out of earshot of Hudson’s brothers.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Hudson says. “Yeah, I hate your guts, but that doesn’t mean I can spill your secrets. But damn…” He glances over at me. “I can’t wait for this to come out. Does she even know yet?” He’s speaking in hushed tones, but I’m pretty sure he meant for me to hear every word. He really is a douchebag.

“Fuck you, McQuaid.” Jaxon walks away.

“You and what dick? Only a pussy would take back a lying cheater.”

Jaxon flips him the bird without turning around.

“I see that went well,” I say.

“About as expected. He won’t say anything. But I’m pretty sure he thinks I haven’t told you.”

“I heard. He must be salivating over this.” I put my sandwich down and turn up my nose. “You know the whole town will be. I don’t even know what to expect. Will they hate me again because you’re with me instead of her? She would be the obvious choice considering everything.”

“They won’t hate you. If it comes down to it, I’ll tell everyone I was the cheater. I’ll print out flyers and post them on every corner.”

“You will not. There’s no need to perpetuate more gossip.”

“But I hate that most people still think you’re the one who did wrong.”

“Jaxon, I left you. I am the one who did wrong.”

He pushes his food away, looking guilty. “I did wrong more.”

“It’s not a competition. And we agreed we’d put it all behind us and start fresh.”

“I’ll never stop being sorry.”

My hand rests on his thigh. “Me either.”

He notices my food has gone mostly uneaten. “Something wrong with your dinner?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Because of them?” He nods to the McQuaids over at the pool table.

“No.”

“Because of me?”

I shrug. “It’s been a tough week. A lot to wrap our heads around, you know?”

“It’s going to be okay, Nic. There may be some bumps in the road, but we’re going to do all right. The whole thing with Calista is separate from us. The way I feel about you has nothing to do with her or the way I feel about the baby. I want you any way I can have you. As unbelievable as you may think it sounds, if you’d had a baby with another man, or were pregnant with one, I’d still want you back.”

I gaze at him longingly. “You would?”

“I would. And you know what? I’d bet the bungalow that Eric feels the same way. I know they were only dating for a short time, but I see him watching her. The man is head over heels.” He elbows me. “Kind of like I was for you when I was a horny teenager.”

“Was?” I ask playfully. “You’re still a horny teenager if you ask me.”

He kisses my neck. “Only around you, Nic.”

“Maybe they’ll get back together once she goes public. But it’s not Eric I’m worried about. It’s me. What if I can’t handle her pregnancy? There was a woman at WRKT who got pregnant last year. I couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her.”

“I doubt that will be much of a problem. Looks like the two of you don’t want anything to do with each other.”

“What if I can’t be around the baby?”

He pulls me close. “We have plenty of time to get used to the idea. And more than likely, you’ll be in Oklahoma most of the time. When you’re here, I’ll make sure the baby is with Calista.”

“What about Christmas breaks and summers? The times you said you’d come to me. You’re going to want to be with your child on Christmas, Jaxon. And what if I can’t be around him or her?

It’ll be like you’re living two separate lives.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you love me. And when you love someone, you accept every part of them. The baby will be a part of me.”

My heart races. Neither of us has said the words. “I love you?”

He pops a fry into his mouth and smiles while he chews. “You may not have said it out loud, but I know you do.” He washes his food down with a drink. “And I may not have said it either. Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”