“Thanks, Farrow,” I say first.
Akara tries to nod in gratitude, but he’s still trying to read my face.
Sulli focuses on Farrow. “I didn’t think anyone would congratulate us.”
His smile stretches. “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Meadows.” He lifts his brows. “Many more than just me will be happy to hear you’re having a baby.”
“Like who?”
“You’ll see.”
I think that gives Sulli more hope. It definitely gives me some. I was preparing to combat some jackass reactions, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Akara and I still have to shut up Alpha and Epsilon. Price’s men.
“Do you have any questions?” Farrow asks.
“Um…should I be doing anything…avoiding anything? Prenatal vitamins…or…” She touches her temple. “Okay, none of that probably made sense. I feel like my brain is Alphabet Soup right now.”
“It’s okay,” Farrow says with ease. “I have a list. We’ll go over it together.” He glances to me and Akara. “I can also get a paternity test, if that’s something you’d both like.”
“No,” I say just as Akara says, “We don’t want one.”
We discussed this last night. Briefly.
No paternity test.
Sulli was on board. Whatever makes this easier for us.
Akara explains to Farrow, “We’ll learn who the biological dad is at birth, but it won’t change anything.”
Farrow nods like he understands completely. And then his attention reroutes to Sulli. “A gown is on the counter over there. You can change into it, and I’ll be back in ten. Sound good?”
She nods. “Yeah, sounds good.”
With a casual stride, Farrow leaves, the door shutting with a solid thud behind him.
Akara spins onto me. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“No way in hell.”
“You’re upset?”
“No,” I refute, a little angrily. “I’m fine, Akara.”
Sulli hops off the table to grab the gown.
We watch her for a half-a-second before Akara asks me, “When the condom broke, did you ever imagine the three of us that far into the future? What it’d look like with a baby?”
“Not really,” I admit. “She took Plan B.” I cast my gaze over to Sulli. She’s watching us while she returns to the exam table, setting down the gown. I exhale a heavy breath. “Did you gear up for that scenario? Where the baby was mine?”
Akara shakes his head slowly. “No, I wasn’t even picturing what a baby between you two would look like.”
“Cute, clear as day.” I motion from my face to her face. I’m not an ugly motherfucker. And she’s such a fucking beauty.
Sulli smiles.
Akara’s lips rise. “Yeah, they’d be adorable. Not as adorable as mine though.”
Sulli snorts, but she stays smiling.
“Can’t argue with that,” I say. Akara is a good-looking guy. He’s way more photogenic than me. He pops on tabloid covers, and I’m six-seven. It’s hard to steal the show when you’re standing next to a giant.
Seriousness draws Akara’s lips back down. “Are you ready for the possibility that the baby is mine?”
“Yeah.” I want to be ready. Isn’t that enough?
He sighs like I’m full of shit.
“I’d be a great uncle to the kid.”
“You aren’t going to be some fun uncle to our kid,” Akara says strongly, eyes flashing hot.
“You want me to be a mean uncle?”
“I don’t want you to be an uncle at all!” Akara shouts like I’m not seeing the picture.
I rake a hand through my hair. Sulli tensely pulls off her shirt, and Akara and I are distracted at the push-up bra lifting her breasts.
Fuck me sideways. Heat gathers and drives south seeing Sulli bite the corner of her lip and study our desire. Yeah, we have the eternal hots for you, mermaid.
“Oh hey, um…don’t mind me, fuck.” She smiles, a little giddy. “Just um, fucking proceed. Work out what you need to work out.”
I try to ignore my rising hard-on.
Akara pushes back his black hair. Glancing from her breasts to me, to her breasts, then to me.
“Eyes up here,” I tell him.
“A little hard.”
“I know the feeling.”
He smiles into a short laugh. “Banks.” Seriousness is back. Great. “You’re going to be a dad. An equal. Just like I’ll be a dad to your kid. They probably shouldn’t even call us uncles since we’re their parent too.”
I like that idea. I love it, really. “You’ll be a great dad to my kid,” I tell him, “but you really want me to be one to yours?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I have a shit role model, Nine.”
“I don’t care.”
I do. What if I’m better as the fun uncle? Even if that’s not what I want to be.
His phone buzzes.
“Shoot.” He digs harshly into his pocket.
While he does, Sulli shimmies out of her jeans. She hands the clothes to me, and I fold them on the exam table. We’re both glancing back at Akara.
“He seems distressed,” Sulli says softly to me.
“It’s not good,” I agree.
Akara lets out an aggravated, pained noise. “It’s Quinn. He just texted, Gabe said he’s moving into the apartment. That’s wrong, right? What am I supposed to tell him?”