“Yes, he has. Hi Julian,” Aly laughed, hugging Julian.
While they caught up, I turned to say hello to Sara. Her dark ponytail was swinging around as she bounced on her heels, waiting to embrace me. I was about to ask what she looked so giddy for but then she threw her arms around me, going on her tiptoes to hiss next to my ear.
“I’m pregnant!”
I pulled back with wide eyes.
“No fucking way,” I whispered as she mouthed don’t tell him.
“I’m sorry, I just had to get it out,” Sara said in an excited rush just as Julian’s attention returned to us. He pulled his eyebrows tight.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Sara and I replied in unison. Julian’s laugh was curt.
“Yeah?” His eyes flicked back and forth between us for a few seconds. “You two literally couldn’t be more suspicious right now.”
“You couldn’t be more suspicious right now. Now get out of my suite, I’m here with my woman.”
“Your woman?” Julian repeated as Sara’s face lit up.
Ah. Shit, I cursed to myself but grinned when I caught Aly’s slightly stunned smile. It was half slip of tongue, half me trying to get rid of Julian, but before I knew what was happening, Sara was excitedly introducing herself to Aly as Julian pulled me sharply aside.
“Are you serious, Emmett? This is everything I told you not to do.” he said, looking less amused with me than usual. I shoved my hands in my pockets and shrugged.
“I don’t know man,” I laughed. “Let me live.”
“How did this happen?”
“It just did, can’t explain it. Hey, how are you and Sara, by the way? Anything new?”
Julian paused to eye me. He had a perfect record when it came to staying on topic while I actively tried to change the subject. But today, for the first time ever, he caved. His chest expanded as he inhaled deep and clenched his jaw.
“Did she say something to you?” he asked.
“No. What would she say if she said something?”
Julian stared at me for two hard seconds. He dragged his hand across his face to hide the giant grin he broke into for half a second before containing himself.
“Fuck,” he hissed under his breath before glancing over his shoulder at Sara then back at me. He bounced exactly once on his heels before lowering his voice. “I think she’s pregnant. But she hasn’t said anything yet, and I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
I suppressed a massive smile. My stomach was somersaulting with excitement but I did my best to hold it in. I could easily take my own secrets to the grave, but I had a history of spilling the beans when it came to Julian and Sara, so I refused to let myself fuck this up.
“I don’t know, man. If she is, she is. If she’s not, she’s not. But it would definitely be cool for Ozzy to have a cousin.”
Julian snorted. “Right. I guess I should temper my kid’s expectations of ever having a human cousin. Sara has no siblings and you… are who you are.”
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that but I do think I’m offended.”
Julian laughed. “You realize you can’t let Mom find out about anything going on between you and Aly, right? She’s going to get so ahead of herself she’ll probably have to be hospitalized for heartbreak if and when you two break up.”
“Jesus fuck, take it easy. And Aly isn’t going anywhere, alright? I promise you that.”
Julian studied me. I expected him to launch into a speech about how I’d lost credibility after introducing a hundred different girls to my family, none of which ever lasted more than a week-and-a-half. But he surprised me by going in a different direction.
“I know how much she’s always meant to you,” he said, giving me a nod of acknowledgment. It was the first time my brother had given me credit for anything regarding a girl, and it actually felt kind of nice. “I mean you definitely had a shitty way of showing it then, but here’s to hoping that you can make up for it now.”
I raised my eyebrows. “That was actually really nice for your standards,” I said as he grinned.