The Imperfections

“I am not going to date her just so you have a babysitter. I’ve done a lot for you in my time, Bri, but I have to draw the line somewhere.”

I don’t consider how that would sound because I think Alyssa is far enough away she won’t hear me, but all of a sudden I hear her say angrily, “I’m standing right here.” Then she walks around behind the car and glares at me so hard, I’m surprised I don’t drop dead.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” I tell her.

“Bullshit,” she fires back, scowling at me. “Just like you didn’t mean it like that before, right? But you did, and you keep saying this shit like I even want to date you at this point.”

Bri’s eyes widen and she shoots me an accusing look, like I’ve just killed every last one of her goddamn dreams.

“She doesn’t even mean that,” I tell Bri, since she obviously doesn’t know our dynamic.

Alyssa’s eyes widen in disbelief and she tries to glare harder, but it’s physically impossible. She’s so angry I can practically see steam coming out of her ears, but even so, I am in no way prepared for what she does next.

“Actually, Bri, I didn’t come out to the parking lot to fuck your brother again. I came out here because I had something important to tell him.”

I get a real bad feeling about that, every last one of my instincts propelling me toward her. “Why don’t we go over here and talk, then?” I grab her arm. “Privately,” I add, more pointedly.

She looks up at me, fire in her narrowed, oceanic eyes. Before I can drag her away and avert disaster, her pretty little mouth opens, and right there in front of my sister, she announces, “I’m pregnant.”

15

Brant

It’s not quiet with the fireworks exploding in the sky above us, but among the three of us, no one makes a sound.

I’m fucking floored, staring at Alyssa, wishing I hadn’t made the colossal mistake of pissing off a pregnant woman who is apparently given to life-ruining mood swings. Bri is so stunned, a light breeze could knock her over. Even Alyssa looks a little shocked, and she’s the one who said the damn thing.

Bri is the first one to recover enough to speak. “You’re pregnant with my brother’s baby?”

Even though I never thought she would before, I’m too afraid Alyssa will tell the truth to let her speak now. “We need to talk in private, Alyssa.”

She looks up at me but makes no move to go anywhere with me. “No. I’m done talking to you. I’ve heard all you have to say.”

My hand closes a little more tightly around her arm, my gaze dangerous. “Oh, I don’t think you’ve heard everything just yet.”

Alyssa swallows, but she tips her chin up in an extremely inconvenient fit of stubbornness. The stubbornness would piss me off more, but I can see a fleck of real fear in her eyes, too. “I’m not going anywhere alone with you right now.” Her gaze jumps back to Bri. “Don’t you leave me here with him.”

Bri is wide-eyed and completely flabbergasted. She looks from Alyssa to me then back to Alyssa, struggling to catch up on our relationship when she’s been completely in the dark about it up to now. I can see her trying to reconcile the things Alyssa is saying with what she knows about my relationships, but she doesn’t have much to go on. Last time Bri saw me in a serious romantic relationship, I was a hair younger than Alyssa is now.

“Honey, Brant’s not gonna hurt you,” she says, trying to comfort Alyssa as she takes a step toward her. “Hell, if he got you pregnant, it’s more his fault than yours. He’s a grown-ass man, and you’ve only been able to vote for a stinkin’ month.” Her eyes widen in realization and she looks over at me. “Good lord, Brant, you started sleeping with her before she even turned 18.”

I didn’t, but her lousy-ass husband did. Obviously, I don’t say that.

Alyssa is the tempest I need to control tonight.

“Alyssa, don’t be difficult. This is not Bri’s business, it’s ours. You and I need to talk about this—alone.”

I start to tug Alyssa back toward my truck, but she resists—and much to my fucking surprise, my sister intervenes. She walks over and grabs my hand, pulling it off Alyssa’s arm and pulling her under her wing, literally. With a skeptical frown, Bri asks, “Why is she so afraid you’ll hurt her?”

The subtle accusation in her question heats my blood. “What the hell are you trying to ask me, Bri?”

She has the grace to blush, but she doesn’t back down. Instead, she tries to get rid of me. “This is obviously surprising news. Maybe it’s best if you go home, take some time to process everything before you talk to Alyssa about it. Heaven knows you don’t want to say or do anything in the heat of the moment you’ll regret later.”