Sharing Their Nanny (The Nannies)

His best friend had told her that Raine was busy but would be coming home soon.

He doubted it.

There was a knock at the door, and he glanced up to see Max at the threshold. They hadn’t spoken since it happened. Ignoring him, he unlocked his cell phone screen and dialed.

“I’m going to pick up, Lake.”

Dylan didn’t respond. He wasn’t an idiot and had already figured that was what he was doing. It didn’t take a rocket scientist. The time was a good indicator.

“Any luck?”

Lifting his head, he glared at him. “What the fuck do you think?”

“You’re talking to me with actual words. I’d say that’s an improvement.”

“What do you want, Max? You want me to say I forgive you? To give you a round of applause? To congratulate you on fucking up our relationship?” He got to his feet and started to clap his hands. “Well done, old man. Well done for messing up the chance we had with the one woman we were both in love with!”

Max shook his head.

“What’s the matter? Am I not open enough? Forgiving enough for you?”

“I know I fucked up.”

“Damn right, you did.”

“Raine will come back.”

“When? Why? What the fuck makes you think she is going to come back?” he asked.

“She is pregnant with our child, Dylan. We have a right to being in that child’s life.”

Dylan picked up the glass paperweight and launched it across the room. His anger was so acute, he couldn’t contain it any longer. He was tired of doing this dance with Max. “You called her a slut. You asked her if she was going to abort our child. I would be surprised if she gave us a second chance to make things right, you fucking dick! Get the fuck out of my office.”

“We’re the baby’s father.”

“Yeah, and what are you going to do, make it worse? Demand a paternity test? Why can’t you just admit that you love her or not? To be honest, I don’t even know if you have feelings for her at all.” He shook his head. “Go and pick up Lake. I don’t want to do this with you.”

“You love her.”

“I fucking worship her,” Dylan said. “Don’t you get it? She was, no is, perfection. You don’t see it, but she was falling for us.” He snorted. “She was, and you, like always, fucked it up because you just don’t think. Get out.”

“I love her,” Max said. “You don’t think I regret what I said to her?”

“I don’t know what to think about you, Max. I can say a whole lot of things about the situation, but right now, I can’t deal with you. You should have come to me. I would’ve helped you figure out what we could have done.”

“I’m sorry,” Max said.

“Get out. Just give me some space.”

His friend didn’t move for the longest time.

He and Max had never, ever, fallen out. They were the best of friends. Raine had always said she didn’t want to come between them, but right now, she was Dylan’s biggest regret. He shouldn’t have let her walk away.

Not talking to her was killing him. He hated that he couldn’t hear her voice or listen to her laugh. He missed her so damn much.

Dylan had known she was pregnant. He’d noticed she had started to get morning sickness. At first, Raine had thought it was just a bug, but after some dry toast, and a couple of hours’ rest, she was fine, more than fine.

With no menstrual cycle appearing, and knowing they’d been making love to her for well over four weeks, Dylan had already put all of the signs together. Raine was pregnant. He was going to pick up a kit himself and broach the subject, but he’d waited too long.

The phone went to voicemail. This time, he didn’t hang up. He waited for the beep.

“Raine, it’s me. It’s Dylan. I’ve been calling you constantly. I’ve probably blown your phone up with all the calls. Look, you don’t have to do this alone, okay? I love you. I’m not saying that just because of the baby, I’m completely, one hundred percent in love with you. I want to make it work. Please, if you listen to this, call me. I have to see you. I have to talk to you. Please.”

He came to the end of the message.

Dropping his head in his hands, he didn’t know what else to do. What more could he say?

Everything felt like a mess and not in any way reparable.

Chapter Eleven

Three days before Christmas, Max couldn’t take it anymore. He’d fucked up big time. Dylan hated him, which was a new experience for him. Lake had started to withdraw without Raine around. The truth was that he missed Raine. He missed her so damn much, and he had fucked up so badly.