Winston Brothers Box Set - Stacey Lewis Page 0,102
Clark would’ve done that in a heartbeat though. Honestly, I’m still a little shocked he didn’t just do it and ask forgiveness afterward.”
I watch as her hand goes to her belly and she looks down at it like she doesn’t quite believe it’s there, then her eyes meet mine again, and I can see the tears filling them. She blinks quickly to keep them from falling, but one still does. Fallon wipes it away with one knuckle, then continues on.
“I’ve loved Reed since the moment we met, even though I didn’t really know what love was then. Not romantic love anyway. We’ve always been close, but so scared to take that chance. Then, Clark got sick, and wanting to see us together, he came up with this plan where Reed would have to have a baby if he wanted to run the company. The last thing I wanted was for him to lose the company his great-grandfather started, so I volunteered to be the one who gave him that baby, even though I was sure my heart would be broken.” She shrugs, sniffling just a little as she remembers how their story began. “It worked out better than anything I could have ever imagined. Now, I have Reed, and he loves me. We’re having a baby, and we’re going to get married.” More tears fall, and her voice is barely a whisper when she finishes, “I just wish Clark was here to see everything he worked so hard to make happen.”
My mouth is wide open and I can do nothing but stare at her in shock. Holy shit! That’s a crazy story. I’m not even sure I believe it’s true, but it has to be, right? Reed and Ryker’s dad sounds like he was insane, but it also leaves me envious, because I don’t know many times I wished I had a dad that cared as much as his obviously did.
“I can’t … I don’t … Wow. I don’t know what to say to that.” I’m flabbergasted, completely shocked. Through it all, they got their happily ever after? How?
Fallon laughs, her smile growing wider as she doubles over while holding her belly, and the waitress chooses that moment to bring our food. The smell of the burger and cheesy fries makes my mouth water. I didn’t think I was that hungry when we came in, but man, now I’m starving. We both dig right in, eating in silence—well, almost silence, minus the sounds of slurping and food being swallowed.
After devouring more than half her burger and a good portion of the fries, Fallon finally wipes her mouth with a napkin and stares me down. “So.” She looks like she’s trying to figure out what to say, so I give her time. I feel giddy as I wait to discover what it is that she’s going to ask me. After a few seconds she continues, “Now that you know all about me and my nutty life. tell me about yours.”
She says it like it’s a demand, but I can tell she really is just curious, and after all, she did just tell me her entire life. So before I know it, I’m spilling everything about myself—not including that night with Ryker or the consequences it might have brought on. I can’t share those deets yet, but everything else, well, it’s fair game.
“Well, I live here in Chicago with my two best friends. Gabby and I have been friends for pretty much forever. We met in kindergarten and she was determined we would be BFFs, so we are. Then, when we went to college, we met Marie. She was my roommate freshman year, and she just fit in so seamlessly with the two of us.”
Fallon’s nodding like she understands completely. “I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, not girls at least. I was always worried Reed would fall in love with one of them and my heart would be broken.” She smiles. “I do have this one friend though, Mel. Her antics make my life look sane and calm.” I bug my eyes out at her and she laughs, holding up one hand. “I know! Trust me. Some of the things she’s told me have to be fake, but even if they are, they’re beyond entertaining. I met her and Reed the same year, and it’s been the two of them for me ever since. I can’t even imagine my life without them.”