Her Baby Secret (Friends & Lovers Book 1) (6 page)

“I will figure it out tomorrow, when we are all together for breakfast. Everyone is getting ready for bed now.” Elena was famous in the family for sensing pregnancy. She'd bragged how she'd known when her own mother became pregnant with her sister and brother, as well as when her sister and sister-in-law were pregnant.

When Angelica had married Jared, neither Elena nor Angelo was happy about the marriage. They'd hoped that Angelica would marry a friend of Elena's family but Angelica and Jared were devoted to each other and very much in love. Angelica's family turned her away and didn't speak to her for almost four years. When Javier was born, Elena sensed his birth and called Angelica. They'd made up instantly.

Devin had a glass of wine with Elena and then they both left the kitchen. The only one in the living room was Grace, who was lounging on the couch watching some reality show. She jumped up and gave Elena a kiss before going back to the couch. After Devin walked his abuela up to her room in the attic, he stood in the short hall and wondered if he should go talk to Robyn.

It was getting late but he didn't think he could wait any longer. Tomorrow was Christmas. It would be another hectic day. The good thing was, with all the snow falling, he doubted anyone would be able to leave. But he didn't want to wait another minute to straighten everything out with Robyn. They had to talk everything out and salvage some part of their friendship before it was too late. It was all he could hope for.

The TV was on but Robyn wasn't paying it any attention. She sat on the soft blue comforter and tried to make a plan for the morning, when her morning sickness usually took over. With so many people in the house, it could be difficult getting to the bathroom without being seen. She was getting a headache just thinking about it.

She lay on the bed and closed her eyes. Even though she'd had an extremely long nap earlier, she still felt sleepy. Just about everyone had headed to bed. It had been a long day and she knew she wasn't the only one who was exhausted.

Robyn turned off the bedside lamp and picked up the remote to turn off the television but before she could turn it off, there was a knock at the door. Sighing, Robyn got off the bed and went to the door, opening it quickly. Her stomach seemed to drop when she saw Devin standing there, looking so sexy and handsome that she wanted to melt.

He'd changed into a white T-shirt that put all his muscles on display, along with green flannel pajama bottoms. Her fingers twitched as she remembered running her fingers over his hard sculpted chest, loving the light sprinkling of hair that trailed down to his waistband.

“Can we talk?” He asked, stepping into the room and closing the door before she could answer.

She turned the lamp back on and sat on the bed wordlessly, resigned to this confrontation. She could refuse to talk to him but she didn't want to cause a scene. Her parents, as well as his, were sleeping in bedrooms right down the hall. And there was, of course, the fact that she missed him. She wanted to be near him despite that fact that she shouldn't want to, even if only for a few minutes.

“I don't want us to hate each other, Robyn,” He said simply, standing in front of her. “We were great friends... I don't think it’s right that our...failed relationship...should stop us from being friends again.”

Robyn knew that he was trying to extend the olive branch but each of his words felt like a stab to the heart. She was in love with him and he wanted to be
friends
? She swallowed a lump in her throat.

“Why wouldn't you talk to me that night?” Robyn demanded. “When you broke up with me, why was I not even worth talking to
then
? What was different between then and now?”

“I'm sorry,” Devin said, having the good sense to look shameful. “I was so wrong to act like that. All I can say is that I was mad and hurt. I guess I let my pride get in the way.”

“What?” Robyn asked incredulously. “
You
were hurt and mad? How do you think I felt? You're the one who dumped me.”

“What did you expect me to do, Robyn?” He sounded a little irritated. “I wasn't going to sit around in a bad relationship where I clearly wasn't wanted. I don't blame you for that. I just wish you would have told me how you felt. But that's over with now. I don't want to keep bringing up the past. I'm worried about our future.”

Robyn's mouth was hanging open and she couldn't even speak, so profound was the level of shock she felt. He was blaming their breakup on her? What the hell was wrong with him?

“A bad relationship?” She squeaked. “What the hell are you talking about, Devin? You're not making any sense right now. You're trying to put this all off on me, as if it's all my fault?”

“Of course it's not your fault,” Devin said, frowning. “I didn't mean it like that. But it started becoming so obvious that your feelings were changing... Anyway, can we move on? I want us to get past this. You mean a lot to me, Robyn.”

Robyn was having trouble processing everything that he'd said. He'd dumped her out of the blue and somehow thought that it was all
her
fault? It didn't make any sense.

“I'm really not understanding this,” Robyn whispered, the godawful tears stinging her eyes. She willed herself not to cry but she had no control over her emotions. “What are you talking about, my f-feelings w-were ch-changing? What does that mean?” She ended on a wail and slapped her hands over her face in horror.

Stop it right now, Robyn!
She berated herself. But it was too much. It was all too much. All these weeks of missing him, the pain present all day, no matter what she did. Now he was here, on Christmas Eve, telling her that not only did he blame her for their breakup but that he wanted them to be
friends?
She threw herself back onto the bed and pulled the pillow over her face, weeping uncontrollably.

She felt the bed dip and Devin picked her up, pulling her onto his lap. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, the smell of his cologne causing her to ache inside. She had missed him so much, in every way that you could miss someone. It hurt to be this close to him again but she reveled in the feel of her body against his.

“I'm sorry,” He whispered over and over, rubbing her back. “I really am sorry.”

She wished that they could go back to their last date, back in October, when everything was good between them. She'd been so sure they were falling in love. For the first time in her life, she'd had a true sense of happiness. And then a few weeks later it was cruelly snatched away.

An image flashed in her mind of them making love in front of the fireplace in his house before falling asleep in each other's arms. That was the happiest she'd ever been with him. She'd fallen asleep that night feeling safe, protected and even loved, though they had yet to say the words to each other. She'd
felt
his love for her. Or so she'd thought. Obviously, she was very wrong because he'd broken up with her less than two weeks later.

The tears flowed freely as she thought about how close she'd come to getting her happily ever after, something she hadn't planned to even look for for years. It had found her when she'd least expected it. But it had just been a tease. She supposed she had to look at it as another lesson learned. But the hurt was just too much to take sometimes.
Most
of the time.

She became aware of Devin's hand, still on her back, her skin seemingly burning through the fabric of her T-shirt. He was sitting still now, with her on his lap, and she had no idea how long they'd been like that.

Finally calming down, Robyn felt her nipples harden to tight, achy peaks and she pulled back, unable to look at Devin's face. The sudden move only caused her to move an inch or two but she felt him harden beneath her. Her heart began to race but she didn't make herself get up. It was actually good for her self-esteem knowing that she still had some affect on him.

Stupidly, selfishly and without thinking of the consequences, she deliberately shifted again, enjoying the hard swell beneath her. It had always been instant and powerful between them, every single time.

“Robyn?” He whispered, lifting her chin so that her brown eyes met his hazel ones. Desire burned in his eyes and she felt herself leaning forward, all thought leaving her head. Their lips met and she greedily wound her arms around his neck, craving him more than she could crave food or water.

She gratefully opened her mouth for his tongue, stroking it with her own. His arms curled tightly around her and she felt his erection press against the back of her thigh. She hummed in the back of her throat, enjoying the tantalizing tangle of their tongues. His scent, his touch, his taste...it all combined to drug her, making her weak in the knees.

When they came up for air, Devin's firm lips trailed hot kisses over her neck and ear. Her eyes snapped shut and she let her head fall back, running her hands through his short black hair. Holding his face, she brought his lips back to hers, pushing her tongue into his mouth. She felt his hand slip underneath her shirt, his hand caressing her back. She could feel the wetness between her thighs. She was ready. More than ready.

“Uh...”

They jumped apart, Devin nearly dropping Robyn off of his lap. Her brain felt fuzzy and Robyn tried to make sense of what had just happened. Her sister. Her sister had come in.

“I'm sorry,” Peyton was saying, backing out of the room.

“No, no, come back in,” Devin was saying, sounding too calm for Robyn's liking. She was still trying to process what had just happened. Her mind felt slow and sluggish.

Peyton couldn't keep the grin off of her face. She eagerly walked back into the room, staring back and forth from Robyn to Devin.

Robyn didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed about her sister's interruption. She must have completely lost her mind to let her guard down with Devin. He'd broken her heart and she'd proven to be an easy mark, just falling into his arms as if nothing had happened between them.

Devin kissed her cheek and started out of the room.

“You both have a goodnight,” He murmured, not even looking embarrassed at having being caught making out with Robyn by her big sister.

Robyn nodded stiffly, refusing to look at him as he left the room.

“Goodnight, Dev,” Peyton said in a singsong voice, making Robyn want to childishly kick her.

After the door closed behind him, Peyton whirled in a circle, laughing like she'd heard the funniest joke ever.

“You and
Devin
? How long has this been going on? Tell me everything!”

“There's nothing to tell,” Robyn said, her heart still racing. Her lips tingled in remembrance of his kisses and she turned away from her sister.

“Like hell there isn't,” Peyton said, unfazed by Robyn's stony glare. “Tell me!”

“What do you want, sis?” Robyn asked, ignoring her sister's demand.

“I actually came to talk,” Peyton said, plopping down on the bed. “We hardly see each other lately and this is the first time we've had to be alone since we got here.”

Robyn smiled a little because her sister seemed sincere. They used to get together a lot at each other's houses or to go shopping or have lunch. But Robyn had been trying to keep a low profile since the breakup with Devin. She hadn't wanted anyone to guess at what was going on. She didn't want anyone's pity.

“Mom's worried about you, you know,” Peyton said, folding her legs in front of her. “But after what I just witnessed between you and Devin, I can let her know in the morning that you're just fine.
More
than fine!”

“Don't you do it, Peyton!” Robyn warned, her eyes widening.

“Why all the secrecy? Do you know how happy everybody's going to be when they find out about you guys? You should have announced it tonight at dinner. Damn, you two didn't even let on that anything like this was going on!” Peyton laughed. “I had no idea.”

“There is nothing going on...” Robyn had once dreamed of breaking the news to her parents about her relationship with Devin. She'd been so excited about it but neither she nor Devin had been quite ready to tell anyone.

“I know what I saw,” Peyton said. “I don't know who had whose tongue.” Peyton laughed.

Robyn closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of what she'd almost had and what could have been. She couldn't wait to put some distance between her and Devin, and everyone in the house for that matter. She needed to go home where she could keep licking her wounds and give herself more time to heal.

“What happened?” Peyton asked quietly, sobering.

“We were together,” Robyn admitted. “For almost four months. I thought it was going great but I couldn't have been more wrong because...he broke up with me.”

“But why?” Peyton asked.

“I don't know,” Robyn said. “At the time, he was being an asshole and he didn't give me a reason. Now he was in here tonight acting as if it was my fault we broke up.”

“He obviously misses you and he knows he made a mistake,” Peyton said, taking Robyn's hand in her own. “Give him another chance.”

“I can't,” Robyn said. “I won't. We can't go back now.”

“You're too smart for this, Robyn,” Peyton said sternly. “When you want something, you go after it. You're not going to let a good man like that slip through your fingers.”