Just Friends (11 page)

He hugged Mitch, shook Chase’s hand,
and then pulled her into a hug. “Are you all right?” he asked, staring down at
her.

“Yes. I’m nervous.”

“Don’t worry. If anything goes
wrong I’ll take care of it.”

Leah didn’t feel relieved. They
were all friends, and their parents were, too.

“Are they here?” Chase asked.

“Yes. Your brother and sister are
away at the moment,” Mitch’s father said.

Chase nodded.

“We’d better go and see them.”

They followed him into the sitting
room. She saw her mother was sitting at the far end of the sofa. The moment her
mother saw her, she ran to her.

“What is going on, honey? I’m
terrified.”

Leah accepted her mother’s comfort.
She felt safe in her arms.

“I think we need to all sit down,”
Mitch said.

All of their parents sat down. Leah
moved past all of the parents not looking at any one of them. She and her men stared
at all six of the parents.

The concern on their faces made
Leah feel guilty for worrying them. Mitch reached for her hand at the same time
as Chase did.

“We’ve got something to tell you,”
Chase said. “Leah, Mitch, and
myself
are going to have
a baby.”

Leah knew that the way Chase said
it was as subtle as he could be. Silence followed his words. She felt tears
spring to her eyes. It was like being a child again waiting for punishment.

“You’re pregnant, Leah?” her dad
asked.

She nodded her head. The words died
in her throat. He looked so disappointed.

Both of her men tightened their
grip on her.

“Who’s the father?” her dad asked.

Leah looked to her mother waiting
for her to respond.

“Honey, I think Chase answered that
when he said all three of them were starting a family.”

“I knew something was wrong. I
fucking knew it,” Chase’s father said getting to his feet.

“Calm down, Dad,” Chase said. He
didn’t leave her side.

“What is this? You couldn’t make a
choice, and so you’re just going to make them wait for paternity? Is that it?”

She flinched away from the accusation
in his voice.

“Back the fuck off, Dad.” Chase
stood in front of her.

“I think we need to calm down.”
Mitch’s father stood.

“How can you be so calm? One of
those boys has knocked up my little girl.”

Closing her eyes, she leaned onto
Mitch for comfort. He’d been quiet throughout it all. He held her hand tight.

The arguing continued.

“We always knew something was
wrong. The three of them never should have remained friends.”

“She’s a slut.”

“Shut.
The.
Fuck. Up.” Mitch yelled the words. Everyone stopped. Leah stared at him,
shocked. “I can’t believe you’re talking about Leah like that,” he said.

Chase stayed in front of her ready
to pounce on anyone who came near her.
 

****

Chase knew he would hurt anyone who
tried to harm his woman. The anger was building inside him with every curse
word his father said. He stared at the man who raised him and was disappointed
in what he saw. There was no acceptance in his eyes, only disgust.

“We didn’t come here today to ask
for your permission,” Mitch said.

“No, we fucking didn’t.” Chase
looked his father in the eye, so he knew who he was talking to.

“We love each other. Chase and I
have loved Leah all of our lives. Leah loves us. She never wanted to choose
between us, and we don’t want her to. We are happy sharing her. She is the
woman we want to grow old with.”

Chase listened to his friend’s
words and felt them deep in his heart.

“You all love each other and would
do anything to stay with each other. Why can’t you see what we’re doing? We’re
twenty-five years old, and we’re going to start a family. Leah is pregnant, and
all of you will be grandparents within the next year.”

“That will be no grandchild of
mine,” his father said. Chase kept his eyes on his father.

“Then you’re no parent of mine.”

“You’d turn your back on your
family for that whore.”

Chase fisted his hands at his side.
Leah reached out, touching his arm. She didn’t want him to murder the bastard.
He knew she’d been trying to prepare him in the car for this kind of outburst.
Chase knew he should have expected it, but he’d thought his father wouldn’t be
like that. He loved his parents. Chase loved Leah more. She was his future, and
if his parents refused to accept that, then they would have no place in his
life.
 

“I’d turn my back on my family for
the woman I love. Leah is the same person. She hasn’t changed, and I love her
with my whole heart. Mitch is my best friend. I’m not giving them up for
anyone,” Chase said.

“I think we all need to calm down
before we say something we might regret,” Mitch’s father said.

They all agreed. Chase wrapped his
arms around Leah kissing the top of her head as he did.

“I love you,” he whispered against
her skin.

“I love you, too.”

Mitch squeezed his shoulder and
nodded his head at him.

He’d done right. Chase knew there
was no future without his friends. His and Leah’s parents left. Mitch’s father
showed them to their room.

“I can’t promise anything. You will
always be welcome here,” Mitch’s father said. “I’m looking forward to a
grandbaby.”
 
There was a smile on the
older man’s face.

Mitch chuckled.

“They’ll come around. I’m not
shocked, but then you have cousins in a similar situation, son. Take
care,
and I’ll see you soon.”

The door closed behind him leaving
the three alone.

“Wow, that was intense,” Leah said.
Chase rubbed her back wondering how she was coping.

“How are you doing, baby?” Chase
asked.

“I’m fine. My nerves got the better
of me. I’ve never been called a whore before. I didn’t like it.”

“We don’t think of you like that,
Leah.” Mitch sat on her other side and took her hand.

“We’re in this together, sweetheart.
Not just because of the baby,” Chase said, pressing a hand to her stomach.

“If it wasn’t for the baby we
wouldn’t be here.” Leah tucked her hair behind her ear. Chase took her chin in
hand and turned her to look at him.

“No, it’s not. We were already
destined to be here. You can’t deny what you feel. I’m never going to lie to
you.” He pressed her hand against his chest. “This is all yours. You and Mitch
are
my everything
.”

Tears filled her eyes once again.

“I think this baby is going to turn
you into an emotional wreck.”

“What do you mean going to? I’ve
never known her cry so much,” Mitch said.

Leah chuckled. The first few tears
began falling down her cheeks.

“I love you guys.” She leaned her
head on Chase’s shoulder and then on Mitch.

Chase eased her back onto the bed
and wrapped his arms around her from behind as Mitch lay in front of her. They
stroked her face and arms trying to offer her comfort. Chase rested his palm
against her stomach. He felt like he was going to burst with the love inside
him.

“Nothing is going to happen to
you,” he said.

****

The following morning, Mitch helped
Leah walk down the small set of stairs. Chase followed behind her. They didn’t
want her hurting herself. She’d cried for a few hours throughout the night.
Mitch knew she felt guilt at their parents’ reaction to the news. He didn’t
blame her. He’d accepted at a young age that she’d never be able to choose
between them. Living with Chase was not a hardship. They were best friends, and
living together only highlighted how compatible they were.

His father had woken him up by telling
him that Chase and Leah’s parents wanted to talk. He knew Chase was prepared to
give up his family for Leah, but it would be a hard decision for anyone to
make.

The six parents were all sitting around
the large table in the dining room when they turned a corner.

Leah’s morning sickness was still
bad, and Mitch was thankful there was no scent of coffee. Her mother looked pale.
He saw the happiness in the older woman’s face. She loved her daughter and
would accept anything for Leah.

“I think we should all sit down,” Mitch’s
father said.

He took one side of Leah as Chase
took the other. Always together and never divided, this was how it had been when
they were younger. None of them ever left the other to face the consequences,
and they weren’t going to start now.

Mitch took her hand under the
table. He felt her shaking by her side.

Chase’s father looked up, and Mitch
saw he was staring at Leah. “I want to apologise for what I said yesterday. It
was uncalled for, and I’m really sorry.”

“That’s okay, Mr. Lawson. I imagine
it was quite the revelation, and you were only protecting Chase. I love him, sir,
and I will never hurt him. I promise.”

Mitch watched as she took Chase’s
hand, squeezing it. She squeezed his hand under the table. Mitch tightened his
grip offering her strength.

“You’re the best of friends. I
understand that. Larry prepared us for this. I guess I always expected you to
drift apart or find other people to date.” He paused to run his fingers through
his hands. Mitch looked at his father as Chase’s dad mentioned his name. “I
love my son, and I’ll never do anything to harm anyone he loves. I hope you can
forgive my outburst and accept my sincerest apologies.”

Leah smiled, and tears filled her
eyes once again. She covered her face with her hand.

Mitch chuckled. “She keeps getting teary-eyed.”

Her mother smiled, reaching across
the table to take her daughter’s hand.

“I don’t want to be a cry-baby,”
Leah said.

“You’re not, honey. I love you.”

Mitch watched as her father reached
across and took her hand. “I love you, honey. I’m sorry for the way I reacted
yesterday.”

Mitch looked towards his father,
who nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen. He tapped Leah’s knee and
followed him into the kitchen.

“You did this,” he said.

His father was pouring hot water
into several coffee cups. “I simply had a long discussion telling them that
they had a grandbaby they’d miss out on if they kept up the bad attitude.”

“I know you, Dad. You did more than
that.”

“I told them you were all in love,
and we shouldn’t stop what you were doing. You wanted one another, and we
should respect that. I did what I could, Mitch.”

He walked over to his father and
hugged him.

“Also, I want to see my grandbaby
the moment it’s born. Do you know what you’re having?”

Mitch shook his head. “She’s got an
appointment with the doctor in the week. We’re going to take care of her. I
promise.”

“I know you will, son.” There was
silence as he stirred the cups. “I remember when your mother came home and told
me she was pregnant with you. I was terrified. I knew nothing about raising a
baby.”

His father cleared his throat. “It
was tough, and I know what it means to be your own man and raise a family.”

Mitch watched as his father pulled
an envelope out of his pocket.

“I want you and Chase to have this.
There should be more than enough to get you both started up. I’ve heard about
your reputation, and I think it is time you both used those degrees you all
got.”

Mitch took the envelope from his
father and ripped it open. Inside was a check for enough money to get started
up in
their own
business. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m serious. Lawson and I thought
it was time you and Chase did it together. I know Leah’s folks will help her
out.”

“This is too much,” Mitch said,
giving him the money back.

“It’s not. You’ve earned this, son.
I’d rather spend the money on you rather than those dreadful oil paintings your
mother loves.”

He laughed at his father’s joke.
Words abandoned him. He didn’t know what to say.

“I love you, son. Make it
count.”
 

Chapter Ten

“Do you know what this means?”
Chase asked.

“You can start your own business,”
Leah said, staring at the check on the coffee table. Mitch had been full of
excitement on the drive back home. She was pleased to be home. After their
parents had accepted their relationship, she’d wanted to get out of their house
before something bad happened. Rubbing her stomach, she looked at the gift her
men had been given. It was
a dream come
true for them.
“My mother gave me this,” she said, pulling out the check her mother had
slipped into her hand.