Page 55 of Secret Baby for My Brother's Best Friends

“Sam?” My mouth falls open slightly as I blink up at him. “What are you doing here?”

He doesn’t respond at first. His face is pale, his eyes wide, expression twisted into a grimace, and he looks slightly constipated, too.

“Are you okay?” I ask, and he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, shoulders straightening as though he’s come to a monumental decision.

Then he slowly lowers to one knee.

I freeze in shock. “What are you doing?”

“I’m asking you to marry me.”

I didn’t know it was possible to be even more shocked, but somehow I manage. “What?”

“Will you marry me, Chelsea?”

My denial comes out in a series of confused sputtering. “Of course not. What the heck? Why would you even ask me something like that?”

“Because…I want to take responsibility.”

“Take respon–” Suddenly, my head clears, and it hits me. “Damn it. Jake told you, didn’t he?”

He starts shaking his head, but then he probably sees that I don’t buy it, so he nods instead, “Yes.”

“I told him not to.”

“He’s not good at keeping secrets. He would make a terrible husband. Me, on the other hand, am excellent at keeping secrets and would make a good husband.”

That makes me laugh. Not because it's funny, but just the sheer ridiculousness of opening the door and finding Sam there, and him getting down on one knee and proposing, while throwing Jake under the bus.

It's just an insane series of events.

“How did you know where I live?” I ask, because I don't remember ever giving him my address.

He shakes his head. “You don’t want me to answer that.”

"No, I really do.”

He sighs deeply and gets back on his feet. He tucks his hands in his pockets, guilt giving his face a boyish expression. He looks very much like a child who’s done something wrong, aware he’s about to be scolded. “Remember the other day after our meeting when it was running pretty late, and you decided not to take a ride from any of us and head home by yourself?"

"Yeah." I raise my eyebrow. That was the first meeting since the big reveal happened. It had been hard, sitting amidst all the awkwardness, and deciding to continue with the meeting regardless, but we made it through. After it was done, Sam and Jake both offered me a ride, but I wasn't about to be in a car with any of them any time soon.

Not because they're bad people.

I just didn't trust myself around them anymore, especially after what Jenna said.

What if you're falling in love?

No. I can't be.

I reject it with everything within me. Setting aside the sheer ridiculousness of falling in love with three men, all of whom I barely know, it would just be so fucking inconvenient for me to be in love with anyone right now, when I have so much on my plate already.

"Well, it was running pretty late, so I was worried."

"It was only eight pm," I counter.

"Exactly."

"And? What happened?"