Page 2 of Falling for the Unexpected

*****

Two days later was Easter Sunday, and we had just returned home from church. ‘Home’ was where Addie and I grew up, at our grandmother’s house. I continued to live here while completing school since the University of San Diego was close by and I wanted to help take care of our grandmother. It was the least I could do for the woman who did everything she could to make sure Addie and I were provided for.

Addie and Grandma quickly made their way to the kitchen to start preparing the Easter dinner we would be sharing with Brad, Trent, and their parents. I could hear the two of them chattering on about the upcoming wedding. Any time plans were discussed I could detect a small hint of sadness in Addie’s voice. We were lucky to have our grandmother, who basically raised us, but it still hurt that our parents weren’t part of our lives anymore. Our mother had died eight years ago, but the reality was that we had lost her a long time before that. Our father left immediately after Addie was born. I was two years old so I don’t remember much about him and we never heard from him again. Grandma had essentially acted as both mother and father, and while we were forever grateful for everything she did for us, when it came to milestones like birthdays, graduations, and now this wedding, it felt like we were missing something or somebody.

Not having parents around had bonded Addie and I close together. I spent a lot of my childhood feeling responsible for her, but the truth was, she took care of me just as much as I took care of her. Even with her getting married I would have to continue to watch out for her. Maybe more than ever before.

A short while later, our guests had arrived and everyone was speaking excitedly about the wedding. Well, everyone except Brad. I watched him every once in a while, a little disgusted by his attitude, like he’d rather be somewhere else. He was a complete douchebag, barely spending any time with Addie since she had arrived home. I wanted to call him out the moment he’d walked in the door, but I didn’t want to upset my sister. He was her choice, and while I found him difficult to be around, he must have some redeeming qualities if Addie was going to marry him. But if he hurt her, all bets were off.

“Everything smells delicious, ladies,” Trent said as soon as we all sat down at the dining table. After a quick prayer, everyone started filling their plates with prime rib and mashed potatoes. We all settled into comfortable conversation, enjoying the time together.

As the meal was winding down, the doorbell rang. I got up, walked to the front door and opened it, expecting to see Erik on the other side. It wasn’t unusual for my friends to stop by for one of my grandmother’s famous desserts, especially on a holiday. But instead of Erik, I was greeted by a gorgeous vision with long, black hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. I was rendered speechless, completely distracted by her killer curves. She was young, definitely not older than twenty.

“Hi,” the mystery woman finally said, slowly eyeing me. She was fidgeting, nervously looking at me and then around me into the house, and then back to meet my gaze. “I’m looking for Bradley Thompson. A friend of his told me I might find him here?”

“Who’s at the door?” I heard my sister ask from behind me.

It took me a moment to realize I hadn’t said anything since opening the door. “Brad, there’s someone here to see you,” I yelled over my shoulder toward the dining room as Addie moved in next to me.

Addie was standing there silently observing our visitor as we waited for Brad. It had to be awkward for her to have another woman here who none of us knew, asking to speak with her fiancé.

“What do you want with Brad?” I finally asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

She licked her perfectly plump lips and swallowed hard. “Um,” she started, only to be interrupted.

“Simone, what the fuck are you doing here?” Brad shouted as soon as he came into the living room. The air was immediately filled with tension as everyone collected behind him, watching with frowns and looks of concern.

I glanced back at the mystery woman, Simone, since it was obvious Brad knew her. I didn’t have a good feeling about any of this, but like a traffic accident, I couldn’t look away.

“Brad, you wouldn’t answer any of my calls or texts the last couple weeks and Ireallyneed to talk to you,” Simone answered lowly, as though she was trying to keep their conversation as private as possible.

I could see the confusion on Addie’s face as she watched the conversation between her fiancé and Simone very closely. Like the rest of us, she was trying to process what was occurring in front of her. I looked between Simone and Brad, trying to get a better idea of what was happening. Simone’s earlier nerves were now replaced with a sense of urgency and the pleading look in her eyes was hard to ignore. And yet, Brad’s contempt for this woman was evident.

“We don’t have anything to talk about. You need to leave,” Brad stated bitingly. He turned away quickly, dismissing her.

I stood there, taken aback. That was beyond rude, even for Brad.

“I’m pregnant!” Simone blurted out, and Brad stopped mid-step.

Addie gasped, stumbling back. I reached out, to make sure she didn’t fall. Her eyes were wide with shock, pain, and hurt. I watched as Simone put her hands over her mouth, her gaze meeting mine briefly. Horror and fear was evident on her face and then she glanced at Addie, whose expression wasn’t much different. I found myself staring at Simone’s stomach. She was in jeans and a loose-fitting tank top, but now hearing her announcement, I could make out the unmistakable roundness to her belly. I was no baby expert, but I knew enough to know she was probably in her second trimester.

I looked back into the living room. Everyone was frozen with the same stunned looks on their faces, but my grandmother recovered first. She moved toward Addie who all but collapsed in her arms, sobbing.

Brad had turned around by then, hands on his hips and observing the scene impassively, like he was bored with the whole thing. Trent glared at his younger brother, appearing as pissed as I felt. His parents looked both embarrassed and disappointed. My hands balled into fists at my side. For once, I didn’t check my anger.

“Oh, hell no,” I growled and charged toward the asshole without a second thought. No one broke my sister’s heart and got away with it. A lesson Brad would learn the hard way.