Page 96 of Nine Month Contract
I nod, trying to digest what she’s said. My family wouldn’t dream of sacrificing their own wants for something else. Especially not their own child.
“Can I ask why you decided to be a surrogate?” Cozy asks, ripping me out of my inner musings. “That’s definitely a sacrifice to yourbody and your health. It must have been a big decision to say yes to Wyatt, right?”
My head is nodding as my mind races. “I’d be lying if I said a lot of it wasn’t motivated by money.” I chew my lip thoughtfully before adding something I never had the guts to tell Wyatt when he first interviewed me. “But the truth is, once I started researching it, I was fascinated by the idea of people out there being willing to shell out boatloads of money for a kid. Like…they want a baby no matter the cost. They jump through extraordinary hoops because a child is their ultimate dream.” My eyes glaze over as I struggle to even remember my parents’ faces. Do they even remember mine? Do they even still have a picture of me? “I think maybe by doing this, I’m trying to heal my own inner child because the people in my life…my parents…they had kids by default. They didn’t try for them, didn’t struggle for them. They certainly didn’t dream about them. They just got them. Which made throwing them away so damn easy.”
The silence is thick in the bathroom when I realize what I’ve just said, and I look up to see Cozy’s eyes filled with tears as she stares at me, lips parted, nose running, cheeks red.
Fuck.
I just spilled my guts to a basic stranger, and I should be embarrassed. Or sorry.
But today…I’m not.
I’m bitter.
I’m bitter at how easy it seems for this family to love and care about each other when mine couldn’t find a single fuck to give about me.
WeeksPregnant:20
AnimalsontheMountain:9
Every head turns to stare when Calder, Luke, Trista, and I walk into the Mercantile. It’s Saturday night, and my brothers wanted to go to town for a beer and some food. We were heading there in the truck, and I saw the light on above the barn, and something in me felt compelled to stop and invite her. We’ve been seeing each other most nights anyway, unless she’s busy with Avery, so it felt weird not to have her come along.
And part of me wants this night to be an opportunity to show her that I’m okay with her talking to my brothers and even spending time with them. Her asking me if I thought she was trash the other night really hit me hard. If anything, she’s too good for us.
Judy sets three beers in front of us and a Shirley Temple in front of Trista. Her eyes drop to Trista’s belly, but she says nothing. Just tips her chin and leaves us be.
My own eyes can’t seem to stay away from Trista’s belly either. She looks good tonight. Tight black top and a pair of shiny black leggings. She’s showing more every day, and the urge I have to constantly touch her is honestly becoming an issue.
“Can you guys explain to me the real reason you all thought it would be a good idea to live as neighbors on a mountain? Like…forever?” Trista deadpans, causing Calder to chuckle around a mouthful of beer.
“What? Is that not normal?” Luke asks with a playful smile.
“No, it’s not normal!” Trista says, her eyes glittering in the dim bar lighting. “I haven’t seen my sister in a decade, and you guys are neighbors, coworkers, and brothers who carpool to work every day.”
I smile and lean back in my chair, casually draping my arm on the back of hers. I’m going to let my brothers field this inquiry.
Calder smiles cockily and leans across the table to start counting off the reasons. “Well, for starters, Wyatt let us build on his land for free.”
Trista shoots me an impressed look, and I shrug.
“The views are fucking spectacular.” He ticks off another reason. “And we already work together every day, so who gives a fuck where we sleep at night? Might as well be somewhere with a great fucking view.”
“And we had to help him develop the land, so he owed us big.” Luke shoots a pointed look at me, and I nod knowingly. They worked their asses off helping me make the land livable before I could even start building. It became a bit of an obsession for us all.
“And we’re best friends.” Calder slams his hands on the table before thrusting a finger right at my face. “Even if this fucker doesn’t want to call me his best friend.”
Trista frowns at me, and I just shrug. “I don’t like labels.”
“He loves me, even when he wants to punch me.” Calder gets up and moves around the table to grab my face, planting a big, sloppy kiss on my cheek. I shove him off me, and just as he moves to sit back down, I kick his chair out from under him, causing Calder to fall to the ground laughing. I fight back my own laughter as I watch Luke help him up.
Luke smiles over at Trista. “They’re best friends who fight a lot.”
Calder drops down into his seat and glares knowingly at me. “The truth is, Wyatt is the loneliest loner you’ll ever meet.”
I growl under my breath and sip my beer, turning my attention away from the table.
“He likes to be alone, but not too alone.”
