Jane kicked her legs over the side of the chair, letting them dangle toward the ground. “So, now I’m dating Bing again.”

Eliot smiled from where he lay on the couch. “And how do you feel about that?”

Jane tossed a pillow at his face. “I feel happy.”

“And I feel happy for you.” He shifted slightly to his right with a groan. Jane’s brows rose. “Can’t lay on my back anymore. Too uncomfortable,” Eliot muttered.

Jane snickered. “Guess that’s what you get for getting yourself knocked up.”

“Your lack of sympathy is appalling. Just wait until you get pregnant. See if I try to comfort you.” Eliot twisted further onto his side. A loud noise issued from his backside.

Coughing on laughter and from the smell, Jane got up and waved a pillow over him. “That is not even the worst of them. I’ve woken myself up farting.” Eliot sighed.

“Well, you were fairly impressive in the farting department before this.” Jane stuffed the pillow between Eliot’s butt and the couch cushion. “Maybe that’ll help.”

“It won’t.” Eliot pulled the pillow up to his waist area, leaning back against it. “But this does. Thanks.”

Jane sat back down. She eyed her brother, waiting until he took another sip of water from the giant thermos. “Have you told Darcy that it’s his?”

Water flew from Eliot’s lips, splattering against the table and getting some of his popcorn wet. “Eh, gross.” Eliot twisted to stand up. “Now I’ll have to make more. Thanks, sis.”

“I’m going to take that as a no.”

Heaving himself up, Eliot sighed and ignored Jane’s question. He walked into the kitchen. Not that he couldn’t still see Jane since the only thing separating the kitchen from the living room was a counter height island.

“You two seem like you’re on good terms. Do you think he’s guessed?”

Eliot winced. Jane laughed. “Screw the popcorn. Come talk.” Eliot waddle marched back into the living room and plopped inelegantly onto the couch after grabbing Jane’s popcorn bowl.

“Hey!”

“Pregnant here. Growing a little human. Go make your own.”

Jane crossed her arms, attempting to glare at him. “I made all of it. That was my bowl.”

Eliot shrugged a shoulder then stuffed a handful of it into his mouth. “Well, it's mine now,” he said around the popcorn.

Jane squeezed a pillow to her chest. “Darcy’s asked about you. A few times.”

Eliot straightened. “Really? I haven’t heard a thing from him since he shipped us back from Vegas.” He’d sent the Bennetts and Gina back to Virginia, but had gone with Bing to California instead.

Tears began to prick and sting at the corners of his eyes. “I wanted to tell him. I just haven’t found a way to.”

She moved to sit on the floor beside the couch, one arm reaching up to hold on to Eliot’s arm. “If he could tell Bing that he was wrong about me, if he could put aside all of his pride and go after George to protect Kitty...” Jane pulled on Eliot’s arm, making him look at her. “Eliot, if he could do all of that, then he must care about you.”

A tear slid down Eliot’s face.

“You have to tell him, Eliot. He’d want to know.”

Eliot wiped the tear away. “That isn’t something you send a text about. ‘Hey there Darcy. Thanks for beating George’s ass. By the way I’m pregnant with your baby. Hope to see you soon.’”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Jane’s face. “Okay, maybe you don’t say it that way. Maybe you could hint at it.”

“Done that. He didn’t get it.”

“Be less subtle, then.”

Eliot rolled his eyes. “I already told him it was a one night stand that neither of us expected. He can’t be that obtuse.”

Snorting, Jane rose. “He’s an alpha, Eliot. He can be that obtuse.”

“Well then hinting won’t work,” Eliot grumbled.

“Probably not.” Jane went to the kitchen and returned with a tub of caramel deluxe ice cream and two spoons. Eliot stared pensively at the silent and dark TV.

“Hard deadline. You have to do tell him before the baby comes.”

“I know. I just don’t know how. I really don’t want to tell him on the phone.” Eliot took a spoon and scooped up a huge chunk of ice cream. Jane’s eyes widened. “Ahem, feeding two here.”

That earned him an eye roll. “I could tell Bing I thinks it’s his.”

“That it’s Bing’s?” Eliot gasped and choked a little until the ice cream melted and went down. “Yeah, no.”

Jane smiled wickedly. “I meant tell Bing I think it’s Darcy’s but you just accurately portrayed how that game of telephone might backfire on us.”

Eliot sighed, staring at his spoonful of ice cream before shoving it into his mouth.

“Do you love him?” Jane dipped her spoon into the ice cream, knocking Eliot’s spoon out of the way.

“It wasn’t like you and Bing. You guys were attracted at first sight. Back then, I thought he was too full of pride and arrogance to be even remotely redeemable.”

Eliot collapsed back against the cushions of the couch, his relaxation speaking volumes about where his heart leaned. He wanted to crawl into his room and pull out Darcy’s letter and read it over and over again. “But now, now I know that he has a great depth within him. He cares so much about those he allows to get close to him.”

“And you love him.”

“Yes, I love him very much.”

Jane rose up onto her knees to hug her brother. “Then you have to tell him that too. I think he loves you too. He wouldn’t go tearing across the country to save just anyone’s sister.”

Eliot toyed with his phone, pulling Darcy’s contact info open and starting to write a message about seventeen times without success. Finally he simply typed, Are you busy? and quickly hit send. And waited. And waited.

He fell asleep waiting.