Chapter 35

Adelaide

“Really?” I try to stop the pout of my lips, but it’s impossible. “You won’t be home for Christmas either?”

Axton grins, but he’s looking over the camera at someone off screen, paying minimal attention to me. Sometimes when I text and send a video request he doesn’t even answer. I was thinking it’s just because he’s super busy, but our dynamic has shifted over the last month.

“I’m sorry. What was that, babe?”

I bristle, but try to smile. He’s having a good time, making friends, doing exactly what I told him he should do. I can’t be upset now that he’s following through.

“Christmas, Axton. You’re gone for Christmas?”

“Yeah, darlin’. We have shows all the way through New Years.” He looks past the camera again. “Yeah, man. Hold on a sec. Let me get her off here first.”

“You’re busy,” I tell him. “I should go.”

Looking at me like he actually sees me for the first time, a sweet smile crosses his lips. “You look beautiful.”

“I have dinner plans,” I tell him, hoping he’ll actually engage in conversation for a few minutes. We haven’t had much of a chance to talk in recent weeks.

“Going out with Marcus?” The glint that appears in his eyes only lasts a few seconds before it’s washed away with a simple blink.

“No. Renee invited Mandy and me out to eat. Why would you ask about—?”

“Listen, doll. The guys are heading out. Big party to attend. Talk soon.”

The screen goes dark, and my jaw practically hits the desk. I have no idea what that was about, but it only concretes the fact that I kept my distance the last time he was home between tours. I don’t have the time nor the energy to make someone a priority in my life when I’m always second in his.

I sigh at the hard knock at my door.

“Yes?”

Renee pops her head in, a flush on her cheeks and nervous smile tugging at her painted lips.

“You look nice,” I tell her.

She hasn’t spent much time on her outside, but I get the feeling she’s spent a ton of time working on the inside. It’s nice to see her looking more like the sister I used to know even though her perspective on many things has vastly changed.

“How’s my niece doing?” I ask, standing from the desk to rub her six-month bump.

“She’s fine.” Renee turns to the side. “Does this dress make me look pregnant?”

“Yes,” I answer, and her smile disappears. “But only when you do that.”

I point to her hands as she rests them on her hips. In all honesty, she has the tiniest, cutest little bump, but her clothes continue to hide it for the most part.

“I don’t want to look pregnant today,” she mutters before pushing me out of the way so she can look at herself in the mirror. Turning from side to side, she frowns at her reflection. “I’m so fat.”

“You’re all baby,” I assure her. “And you’re beautiful.”

“Are you ready to go? We have one stop to make before dinner and I’m already starving.”

Mandy meets us by the door and smiles as we walk toward her. “We haven’t gone out in ages. I know it’s just dinner, but I’m glad you’re finally leaving the house.”

“I leave the house,” Renee mutters.

“You go to work,” Mandy interjects.

“And you eat at your desk,” I add.

“Mom even asked why you aren’t posting as much online,” Mandy says, pulling Renee’s attention from her stomach.

“What did you tell her?”

Mandy backs slowly out of the house. “That you were tired of the rat race or something like that. They haven’t seen you in months. I’m surprised they haven’t shown up on our doorstep,” Mandy says.

“I talk to Mom every week,” Renee mutters.

“And I think that’s the only thing keeping them from thinking we’ve murdered you and hid the body,” I mumble as I open the door to my old car with the key.

“Better them thinking I’m dead than knowing the truth.” Renee takes the passenger seat as Mandy climbs in the back.

Renee doesn’t tell me where we’re going, just a lot of turn here and right at the light until we’re parked in front of the Bibb County Courthouse.

“Why are we here?” Mandy asks from the backseat.

I grin from the driver’s seat, already having figured it out. Renee is in a cream colored dress with a small lily in her hair. She has makeup on for the first time in months, and she mentioned she didn’t want to look like she was pregnant today.

“I need witnesses,” Renee says, turning toward me and returning my smile.

“I’m not giving you an alibi, Renee,” Mandy huffs from the back. “I tried that once in high school. I may not have ended up on probation, but I was grounded most of my sophomore year.”

I chuckle. “She doesn’t need that type of witness. Our big sister is tying the knot today.”

Mandy huffs. “To who? I haven’t seen Elijah in weeks.”

“You’ve been at work most of the days he’s been over,” Renee informs her.

“And what, he just leaves? What kind of guy wouldn’t stay the night with his pregnant…” she pauses, “whatever you are.”

“The type of guy who respects her,” I tell Mandy in Renee’s defense.

“The type of guy who won’t chance lying in bed with me again until we get married,” Renee clarifies.

“You are not marrying that man because he won’t sleep with you again.” My eyes widen as a devious smile pulls at her lips.

“I mean, I love him too, but mainly yes. I need to get laid. Do you know how horny pregnant women get? I’m damn near combustible.”

I’m astounded to the point of silence as Mandy cackles in the backseat. “Mom and Dad are going to kill you.”

Renee looks out the window, her eyes shining. I follow her line of sight, seeing Elijah in a crisp Sunday suit standing on the curb several cars down. “I doubt it. Not many people will even notice me when Savannah gets here. You know Mom and Dad want grandchildren. I just sped the process along.”

“I think this is the right thing,” I whisper to her as Elijah walks closer to the car.

“He loved me when I didn’t even love myself,” she says to no one in particular, but her words are unnecessary. His devotion is written in every sparkle in his eye when she steps out of the car. I choke back tears as she rushes to him. One hand goes to her cheek and his other caresses their child growing within her. It’s beautiful and amazing, and it makes me wish things were different in my own life.

“Man,” Mandy says with awe, “I never thought I’d see the day.”

We watch as Elijah whispers in Renee’s ear. Her cheeks are pink when she turns back to face us, and I’m pretty sure his words had nothing to do with the ceremony, but how the wedding night is going to go.

We follow behind them into the Magistrate Courtroom and stand witness to our sister as she pledges her life to an amazing man. Marcus, standing in as Elijah’s witness, joins us with his girlfriend for dinner at the steakhouse. He’s apologized repeatedly about how he acted at the party during the summer and we’ve moved past it, but he understands friends is all we’ll ever be and doesn’t push for anything further.

“Why?” Renee hisses as she looks down at her phone. “Why would you do that?”

Her eyes filled with tears, she looks up at her husband.

“I’m not hiding.” He gives her a small smile. “I love you. You love me. We’re married and have an amazing little girl on the way. My world is perfect.”

So dang sweet.

“Really? Well, you just dropped a nuclear bomb on mine.”

Pushing her chair back, she thrusts her phone at me when it begins to ring. Looking down, I see our home phone number pop up on the screen.

“What do you want me to do?”

She stops in her tracks, watching Elijah but talking to me as her phone goes silent only to begin ringing all over again. “You can talk to them.”

“On no,” Mandy mutters from beside me before she shoves her phone under my nose.

Elijah posted a picture of their wedding rings on social media with #WeSaidIDo, #HappilyEverAfter #AndBabyMakesThree. My eyes nearly pop out of my head as I dash them first to my sister then Elijah. The phone begins to blare for the third time.

“Here,” Elijah says, holding his hand out for the phone. “Allow me.”

“No!” Renee hisses, but I hand it to him.

“Your funeral,” I mutter.

Renee swipes her hand, knocking the phone out of his hand. “That’s the last thing you need to do.”

“Your parents don’t know about the baby?” Marcus’s girlfriend asks, her tone sympathetic.

“Nope,” Mandy says, never pulling her eyes from the freak out Renee is having.

She grabs the phone out of Elijah’s hand and shoves it in her purse. It rings twice more before growing silent. My phone is next on Mom’s list to call.

“I can’t ignore her,” I tell Renee.

“Answer if you must, but we’re out of here.” Renee grabs Elijah’s hand and pulls him to the front door.

When she disappears outside, I hold out my phone out to Mandy. “You’re the second oldest.”

“Not a chance,” she says, holding her hands up.

I swipe to answer the phone. “Hi, Mom. Good to hear from you.”

“Put your sister on the phone,” she screams in my ear.

I hold it a few inches away and glare toward where Renee and her new husband went.

“She’s not available at the moment. May I take a message?”

“Don’t give me that polite southern mess, Adelaide Rose Hatfield. Explain to me exactly what that girl has done now.”

My sister gets pregnant and married before ever breathing a word to our parents and somehow I’m the one with the full name treatment. I groan, knowing it’s going to be a long night.