I knew it.
“I don’t understand why, Kalin,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not romantic. It’s never been like that with me and Gav. We really are just best friends.”
“I know that now,” she said. “Gavin spoke to me about the pair of ye’ when he stopped by a while ago. He really spoke to me.”
I tilted my head to the side. “D’ye like Gavin?”
“A lot.” She nodded. “But he isn’t interested in a relationship with me. Not when we first got together and not now.”
I heard the hurt in her voice, and I frowned.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she said. “I can’t force ‘im to want to be with me. He made it very clear that he doesn’t want a girlfriend; it’s why we’ve agreed to raise the baby together platonically.”
I blinked. “Platonically? But last week Ryder said … well, he assumed.”
“Oh, I know what he assumed.” Kalin chuckled. “I wasn’t feelin’ well that day, and Gavin pretended to be sick ‘imself to get the day off work. I thought it’d be funny to moan in the background. Dante and Harley showed up, bashed ‘im, then made ‘im go back to work with them.”
I snorted. “Sounds like them.”
Kalin glanced around the room. “You’re crazy talented.”
“Thanks,” I said, then perked up. “I actually have somethin’ for ye’.”
“For me?”
I walked over to my canvas rack and plucked out the one on the bottom shelf.
“I painted this the day after your baby shower,” I said and turned to face Kalin, holding up the canvas for her to see. “We had our fight, and ye’ were on me mind, so I painted ye’.”
Kalin’s eyes instantly glazed over as she stepped closer.
“Alannah,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful. How did ye’ do that?”
“It’s what I do.” I shrugged. “I figured it’d be a nice memento for you to have. I’ve done one for all of me friends during their pregnancies at some point.”
Kalin looked up at me. “Am I one of your friends?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I think this conversation is us puttin’ the rubbish behind us and focusin’ on the future. We’d both be a lot happier, not to mention Gavin will be thrilled.”
When Kalin laughed, her hands went to her belly and so did my eyes.
“Is he movin’?”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “He is very active when he hears people’s voices. It’s like he wants to get his own say in.”
“Can I … can I feel ‘im?”
“Of course.”
I put the canvas down and placed my hands on Kalin’s firm stomach, and instantly, I felt it move beneath me.
“Oh God,” I said. “That’s horrible.”
Kalin laughed. “It feels weird, right?”
“Like an alien is tryin’ to break free.”
Kalin cracked up with laughter, and seconds later, the door of the room burst open and in fell Gavin and Damien. Damien looked at us, grunted, then shoved Gavin. “I told you she wouldn’t hit a pregnant woman!”
“You thought it sounded like they were fightin’ too.” Gavin shoved him back.
They focused on us and what we were doing and relaxed.
“Does this mean what I think it means?”
“Yeah,” I answered Gavin. “I’m leavin’ Damien for Kalin. I’m a lesbian now.”
Damien snorted, Gavin grinned, and Kalin giggled before she reached down and picked up the canvas I painted.
“Gav, look what Alannah did.”
“Bear,” he said, softly. “I love it.”
Kalin’s cheeks warmed, and my smile grew.
“Thanks. She looks great in it, huh?”
“Perfect,” Gavin agreed, his eyes on the actual Kalin and not her painting.
I looked at Kalin, who was looking at the painting as her face burned, but she was obviously pleased with Gavin’s response to it. We went into the kitchen, and while everyone else had tea, I had room temperature water.
“I feel like a junkie who needs a hit.”
Gavin snorted. “This is the longest you’ve ever gone without tea.”
“She’s been a damn nightmare because of it.”
“I really have been.” I frowned. “I made Alec cry.”
“I thought you said he made himself cry.”
I scowled at Damien. “I was mean to ‘im … but he really was stupid bringin’ me chocolates when I can’t eat solid food.”
Damien chuckled as I sat down on his lap. We talked to Gavin and Kalin for a while, and after they left, I decided to call Alec to apologise to him for how I behaved the last time I saw him. He answered on the fourth ring.
“Did you kill Damien in a fit of rage and decided to call me to confess it before you run away?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Ye’ll never find me. Damien is long gone … just like your cup.”
“You’re an evil bitch,” he quipped. “It hurts me whenever you bring my cup up, and you know it.”
I laughed, and to Damien, I said, “He doesn’t care that I killed ye’, just that I mentioned his cup.”
“I expect nothing less.” Damien grinned as he settled onto the settee with his Xbox controller in hand.