Chapter 87: Sawyer

Sawyer

Something's wrong. Again. Bryn hasn’t said a word since we left the police station or even looked at any of us. Maddox has been giving me a concerned look from the backseat. Nolan is watching Bryn with a furrowed brow, like he’s trying to see if he can figure out what she’s thinking.

When we get home Maddox claims out and offer to help her but she brushes him off and gets out on her own. We watch her head for the house and then glance at each other. She’s heading into her room as we all step inside the house.

“B?” I ask carefully.

She stops in her tracks and I can see her shoulders rising and falling quickly. I’m about to ask her if she’s okay when she whirls around and storms over to me. I actually get scared for a second. Bryn has never looked as pissed as she does right now. Women can be scary when they’re mad.

“I swear Sawyer, I could punch you right now!” She lets out a frustrated growl and starts to pace.

“Did I miss something?” I ask.

She lets out a humorless laugh and stops to face me again. “You don’t want me anymore. Is that it? Is that why you’ve been throwing all these guys at me? Because you don’t want to go through the trouble of dumping me like some freaking coward! Is that it Sawyer Beckett?”

Before I can tell her she’s crazy, she paces again.

“What’s brought this on?” I ask, not making the mistake of getting too close to her.

“I don’t know. Maybe the fact that Nolan is here now, and you basically threw me at that cop! God, I was so stupid.” She sighs and rests her hands on her hips.

The large shirt she’s wearing pulls tighter around her belly and my heart warms at the sight. Every time I see her belly grow just a little more, it makes me even more excited to meet our kid. When do we get the find out the gender?

“Sweetheart, I don’t think- “Maddox starts to say, but she throws a hand up, stopping him.

“You are not better than him! You walked right in without a fight. You didn’t consider for a moment that Sawyer could be playing you?” She squeezes her eyes shut and I see a tear fall down her cheek.

All the warmth I felt a second ago becomes cold ice in my veins. “Baby, what are you talking about?”

I risk moving near her and she turns to face me and my heart breaks at the sadness on her face. I cup her face in my hands and wipe away some of her tears with my thumb.

“Baby.” I whisper. “I love you so much. You are the person I was always meant to marry and start a family with. I’ve never been happier than I have been since you came back into my life. How could you ever doubt that?”

“Because you were so jealous before and now this. You act as if it’s not a big deal, but how can it not be? You don’t care that I would have to share my affection with several other guys?” She asks.

I smile down at her and brush my lips over hers. “You have so much love to give. A thousand men would not cover the amount of love you can offer. Maddox was a friend of mine and seeing how miserable he was after seeing each other again…I didn’t like it. Then he saw you and he looked…happy. Like you were the answer to all his problems. Right then, I knew I couldn’t keep you all to myself. Sure, I thought it would make me feel better knowing you would never be alone when I’m gone, but it’s more than that.”

“How so?” I ask.

“I saw it in their eyes. You made them come alive just like you did to me. After I saw that, it felt selfish to keep you all to myself. Of course I’m going to feel jealous, but not in a bad way. I want you to be happy but you touch people’s lives without realizing it. You're a flame that we all move toward, knowing that you could burn us. I love you with everything inside myself and that won’t ever change. There will be no one else for me. Ever.”

She searches my face like she isn’t sure if she should believe me. I lean down and kiss her again, and she whimpers.

“He’s right.” I hear Nolan say behind me.

I break the kiss and step aside to let him come closer.

“You called to me the moment I saw you. For a long time, I didn’t feel a connection to anyone other than my family. I didn’t want that connection, but then he slammed into me and all that changed. I wanted to see you again and be near you. It's unexplainable and sounds crazy as hell, but it’s the truth. All I want to do is be near you. If you want it only to be friendship between us, then I will accept that and respect your choice.” He says.

Bryn watches him for a while before she moves toward him and wraps her arms around his neck. She’s a tiny thing, so she has to stand on her toes, but she does it and he instantly wraps his arms around her. She rests her head on his chest and sniffles.

“Are you sure?” She asks. “Please, just be honest with me. Don’t say what I want to hear.”

“I don’t lie Bryn. So when I say I want to be here with you, then I mean it.” He says quietly but loud enough for us to hear too.

“Okay.” she whispers and steps out of his arms to face Maddox.

He smirks at her. “You know I’m yours, sweetheart. Not even Sawyer could have kept me away from you. I played it cool, but I was crazy for you the moment I met you.”

She smiles weakly and sniffles.

“Now will you stop questioning our motives, little B?” I ask before I wrap an arm around her and pull her against me.

She laughs when her belly gets in the way, and I see the others smiling.

“Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry.”
I give her waist a squeeze. “You don’t have to apologize. Just trust us, okay?”

She nods and rests her head on my shoulder. The other guys are watching her and waiting to see what she will say or do next. Then she says something I wasn’t expecting.

“I’m starving.” She says and we all burst out laughing.

She pouts. “It’s the baby!”

That only makes us laugh more and the other guys move closer and stand closer to us.

“Let’s feed you baby.” I say before leaning down and saying against her stomach, “and you too little man.”

Bryn runs her fingers through my hair and laughs softly. “We don’t know that it’s a boy yet, Sawyer.”

“It’s a boy.” Maddox and I say at once.

Bryn rolls her eyes and walks toward the kitchen.

“When do you find out the gender?” Nolan asks.

“We could have found out at 18 weeks, but the doctor said it still might be best to wait. So I planned on doing it next week, but they have those places you can pay to do 3D scans and stuff.” She says as she looks through the fridge.

I perk up at that. “Seriously? Fuck yeah! We’re doing that tomorrow.”

“What about classes?” She asks, closing the fridge door and raising a brow at me.

“Fine. Tomorrow evening.” I point at her to make sure she understands I mean business and she nods. “Good. Now what does our princess want to eat?”

She bites her lip and gives me the big puppy eyes she knows works on me way too well.

“Out with it B.”

“Cake!” She smiles at me and I shake my head. “It’s what the baby wants.”

“The baby wants cake for dinner?” I ask, not the least bit convinced.

“The yummy red velvet car we found at that one restaurant we went to the other day!” She doesn’t a little excited dance and I’m a goner.

“Of course, baby. Boys, let’s roll!” I call out, tossing my keys in the air and catching them again.

“We don’t all need to go. I’m sure you have other things you need to do, especially you, Nolan.” She looks a little disappointed, but tries not to show it. “We aren’t all attached at the hip or anything.”

“We’re hungry too, sweetheart. Let’s get out of here.” He wraps an around her and leads her to the door.

He opens it and jerks back slightly when a fist nearly hits him.
“Shit! Sorry, I was just about to know.” The person says.

Nolan and I walk toward the door and see a family cop standing at our door. Well, well. I look at Bryn to see her reaction and there is a faint smile on her face when she notices the flowers in his hand. Smooth motherfucker…I like him already.