Whispered Desires

Chapter 32: Nova

JASMINE

Six Months Ago

"Okay, so." Mila plops onto the couch, a bowl of peanut butter cups in her hands. The glass bowl sparkles in the sunlight peeking through the windows, and I squint my eyes to shield myself from the reflection. "Hayden and I were thinking." She munches on a praline and shoots me one of those looks I can't really place, her fingers working on the hem of her sweater. Mila is not nervous around me, usually. Today she is.

"What were you thinking about?" I ask and grab a shirt from the clothes rack before I fold it on the table in front of me.

Rubbing her belly, a thin smile appears on my friend's lips before she glances back up at me. "We were thinking about Godparents."

"Okay..."

"Yeah." She bites the insides of her cheek, nervousness now turning into anxiety as she takes a deep breath.

"Wait, so it's obvious I'm the Godmother. We won't even discuss that." I make my point clear before she comes up with some other ridiculous idea.

Her laugh resonates in the room, and I can't help but laugh with her as I pick up the last piece of clothing to fold it onto the pile in front of me.

"Yeah, obviously." She throws another peanut butter cup in her mouth and studies me with narrowed eyes, obviously trying to read me on something I don't know exists, yet. "It's just the question of who's the Godfather."

"Well, you could always ask Sam."

Mila's dad has always been like a second father to me, and I would enjoy having him as my partner in crime with their kiddo.

"No, I won't ask Dad. He's already the grandpa." She sighs. "We decided to let the two people we love most be the ones to carry out those commitments to our child. We want to make you guys part of our family, as official as it gets."

Mila and I have never cared about the meaning of blood in the definition of a family. We met at such a young age that the social construct of family didn't even exist in our minds. To us, it was her and me, always and forever. We swore to never let go of each other, no matter the obstacle. I will continue to carry that promise for the rest of my life, and I know she will too.

"But that means you'll have to get along with Kilian." Mila's words snap me out of my thoughts.

"Are you serious? I'd rather eat a cactus than go anywhere near that fuckboy."

Kilian Rogers. The man who fucks anything that has two legs and a vagina. He's been a thorn in my eye ever since I met him at Hayden's birthday party, and I honestly don't understand how a man like Hayden is best friends with an idiot like him.

"Jas..." Mila whines. "You two need to get along."

After storing the rack back in the broom closet, I make my way over to Mila and plop onto the couch next to her. "You're asking me to co-godparent with an idiot who probably never lifted a finger in his life."

"That's not true..." she mumbles, and I raise an eyebrow as she rubs her hands over her belly. "You're unfair to him. Maybe he's not that bad. You know Hayden, he wouldn't have him as a best friend if he was just an idiot."

"Yeah, maybe Hayden's judgment is just off..."

I don't get a reply to my statement, instead she narrows her eyes at me like she's trying to scold a child. Mila has become protective of her boyfriend and the father of her baby, and even though I like to call her out on it, I can't deny it's cute to see her grow this way. "Fine. Sorry." I roll my eyes and lean back on the couch, letting my head fall on the headrest while the evening sun warms my skin.