With Love

Chapter Thirty-Five

I am not dead.

Moving is a pain in the ass, I haven't had wifi for over a month and, I've got a friend's wedding this weekend on top of starting a new job and so it has been the busiest month of my life. I'm ready to sleep for the next year.

But don't worry, I'm still here!

|| ✨ ||

Jasper paced the room, his hands clasped behind him, looking identical to our father whenever he was angry. I sat at the desk, staring out the window while drinking a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne since that's the only thing Jasper allowed the staff to leave in Isla's mini-fridge. The fruity taste did nothing to quell the desperate buzz I craved to forget this whole day ever happened in the first place.

Wrapping my head around the fact that my brother is engaged with a kid on the way only makes this sound more like a fucking joke. Clearly, my family and I needed to have a 'get-to-know-you' night so things like this wouldn't happen again.

Sanity was thrown out the window a while ago and now I just wanted to get drunk and lie in bed with Finn.

I slurped the fake champagne down wrong causing me to choke on the drink and nearly spew it all over the table. Isla tried to move to get up but I waved a hand, my face turning red while I coughed. Jasper raised an eyebrow, watching me choke to death without offering to help.

In what universe was I putting cuddling with Finn above shopping or sex? What the hell was happening? I'd barely been sleeping with him for a month and now I wanted to cuddle?

I ran my hands through my hair, tugging on the particularly knotted strands as I braced my hand on the wall, watching the street below.

A dainty throat cleared from the bed followed by a sigh. "You seem stressed," Jasper noted in an uninterested tone.

I pressed a hand to my chest as the coughs subsided, trying to ease the pain. "Fine," I choked out, sucking in deep breaths of air. My throat burned as I managed to suck in a deep breath.

Jasper resumed his pacing once I sat back down on the armchair, staring out the window. Isla hummed softly, shuffling her feet from side to side. Each um grated on my ears and I prayed for silence. My lips thinned as she continued and I whipped my head to Jasper urging him with my eyes to get her to stop before I made her.

"What is taking him so long?" He demanded instead, causing me to rear my head back at his tone.

"Excuse me?" I asked blatantly. "In case you may have forgotten in your little romantic, fatherly induced brain, Finn has been up all night performing not one but two surgeries trying to save our brother's life with no sleep so forgive him for being a few minutes later than originally thought," I hissed, baring my teeth at him as I spoke.

Isla placed her feet on the floor and pushed herself to her feet slowly. Jasper lunged for her when she started teetering over slightly but froze when she held up a hand and balanced herself out.

I watched silently from my chair.

She smiled proudly at herself before turning her attention to me. "Why does your doctor have to come?" She asked in confusion. She glanced over to Jasper. "Why can't I just call Doctor Philips?"

I crossed one leg over the other, subtly aware of just how much leg I was showing since I still only wore Finn's shirt with a belt. "If you are in fact, having my brother's spawn, then you'll be looked over by the family doctor until I have thoroughly vetted your current gynecologist," I explained, my tone holding a note of finality that even Jasper wouldn't argue with.