The Wrong Brother

Chapter 8

IRIS

Was it too early to drink? I stood in front of the pantry, looking at a bottle of wine thinking just that. I was angry and embarrassed. At who? That’s a great question. I can’t believe I was willing to even meet up with Monty, talk about a grand mistake. I was thinking with my girl parts and not my brain. Nothing serious could ever happen between us and I’m not the type of woman who wants to just do something casual. So stupid, I am so fucking stupid.

I closed the pantry door, choosing to not bust open a bottle of wine, just as the front door opened. Jade had taken Nia to run some errands while I was out with Monty. She was so happy, dancing with her favorite person, holding that cup from their favorite smoothie shop. “Mom!” Her eyes brightened when she saw me. “Auntie Jade said you would be gone for a couple of hours.”

“That’s what I thought,” Jade eyes me, reading my thoughts without me having to tell her.

“I decided not to waste one of our free days doing something else. What do you say the three of us have a movie marathon? We can even order pizza later, treat ourselves a bit.”

“I have a better idea!” Nia said, her voice full of excitement.

“What’s that, baby girl?”

“We can stream the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie and have a full dance party.”

I shake my head before pulling my daughter into a hug, “I’ll agree to a concert movie dance party, but you have to tell Auntie Jade she can’t be singing because I don’t want the neighbors to call the cops.”

“Excuse me!” Jade acts offended, “I have an amazing voice. It was one time that we did karaoke and I was being bad on purpose.”

“Girl, I’ve heard you sing more than once. You sound like a pig being wrestled down by a coyote.”

“Rude!” 

“I’m going to change into my concert shirt!” Nia exclaims.

“Sounds good, sweetheart. I’ll get some snacks going. Maybe Jade can pull up the movie.”

Nia runs down the hallway to her bedroom and I open the pantry again, but this time to find some junk food. Jade leans against the counter, refusing to move. I can feel her eyes on me, but maybe if I ignore her, she’ll leave me alone.

“Iris?” Well, I guess ignoring her isn’t going to work.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Jade.”

“Come on, Ris. You were excited about seeing him today. Did he do something? Do I need to kick her ass?”

God, I wish I could ignore her, but she’s my best friend and I tell her everything. With a quick glance down the hallway to make sure Nia is still occupied, I let it all out. Her jaw drops when I tell her how Monty didn’t even know that Nia existed and she gasps when I tell her how I drove away, leaving him in the parking lot. “And then I came home,” I finished. “I would love to get blackout drunk so I can pretend like today didn’t happen, but it seems like a bad move.”

“Oh, Iris,” my friend pulls me into a hug. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe his family never told him about your pregnancy though.”

“I’m really just somebody’s dirty little secret, aren’t I?”

“No way!” My friend grips my shoulders while she chastises me, “There is no way in hell I’m letting you talk about yourself that way. Maddox King was and still is a selfish prick with an ego the size of North America. You, Iris Howell, are a fucking treasure and deserve a man who will see you that way. You are nobody’s dirty little secret.”