Marriage by Bargain - Book 2

Chapter Eight

Two weeks later

Naia

What we had intended to be a temporary fix turned into something a little bit more permanent. I had taken three weeks off from work, Kimberly had ended up quitting her job and got another one as a receptionist in a law firm, courtesy of a favor owed to Damian who also got her two weeks off to cope with her loss and arrange her sister's funeral. Lia didn't mind of course because it meant she had company all day everyday for almost a month. After Kacey's funeral we needed to get rid of the gloom and distract Kim so we went on a shopping binge and spent a week helping Lia paint and decorate the twins' nursery.

I hadn't forgotten about what I had heard Damian and Zandre talking about but I didn't want to get Lia and Kim tangled up in my snooping because there was no way those two would sit quietly while I had all the super cool James Bond type fun. It was pretty clear that the three of us had grown close, not only because we wanted to be a kind of adopted family for Kim but also because we really clicked, which to outsiders simply meant Kim was a lunatic; just like us. The quirky little redhead was really a riot when she wasn't sad not to mention she matched our sass levels. Her deep brown eyes, small nose, pouty lips, waist length hair and her slim but curvy frame made her quite the bombshell, complimenting our group perfectly. The guys didn't dare take us on now that we had the larger team.

"Ohhh my little baby is all grown up now, don't go Kimmy!" Lia bawled, literally, as we escorted Kim to the front door for her first day of work.

Kim and I chuckled as Lia lost the battle to either remain thug or succumb to her pregnancy hormones. In another seven days she would be exactly eight months pregnant although she already looked ready to pop. For that reason Damian was happy we were there with her so he wouldn't have to worry about her getting into trouble when she was home alone.

"Oh come on Lia, it's just for a few hours and besides Naia will be here with you all day," Kim said, trying to contain her laughter so as not to offend the crazy pregnant lady clinging to her arm.

"Yeah! I'll be here! What am I? Chopped liver?!" I asked feigning offense, to distract her so Kim could escape her clutches.

Lia stopped sobbing and an extremely thoughtful look graced her face, "do you think they sell pre-chopped liver in super markets? We should check!" She said grabbing my arm and hauling me to the vehicle Damian assigned to take her around.

The fact that we were in our PJs and bed slippers was clearly irrelevant in her life or death quest for chopped liver. I opted not to complain since this diversion would give Kim ample time to make her escape. If things were this bad now I don't know how we were going to tell Lia that both Kim and I were going to go back to our own homes this weekend, she would go ballistic. I loved staying with her but I needed somewhere private to badger Zandre which meant his apartment since I was now homeless and he didn't seem inclined to let me move out anyway. Kim on the other hand was feeling like a third wheel in a house full of couples, not that Zandre and I were a couple or anything like that. The point was we needed to get our own spaces back and Kim had already found a new apartment, thanks to Zandre who made sure the complex had a state of the art security system and would be prepared for any likelihood. It was also a plus that he owned the building and refused to charge her rent, definitely not because I had seduced the promise out of him. Pfft, who does that right?

He and I had called a sort of truce in light of all the more important issues. Unfortunately, his version of a truce meant acting like a normal couple which isn't what I intended but for the sake of keeping the peace I went along with it. Things would go back to normal the minute we were back at his apartment, but for now the main issue was breaking the news of our departure to Lia.

Turns out the supermarket didn't have pre-chopped liver, but of course crazy pregnant women throwing tantrums tend to get a lot done and so we indeed went home with chopped liver which I really hoped Lia would be cooking because there was no way I was going to.

After a lazy day spent searching YouTube for video recipes of different ways to cook chopped liver we watched TV, chatted pointlessly and took power naps until Kim got home. When she came in Lia was asleep in the couch with a handful of popcorn against her slightly parted lips that she had been planning to put into her mouth before she dozed off. Kim smiled affectionately at her and even I had to admit that pregnant Lia was absolutely adorable, you know except when she was directing her wrath at you for whatever minute offense you committed that aggravated her current state.

"Can we talk in the kitchen?" Kim whispered.

I nodded and eased off the couch slowly to avoid waking up the grizzly bear disguised as my best friend. Once in the kitchen, Kim put her things down and immediately got some orange juice from the fridge before she sat down at the breakfast table with me. I waited until she had drunk some of her juice before asking her anything.

"So what's up?" I pried.

"Well I'm all set to move in," she said with a small smile, I could tell the moment was kind of bitter sweet with all she had been through lately, both positive and negative.

I smiled back and gave her a warm hug. Now we had only one problem, telling our resident mom-ster. I just knew within myself that she was not going to take the news well.

"So how are we going to tell Lia?" I asked with a sigh, finally broaching the topic both of us had been content to avoid.

"Tell me what?" Lia asked sleepily from the doorway, rubbing her eyes to bring herself more fully awake.

Kim squealed in fright and I turned around so quickly that the chair I was sitting on toppled over leaving me in a heap on the kitchen floor. Of course! Of course she would walk in on the part of the conversation that implied there was something she didn't know that we were purposely keeping from her. I mean yes, she needed to know but gosh, could anyone have more suckish timing? Kim and I looked at each other nervously, Lia narrowed her eyes at us.

"I know that you're hiding something so you two may as well spill it now," she said as she awkwardly crossed her arms over her swollen stomach.

As cruel as it was I decided to throw Kim under the bus and play dead on the floor. However, Kim saw right through my plan and gave me a death glare. I huffed, got up off the floor, righted the seat and sat back down. Kim jabbed me in the side indicating that I should be the one to speak, I sighed and took a deep breath.

"Uhhh, well Kim and I are moving back out this weekend," I said cringing in preparation for the verbal onslaught to come.

However, none came and Kim who had been cowering behind me noticed that as well. I hesitantly cracked one of my eyes open only to see Lia standing there with a totally blank expression on her face which scared me way more than her anger would have.

"Lia, a-are you mad?" Kim asked softly.

Lia clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes tightly shut for a moment, which immediately worried me.

"Lia-" I started.

"Yes! I'm freaking mad but unfortunately my water just broke and I'm too afraid of slipping in this mess and breaking my neck to come over there and pummel you two to death," she said calmly between clench teeth .

Our eyes immediately snapped to the floor where there was indeed a puddle surrounding Lia's feet.

"Ohhh my gosh! We're having the babies!" Kim and I squealed simultaneously as we jumped up and down.

"Yes yes, tralalala and joy to the world. Call my freaking husband and get me to the freaking hospital you best friend ditching traitors, before I risk that broken neck just to kick your asses anyway!" Lia screeched as what I assumed to be her first contraction hit her.

After getting over the momentary shock and joy we sprung into action. Kim grabbed Lia's hospital tote from the nursery while I called Damian and helped Lia out to the waiting car.

This is it! Our little Giordano men are coming!