~Brie~

“Wait what?!” I exclaimed.

“Surprise!” Emmett and Nia cheered and rotated the camera off the babies and to their faces.

“Oh my goodness! When?!”

“A little over a month ago” Nia answered.

I widened my eyes.

“And you're telling me now? How dare you?”

Emmett chuckled.

“We would have sooner but it's been a crazy month. Six kids, Brie. It's not exactly easy” he said.

I shrugged.

“I'm sure you can handle four more.”

Nia frowned at me.

“Are you crazy?” she asked. “We have four girls already.”

“And these last two are the cutest, oh my goodness!” I cooed. “Let me see them again.”

They rotated the camera again.

“Oh my goodness look at their tiny hands!”

Emmett laughed.

“Are you getting baby fever?”

“No.”

He rotated the camera away from the babies.

“Are you sure, Brie?”

“Yes, Em. I'm sure.”

“Okay,” he chuckled and walked away, his hands in the air.

Nia smiled.

“We're definitely coming over for Thanksgiving next month... at your new house! Congratulations!”

I chuckled.

“Lemme guess, mom told you?”

“Yep. She kept going on about how she could have the entire family over in one room for barbecue Sunday.”

I smiled.

“And Roman, he wouldn't stop telling the kids about the hot tub and fountains.”

“And a potential waterpark in your ginormous backyard” Emmett joined again.

“The waterpark was Mom's doing. Feeding that into his head” I smiled.

My brother and his wife smiled at me.

“We're happy you have a place of your own now, Brie.”

“Thank you Em. And I can't wait to have you over for Thanksgiving” I smiled.

“Hey, could you please make me a sandwich?”Nia whispered to Emmett.

“Sure babe. Peanut?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He walked away and as soon as he was out of sight, Nia checked on the babies in the crib and picked up her phone to move to another spot... not too far from the babies though.

“You don't really want a sandwich do you?” I chuckled.

“No I don't. But I had to distract him while I do this because he wouldn't let me when I spoke to him about it.”

“What is it?”

She sighed.

“Are you doing okay, Breanna? Seriously. Are you okay?”

I adjusted my laptop and leaned back.

“Yes. I'm fine Nia. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I've been thinking and... have you thought about... doing it again?”

I arched a brow.

“Doing what?”

“Getting pregnant. Having another baby.”

I see why my brother was against this conversation.

“Look I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable okay? But I'm just concerned about you and I know if that terrible, terrible accident hadn't happened, you'd be with your baby right now” she sighed.

“Nia...”

“Breanna...” she copied my tone.

Her face was oozing with worry and I shrugged.

“You can't exactly have a child when you don't have anyone to have the child with, Nia” I explained.

“But you know there are several options, Brie. Adoption, surrogacy, artificial insemination... test tube babies.”

“Nia” I chuckled.

“I'm serious Breanna” she pouted.

Where was the worry even coming from?

“So am I, Abena.”

She grimaced.

“Please don't call me that. Your accent and my name are a big not not” she told me.

“Nia. I'm fine okay? I don't need to have another baby right now. I'm fine. Honestly. I don't have baby fever. I'm fine.”

“What about Roman? Is he fine?”

I made a face. If she was bringing this up and centering it around Roman, then she knew something I didn't.

“Nia?”

“What?”

“What aren't you telling me?”

She bit her lip.

“I'm not sure okay. It's what I observed.”

“What did you observe?”

I sat up straighter.

“We called your mother over the weekend and introduced the girls to your parents. Roman was there, and so were Zachary and Dove and their siblings... everyone. The kids were there too and everyone was excited... but Roman...”

“Wasn't?” I asked.

She pushed her braids out of her face.

“See that thing he does where he's not really into something but he doesn't wanna hurt anyone's feelings so he...”

“Feigns it?” I finished.

Nia sighed and nodded.

“You are his mother.”

I pushed my hair out of my face.

“Breanna, I'm just saying. It's what I observed. That he wasn't truly happy about the babies. Maybe he was but... probably he wants his own siblings?”

I rubbed my forehead.

“I mean all his cousins... even Oliver... no matter how immoral that one is... everyone's getting a new addition to the family... but him. It's like everyone else is getting new toys for Christmas and he's getting nothing. Even if I wanted to be an only child, it would sting me.”

“I'm not really in the position to make babies, Nia.”

“I know and I'm not forcing you to. I would never do that” she sighed. “I just want you to check in with Roman. See if he's alright and that it's just my imagination... which I pray it is.”

“But why wouldn't he want to talk to me about feeling left out?”

“He knows you and Beck have split and so how do you expect him to just talk about getting a sibling with you?” she asked. “It's not like you have someone else in your life you've introduced to him to maybe make this easier for him.”

Aiden, my mind quipped again.

I frowned.

“Just talk to him okay Brie? And why do look like that?”

I fixed my face and stood up from the couch as Nia moved back to where she was seated before this conversation began.

“I'm just... trying to find a dress for tonight.”

She arched a brow.

“What's tonight?” Emmett asked, walking back in with Nia's sandwich.

“Thank you babe” she smiled at my brother.

“What were you two talking about while I was gone?” Emmett asked, looking at Nia.

“Um... Aubree” she stammered.

I looked away from my closet.

“Aubree?” Emmet asked.

“Yes. I was asking your sister if she'd... heard from her.”

“Why would she be talking to Aubree?” Emmett asked. “Brie do you talk to her?”

“No” I replied. “Do you?”

“Me? No, why would I?”

“Because she's your sister” Nia and I chorused.

“Woah, woah, woah. Don't gang up on me like that” he cried, stepping back to lift one of the babies that was fussing.

“We're not ganging up on you Em,” I said. “I'm not in the position to call her but you can.”

“Do you think she's had her baby?” Nia asked.

“No. Maybe in a few more months” I answered, eyeing a dress. “Okay, I don't think this is gonna do” I sighed frustratingly throwing the dress on the floor.

“Wait where are you going?” Emmett asked.

“Out” I replied, searching through my closet again.

“To where?” he asked again.

“A club, a bar, a fancy restaurant... somewhere. I'm not spending another night locked up in here.”

“But shouldn't you be working?” Nia asked.

“I took the rest of the day off” I simply stated.

“You took the rest of the day off?" she chuckled.

“Mm-hmm.”

“And your boss let you?” my brother questioned.

“I finished what I was supposed to do, Em. What else does he need me for?”

“I didn't know bosses just let their employees take the rest of the day off.”

“Well, mine does so get over it.”

“Just like that?” Nia furrowed her brows.

“Yes. We have an agreement.”

“And that agreement covers housing too?.”

I turned away from my closet and looked at Emmett as he wiggled his eyes playfully at me.

“Mom told us he helped you with your house.”

“His sister” I corrected. “His sister helped with the house.”

“Oh, you know your handsome boss's sister too?” Nia grinned.

“She returned Roman's toy. That's how we met. And I didn't even know who she was when I offered to help her get a job with Zach's firm. She said she'd talk to her brother and help me find some good listings.”

“That is not a coincidence, my dear” Nia chuckled.

“Yes it is. It's nothing but chance.”

“Destiny.”

I jutted out a hip and shook my head. I wasn't going to let her get excited about this.

“I think you need to get some rest, Nia. Emmett, put her to bed. She's suffering from baby blues.”

“I am not” she chuckled. “But I do need to go to sleep” she yawned.

I smiled.

“Give the kids a kiss for me when they get back from school okay?”

“We will” they chorused. “Bye!”

I wiggled my fingers at them as Nia picked up the other baby and moved her tiny little hand to wave back at me before the call ended. I found my other hand lingering absentmindedly on my abdomen.

Was Roman truly upset about everyone else getting a sibling but him? Was I suffering from baby fever? Was I going to be too old to have other kids when I finally found someone?

I shook my head. The plan for tonight was going to have to go out the window. I had to leave now. Fast.

I closed my laptop and picked up the dress I'd thrown onto the floor earlier. I needed to get out of this room. I needed to clear my head. I needed air. I quickly changed and didn't bother with makeup or lip gloss. I just grabbed my purse, locked up the penthouse apartment, and hurried out. Not sure where I was going, but I just needed to leave and so I did.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

“Sassicaia, Miss?” a waiter asked.

The name wasn't foreign to my ears. Beckett loved wine. I nodded and lifted a glass from the table and let him fill it up. He pulled away and I took a sip. Strangely, it didn't bring back any memories of Beck and me or his love for good wine.

The man loved wine. He loved me, loved our son, loved our families, loved my sister... a little more than he let on for years. And I'd lost my baby and he was going to have another one with Aubree.

We never spoke about having only one child. But looking at how long it took for us to have Roman, we just decided to wait and enjoy our son. And I didn't realize how I let so much time slip by with one child. He was turning ten around Thanksgiving and if I was going to get another baby, they were going to be ten years apart?

“That is suicide” I muttered, lifting the glass to my lips and taking a bigger gulp.

But why exactly was I feeling this way? So what if I was almost thirty-five? I wasn't that old. I still had plenty of time.

I rolled my eyes and drank some more wine.

“What is a beautiful damsel like you doing all alone in a place like this?” someone asked.

“Walk away dude” I deadpanned, not bothering to look his way.

“Oh c'mon, beautiful. I'm just trying to—”

“Sir, I am not really for this right now okay? So please walk away.”

I could see the man's reflection through the glass table. He wasn't budging.

“I can easily help you fix that mood my beautiful—”

A hand caught his hand as he attempted to reach out and touch me.

“I believe she asked you politely to walk away.”

My head snapped up at the familiar voice.

Aiden?

“She's with me, buddy. Go get your own” he stated.

The man reluctantly walked away and I leaned back in my chair.

Was he stalking me now?

“Is this seat taken?” he asked.

I sighed and slipped my purse off the back of my chair where it hung and slammed it loudly on the chair next to me.

“It is now” I answered, looking up at him.

I raised my almost empty glass at him and moved a brow.

“Cheers,” I whispered to him and finished it.

“I thought you loved bourbon” he stated.

“I loved my husband too but where'd that get me?” I countered and raised a hand to signal the waiter back to my table. “Fill it up... Austin” I read his name tag.

I heard Aiden sigh.

“Leave the bottle” he instructed the waiter as he turned to leave after filling my glass.

I looked up at him from behind my glass.

“How much is the bottle?”

“One hundred and fifty thousand...”

Dollars?!

My eyes widened and I wanted to spit the wine back into the glass.

“... hungarian forint” he finished.

I swallowed the wine in my mouth and set the glass down on the table, thankful it wasn't in dollars. Aiden paid for the wine and dismissed the waiter.

“You didn't have to do that Mr. Corleone. I can pay for myself” I stated.

“Aiden,” he said firmly.

I leaned back.

“Are you stalking me?”

“No. I was looking for you.”

I arched a brow.

“So you were.”

He sighed.

“Breanna, we need to talk about today.”

I shook my head.

“No, we don't Mr. Corleone.”

“Aiden” he firmly stated again.

I toyed with the rest of the drink in the glass.

“I know my feelings for you... I know it's not right. But Breanna, I can't help myself but feel these things for you. And I'm not going to force you to act upon your feelings either. I won't. I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do.”

“So why are we having this conversation then Mr. Corleone?”

“Aiden,” he said, not a hint of anger in his voice.

I put the glass down and sat up. How didn't he get angry?

“Breanna” he called softly. “We're having this conversation despite everything because I need you to know that what I feel for you... Breanna it's not a joke.”

His tone had grown serious and the way his face contorted showed how desperate he was for me to acknowledge what he was feeling for me.

“I was married and I loved my wife but this...” he reaches across the table to take my hand, “... this Breanna, nothing between Jewel and I holds a candle to what I feel for you.”

“Aiden...”

“I love you, Breanna. That's what I want you to know.”

My breath hitched to the back of my throat.

He loved me? Wait, why was he so easily giving in to his feelings? Why now? Because he knew Steven wasn't in the picture or he couldn't hold it in anymore.

“Aiden I—”

“Brie?” I heard Xenia call out from behind Aiden.

I quickly took my hand away, making Aiden's face fall harder. He wasn't going to let go of me and he didn't seem to care that someone could see us.

“Aiden” she acknowledged, arching her perfectly shaped brow at me.

I gave her a quick shake of my head but this woman wasn't buying it.

“What are you two doing here?” she asked.

All this time, Aiden's eyes were still on me.

“Hello? Earth to the two of you” Xenia chuckled.

“I just ran into her here. But I was just leaving” Aiden answered.

My heart sank a little.

“You ladies have a wonderful evening” he added and walked away.

Xenia frowned after him.

“Is he sure he wants Ian to invest in his company?” she asked. “He didn't even bother to ask if he was here with me.”

I just stared after Aiden till he disappeared out of sight.

“Brie. Are you listening to me?” she asked, moving my purse and taking a seat. “Hey, are you okay?”

I bit my lip and nodded.

“I'm just having baby fever” I lied.

“Wait what?”

“My sister-in-law recently had her twin girls and well it just reminded me of the pregnancy and... but I'm fine.”

“You're out on a Tuesday night, alone, drinking... Sassicaia...” she read the label on the wine, “... and you expect me, your friend, to believe that you're fine?”

“I am, seriously” I assured.

“Is there anything you'd like me to do for you Brie? You know all you have to do is ask.”

I shook my head.

“You got me a penthouse apartment, Xen. I'm fine.”

“Okay,” she smiled sadly.

“Did Ian come with you?”

“No” she pouted. “He had something to take care of so he said he'll meet me here.”

I nodded.

“Actually, Xen? There is something I'd like for you to do for me.”

She sat up.

“Name it.”

“Could you convince Ian to sign the deal with Aiden already? It's making the man miserable and if he's miserable, he might take it out on me.”

Xenia chuckled.

“Are you vouching for him?”

“Yes.”

“He's not a jerk anymore?”

I chuckled.

“No” I replied. “He's just... misunderstood.”

I bit my lip again.

“You're sure that's all?”

I blinked and Xenia was looking at me with a big smile on her face.

“Yes and why do you have that look on your face?” I asked.

“Me? You should see your face right now. You look so in love!”

“It's baby fever” I defended with a chuckle.

“Right.”

I drank the rest of my wine.

“So will you?”

“Yes, I will. As long as you believe he's not a jerk anymore.”

I nodded.

“I'm sure.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “Will you stay with me till he gets here?”

I smiled.

“Of course.”

The night dragged on and even though Ian called to cancel, Xenia and I had a good time. She dropped me off at the apartment and promised to talk to Ian about Aiden when she got to their vacation home. Oddly enough I was sober... very sober... despite the many glasses of wine I had. I took a shower, got into some comfortable clothes, and decided to get something to eat before going to bed when someone knocked on my door. I glanced at the time.

“This late?” I muttered.

I moved to the door and threw it open and right there stood Aiden, distraught looking Aiden.

“Aiden. What are you doing here this late? Is something wr—”

“I grew up in North Finchley” he began, his eyes lowered to his feet. “My father was a factory worker and my mother—”

“Aiden stop” I cut him off.

He looked up at me and I shook my head.

“You don't have to do that” I whispered.

“But I do, Brie.”

He'd never called me that.

“I need you to see and know all of me” he whispered.

My heart lurched in my chest and I slowly nodded and moved out of the doorway.

“Would you like to come in?”

His shoulders slumped a little and he nodded before walking in. I gently closed the door and waited for him to talk.

This was going to be a long, long night.

Thank you for reading! ✨