One Night Stand Part 20

"Okay." I grinned. "You still there, Xander."

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm downtown. Come and meet me at the bookstore on Steamer Avenue in an hour."

"Okay. I'll see you there in an hour." He said and hung up.

"We're meeting in an hour."

"Sounds good." Alice grinned. "I can't wait to find out what's going on."

"I already told you." I grinned back at her.

"Okay Sherlock." She laughed and I winked at her, excited to see Xander and find out what decision he had made.

"I missed you today." Xander kissed me and twirled me around.

"I missed you too." I said giddily, happy to see him. "So before we go any further, I have a question to ask you."

"Okay...?" He looked at me with a curious expression.

"Is Henry, Gabby's baby daddy?" I rushed out and Xander's expression looked shocked.

"How did you know?"

"I knew it!" I fist pumped. "Scotland Yard here I come."

"You're moving to England" He teased me.

"No." I rolled my eyes and laughed. "But seriously, he's the baby daddy?"

"We're not sure. We think so." He sighed. "Do not tell anyone this, but it's either Henry or Luke."

"What?" My jaw dropped. "They had a g.a.n.g.b.a.n.g?"

"Liv." He laughed and shook his head. "No, they didn't."

"Then how?" I asked quickly.

"She slept with them both." He sighed. "But based on the dates, we're pretty confident that Henry is the father."

"Oh wow." I chewed on my lower lip. "That's crazy."

"I take it Gabby didn't tell you all this."

"No she didn't." I said with a laugh. "I didn't know she was such a s.l.u.t."

"Liv." He admonished me.

"What? I'm just saying." I giggled as we walked through the bookstore.

"Well now you understand why this is all so complicated." He sighed as we stopped in the self-help section.

"No why?" I frowned.

"Henry slept with her, but he doesn't want a relations.h.i.+p with her. He doesn't want to be tied to her, but he does want a life with his kid. This seemed to be a perfect solution. I get to marry someone and gain control of the company and Henry gets to have a relations.h.i.+p with his child."

"Okay." My breathing slowed at his words.

"So this marriage really solves two problems."

"So what are you saying, Xander? You don't want to end the engagement?"

"We would only be married for a year. That's the amount of time I need to be married before I can gain control of the company."

"So you want to marry my sister and sleep with me on the side?"

"You wouldn't be on the side." He exclaimed angrily. "There is nothing between me and Gabby, you know that. This is just a business transaction."

"I don't believe this." I shook my head and sighed. "I can't believe you."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm done." I took a step back. "I'm just so done."

"What? Look if you want me to end it then I will. I was just saying that-"

"Forget it, Xander. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I want you to end the engagement with Gabby because you can't go on one more second living a farce. I don't want you to do it because I made you."

"Don't be mad Liv." He reached out to grab my arm and I pushed him away.

"Of course I'm mad." I shouted at him. "Just go home to Gabby and play happy families and leave me out of it." I ran out of the store and turned my phone off. Was it too much to ask for him to want to make the right decision by himself? Was it really too much to expect? Was I being unreasonable not wanting to share his bed while he was married to my sister? I mean really? Did he really think that was an acceptable solution? Who in their right mind would ever think that was a good plan?

Chapter Twelve.

Alice and I both sighed as we walked up to the front door of my parents' house.

"Thanks for coming." I offered her a weak smile. "You really didn't have to."

"It's fine. I wanted to be able to support you today." She took a deep breath. "Plus who cares what Aiden or Xander have to say. We're here because your parents requested you. You're not here for them or even stupid Gabby."

"Let's do this." I opened the front door and we walked into the house. Everyone was there, including Henry and Xander. And I just stood there with a fake smile on my face. I wasn't going to act like I cared that he hadn't called me in the last two weeks. I didn't care that I hadn't heard from him since the bookstore. He could do what he wanted to do. He meant nothing to me. If he could forget me that easily, I could do the same. "Hey everyone."

"Hey sis." Scott jumped up and gave me a hug and then he turned to Alice and gave her a kiss on the cheek. I noticed Aiden glaring at them and wondered exactly what had gone down between him and Alice as she still hadn't told me.

"So what's so important that we had to come this weekend?" I looked at Gabby and she gave me an evil smile.

"I'm home." She smiled. "That's what's so important."

"What?" My jaw dropped. "I had to come home just because you're here."

"Yes." She grinned. "Isn't life grand, but just in case anyone wanted to hang out with me later today, I'm going out with a few girlfriends."

"Okay." I rolled my eyes.

"We're celebrating my upcoming wedding."

"Okay." I looked at Xander and he gave me a short smile. I turned away and looked at Scott. "So what plans do you have this weekend?"

"Whatever you want to do." He grinned and I smiled at him gratefully.

Ding Dong.

"Who's that?" Aiden jumped up with a frown. "Is anyone expecting anyone?"

"Not me." I shook my head and noticed that Alice was blus.h.i.+ng. "Alice?" I asked her softly.

"Uhm, yes." She squeaked out.

"Who?" I frowned.

"Don't kill me." She mouthed and I scratched my head. What was she talking about?

"Liv." Aiden's voice sound stiff and angry as he walked back into the living room.

"Yes?" I snapped at him and frowned at the two burly guys behind him. "What?"

"These guys are here for you and Alice." He looked at her with a cold mask. "They said they're here to join you for the weekend."

"What?" I was confused.

"Brock and Jock, there you are." Alice ran to one of the big burly guys and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "We're so glad you made it, aren't we Liv?" She gave me a look and I nodded slowly.

"Uh yeah, sure." I walked over to Alice with a questioning look and she turned to everyone. "Brock and Jock are two guys we've been dating and we wanted everyone to meet them."

"Oh yeah, haha." I laughed and faked a wide smile. "So glad you made it Brock." I kissed the other guy on the cheek and he stared at me like a robot.

"I'm Jock." He said stiffly.

"I know that, I was just teasing you honey." I linked my arm through his and looked over at Xander who was glaring at me.

"Brock and Jock?" Gabby asked with a laugh. "Nice names."

"We're brothers." Jock said and I wished I could tell him to keep his mouth shut. Where had Alice picked these guys up from?

"And we love to double-date, don't we?" Alice said with a wide smile. "And have sleepovers." She said and giggled and I could see Aiden looking even angrier as he walked away from us.

"Good for you." Gabby flipped her hair. "I'm glad you two losers have found guys that can put up with you."

"Shut up, Gabby." I shouted at her and she looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Or what?" She said sweetly.

"Ugh." I groaned. "Nothing."

"That's what I thought." She laughed and then leaned down and gave Xander a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going out. See you later, okay baby?"

"See you, Gabby." He said, but his eyes never left my face. "Liv can we talk?"

"No." I shook my head. "Let's go out Jock and Brock. We'll be back later."

"You just got here." Scott said with a frown.

"Well we're going out now." I snapped and grabbed Jock's hand. "Let's go guys."

We all hurried out of the front door and I turned to Alice. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking we'd have two hot guys here to make us feel better and make those two fools jealous."

"And the best you could do were Brock and Jock?" I said quietly. "They look like mountain men."

"They're strippers." She giggled. "They were the best I could do."

"Oh Alice." I groaned. "What should we do?"

"Tell them to go home and go to the mall and then go and get a drink?"

"That sounds like a good idea to me." I nodded in agreement. We gave the two brothers $40 and then hopped into my car and drove to the local mall.

"I love retail therapy." I grinned happily as we made our way into the wine bar with our hands full of bags.

"So do I." She nodded. "Though my credit card doesn't agree."

"Neither does mine." I laughed. "But that's a worry for next month when the bill arrives."

"You speak the truth." She said and we ordered a bottle of Chardonnay. "Until the bill arrives then we are fine."

"Exactly."