Two weeks later, Noah hosted Nico and Elena's engagement party, so Jaya spent the evening at her house, finishing up the small bedroom. She was in the middle of attaching the baseboards when laughter and music filtered through the open window, which overlooked both her backyard and Noah's.
Curious, Jaya walked up to the window, pretending to do stretches in case someone spotted her.
There were about twenty people with drinks in their hands. Among them were Noah, Gus, Felicity, and the newly engaged couple. She didn't recognize the others, except... Beautiful Brigitte. Jaya wouldn't have even noticed her, but the woman plopped down on the two-seater next to Noah, cozied up to him with her arm looped around his, and pecked him on the cheek.
Jaya stood rooted by the window, watching in astonishment. Two minutes later, Brigitte was still glued to her boyfriend, and he didn't move away!
Maybe if she hadn't been under the influence of those damn pregnancy hormones, she would've stayed where she was, but there weren't any paparazzi around. Noah and Brigitte didn't have to act as if they were dating.
Jaya grabbed her oversized flannel, which incidentally had been advertised as Ex-Boyfriend Shirt in Romana Plaid, and made her way over to Noah's.
Three things happened at once. Penelope started barking and came running toward her. Noah stood abruptly, which spilled Brigitte's drink. Gus stalked over to her while everyone watched like she was the evil team captain of the Space Jam Monstars. For a moment, she considered speed-dialing Gus's phone, so it would play "Hit 'Em High" as she marched toward them.
Muhuhuhuh.
Too bad Gus managed to intercept her before she could get too close.
"Jaya," he said in warning, "what are you doing?"
Through gritted teeth, she muttered, "C'mon, Gus, she was draped around him like a freaking mink collar!"
He put an arm around her shoulders and walked her back to her house. "They're just friends. If you can't trust him, it's never going to work. There will always be people touching him. You were one of those people."
Gus had a point, but it didn't stop her from spying on them for another hour before the party moved back inside.
Because it was getting late, and she'd started feeling sleepy, Jaya opted to stay at her house for the night. She still loved her mattress and her sleeping bag, but now that she was used to sleeping in a real bed, it didn't feel as comfortable—or comforting—as it used to.
She woke early the next morning, primed the walls for another two hours, then went back to Noah's house to take a shower and eat breakfast.
Noah had left his patio door unlocked, so she let herself in. And there he was, asleep on the couch. She covered him with a blanket before she padded into the shower.
Half an hour later, while she was cooking oatmeal, Noah strolled into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his front.
Even though her traitorous body reacted to him like it always did, she was still mad, but it wasn't so much at him—she'd become what she never wanted to be: a jealous, clingy girlfriend.
Sure, Noah could've put some space between him and Brigitte, but that woman had been the one touching him, not the other way around. And Brigitte didn't know that Noah was no longer single.
So, if it wasn't about lack of trust, what was her problem?
Fear of messing up the relationship that meant so much more to her than she wanted to admit? Of not being worthy of his love, of good things, a happy ending?
"Mink collar, huh?" He chuckled, and Jaya cursed Gus for tattling. "I'm sorry about last night. I wish you could've been next to me instead of her. Hell, I wish we could tell our friends about us, then we can avoid these kinds of situations altogether."
Instead of answering, she got two bowls and spoons from the cupboard and put them on a tray next to the stove. Then she poured the oatmeal, distributing it equally between the two bowls. Noah carried the tray to the dining table.
While she dug right in, he merely stirred his oatmeal.
"Hangover?" she asked, pointing at him with her spoon.
"So she does speak." He rubbed a hand over his mouth before he sighed. "We need to talk about what we're going to do, Jaya, because I don't want to hide our relationship anymore. I feel like I'm lying to everyone—well, I am lying, because lying by omission is still lying." When she didn't respond, he said, "Can we at least tell our families? I'm sure your parents will get over it and support you. You could've done worse than me."
"Don't be like that."
Pushing his hands into his hair, he mouthed what she presumed was some Italian curse. She didn't think he even noticed it, but the more upset he got, the more he swore in Italian. "That's what it comes down to though. You're ashamed of having the baby with me instead of some Ivy League doctor or lawyer or whatever profession is acceptable in your universe."
"No," she insisted, gripping his arm. "I'll admit that in the beginning I had a certain image of you that proved to be wrong. But ultimately, this is about where I'm coming from, the Indian slum kid no one wanted. I've worked relentlessly to build my reputation as a sociologist and as an author. I've done nothing but study and work all my life to prove myself. I didn't go to parties; I didn't date. And I didn't have close friends outside my family—until I met you. You're my best friend, and if I have to have a baby, I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather have it with."
She had to look away when he linked their hands. Her eyes stung, and all she wanted was to crawl into his lap and forget about everything.
But they had to have this conversation at some point, so she continued. "If it gets out that I'm with someone who perpetuates exactly what I criticized in my work, it's going to erase a chunk—if not all—of my credibility and the reputation I've worked so hard for my entire life."
And maybe that's what she deserved. She'd made her bed after all when she took love thy neighbor a little too literally.
"Do you understand why people have been giving me shit and not you?" She didn't wait for his answer. "It's because I'd be condoning all those bad practices in the fashion industry and their effects on our society. I'm not asking you to keep the baby and us a secret forever, but until we find a way that doesn't destroy everything I've built, I don't want you to go around telling people."
"If I retire from modeling, would you tell people then?"
"I don't think I make enough money to support both of us, two houses, a baby, and a dog," she said that last part only half-joking. "Besides, you like being a model. You're successful in a highly competitive field."
"I wouldn't be unemployed just because I retired from modeling. I already have another acting job lined up. And contrary to what people think about models, I'm neither stupid nor irresponsible. I have savings and investments. My grandparents taught me all about compound interest when I was thirteen."
That was also why she flipped houses. She loved working with her hands and restoring things, so buying, rehabbing, and selling properties for profit had been a lucrative investment for her so far.
"I'm sorry you had to keep the baby a secret for so long—and then our relationship on top of it. I'm going to figure this out somehow. I promise." She had no idea how, but everything could be figured out, right? "I'm going to tell my family about us. But I hope you're prepared to handle the aftermath if this gets out and I lose my career because of it. My work is what keeps me steady."
She pushed her hands into her hair. "I swear, if you abandon me when my world comes crashing down, I'll lose my shit." She'd probably try to kill him.
"You can count on me," he promised.
After a moment, Noah pulled her out of her seat and onto his lap. "I'm your best friend, huh? I feel honored."
The corners of her mouth tipped up. "Among other things."
He kissed her below the ear. "What other things?"
She nestled her head against his shoulder. "You're my hot roommate."
"True."
"You're my favorite workout buddy, which simultaneously makes you my favorite bed companion."
"So I'm the best you ever had?"
"Maybe," she said. He totally was, and he knew it. "You're the best kisser. I'll give you that."
He nipped her ear, which made her squirm against him.
"You're also the first person of the non-family variety who makes me feel loved."
"You're very lovable."
She kissed him, then took his hand and placed it on her belly. "You're also my—whoa, did you feel that?" She increased the pressure on his hand. Together, they focused on the little bubbly movements.
"I can't wait to hold the baby and see what it looks like."
Which gave her an idea. "You know, there are these programs that let you merge two people's faces to see what their baby might look like. Let's try that."
They spent the rest of the morning on the floor laughing at the sight of their freakishly ugly baby. Of course, they agreed to love it anyway.
In the afternoon, they flipped through TV channels and ended up watching reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Full House. Watching TV wasn't really Jaya's thing, but she figured it couldn't hurt to brush up on American pop culture, since the baby would be growing up not only Italian and Indian but also American.
Besides, Noah did have a hangover, so some lazy time on the couch was all he could handle for the day.
"I like Jesse," Jaya said, linking her fingers with Noah's while they watched the episode where John Stamos (a.k.a. Jesse Katsopolis) was being wheeled away for surgery during his wife's labor. Of course, of all the episodes, it had to be that one.
"At least you're hot for the guy who resembles me the closest." He brought their linked hands to his mouth. "He's Greek though. And I think we both know Italians do it better... Well, except yogurt."
She snorted out a laugh. "Oh, so you're only Italian when it suits you? Didn't know ancestry was optional." Being of foreign origin herself, she understood why he toned down the Italian in everyday life. As a kid, she'd wanted to be just like her peers. It wasn't until her college years that she embraced her ancestry. "I was talking about the name. Jesse. It was the first one you suggested, and it works for whatever we're having."
"Jesse Lahiri Santino... or Jesse Santino Lahiri... Sounds good to me." He stroked a hand over her bump. "Who would've thought choosing the baby's name would be the easiest of all decisions."
"I still want to see the baby first." Plus, she wasn't sure about the last name. If the baby had both their names, everyone would know they had a baby together, and that those stupid rumors about them were true. Which, of course, was what Noah wanted.
"John Stamos is hot, though," she said to change the subject.
Noah pinched her side, and she squealed. "Hotter than me?" Flexing his muscles, he gave her a sultry look. She knew he was goofing around, but she still wanted to trail her tongue down his abs.
Straddling him, Jaya brought her arms around his neck. "You're still the hottest in all the land."
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Thanks for reading! :) Please remember to vote and feel free to leave comments. xo—A