Page 82 of Double Dare
“Enough!” Jed shouts. “We’re fucking family, man. Enough.”
“Where is she?” Isaac shouts at us, chest heaving, blood starting to flow from his nose. I mean, that sucks, but I’m impressed Hardin got a good shot in.
“She’s safe!” Hardin yells. “She’s avoiding you because you’re acting like this! Let her come to you when she’s ready. Fuck!” Hardin tries to go at Isaac again, but we hold him back.
“If I find out you did anything to her, Dare, I will fucking end you.”
“Fair enough,” Hardin relents. “But I’d never hurt her.”
Isaac scoffs. “Because you love her?” Everyone knows Freya and Hardin call themselves hookup buddies, but we’re not stupid.
“Yeah!” Hardin screams, completely crazed, admitting it for the first time. “Because I fucking love her. Happy? I love her.”
Isaac stumbles back, shock all over his face. Clearly, he didn’t expect that. Shock and rage shift to worry and concern. “Watch your back, Dare. Tell Freya to at least call and tell us she’s okay.”
Finally, Hardin nods, still amped up. We all sit on the curb as they get in their car and leave. Jed’s got a red mark on his cheek, my inner cheek is bleeding, and Hardin has a split brow and a bloody nose, but all in all, we’re alright.
“Fuck, Har. What did you do?” I laugh, wiping blood off my lips.
Hardin sighs and hangs his head between his knees. “I knocked her the fuck up.”
Jed’s eyes widen and my heart stops beating. Holy fucking shit. Holy fucking shit.
“Holy fucking shit!” Jed exclaims. “Is she…are you…?”
“I don’t even know,” Hardin says. “I’m freaking out here, boys. We’re…it obviously wasn’t wanted or planned, but…yeah.”
They need to talk. Wow. A baby in the Dare family. Honestly, never thought I’d see the day, despite how promiscuous we’ve all been. It’s up to Freya and Hardin now to decide how they move forward. No wonder she’s been stressed.
“Bottle of whiskey for the drive to your wife and unborn child?” I ask.
Hardin laughs, sounding half-mad. “Fuck you, Kade. Yes, I want a whole bottle.”
“You really love her?” Jed asks. Laken got him to admit it the other night, but now he’s told Isaac his real feelings.
Hardin wipes his bloody face one more time before looking straight ahead. “Yep. Pretty sure I’ve loved her this whole time, but I’ve been too much of a coward to admit it. Like, I’m almost twenty-two, which is so fucking young, and now I’m all in love with my first crush with a fucking kid on the way. Jesus.”
“Well, I’m almost twenty-one, and I’m in love with Jed’s girlfriend,” I add my mess to this storm.
“And he’s fucking her,” Jed adds. “And I’m fucked up enough to be cool with it.”
Hardin looks between the two of us, mouth open, without words coming out. Eventually, he just shakes his head and laughs. “We are one messed up family.” He stands up. “Get me booze and get me to my girl before this storm hits. Can’t have her seeing Laken as a safe haven. I need to be that safe haven.” He pulls us to our feet.
Chapter 32
Hardin is the second youngest of all of us, and I never imagined he’d be the first to get a chick pregnant. To be honest, I’ve never given much thought to being a parent. I always figured that was something to think about in the future. Like a fucking eon away from now. But Freya’s knocked up, and now I have a thousand questions I want to ask, even though I’m not entitled to the answers. Are they going to keep the baby? Are they going to stay together? Will this change their dynamic? Does Freya love him back?
It’s none of my business. They have a lot to figure out.
Hardin drinks a quarter of a bottle of whiskey on the drive, and it took us longer than planned because the roads are shit, but by the time we get to our cabin, the three of us just sit in the truck. Freya and Laken are visible through the front window, and I’m drawn back to a time when me, Kade, and Four did this with Mae, Gen and Lakes. Maybe we’re just pervy bastards.
“What do I do?” Hardin asks from the backseat. “What’s the right thing to say to her?”
“No idea,” Kade laughs. “Never been good with the emotional stuff. Just tell her you’re here for her or some shit, and let her spill her feelings when she’s ready.”
“Just support her, I guess. And don’t be a drunken fool,” I add.
“Love, support, drunken fool. Got it.” Hardin puts the cap on the bottle. “I’m going to fuck this up.” He opens the door. “Let’s get this shit show over with. Fuck, she looks hot knocked up.”