Page 4 of Taming You

When we leave the store, the receipt almost touches the ground and my bank account is significantly smaller.

Back at my place, Zoey makes Jayden a bottle while I carry everything upstairs. I take in my apartment, trying to figure out where in the world I’m going to put everything. It’s insane just how much such a tiny person needs in order to survive. The crib is going to have to go in the corner of my room. Thankfully, the bedroom is pretty empty except for my bed, nightstand, dresser, and TV.

A few curse words and pinched fingers later and I have it ready for us to put Jayden to bed. He’s been pretty chill today, but I have no idea what tomorrow is going to be like. We get him settled, and I order takeout for Zoey and me while we start going through the rest of the things we bought. We set up one corner of the living room with all of Jayden’s things, and by the time we finish, our food has arrived.

We settle on the couch and pull up the last show we were watching together. After the day I had today, it’s nice to be able to sit here with Zoey, relaxing and watching TV.

When she’s done her food, she takes her plate into the kitchen and places it in the dishwasher before saying, “Well, I should be going.”

I walk with her the few steps to the front door, and she grabs her coat and purse.

“Thanks for today, Zo. I’m not sure I could have done any of it without you. You’re a better friend than I deserve.”

“Of course. You’re just as good a friend, Matt.”

She squeezes my arm and opens the door. I watch her walk down the hallway to the elevator, not closing the door until she’s inside and riding down.

The second I settle back on the couch, Jayden starts crying. I make a bottle before heading into my room and picking him up. Thankfully, he takes the bottle pretty easily, and I rock him, hoping he’ll fall asleep again.

When he finally falls asleep, I decide to call it a night, too, climbing into bed. Jayden is up like clockwork every few hours, and I don’t sleep for shit.

CHAPTER 3

Zoey

Idon’t know what I’m doing or why the hell when I got up this morning I decided to grab breakfast and go to Matt’s.

I hold up my fist and stare at his front door, rethinking this whole thing. I really hope this isn’t my heart playing stupid games with me and wanting to be close to Matt. I may have redeveloped a small crush on him over the last year as our friendship grew. I had one in eighth grade for a short period, but I thought it had gone away completely. Apparently, I was wrong. Our relationship started off as us trying to get Liv and Josh together, and it grew into us actually being friends ourselves, hanging out and watching movies, playing laser tag, and even doing some hikes during the summer. Matt’s got this certain charm that’s hard not to be sucked into. Not only is he six-foot-two and hot, but he’s also caring and thoughtful and an amazing brother and friend. But I know I can’t get sucked in too far, because the last thing I want to be is another notch in his bedpost. As much as I know Matt will eventually settle down with some lucky woman, I also know he’s enjoying his freedom and doing that with a slew of different women, and I’m not built like that. I’m a relationship girl. I don’t sleep with guys until after the third date, minimum, and more often than not, I don’t sleep with them until after the sixth. If I were to sleep with Matt, it would fuck up the whole group dynamic and make things extremely awkward with Liv. I’m not going to do that. Liv has given me her blessing for something to happen, but I’d only do that if it was serious.

Matt is my friend, my best friend’s brother. None of this makes him having a new baby my problem. But remembering just how flustered Matt was yesterday has me not backing down. I’m going to help him. Also, Jayden is just so freaking cute.

I finally knock, and a moment later Matt slowly opens the door, a smile spreading across his face when he realizes it’s me, not his sister or someone else.

“Hey, Zo!” Enthusiasm fills his voice.

“Hey. I thought you could use some breakfast and maybe a check-in this morning,” I say, holding up the Tim Hortons bag and coffee in my hand.

“You’re a godsend,” he says, pulling the door open and inviting me in.

I pass him the coffee and make my way to the dining table, where Jayden is buckled into his car seat. I start taking food out as I ask, “Heading out somewhere?”

Matt shakes his head. “No, it was just the easiest place to put him right now.”

I nod. “You should probably get in some tummy time with him, maybe play some music.”

Matt hums his acknowledgement as he joins me at the table. We eat in silence. His eyes locked on a sleeping Jayden.

“Do you have a plan to tell your sisters and parents?” I ask, and I feel the tension radiating off him.

“Not yet. I don’t know how to drop the bomb on my family yet. I’m sure Mom will be upset she couldn’t be around during the pregnancy and dote on Jayden’s mom and do all those fun grandma things. I know she got to do all that with Liv and Cate, and Cate is the first grandkid, but I also know she’s going to want to do it with all her grandkids. I don’t know what Liv or Gi will say. I’m supposed to be their big brother, the role model, and here I am, only just now finding out I’m a father. What kind of example is that?”

Matt has always prided himself on being a good brother. He’s always done everything he can to protect and support his sisters. I guess in all these years, I never realized the stress that put on him.

“You know both Liv and Gi look up to you, right? This isn’t going to change anything. They care about what’s in your heart. How you treat them, your family, and your friends. When it comes to Jayden, all they’re going to care about is how you respond to it all. How you take care of Jayden. Your parents are proud of you, no matter what. I don’t think you should be as scared as you are when it comes to them.” I feel Matt’s eyes boring into me, but I continue. “Maybe when you get the results, you can make dinner and invite them over to meet Jayden. Then you’re in your safe place and you know you have everything for Jayden and you can be more in control of the situation.”

Matt doesn’t say anything, and when I turn to look at him, he’s staring at me with something in his expression I can’t decipher.

He clears his throat. “You’re right.” He nods. “You know us all pretty well,” he says, a forced lightness to his voice.

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