Justin served and the ball whizzed right by Leo, well within his reach, and yet his racquet missed by a mile.
“Finished.” Justin headed toward the doorway without his normal victory salute or brotherly ribbing. He had to know that he didn’t have a worthy opponent in Leo today. “Is this weak-ass showing because you’ve been spending too much time with Gwen?”
Leo hadn’t mentioned his and Gwen’s decision to his brothers. He guessed by Justin’s question, Gwen hadn’t said anything to the estrogen-mafia either.
Leo’s throat tightened. “We…”—he scrubbed a towel over his face—“Gwen and I decided we’d be better apart.”
Justin’s head popped up. “You put us all through that Sunday dinner and then you call it quits?”
“Didn’t realize this was your relationship.” Leo shoved the towel into his bag.
“Once you brought the relationship into the open, then it became all of ours, yes. You’re so smart and yet…how do you not know this?”
“Funny.” Leo picked up his bag and walked toward the door on the far side of the court.
“Seriously, stop. Did you break her heart? Was this because—”
Leo’s chest tightened. He didn’t want to discuss this with Justin, he didn’t want to talk about Gwen with anyone. “This was a mutual decision. There were no other parties involved. We simply want different things.”
“She wants children and you don’t.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed. Justin’s words sounded so cut and dried. Was it really that simple? He didn’t think so. Children were a big responsibility, huge. They changed your entire life. There was mess and crying and poop and no leaving and damn, he simply didn’t want or need any of that. But then there would be Gwen too…holding his baby, being the mother of his children. Leo shook his head.
What the hell? He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about it. No. No kids.
“That’s not all of it, but a big part.”
“Really? There’s more? Like what?” Justin picked up his sports bag and ambled toward Leo, a smug smile on his face. “Gwen seems pretty damn perfect for you in almost every way. So what are the other problems?”
“None of your damn business,” Leo grumbled. “She’s not my usual type.”
“Oh, you mean the vapid overindulged high-maintenance ladies from before? The ones you had to develop a ‘convenient arrangement’ with so they wouldn’t show up on your doorstep at four a.m. screaming obscenities?”
Leo bristled.
“Yeah, I can completely understand why you’d want to go back to that, instead you know, someone real, with a heart and organic body parts.”
“Enough. We made the decision. We’re done.” Leo said the words, and yet, his heart ached. He wouldn’t admit it to Justin or anyone else but Justin was right…completely right. But to give up his entire vision of his future for Gwen? No. Just no. He couldn’t sell himself short like that, he wouldn’t. He’d watched his dad spend every moment of his life trying to take care of all of them and grow old in the process.
“Fair enough. Your life, your decision. Even when you make the wrong one.” Justin exited the court.
Such a first-born, always trying to get the last word, as though big brother knew everything. Leo followed Justin off the court slowly. Except maybe this time, Justin did.
*
Work was a refuge. Gwen wanted to curl up into a tiny ball around Mr. Mouse, pull her covers over her head, and never leave her apartment again, or at least until this horrid empty feeling in the pit of her stomach disappeared, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t wallow. Deadlines, and clients, and work loomed, and thank God, really, she had work to do, because otherwise she might be unshowered and stuffing Oreos into her mouth all day long.
“How’s everything going for the launch tomorrow night?” Aubrey sat beside Gwen on the couch. She still hadn’t had the baby, despite the doctor ending her strict bed rest. She had just gone over the final guest list for Shelly’s bridal shower with Gwen.
Gwen’s stomach flipped. She hadn’t really discussed what had happened between her and Leo, not even with Aubrey. There’d been a kind of unfamiliar quiet tension between the two of them since that awkward Sunday dinner. So Aubrey was asking about a lot more with that one little question than just the party for Leo’s new app.
“We’re ready. The location and staff are all good to go, Nina is handling the food. I mean…everything looks great for tomorrow.”
Aubrey nodded. And waited, clearly expecting more. Finally, she prompted, “And?”