Chapter Twenty-three

“Don’t be such a chicken.”

Gabby took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to Taka’s door. She let herself in and unbuttoned her coat to hang it in the closet by the door.

She placed Taka’s gift on the hallstand. The scarlet halter-neck dress Yumi had insisted she wear was freezing. It had virtually no back, and the sides tapered down to sit on the curve of her butt. Its sleek line shimmered over her thighs to end just below her knees.

The front neckline plunged to accentuate her breasts, and she’d left her hair down to try and keep her back warm. She’d even managed to coax her hair into full curls rather than waves since the air was so moist in Seattle. All in all, she figured she looked rather nice.

If she had to face Taka, especially when he was annoyed with her, she’d do it looking her best, dammit.

Gabby took a deep breath and turned to follow the noise into the lounge room to look for the birthday boy. Hopefully, he’d be too preoccupied to notice how nervous she was. Hiding things from him didn’t sit well with her.

The noise swelled as she walked through the doorway. She swept her gaze over the room and spotted him immediately. His back faced her, and he was laughing with a few people she didn’t recognize, including a very Goth-looking Japanese man in leather. She looked harder, the familial resemblance too strong to miss, despite the lip ring and bright stripy colors in his shaggy, messed up hair. Taka turned to say something to a woman standing beside him, and her breath caught in her throat.

Damn, he’s gorgeous.

His black dress shirt was open at the neck, and his jeans molded to his firm butt as if they’d been made just for him. His raven hair brushed over his collar and fell forward across his eye. The whole package looked as if he had just stepped out of a Calvin Klein spread. He was the best looking thing she’d ever laid eyes on.

Gabby chewed at her lip. She couldn’t put it off any longer. She was already late. Gathering her courage, she walked across the room to stop just behind him. She reached up and tapped him on the shoulder. Taka turned. He looked down at her, and the smile fell from his face as his eyes went wide.

“Wow.”

Gabby glanced down at herself. “Is that good, or not?”

Taka nodded. “Oh, yeah. It’s good all right.” He looked her up and down. “You look amazing.”

She looked up and grinned, the nerves calming a little with his praise. “You look pretty good yourself. Happy birthday, Yoshi.” She stepped in to hug him and press her lips to his cheek.

Taka turned his face at the last second. Her lips met his instead of his cheek. Her breath caught in her throat at the heat that exploded through her with that one simple act. Luckily, he didn’t notice and pulled back while she desperately tried to collect her thoughts.

“Thanks. You finally got here. I was beginning to think you’d stood me up.” He introduced her to the half dozen people standing with him, including Goth-boy, who turned out to be his cousin, Shin, on holiday from Tokyo, then took hold of her hand and led her toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll get you a drink.”

Taka picked up the bottle of red wine off the bench and poured her a glass. He turned and handed it to her. Gabby took it with a strained smile.

Taka noticed her reluctance. He picked up the bottle and glanced at the label. “This is the right one, isn’t it?”

Gabby nodded. “Yes, it is. Thank you. It’s just, I, uh…” She trailed off, not sure how to tell him that she didn’t want her favorite wine. “I still don’t feel great. Better to stay away from alcohol, right?”

Taka turned to her, concerned. “Are you okay? I thought you were feeling better. Do you need me to take a look at you?”

Gabby gasped. “No. No, I’ll be fine. I’m still just a little queasy at times. Must have been some kind of stomach flu.”

Oh, heck. The last thing she needed was for him to feel her stomach. Thank heaven he hadn’t got that far down last night. She looked away from him, unable to hold his gaze. Her eyes clashed with Yumi’s, who stared at her thoughtfully. Gabby sent her a too-bright smile, hoping to dispel any concerns she had.

Taka picked up a bottle of orange juice. He splashed some into a wine glass and held it out to her with a flourish. “I assume orange juice is acceptable?”

Gabby nodded. His manner had a way of making her feel better, even given the circumstances. She took the glass and sipped. If she drank it slowly, it might stay down. Gabby glanced back out into the lounge room through the wide doorway. No Monique.

That’s odd. Why wasn’t she here? Surely he’d invited her. It wasn’t likely she’d say no.

“So, is anyone else coming, or is this it?” she asked.

Taka turned to face her. “No, this is it. You were the last one we were waiting for. Everyone’s been here awhile already. You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding me,” he teased, a smile curving the edges of his mouth.

Gabby’s breath caught in her throat. All thoughts of Monique evaporated.

Oh, crap.

That was exactly what she’d been doing. She’d been deliberately late. She was having a hard enough time keeping this from him, and she hadn’t wanted to prolong the lie.

“Don’t be silly. Why would I do that? Especially for your party,” she hedged.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you’re getting sick of me being around all the time. I am at your place rather often. Is that it? Have I worn out my welcome?”

His teasing tone had been replaced with a more serious note. Gabby locked eyes with him and realized he was serious. She touched the warm, smooth skin of his arm.

“Hell, no! Why would you think that? You’re family. I love having you around.”

Taka pulled back. The strangest look flashed over his face. “Family, huh? Like another son?”

Gabby was flabbergasted. Had she missed something here? “No, of course not. I’ve never thought of you as a son. That’d be…wrong.” She was getting really confused at the turn their conversation had taken. “Where is this coming from? I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

Taka took a deep breath and his face relaxed. A ghost of his previous smile returned to tweak the corners of his mouth. “It’s nothing. Forget I said anything. I’m still angry with you, though. About that note.”

Gabby’s stomach sunk. She hated disappointing him. “I know,” she said quietly.

“Maybe I’m getting old, huh? Doesn’t grumpy come with the territory?”

Gabby let a smile slip onto her lips and forced a light tone to her voice. “I wouldn’t know. I’m only twenty-one,” she managed to say with a straight face, taking a sip of her juice.

Real humor erupted back onto his face with her dry statement, the last of his swift mood change disappearing. “And a total babe, if I may say so.”

His teasing made her laugh. The smile stayed on her lips. He thought she was a babe? The thought helped settle her nerves further.

Yumi moved into her line of sight, picking up a platter of hors d’oeuvres as she walked past them. It was filled with seafood canapés and sushi, something she usually loved. Yumi swung to stand before them and held the platter up in front of her. Gabby held her breath, knowing what would happen if she didn’t.

“Like some, Gab? They’re really nice.”

Gabby shook her head and glanced down at the platter, then back to her friend’s face. The calculating expression she saw there surprised her. Gabby let her breath out in a rush, unable to hold on any longer. Yumi shoved the platter higher, right up under her nose, and the smell of the fresh seafood invaded her lungs with a vengeance.

Her stomach somersaulted. A clammy sweat broke out on her body. She slapped a hand over her mouth, knowing that in moments she was going to puke. She thrust the glass back into a startled Taka’s hands and rushed out of the kitchen toward the bathroom. Gabby barely reached it in time and fell to her knees in front of the toilet. Her hands shook as she dropped the lid and flushed, laying her forehead against the cool porcelain. She hated this part.

To her left she felt someone kneel down and press a cold washcloth into her hand. Gabby turned her head and looked up into Yumi’s friendly eyes.

“Here. This will make you feel better.”

Gabby sat back on her knees and wiped her face down. She stood and went to the sink to rinse her mouth. Yumi was sitting on the toilet watching her when she glanced up.

“How far along are you?” she asked quietly.

Gabby jerked her head up to stare at Yumi’s reflection in the mirror. “What?”

A slight tilt tipped the corners of Yumi’s mouth. “I said, how far along are you? You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

Gabby opened her mouth to protest, then closed her eyes in defeat. She nodded and turned around, leaning heavily against the vanity. “Two weeks.”

“This is what you wanted to tell me before I leave?”

Gabby nodded again.

“I take it Jon is pleased?”

Gabby glanced up at the sadness in Yumi’s voice. “What does it have to do with Jon?”

Yumi’s sharp stare drilled into her. “What do you mean, what does it have to do with him? He’s going to be a father.”

Gabby’s eyes widened impossibly. “A father! You think that I, that we…” She shook her head. “No. No! I haven’t slept with him. It’s not Jon’s baby.”

Yumi stood and hurried over to her. “Then…” Her hand went to her mouth, hope sparking in the depths of her eyes. “Takeshi?”

Gabby bit her lip and took a deep breath. This was it. “Yes.”

The smile that flooded Yumi’s face all but blinded her. She threw her arms around Gabby and kissed her cheek, then stood back and cupped her face in her hands.

Relief at Yumi’s reaction made her knees weak. Yumi wasn’t upset she’d slept with her son. She wasn’t going to lose her friend. Her relief was so great she couldn’t speak.

“This is wonderful! How did he keep this from me?”

Gabby dropped her eyes to the floor.

“He doesn’t know? You haven’t told him, have you? Gabby! You have to tell him.”

Gabby looked up in horror. “No! It’s his birthday. I only found out this morning myself—tomorrow’s soon enough. I want him to enjoy tonight at least, before his whole world gets turned upside down.”

Yumi frowned in confusion. “Why would he think this is bad? Admittedly it wasn’t planned, but these things happen. Believe me, he’d want to know straight away.”

Gabby took a few steps back. “I can’t.”

Yumi placed both hands on Gabby’s shoulders. “Listen to me. Go and tell him.” Gabby started shaking her head and went to speak. Yumi put her finger over Gabby’s lips, forestalling any reply. “No. For once just shut up and listen. Go out there and tell him. Now. If you don’t tell him, I will.”

Yumi turned her around and opened the bathroom door, pushing Gabby ahead of her. They got to the doorway to the lounge room and Yumi propelled her through. Takeshi stood just inside with his back to her, talking to Jonathan. Gabby glanced at Yumi who raised her eyebrows in challenge. She wasn’t going to get away from this.

Jonathan stopped mid-sentence in his conversation with Taka. “Are you all right, Gabby?”

“Yeah, I’m fine thanks.” His concern for her gave her strength to turn to Taka. She knew Yumi well enough that if she didn’t tell him soon, she’d make good on her promise and tell him herself.

She drew a breath deep into her lungs and looked up to see his concerned stare. The intensity in his eyes sent a heady mixture of excitement and dread racing through her. She placed her hand on his arm.

“Can I talk to you for a minute? Somewhere private?”

“Of course.” The line on his forehead deepened, concern clouding his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I just need to talk to you.”

Gabby’s heart thundered so hard she was sure it would gallop right out of her chest. They walked into the hall and turned toward the entry. Takeshi touched a hand to her shoulder to get her attention. Chills swirled all over her body from the innocent touch. She looked up at him as they stepped into the foyer.

His hand slid up her shoulder to the back of her neck beneath her hair, kneading the tense muscles there. He was standing so close, too close. She pulled away. She couldn’t handle him touching her right now. Not yet. Not until she knew what his reaction would be.

“What’s going on? Is this about last night? Do you need me to take you to get checked out, or something?”

His anxiety nearly made her back out. She couldn’t do this to him. How was she going to get out of it? She bit her bottom lip, nervously chewing on it.

“I, uh…I didn’t want to tell you yet. Not ‘til tomorrow. I didn’t want to ruin your birthday, but Yumi insisted. She said she’d tell you anyway so here we are.” She drew in a deep breath. She’d spoken so fast she’d run out of air.

“I’m not following. What could you say that would ruin anything? Why would it have to wait?”

Gabby looked at him. “You know I care about you, right? In fact, you mean an awful lot to me.”

Taka blinked, looking surprised, then threw her a devastating smile that almost stopped her heart. “Yeah, I feel the—”

Gabby placed a finger gently across his lips and shook her head. “Let me finish before I lose my nerve, Taka. This is hard enough without you interrupting me.” She glanced around the room, coming to settle on him again. “I don’t know how to say this to you.”

 

The sadness in her eyes hit Taka in the gut. Dread wound up from within. She’d pulled away from him—maybe this wasn’t something he wanted to hear.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Hey, Taka! Get your ass out here!”

Takeshi looked out the window near the front door. Shin stood outside, down on the grass, a swearing, disheveled excuse for a human being held in an arm-lock in front of him.

He yanked open the front door and rushed out onto his porch.

“What in hell are you doing, Shin? Let the guy go!”

“I don’t think so, cuz. Call the cops. This lowlife was around the side, unscrewing this.” He held up a small gas can. “Or, if you don’t want the authorities involved, I’ll take care of it.”

Behind him, Gabby gasped. Taka glanced at her. He spun around, thinking Shin’s little comment had upset her. Shin really needed to watch what he said. He wasn’t in Tokyo anymore. He looked back at the man in Shin’s grip, the pieces clicking into place.

“It’s him, isn’t it? Peter Marsden.”

Gabby’s hands were over her mouth. Her face looked so pale he thought she might faint. She nodded. “Yes. Yes, it’s him.”

Fury like he’d never known gushed through him. The bastard had some nerve, showing up here. He took a step toward his cousin, then stopped, glancing back to Gabby. He slid an arm around her waist, more to keep her upright than anything else.

“Dad! Get out here!”

His father and Matt appeared in the doorway, confusion evident on their faces. Jon and his mother came up behind them.

“Mom, call the police. Tell them Peter Marsden is on the premises and was caught trying to set fire to my house.”

Gasps of shock followed his words. Too late he looked at Matt.

“No, Matt!”

He made a grab for his friend. He clutched at Matt’s shirt, but it tore away out of his hand. Matt bounded down the stairs, headed straight for the man responsible for almost killing his mother.

“I’m gonna kill you!” Matt roared. He reached Peter, but Shin yanked him out of the way at the last moment.

Taka reached them and threw his arms around his friend in a bear hug, bringing down all his strength to keep Matt at arm’s length. Matt struggled in his grasp, swearing and swinging wildly at Marsden. The pair of them slipped on the damp grass while he tried to control him. Matt’s larger frame and weight nearly gained the advantage.

“While I can appreciate the sentiment, it might be better for you to wait for the cops,” Shin said. His grip didn’t change on Peter, despite the man trying his best to get away.

Taka looked up and saw Gabby coming toward them. Her gaze was stuck firmly on Marsden. Distant sirens caught his attention.

“Gabby! Get back. Wait for the police.” She didn’t seem to hear him, focused as she was on Marsden. “Dad! Get her out of here!”

Mas came up beside Gabby and touched her on the arm. “Come now, Gabby. Come wait inside.”

Gabby shook him off, yanking her arm from his hand. “No.” She stopped in front of Marsden.

Shin dropped the gas can and tightened his grip on Marsden.

“So you’re the one threatening my family?” She looked him up and down. “And you think I should be afraid of you?”

Shin grinned and looked at his cousin. “I like this one.”

“You should be,” Marsden spat. He yelped as Shin twisted an arm tighter.

“Gabby, get the hell away from him!” Matt yelled, fighting against Taka’s hold.

She ignored them. “I was, you know. For a long time. Then I realized something.”

Marsden strained against Shin’s grip. “Yeah? What’s that?”

To his surprise, Gabby smiled. Marsden took a step backward, as shocked as the rest of them. “You have no power over me. You’re not this big bad monster, hiding in the dark. You might be able to physically hurt me, but you’ll never again get in my head. You’re a sad, twisted excuse of a human being.” She tilted her head to listen to the sirens coming closer. “One who’s going back to jail for a very long time. I’m done with you.”

She turned to walk away from him, finally finished with that part of her life.

“You don’t get to say when we’re done, bitch! I do. And we’re not done!”

A flicker of sharp movement caught her eye. Shin swore. Gabby’s legs went out from under her. The hard punch to her back had her gasping for breath as she landed on her hands and knees.

Matt roared. Taka yelled. Gabby turned her head to see Matt tear himself from Taka’s hold and throw himself at Marsden.

“Gabby!” Jon fell to his knees at her side. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

Gabby pushed back onto her shins, the damp grass cold against her skin. She breathed deep, only to wince at the sting between her shoulder blades. Tears stung the back of her eyes as she rolled her shoulders to try and ease the ache. She glanced at the street. Three police cars pulled up, lights flashing. Officers jumped from the cars and surrounded the men behind her.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. The police are here. They’ll sort him out.”

Jon stood and took hold of her upper arm. “Are you sure? One of the boys could check you out.”

“I said I’m fine. I just need to sit down.” She looked where she was, then started laughing. “I am sitting down!”

“I don’t see how you find this amusing. You could’ve been badly hurt.”

She looked up at Jon’s concerned face. “But I wasn’t. So I’ll have a bruise. It’s worth it to get that bastard out of my life for good. If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry, and I don’t want to start that, or I won’t stop.”

“Gabby!” Yumi ran across the grass to her side. “You’re all right? The baby! Have you got any cramping?” She took hold of her other arm and helped Jon help her to her feet.

“Baby?” Taka’s voice interrupted her reply. She looked up at his stunned face. “What baby?”

He stood apart from the fracas behind him. Matt was being restrained by Mas and Shin. The hatred radiating from Matt’s face chilled her more than the cold night air. The police had hold of a bloody Marsden and were leading him to the squad car, blue and red flashing lights making the scene surreal in the dark. All around them, movement and action, while they stood still in the center.

Gabby bit her lip hard. This wasn’t the way she’d wanted him to find out. She turned to Yumi and a confused Jon. “Could you leave us for a minute? I need to talk to him privately.” She looked up at the people coming out of Taka’s house. “Could you sort that out? Tell them what’s happening?”

They both nodded.

“Of course. We’ll be over there if you need us,” Yumi said.

 

“What’s she talking about? Is this what you wanted to talk to me about in the house?”

Gabby turned to face him. “Yes.” Her hand went protectively to her stomach and she stepped back from him a little, as if to put emotional distance between them. “Takeshi, I’m pregnant.”

Taka blinked. “What?”

“I’m having a baby.”

She stared at him, biting her lip. She only bit her lip when she was really worried about something. He couldn’t take his eyes from her beautiful mouth.

She’d pulled back from him, hadn’t wanted him touching her. And she’d been sad. Nervous.

The nausea. She’d thrown up. He wracked his brain, trying to grasp something solid in his limited experience with obstetrics. He was a cardio surgeon, not a gynecologist. She’d have to be at least a month along, six weeks. Considering the timing of her accident, more than six weeks. They’d slept together only two weeks ago. Not two months. The world tilted sickeningly and the ground fell away from under his feet. He couldn’t breathe.

This can’t be happening. Not now.

He glanced around. His mother and Jon were with the rest of his guests, taking control.

His mother. She’d known.

Jon.

Jon was always there. Now he knew why. Gut-wrenching pain twisted his insides. He’d wanted to believe she wanted more with him. That maybe they had a chance. Thought that she might even love him a little. Now he knew it wasn’t a possibility. Laughter built inside him, doing its best to find a way out. He let go and went with it.

He looked back at her. The expectant, nervous expression on her face made him want to throw up, himself. Anger wound through the pain, overtaking it.

“This is too much. First, there’s a nut-job trying to burn my house down while full of guests, then you lay this on me? Actually, no. This is a good thing. You’ve saved me making a complete idiot out of myself. So thank you.”

“You don’t care? Not even a little?” She looked thrown by his laughter.

Is she nuts? Of course I care. His whole world was falling apart, but he was damned if he was going to tell her that.

Taka raked his hand through his hair. “Why the hell should I? It means nothing to me. You were right. You did ruin the night. First Marsden, now this. But better that than if you’d waited. Can you imagine if I had…?” He shook his head at her, his face closing over and becoming harsh. “I can’t deal with this. It’s too much. I think you should do us all a favor and leave.”

Gabby looked as if he’d slapped her. The color drained from her cheeks. His gut twisted at the expression on her face, but he couldn’t let himself care. If he stopped to think for even a split second, he’d take her in his arms and tell her that it didn’t matter and that he loved her regardless, that they could get past this.

“Can you tell me one thing before I go?”

Her strained voice drove shards of shattered glass through his heart. He nodded sharply. He didn’t trust himself to say anything. His whole life, his plans for his future, were turning to dust. He wanted to hit something. Hard.

“The ring in your bathroom cupboard. Were you planning on giving it to someone?”

Surprise that she’d found it and said nothing stole some of his anger. When had she seen it? Not that it mattered now anyway.

“Yes.” His reply was short and sharp. There was no way in hell he was going to tell her it had been for her. Not now.

Her face paled further. Pain was almost a living thing on her face. He couldn’t do this. Couldn’t stand seeing her look at him like that.

“Goodbye. See yourself home.” He spun and stalked away from the noise, into the welcoming dark of the street. Walked away from what should’ve been the happiest night of his life.