Chapter 37
Colette’s lips were still tingling from Matt’s kiss when she heard a loud, exaggerated gagging noise from across the room.
“Eww... enough of mauling each other publicly! You guys invited us here, please don’t make me throw up the strawberry pastry I just had!” Damon, Matt’s youngest sibling, had his hands dramatically clutching his stomach as if ready to heave. His words were followed by the mischievous chuckles of two others standing just a foot away—Matt’s sister Evie and his older brother, Archie, all wearing matching grins that could only belong to a tight-knit group of siblings.
Colette turned toward them, still breathless from the kiss, her face flushed. Damon’s mock gagging only intensified, and for a moment, Colette felt a strange mixture of embarrassment and warmth. Despite everything, Matt’s family had a way of pulling her into their playful banter with ease. Matt, however, didn’t seem fazed at all by their antics.
“Shut up, all three of you!” Matt growled, though the grin plastered on his face made it clear he was anything but angry. Instead, he looked proud—his eyes flickered toward Colette’s face, taking in the pinkish hue he had caused with his kiss. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen. Matt gazed at her like a proud artist admiring his masterpiece, a smug smile spreading across his face.
“Oh, but it feels so much like watching your parents kiss,” Evie chimed in with a dramatic shudder. “And that’s just gross!”
Matt, ever the teasing brother, raised an eyebrow at them, eyes glinting with mischief. "Parents, huh? Well, maybe I should stop paying your college fees. Then you won’t feel like I’m your parent anymore, and it won’t be so gross.”
Damon crossed his arms with a look of mock offense. “Nah! One of my core childhood memories is you cleaning my runny nose snot with the curtains, so you being my parent isn’t gonna change—no matter what you do now.” He gave a nonchalant shrug, a lopsided grin pulling at his lips. “Not even your and Colette’s baby is going to stop me from seeing you as my father figure.”
Matt’s cocky grin faltered, his face softening with sudden emotion. Colette saw it instantly—the shift from playful banter to something more vulnerable. She had always known Matt’s siblings viewed him as a parental figure, especially with the age gap between him and Damon. But it seemed no one had ever directly told him that before.
Colette watched as Matt’s usually composed, no-nonsense demeanor gave way to something raw and emotional. For a second, he looked away, blinking rapidly as if trying to suppress tears. The room seemed to still for a moment, the lively party fading into the background as Matt processed Damon’s unexpected admission.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Matt playfully grabbed his youngest brother, pulling him into a rough hug. His voice cracked just slightly when he said, “By the way, is there any chance you’re saying all this because you’re jealous of the new baby?”
Damon immediately pushed him away, face scrunched up in denial. “No!” he cried, but his voice wavered with laughter. Evie, who had been trying and failing to hold back her giggles, finally let out a burst of laughter, followed closely by Archie.
Matt leaned in, grinning. “Really?”
Damon rolled his eyes and groaned. “Okay, maybe a tiny bit,” he admitted, grudgingly, his arms crossed as if to shield himself from further teasing.
“Thought so,” Matt said, his grin widening. “Otherwise, that ‘father figure’ thing wouldn’t have slipped out, even if someone was torturing you with a corkscrew.”
The whole group burst into laughter, the warm camaraderie filling the room with an infectious energy. Colette felt herself softening, a small smile tugging at her lips. The atmosphere was light, and for a moment, she almost allowed herself to get lost in it, to forget the weight that had been pressing on her chest for weeks.
Archie stepped forward, his expression sincere as he pulled Colette into a hug. “We’re really happy for you, sis,” he said, his voice quiet but full of warmth. “You’re going to be a great mother. I’m sure of it.”
Evie was next, her enthusiasm bubbling over as she enveloped Colette in a tight embrace. “I had been so worried about you two for a while there,” she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “But this? This is a wonderful surprise! Thanks for making me an aunt! Oh my God, I’m so excited!”
The word “excited” struck a chord in Colette. It resonated deep within her, and for the first time, the realization hit her like a wave. In all her anxiety about how Matt would react to the news, she had completely buried her own feelings. She hadn’t allowed herself to feel anything—no happiness, no excitement, not even the joy of the fact that she was finally going to be a mother.
But now, as the words sunk in, the giddiness started to rise. Her dream—becoming a mother—was no longer a distant hope. It was real. It was happening. She was going to be a mother. And Matt was by her side, smiling, laughing, and more supportive than she had dared to imagine.
As more guests came to congratulate them, Colette found herself caught up in the party’s flow. But there was something nagging at the back of her mind, something that wouldn’t be soothed by all the well-wishes or Matt’s tender gaze.
Finally, unable to ignore it any longer, she leaned in close to Matt and whispered, “We need to talk.”
Matt turned toward her, his expression shifting, though still soft. “I know,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. “And we will. I promise. We’ll talk once everyone leaves and we have the house to ourselves again, okay?”
She hesitated, but Matt smiled reassuringly, squeezing her hand. “For now, why don’t you just try to relax and enjoy the party?”
She nodded, though her heart remained heavy. She knew the conversation they needed to have couldn’t happen here, in the middle of all these people. It wasn’t the time or place to dredge up the past two months, to talk about Iris and what Matt had said in the hospital.
The party continued, and though Colette tried to focus on the present, the weight of the unresolved conversation lingered. Every glance Matt gave her, every word of congratulations from the guests, seemed to remind her of the things left unsaid.
Then, the door opened again, and Colette’s heart dropped.
At first, she expected it to be another late-arriving guest. But instead of more well-wishers, a cold gust of tension swept into the room as she walked in—Iris Lawson.
The entire atmosphere shifted in an instant. Laughter and chatter fell to a hush as Iris strode into the apartment like she owned the place. Colette’s breath hitched. Iris, with her sharp, elegant features and an air of authority, looked as if she had stepped out of another world. There was something predatory in her movements, like a lioness surveying her prey.