This Time, I Jumped Ship

Gideon's POV

When I opened my eyes again, I was back two weeks before the cruise.

Marissa was several months pregnant, and I was taking her to a prenatal appointment.

Elliot Carver had come too.

He said he had nothing else to do that day and wanted to keep us company.

A nurse stepped into the waiting area with a clipboard.

"Who's here with Marissa Langford? I need a signature."

Elliot stood immediately.

"That's me."

The first time I lived through this day, I thought nothing of it.

Elliot and I had been best friends for more than twenty years. I'd long ago stopped thinking of him as just a friend. He was family.

We'd even agreed that once Marissa gave birth, he'd be the baby's godfather.

So when he went to sign something, it made sense.

But now, watching him jump up to sign without a second thought, I understood everything.

The nurse looked at him.

"You're Ms. Langford's husband?"

Elliot didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

"Sign here. Congratulations, you're going to be a dad. The baby's perfectly healthy, so don't worry."

Joy spread across Elliot's face.

"Thank you."

In my first life, I'd turned to Marissa, thrilled.

"Did you hear that? The nurse says the baby's healthy. Once she's born, Elliot's the godfather and Naomi's the godmother. Think she'll be excited when she hears?"

Marissa had stolen a glance at Elliot, then quickly looked away. Something about it was off.

"I'm sure she will."

I'd sighed.

"Too bad Naomi's impossible to pin down. I want to tell her the good news, and I don't even know where to find her."

Marissa's answer had been vague.

"She'll... find out."

I'd been puzzled.

"Isn't her work classified? They're not even allowed to contact family privately. How are you going to tell her?"

Marissa had smiled and winked at me.

"You wouldn't get it. She and I have a psychic connection."

As the old scene played out again, I finally understood all of it.

The woman I'd pictured as the baby's godmother and the baby's mother were the same person.

Elliot seemed to sense something was off.

"Gideon, I just got carried away," he explained. "I'm finally getting a goddaughter, so I jumped up to sign before I thought. Don't read into it."

Before I could answer, Marissa wrapped both arms around mine and leaned her whole weight against my shoulder, as affectionate as could be.

She lifted her chin at him, a little smug.

"You and Gideon go back more than twenty years. You knew him before I did. I swear, if the two of us fell into the water, he'd save you first! I'm so jealous!"

Elliot smiled gently.

"No way. If you fell in, we'd both jump in to save you."

"You'd better!"

Marissa pretended to be angry and jabbed a finger at him.

"From now on, I come first in Gideon's heart. You're second. Got it?"

Elliot raised his hands in surrender, though the corners of his mouth curved up.

"Got it, Your Highness. You're impossible."

Only then did Marissa back down.

"That's more like it."

Looking at the two faces in front of me, I finally saw how stupid I'd been in my last life.

All their bickering in front of me, even the jealousy, had just been flirting.

I wasn't in on their game.

I was part of it.

At that moment, my heart was colder than the sea had been that day.

This was the woman I trusted most and the friend I treasured most.

How absurd.

Maybe Marissa noticed something was wrong with my expression. She took my hand and frowned with concern.

"Gideon, why are your hands so cold?"

I pulled my hand back. My voice was flat.

"I'm fine."

She wouldn't let it go. She took my hand again and warmed it between her small, dry palms.

"Are you sure? You look awful."

I glanced at Elliot, and a mischievous impulse rose inside me.

I smiled.

"You two are getting along so well. The baby isn't yours and Elliot's, is it? Maybe we should get a paternity test."

The small hands holding mine stiffened.

As for Elliot, he looked startled. Then he lowered his eyes, and a flicker of something dark, almost imperceptible, crossed his face.