50. Like two bestfriends.

TONY.

I couldn't stop thinking about what happened between Beth and I. The way she told me to not claim the baby and also how she begged me not to let Lara suspect anything could not leave my mind. I let out a sigh as I kept thinking about all these things. I had no idea Luca had walked in since I was the only one at home. Not until he tapped me did I know he had walked in.

"Tony," he tapped me and I jumped up from the chair. I was shocked to see him. "Dude, are you okay? What were you thinking about that heavily that didn't let you realize I had walked in?" He asked me.

I sighed and sat down on the chair back. "Thought you said you were going to stay out late?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I changed my mind." He said to me. Then he sat beside me, picking up the remote control on the table and changing the channel to a movie channel. I stared at him as he watched the television like he had no worries. Knowing fully well that there was nobody else I could talk to about what was bothering me, I decided to talk to him about it.

"Luca," I called.

"Yeah?" He replied, although not looking at me.  His eyes were on the television he was watching.

"You and Beth talk very well, yeah?" I asked him. Immediately he heard her name, he dropped the remote control in his hand on the sofa and turned to face me. On his face was a look of confusion.

"Uhm, what's going on?" He asked me. He sat upright on his seat after he turned to face me. "Why did you ask?"

"Nothing. Just wanted to know how close you two are." I replied.

I didn't want him to suspect anything. But the first thing I want to know is if she had told him she was pregnant, or that she's carrying my baby. If he doesn't say anything concerning it, then I guess I wouldn't be able to tell him.

"Well, we're quite close," he said and paused. Then he added, "at least, to an extent."

I let out a sigh as I was about to speak to him about what happened between Beth and me. "Beth is pregnant," I blurted out to him. Expecting him to be shocked or surprised over what I had just said, I was even the one who got surprised because he didn't look surprised in any way. I knew at that moment that he was aware of her pregnancy.

"Okay?" He said and turned back to look at the television he was watching initially. "Why are you bothered about that?" He asked me.

"You don't look surprised in any way, Luca. What's happening?" I asked him, staring at him confusedly. "Did you know about this already?"

"The fact that I don't seem surprised doesn't mean I know already. I'm just concerned about why you're bothered about it. That's all." He said and turned to look at me, folding his arms. "How did you find out she's pregnant, by the way?"

"Uhm, she told me." I simply stated.

"Oh, okay." He said. There was silence in the room for a few seconds before he added, "did she tell you who the father of the baby is?"

"That's where the issue is, man," I said and sighed, sitting back on the chair. "She's carrying my baby. So is Lara." I added the last part slowly and more quietly.

He chuckled lightly, making me wonder what was funny in what I had just said. I rolled my eyes at him and acted like I didn't hear him chuckle. Expecting him to reply, I laid still on the chair and focused on the television, even though my mind was somewhere else.

"So, what do you plan to do about the situation?" He finally asked me after a few seconds.

"That's why I'm telling you, man. I don't know what to do right now. I'm so confused. Beth also told me not to claim the baby or tell Lara anything about it, but I don't think that's the best thing too—" I was saying when Luca cut in.

Luca's head snapped in my direction immediately after he heard me speak. "What the fuck? So, you were planning to tell Lara?" He asked and scoffed. "You want to break up their friendship? Dude, you know how girls are naturally. Not to talk of someone like Lara who doesn't want to listen to anyone and wouldn't want to understand if she hears something like that." He said to me.

I knew he was telling the truth, but I just couldn't bring myself to accept that fact. So, if no one was going to say the truth, what would happen to Beth? Would she continue to suffer alone? I can't let that happen.

"Luca," I called. "So, how would Beth cope? It's hurtful enough to see the father of her baby with another woman, and—"

"That other woman is also carrying a baby for you. And she's your official girlfriend and fiancé by the way. I wonder how you even made this type of mistake in the first place." He said and shrugged. "How could you impregnate two best friends? That's absurd, man."

"I know, but it wasn't intentional. Beth and I had our thing when Lara left me."

"I'm aware." Luca simply stated.

"So, why are you blaming me when you're aware of what's going on?" I asked him, unable to fathom what he was trying to do.

Luca scoffed and turned to the television. "You can't understand what it's like to like someone but they're stuck with someone else. Someone else is in their head, and just when things are supposed to get better, she gets pregnant for my brother. Do you even know how that feels? Do you know how much that hurts?" He asked the last question with a serious expression on his face as he turned to look at me. "That's it. You can't understand because you always get all the girls you want. But right now, I'm trying to heal over the feelings I have for her and you're bringing up her topic once more."

I did understand him, but I just didn't know how to tell him that I like Beth too. It was a complicated thing to like two best friends at the same time, but it was even more complicated for both of them to be carrying the same man's child. I was in so much trouble, just that the problems weren't unleashed on me yet.

"I like Beth. I honestly do." I blurted out.

"I'm aware. I've noticed the tension between you two since I returned to the country. Besides, I see the way you stare at her, even when your babe is around. Only a blind person wouldn't see that, honestly. I wonder how your girlfriend hasn't found out about it already," he said.

"But, Luca—"

"I'll leave you to figure out what to do about the whole issue. When you've made a decision, let me know, so we can think it through and discuss it well before we go on with it." He said and stood up on his sofa, patting my shoulder, before walking further into the house.