My Husband Wants An Open Marriage

CHAPTER 092: You're Stuck With Us Now

The dining room is chaotic. Plates clatter, wine glasses clink, and everyone is shouting over each other. My dad is seated at the head of the table. He's holding court as usual, recounting some wild story that I'm sure gets more exaggerated with every telling. At a point between stories, he leans over, his eyes twinkling. "So, Julie, tell me how does my son behave in the big city? Still the same little troublemaker?"

Julie smirks. "Oh, he's very well-behaved. When he's asleep."

The entire table erupts in laughter, and I shake my head. "Traitor."

"Back in the day," my dad says. "Lucas was a terror. Always climbing trees, sneaking out- one time, he got stuck on the roof, and we had to call the fire department to get him down!"

Julie turns to me. "Really?"

"I was eight."

"You were twelve," my dad corrects.

Julie's laughter is infectious, and I find myself relaxing, letting the warmth of the room and the chatter wash over me. She's handling my family better than I expected, even if she's still trying to remember everyone's names. I notice she's sticking to Carolina, Isabel, Sofia, and Javier. Grandpa is having the time of his life, I can see, ever since he left for Colombia two weeks ago.

Surprisingly, Grandpa's sitting quietly today at the far end of the table, watching everything with a knowing smile.

Halfway through dinner, after my dad has launched into another embarrassing story, Grandpa clears his throat. "Julie," he

says,

"when are you going to tell them about the baby?"

The fork in Julie's hand clatters to her plate. The room freezes. I feel like the air's been sucked out of my lungs. Everyone's staring at us-waiting.

Julie blinks. "What...?"

"The baby," Grandpa repeats, leaning back in his chair. "Or were you waiting for a more special occasion?"

My mother's hand flies to her mouth, eyes wide with shock. "You're pregnant?"

My sisters exchange glances. My father leans forward, eyebrows raised.

Honestly, I'm more surprised they didn't know. Grandpa has been home for two weeks. How did he keep it in without exploding?

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CHAPTER 092: You're Stuck With Us Now

Julie shifts in her seat, her breathing shallow. She looks at me. Her lips part as if she's about to deny it. But then she stops. Something changes in her expression. Slowly, she turns back to the table. "Yes," she says. "I'm pregnant."

The room erupts.

My mother springs out of her seat, clapping her hands like a child on Christmas morning We're having a baby!" she shrieks, rushing over to Julie and pulling her into another suffocating hug.

My father stands. "Well, I'll be damned! A new member of the family! Congratulations, Lucas!" He slaps me on the back hard.

Everyone's talking all at once. Screams, jumping, excitement.

I sit there, smiling. You'd think Julie just announced she's giving birth to Jesus. The sheer absurdity of it makes me want to laugh, but I can't quite find the air.

Julie glances at me through the crowd of hugging relatives, her eyes wide. "Is this normal?" she mouths, clearly overwhelmed.

I shrug, trying to hide my smile. "Welcome to the family."

My mother is already firing off questions. "How far along are you? When's the due date? Have you thought of names? Is it a boy or a girl?"

Julie stammers, "The due date is 27 weeks from now. For sex, it's still early."

"Doesn't matter!" my mother declares. "We'll celebrate tonight! This is a blessing!"

I manage to stand, pulling Julie out of the whirlwind of relatives. "Okay, okay, give her some space! She needs to breathe, por favor!"

They relent, but only slightly. My mother wipes away happy tears, still grinning from ear to ear. "You have made this Christmas unforgettable,"

Julie smiles awkwardly, her hand tightening around mine. "I'm glad we could, uh, contribute."

Hean down, whispering in her ear. "I bet you're finding this overwhelming."

"No shit."

The celebration continues throughout dinner. My family takes turns offering toasts and sharing stories. Julie listens, smiling and nodding, but I can tell she's tired. Later, we retreat to our hotel room, the energy of the evening still buzzing in the air. Julie

CHAPTER 092: You're Stuck With Us Now

kicks off her heels with a groan, collapsing face-first onto the bed. The room is quiet except for the distant hum of traffic outside and our steady breathing.

I shut the door behind us, leaning against it for a moment, watching her. She looks exhausted but radiant, her hair tousled from the endless hugs. She turns her head to the side, catching me staring. "What?" she says.

I push off the door, walking toward her. "Nothing. Just wondering how you survived the night without bolting."

She flips onto her back, her arm draped over her eyes. "Barely. I was two speeches away from sneaking out the back.'

I chuckle, lying beside her. She rests her head on my chest, and I feel the tension drain from her.

"So," I say, "how'd you find my family?"

"Really nice. Chaotic, loud. Too much sometimes. But also... kind of perfect?"

I grin. "Well, welcome to the family."

She tilts her head up, meeting my gaze. Her eyes are soft, but there's a hint of mischief in them. "Please don't tell me you're pulling a crowd to our wedding."

"You think I'd risk my mom's wrath by not inviting the entire extended family? She'll have a list longer than a CVS receipt.'Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.

Her eyes widen in horror. "I swear to God, Luke, if I walk down the aisle and see your third cousin, I'm running."

I laugh, brushing a kiss across her forehead. "Whatever you want, princess. We'll elope to Vegas and tie the knot. But you better be ready. My mom's never going to forgive me. Or you."

Julie bites her lip, considering. "Fair enough."

We fall into a comfortable silence, the weight of the day finally settling over us. I feel her breathing slow, her body relaxing against mine.

"I mean it," she says, half-asleep now. "Your family... they're everything I never had. Loud, crazy, but real."

I kiss the top of her head again. "And they already love you. You're stuck with us now." Her response is a soft hum, and within moments, she's asleep, her hand still curled over my heart. I stay awake a little longer, listening to the world outside and feeling something I haven't felt in a while: peace.

CHAPTER 092: You're Stuck With Us Now

The next morning, I return from my jog, sweat clinging to my skin, and find the bed empty.

At first, I think Julie's in the bathroom. I walk over, knocking lightly. No response. I push the door open. Empty.

A little unease coils in my stomach. She never mentioned going anywhere.

I grab my phone and call her. It rings. And rings. No answer.

Frowning, I swipe to another number, calling the head of our security detail.

His voice crackles to life on the other end. "Mr. Martinez."

"Where's Julie?"

"She left with your sister, Carolina."

Relief washes over me, but it's short-lived. "Where did they go?"

"They said they were going shopping."

"And you let her

go

alone?" My voice is sharper than I intended.

"The missus insisted. We can't follow her against her will."

I clench my jaw, ending the call. Carolina? Seriously? She didn't think to mention this?

I call her next. No answer. Of course.

I dial Sofia, who picks up on the second ring, her tone too bright. "Morning, Lukey! What's up?"

"Where's Carolina?"

"She left for the mall earlier."

"With Julie?"

"Maybe. Why do

do you

care?"

"Because she took Julie with her."

Sofia sighs. "And you want to crash their fun? Luke, let Julie breathe for once."

"Relax. She's fine." And just like that, she hangs up.

That little shit.

I throw my phone onto the bed, pacing. A thousand things could go wrong. Julie's in a new

CHAPTER 092: You're Stuck With Us Now

city. She's pregnant. Anything could happen.

But I force myself to breathe. She's an adult. She can take care of herself. I keep repeating it

like a mantra. But it doesn't help. The nagging feeling won't leave.

My phone buzzes, and I snatch it up, expecting Julie. But it's Carolina.

Her voice is shaky. "Lucas, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened."

The blood drains from my face. "What happened where?"

"I can't find Julie."