Instant Parents with My Enemy

Jasmine's POV I rolled my eyes as I stepped out of my car. The moment Nate got out of his vehicle, he immediately shoved two massive, lavishly wrapped presents into full view. His gifts were way bigger than mine. And, of course, his wrapping was flawless too, unlike mine, which I had painstakingly done by hand because I wanted the gifts to feel personal. I hated losing to him. But it was too late now. We were already here. Nate smirked, tilting his head as he proudly flashed his gifts at me like they were trophies. “d**k,” I spat. He stuck out his tongue like a five-year-old. He was teasing me, rage-baiting the hell out of me. “Broke,” he shot back. Bitch. My eyebrows shot up. I was definitely not broke. Sure, I knew he had more money than me, but that didn't mean I was struggling. I was a rising fashion designer with a growing career, while Nate was… well, in business. More specifically, he was a high-powered CEO who somehow refused to act like one. He was childish as hell, and that was precisely what drove me crazy about him. “Whatever.” I adjusted my grip on my gifts before walking toward the house. Of course, Nate followed. And because neither of us knew how to simply walk into a house like normal adults, we turned it into a competition. We raced toward the front door, elbowing each other out of the way because neither of us was willing to surrender an inch. “f**k,” he muttered under his breath when he stumbled. “f**k,” I spat back, shoving his arm. Even walking into a birthday party was an aggressive sport between us. The sheer size of his packages made it difficult for him to maneuver, so naturally, I took advantage of his clumsiness. I gave him one final, hard push against the doorframe, slipped past him, and stepped into the house victorious. I was immediately met with the furrowed brows of Karen and her husband, Jerry. They stood in the foyer, staring at the two of us with sheer bewilderment. Clearly, they had no idea a full-blown war had just taken place on their front porch. “What on earth are you two doing?” Jerry asked, his eyes darting between us. I flashed him a quick, awkward smile before glancing back at Nate, who was still at the doorway, attempting to regain both his balance and his dignity. Stupid. He could have just set the boxes down. “Jas, what is going on?” Karen asked, stepping toward Nate to rescue him from his mountain of gifts. She took one of the huge boxes from his arms. “Behavior check, please. We have a lot of guests coming today.” “I didn't do anything,” I insisted, tossing a pointed glare in Nate's direction. “Can't say the same for others, though.” “I didn't do anything either!” Nate defended himself, adjusting his posture. “As you can see, she pushed me so hard that I got pinned against the doorframe!” My eyebrows arched in fake innocence. “I didn't push anyone. I was simply trying to enter the house,” I said sweetly. “What do you mean you didn't—” Nate's retaliation was cut short by a high-pitched, excited squeal. We both turned toward the sound. Karen and Jerry's four-year-old daughter, Kitty, came sprinting toward us, her little legs moving as fast as they could. Her eyes sparkled the moment she spotted the giant gift boxes. I immediately dropped to my knees and opened my arms. “Oh, Kitty!” She slammed into me, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around my neck. I laughed and hugged her back. “Happy birthday, baby girl!” Today was the fourth birthday of Karen and Jerry's twins, my absolute favorite godchildren. Time had flown by so quickly. It felt like just yesterday they were tiny newborns, and now they were energetic four-year-olds running around the house like they owned the place. “Oh, I love birthdays now, Mama Jas!” Kitty announced dramatically, squeezing me even tighter. I laughed. “I'm glad you do.” She pulled back with a bright grin before immediately darting toward Nate's pile of gifts. A moment later, her twin brother, Keith, came jogging toward us. Unlike Kitty, Keith was already trying to act like a little man. He was quieter and more reserved, usually shying away from kisses and naturally gravitating toward Nate. I didn't mind it. If anything, I thought it was adorable. “Happy birthday, Keith,” I said, pulling him into a gentle hug. “You're such a big boy now.” “Thank you, Mama Jas,” he replied softly. I smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. He immediately squirmed away before darting straight toward Nate. I laughed under my breath. Nate wasn't the overly affectionate type either. He simply smiled and patted both children fondly on the head as they gathered around him. “Oh my gosh, Mommy!” Kitty squealed, running toward Karen and pointing excitedly at the pile of presents. “Look at all these huge gifts!” “You can open those later, sweetie,” Karen said with a smile, gently stroking her daughter's hair. “First, you have to blow out your candles and eat some cake. After that, you two can open everything.” “But Mommy—” “No buts.” Kitty pouted. Keith giggled beside her. I smiled at the sight. For a moment, everything felt perfect… The house was filled with laughter, the twins were surrounded by people who loved them, and Karen looked happier than I'd seen her. Seeing my best friend surrounded by her own little family filled my heart with a warmth I couldn't quite put into words. This was everything Karen had ever wanted. I still remembered the nights when we were younger, lying on the floor of my bedroom and talking about the lives we wanted someday. She had always dreamed of a husband, a beautiful home, and little children running around the house. She got everything she wished for. And looking at her now, I couldn't help but feel happy for her. “What about you?” Karen asked softly. “When are you getting married?” The candles had already been blown out, dinner was long over, and most of the guests had gone home. The twins were now sitting in the middle of the living room, surrounded by colorful wrapping paper as they tore into their presents. Their laughter filled the room. Nate was still here, too. Honestly, I had no idea why. He was usually the first person to leave any gathering. He was a busy man, after all, and apparently his precious time was worth more than everyone else's. Thankfully, Nate and I rarely crossed paths outside gatherings like this. A birthday party here. A dinner there. The occasional double date with Karen and Jerry, that was enough. Seeing him every day would probably be the death of me. I turned my attention back to Karen. “I'm good, K. I'm happy with my life right now.” “Being all by yourself?” I shrugged. “What's wrong with being alone?” Karen gave me a look. “Nothing. But you know what I mean.” “We just have different dreams,” I said. “You wanted this. A husband, kids, a home filled with noise. I just want a quiet and peaceful life.” I paused. “I never really dreamed of having a family.” The words came out more easily than they should have. But they weren't entirely true. Of course I had dreamed of having a family. Once. A long time ago. There had been a time when I imagined a husband beside me, little feet running across the hallway, and a home filled with the kind of laughter I'd grown up craving. But that version of me was long gone. My dreams had changed. Now, I was perfectly content with my life. Child-free, husband-free, and most importantly—Nate-free. “At least think about it,” Karen insisted gently. “It's nice having little kids running around, Jas. Look at them.” She nodded toward the twins, who were currently fighting over a toy while Jerry tried to mediate between them. “You're all alone in that apartment every day with nothing but fabrics, sewing machines, and needles.” I laughed. “That's not exactly a bad thing.” “You know what I mean. What about your love life?” She nudged my shoulder. “You should try meeting someone.” Seriously, K? Had she completely forgotten what happened years ago? I gave her a pointed look, hoping she'd understand without making me say anything out loud. Then my eyes flicked toward Nate. I rolled them dramatically. Karen followed my gaze. For a second, she stared at me. Then realization dawned on her face. She immediately burst into laughter. Loud enough that everyone in the room turned to look at us. “Oh, sorry,” she giggled, leaning closer to me. “So you gained a mortal enemy instead of a lover, huh?” My eyes widened. “Oh, shut up!” I hissed. That only made her laugh harder. I couldn't help it. I laughed too. Even Nate glanced over from across the room, his eyebrows furrowing as if he was trying to figure out what we were talking about. I rolled my eyes at him, and he secretly showed me his middle finger. Karen and I both laughed at that. At that point in my life, it felt like everything had fallen apart. I didn't know it then, but that would be the last time I'd ever hear Karen laugh like that, the last time I'd see her sitting beside Jerry, watching their children tear into their birthday presents, before life took everything away. The last time I'd watch the four of them together and think that they had their entire lives ahead of them. I didn't know it then. How could I? We never do. We never know when an ordinary goodbye will become the last one. When a laugh will become a memory. When I'll see you soon will quietly turn into I wish I had one more day. One month later, my phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize. I almost ignored it. I wish I had… Because on the other end of that call were words that would tear my world apart. Karen and Jerry were dead… A car crash had taken them both from this world, leaving behind two four-year-old children who didn't understand why their parents weren't coming home. Keith and Kitty were suddenly alone. And when the lawyers read their parents' final wishes, I learned the cruelest part of all. They hadn't left their children to a family member. They hadn't left them to a relative. They had left them to… Nate and me.