Amelia sighed. “I’m sure.”
“Zach’s not that type of guy,” Bailey stated. “Trust me.”
Amelia thought back to what Courtney had said to her. “Courtney believed that, too.”
Bailey stepped closer to Amelia. Shocked, she replied, “What does Courtney have to do with this?”
“She fell for him and he didn’t catch her. Maybe I’m falling too fast for him and he won’t be there to catch me either.”
“That’s just your fear talking. You know he chose you. He wouldn’t hurt you.”
“Everything’s too good to be true. Too many good things have been happening. Something bad has to happen soon. And that’s what it’ll be. My heart will be broken again.” Amelia felt confused. She felt defeated. Emotions ran wildly through her. Why am I overreacting like this? she thought.
“Those are normal fears. Not just for you, but for everyone. The doubts you have are because of Ryan. Zach’s nothing like that. He wouldn’t hurt you. I promise.” Bailey placed a hand on Amelia’s shoulder.
Amelia turned and faced Bailey. “I’m conflicted right now. I want to believe that, but because of Ryan, I can’t believe that another man won’t hurt me. I want to call Zach and ask him what he’s doing. I want to ask him why he didn’t come around yesterday. But I know that’s my insecurities taking over.”
Bailey nodded. She placed the bread in the toaster and pressed the handle down. She walked to the other side of Amelia. Amelia stirred the eggs as they cooked in the pan. “You’re right. I don’t blame you.”
“I need to stop over-thinking and overreacting. He’ll call me or come over whenever he wants to.”
Bailey nodded. “He will. Zach’s a busy man. That’s all.”
Amelia put a hand over her eyes and exclaimed, “I’m so stupid! Why do I let what Ryan did to me interfere with my current relationship?”
“It’s normal. It happens to the best of us,” Bailey said as she buttered the toast. “I have walls up, too. I won’t let any guy get too close, and I won’t get too attached because of my parents’ divorce and the death of my father,” Bailey confessed. “I know it sounds ridiculous, I think so too. My therapist says it’s normal. She says that my subconscious mind makes me believe that every relationship I have, or marriage I may have, will end with a divorce. Or I’ll lose the love of my life too soon because of death.”
Amelia glanced at Bailey. “Sounds about right. My therapist blamed my subconscious mind too.”
“So there you have it. We’re not crazy. We’re normal. Our subconscious minds may be crazy and damaged, but we’re okay.”
Amelia laughed. “I can always count on you to put everything into perspective for me. Oh, and make me believe I’m not crazy.” She winked and laughed.
She scooped the eggs from the pan and placed them on their plates. She did the same with the bacon. Bailey buttered the toast and placed it next to the bacon on their plates.
“Let’s eat,” Amelia announced.
They took their plates to the dining room and sat down at the table.
“Shoot, I forgot to pour milk. Would you like some?”
Bailey nodded with a mouthful of food. “Mmhmm.”
“Okay.” Amelia chuckled. She walked to the kitchen and poured milk into two glasses. She walked back to the table as she balanced the two glasses evenly. She made sure the milk did not escape either of the two glasses. She set them down on the table. “I filled them a little too full.”
“Thanks. I can tell you’re a waitress.” Bailey said as she leaned forward to sip some of the milk out of her glass.
“Why’s that?”
“Because if I would’ve carried the glasses, the milk would’ve been everywhere except in the glasses.”
“Oh, whatever!”
“I’m being honest!” Bailey exclaimed. “It’s hard enough for me to not spill from one glass as I carry it.”
Amelia chuckled. They finished their breakfast.
Chapter Seventeen
The weekend was over before Amelia knew it. Sunday night came quickly. She got ready for bed and set her alarm for work. There was a knock at her front door. She still had not heard from Zach. She hoped he was the person at her door. She raced to the front door and peeked out her window. She opened the door.
“Hey, Amelia.” Zach stood on her porch as he stared at her.
“Zach! Come in!” Amelia’s face lit up and she rushed him inside. “What’s going on?”
Zach looked depressed.
“Zach, what’s wrong?” Amelia guided him to the couch and made him sit down.
He sat quietly as though he were in a daze. He shook his head.
“Zach, you need to tell me what’s going on,” Amelia said, worried. “Is it about us?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“You need to tell me, please?” she begged him. “What’s going on?”
Zach looked at her. He looked directly into her eyes. Her heart raced and he sat quietly. Finally, he spoke to her. His voice was low and shaky. “Sorry for not calling you.” Zach ran a hand through his hair.
“It’s okay.” Amelia assured him.
“I got so busy with working and taking care of personal things, I forgot to call.”
Personal things? Amelia thought. What personal things? This can’t be the reason why he’s so upset.
“It’s okay.”
“I just had so much going on.” He looked down at his hands. He wringed his hands together. “I’m sorry.”
“Zach, come on, seriously, it’s okay. I understand.” Amelia reached out and touched his arm. He pulled away. She pulled her hand away from him. She could not figure out what was happening. She had never seen him like this before. It was obvious to her that he was conflicted, but she did not know why.
“Zach, you need to talk to me. I need to know what’s going on.”
He looked at her again. His eyes were full of worry.
“Courtney,” he said.
Amelia gasped and sat back. “What about Courtney?”
“She called me Friday and told me she’s pregnant.”
Amelia was confused. “Crazy Courtney?”
He nodded.
Confusion clouded Amelia’s mind. “With your baby?”
He nodded again. “That’s what she says.”
Amelia sat still. Her jaw dropped in shock. “How?” She looked at Zach. She could tell he was upset, but he remained calm. “I thought you said you two broke up several months ago?” She questioned him.
“We did.” Zach stated.
“Then how can the baby be yours?” Amelia’s head spun. Why is this happening? she thought.
He was angry. There was no denying that. She wondered why Crazy Courtney would tell him she was pregnant. She wondered if the baby was really his.
“I’m so angry right now. I have no idea if it could be or not.” Zach clenched his fists. “I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, as long as you’re honest with me.”
“What if the baby’s mine?” He was terrified. Amelia could see it on his face.
There were several thoughts going through Amelia’s mind. How could this be? Why’s this happening? What’s he going to do? What am I going to do? What are we going to do? “How far along is she?”
“She said she’s four months along.”
Four months isn’t several months ago, Amelia thought. “Then it can’t be yours.” When Zach did not respond, Amelia said, “Right? You two broke up more than four months ago, didn’t you?”
“We may have been together then. Not together, but messing around.” He held his head between his hands with his elbows on his knees. He seemed miserable and guilty.
Amelia sat back. She felt devastated. The man of her dreams sat beside her, and told her another woman was going have his child. There were no words to describe how she felt. “Well then, it’s probably yours.”
Zach looked at her. His mouth fell open and
his eyebrows furrowed. His tear-filled eyes searched hers. “Amelia, I’m not sure.” He shook his head and balled his hands into fists. His body trembled. “All I know is I don’t want to lose you.”
“Why are you so concerned with losing me? It’s not like you cheated on me or anything. This is your battle from your past. It has nothing to do with me.” She caught her tone of voice and settled back into her seat. She was not sure what would happen. She wondered how strange it would be for her to be with a man who had a child with another woman. How complicated would her life be? “The question is do you still love her?”
When he did not respond, her heart plummeted to the floor. A wave of nausea swirled in her stomach. Amelia grabbed his arm. “Zach, seriously.”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. I actually hate her. I feel trapped now, like she had planned this to happen.” His jaw clenched.
Amelia sat still. She was unsure of what to do or say next. She watched him and all of his angry movements. He was close to tears, but he fought them away.
“Does she know about us?” Amelia asked, unsure if she wanted an answer.
“I don’t know. I’m sure she does. Nothing gets by without everyone and their dog knowing about it.”
“She’s jealous. She wants a way to control you. This is her way of having you to herself,” Amelia suggested.
“That seems to be a bit far-fetched. She’s crazy, but I don’t think she’d be that crazy. That’s like movie kind of crazy you’re suggesting.”
Amelia shrugged. “You said she’s crazy. There’s no limit on crazy.” Amelia walked to the phone. “I’m going to tell Bailey to come over.”
She dialed Bailey’s phone number and waited for Bailey to answer. Once Bailey answered, she told her to come over immediately.
When Bailey walked in, she had sweat on her forehead and was out of breath. “What’s going on?” Bailey asked between gasps. “Everything okay?” she asked as she looked from Amelia to Zach.
Amelia told her everything Zach had told her. “I need you to investigate it, Bailey,” Amelia pleaded. “We need to know if she’s really pregnant. If she is, we need to know if it’s Zach’s.”
“How am I going to investigate?” Bailey asked with one eyebrow raised. She grabbed a water bottle and took a drink.
Amelia looked at Bailey like she had lost her mind. “You’re good at investigating and getting the low down on everything.” Amelia looked at Zach and back at Bailey. “We need to know.”
Bailey looked at Zach and asked, “When did she tell you?”
Zach shrugged. “A few days ago.”
“How far along is she?” Bailey asked.
“She said she’s four months.” Zach continued to look at the floor. He was still upset, but calmer than he had been.
“When was the last time you two slept together?” Bailey asked while she prepared to do the math.
Zach looked at Amelia. Amelia could see the pain in his eyes. She knew he did not want to answer Bailey’s question. She assured him, “I don’t care. Right now, I’m still here. Do you want Bailey to figure it out or not?” Amelia snapped. She had not intended for it to come out that way, it just had.
Zach nodded. He frowned and said, “About four and a half months ago.” He put his head between his hands and clenched his jaw.
Amelia stood by Bailey in the doorway of the kitchen. They both watched as Zach wringed his hands and clenched his jaw in anger. Amelia frowned. She felt helpless and disappointed. Bailey wrapped her arm around Amelia and pulled her close. She whispered into her ear, “You two will get through this. He needs you now more than ever.”
Amelia shrugged and wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t know about that.”
Bailey patted her on the shoulder and said, “I’m going to head home. You two need time to talk. I’ll do some research and ask around.”
Amelia nodded. Bailey walked by Zach and gave him a hug and whispered something into his ear. Amelia could not hear what was said.
When Bailey left, Zach looked up at Amelia and said, “Amelia, please don’t. I don’t want this to mess up what we have. I want the perfect life with you.”
He walked towards her. Her jaw dropped and she raised a hand to cover her mouth. Tears sprang into her eyes. He placed his hands on her face. Tears streamed down their cheeks.
“I’m falling in love with you. There’s no denying it. We may not be perfect, but I think we’re perfect for each other.” Zach continued to hold her face in his hands.
“I’m not sure.” Amelia looked down at the floor.
“I’m not sure of a lot of things right now.” Zach sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. “But, one thing I’m sure of, I don’t want this to ruin what we have.”
“This is all too much right now. I just want to sit and not think about any of this right now,” Amelia stated. She flipped on the porch light. She walked out onto the porch. Zach followed her. The night air was calm and cool. The moon shined brightly over the street. She sat on the swing, and Zach sat on the railing.
She looked over at him. His gaze was fixed on her. She looked down at the worn paint and said, “I can’t promise you anything right now.” Warm tears fell from her eyes. She let them fall. Zach walked to the swing and sat down next to her. “I’m not sure what will happen.” He reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers. He sat quietly. She looked at him. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked away from her. She squeezed his hand. “I’ve fallen in love with you.” She wiped her face with her hand. “You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of.” Zach nodded and she continued, “I’m just not sure if I’m ready for this kind of situation right now.”
Zach nodded again. “I understand. Do you want me to leave?”
Amelia shook her head. “No, I want to sit here a while with you. Let’s forget about everything and just sit here.” Amelia squeezed his hand. “Can we?”
Zach was surprised, but he replied, “Yes, we can.”
She scooted closer to him. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Look at the moon and stars.”
She looked up. The moon hung high and bright in its fullness. Stars danced and twinkled throughout the dark night sky. “Beautiful.”
“Imagine how dark and dull the sky would be without the moon and stars. Can you imagine it? No moon, no stars, just pure black sky.”
“I don’t want to imagine it. That’d make night time not my favorite anymore.”
“I see us like I see the moon and stars. Imperfect and small in existence, but without us, my world would be dark and dull. Just like the dark night sky would be with no moon, no stars, only darkness.”
Amelia smiled. “You’re well-rehearsed.” She chuckled.
He looked down at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Amelia giggled. “You have many lines. You must’ve rehearsed them over and over.”
Zach nodded. “I speak straight from my heart. I say exactly how I feel when I feel how I feel.” He chuckled. “If that made any sense?”
Amelia laughed and leaned against him. She situated herself under his right arm. “It made perfect sense.”
They sat together on the porch swing. Within half an hour, Amelia had fallen asleep. Zach carefully picked her up and carried her up the stairs. He carefully placed her on her bed and covered her with a blanket. He bent over and kissed her on her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams.”
Chapter Eighteen
Amelia woke up. When she opened her eyes, she noticed she was still in yesterday’s clothes. She wondered why for a minute. She then remembered Zach had come over and told her the horrible news. She also remembered their conversation on the front porch last night. She must have fallen asleep while they sat on the swing. She recalled what he had said. “He’s so sweet,” she said to herself as she got out of bed.
She grabbed an outfit for work and laid it on her bed. She showered and dressed within a half hour.
As she headed out the
front door, her eyes scanned the porch. On the porch swing sat a bouquet of flowers. She walked over to the swing and picked them up. A note hung from one of the stems. She read it. Good morning, beautiful. Have a good day at work.
Amelia’s face lit up as she read it. He’s too sweet. She carried the flowers into her house. She grabbed the last vase she had on the counter and filled it with water. She put the flowers in it. “Perfect!” she said out loud.
She left her house and drove to work. She clocked in with her time card.
“Hey, Amelia. Did you have a good weekend?” Courtney asked as she walked over to the time clock.
“Hey, Court. My weekend was great. How about yours?” She thought of the late night conversation, the porch swing, and the flowers. She smiled.
“Mine was good. I got a lot done with moving things.”
“Moving things? Are you moving?” Amelia asked as she put her time card in its slot.
“I’m moving this week. I finished packing Friday night. Started moving stuff on Saturday morning.”
“Where are you moving to?” Amelia had no idea Courtney was moving. She did not really care much anyway. “Are you still going to work here?”
Courtney clocked in with her time card. “Don’t worry, I’m not moving far. I’m moving across town. Do you know where the old bakery is?”
Amelia nodded.
“I’m moving into the house next to it. And yes, I plan on still working here. Just not as often as I have been.”
Amelia held up a finger. “Now that you mention it. You’ve been working here a lot lately. Why? I mean, Anna said you were only part-time or as needed. What changed?”
Courtney shrugged. “No idea. Anna asked me to cover her shift for her this week.”
Amelia looked puzzled. “Did she say why?”
Courtney opened a cardboard box that was labeled Pasta. “She said she’s behind on some things and needs the week off to catch up.”
“Oh, okay.” Amelia shrugged and restocked the shelves.
“Plus, today will be crazy and very busy.”
“Why’s that?”
“The weatherman says it’s supposed to snow tonight. A big blizzard’s coming to town.”
Second Chances (Fairshore Series Book 1) Page 11
