Exposure

by Ember Dante

  “Baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

  Ian was a man of his word, and he proceeded to show me exactly how possessive he could be.

  By the end of the week, life had returned to normal, and I was no longer the hot topic at work. There was still the occasional raised eyebrow or subtle glance, but for the most part, everyone had moved on to bigger and better things. It was nice not to be the center of attention.

  Friday began with a staff meeting—major snooze factor, but Kyle did like to talk—and Becky still wouldn’t make eye contact with me. It amazed me how little she thought of me, and while I had given up trying to salvage our friendship, I really just wanted to know why. To my knowledge, I had never done anything to her that deserved such treatment.

  I left the office shortly before noon so I could meet Ian for lunch—a rare treat during the week that put a little extra spring in my step. That sense of euphoria lasted until I stepped out of the elevator and spotted Brett standing in the lobby, studying the electronic information sign near the welcome desk. The adrenaline hit and I moved toward him without thinking. It wasn’t fear driving my actions. It was anger.

  Brett looked up as I approached, his eyes wide. At least he had the good sense to act surprised to see me.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, stopping a few feet away from him.

  He shifted from foot to foot and glanced past me as if looking for something. “Hey, bunny. What’s shaking?”

  “What’s shaking? Are you serious? What are you doing here? You know you can’t be within 100 yards of me.”

  “Calm down.” His hands came up, palms facing me. “I’m not here for you. I’m just waiting on a friend.”

  “What friend?”

  Before Brett could respond, Becky strolled out of the ladies’ room, speaking as she approached. “Hey, babe, what are you hungry for? I was thinking Chinese…” Her words trailed off as soon as she saw me.

  “Babe?” I asked, returning my attention to Brett. “Well, that certainly explains a lot.” My head swiveled toward Becky. “How long has this been going on?”

  Becky recovered from her initial shock and narrowed her eyes. “What do you care? You said you didn’t want him.”

  “I don’t. I just thought you were my friend. I couldn’t imagine why you would take his side over mine. I guess now I know.”

  “Brett, let’s go before Emmy the drama queen calls the cops to get even more attention,” Becky sneered, lacing her fingers with Brett’s and giving him a tug.

  “Becky, I don’t get you. At all. You know everything that happened between us,” I said, gesturing toward Brett. “You know what he did to me. How he treated me.”

  “What about how you treated him? You’ve never appreciated anything he’s done for you.”

  “What are you talking about? What he’s done for me? You’re crazy.” I exclaimed.

  Brett pulled her closer. “Beck, it’s okay. You’re right. Let’s just go.”

  “You know what, Becky? Have fun with him. Don’t be surprised if you walk into his apartment some day and find him fucking someone else. She’ll most likely have a white trash name.” I forced a smile. “Have a nice lunch.”

  I turned on my heel and stormed past them, not daring to look back for fear of screaming. I didn’t even take a full breath until I was outside.

  It was a five-minute drive to the Mexican restaurant where I was meeting Ian, which was barely enough time to run through everything I should have said to Brett and Becky. Why is it the really great comebacks and one-liners never spring to mind during the heat of the moment?

  Ian was waiting just inside the front door, looking at his phone. I stopped beside him and slipped an arm around his waist.

  “Hey, handsome. Been waiting long?”

  “Nope.” He brushed his lips across mine. “I’ve only been here about five minutes.”

  We opted to forgo the twenty-minute wait and sat in the bar instead. The server dropped off the chips and salsa, then went to fetch our drinks.

  “I learned something interesting today,” I said, looking up from my menu.

  Ian set his own menu on the table and gave me his undivided attention. “Oh?”

  “I know why Becky’s been acting so strange.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Apparently she and Brett have been seeing each other. I just don’t know for how long.”

  He scowled and shook his head. “How’d you figure that out?”

  I released a heavy sigh. “I ran into them as I was leaving to come meet you. Brett was waiting for her in the lobby.”

  Anger flashed in Ian’s eyes. “What? He was there?” He shook his head. “The man’s an idiot.”

  “I know I should have called the police, but honestly, I was so pissed when I saw him I couldn’t think straight. And then to see them together ... I never thought she would do something like this. She knows he can’t be trusted. Why would she hook up with him? Why would she turn on me like she did?”

  “She’s jealous.”

  “Of what?” I scoffed.

  Ian arched a brow and tipped his head to the side, but otherwise didn’t respond.

  “Me? Why?”

  “The difference between the two of you is that Becky is extremely insecure, so she uses sex to get attention. She puts herself out there in such a way that the men she attracts are the ones who are only interested in fucking her. She’s trying too hard, babe, and it’s obvious in the way she dresses and how she acts.” He smiled and reached for my hand. “You, my love, have more class than that. There’s a natural confidence about you that is evident to anyone who looks for it. I could tell the night we met that you had more self-respect than that. Did you think I didn’t know what Becky was doing, that she was trying to get my attention? Of course I knew. I could tell what type of girl she is, and if all I had wanted was to get my dick wet, she would have been the right choice. Although you and I did have sex that night, I knew within those few hours we were together that I wanted to get to know you. I was right, because I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

  Heat bloomed across my cheeks. “I guess I just couldn’t believe you were interested in me. I’d gotten used to the fact that whenever we went out as a group, no one ever gave me a second glance if Becky was there. I assumed that she was what men wanted and I’ve never been comfortable flaunting myself like that.” My gaze dipped to our joined hands and then back up to meet his. “I was surprised that you actually listened to what I had to say and didn’t expect me to be someone I’m not. You’ve always treated me with respect.”

  “Now you’re getting it.” He winked.

  “Becky’s betrayal stings, but I think seeing them together was exactly what I needed to help me keep moving forward and stop dwelling on things I can’t change.”

  Ian lifted my hand and kissed the backs of my fingers. “Then what do you say we only focus on the future?”

  “Deal.”

  I woke Saturday to an empty bed and a murky memory of Ian kissing me goodbye sometime around the crack of doom—otherwise known as four o’clock in the blessed morning. Architectural Digest was sending him to Bellville, about an hour away from Houston. He wasn’t planning to spend the night, so it would make for a very long day.

  It would also be a long day for me because I agreed to spend it with Jules, which meant a full-on girls’ day of pedicures and shopping. I would never have agreed to our marathon excursion if alcohol weren’t part of the deal, because I was looking forward to the girl time, but not the shopping. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about dropping two grand on a dress and one pair of shoes like I had the last time we went shopping.

  We made it through pedicures and two floors of the Galleria before deciding to take a break for sustenance, during which time we caught up on all the recent gossip. I thought she was going to lose her shit when I told her about Becky and Brett, but in the end, she wasn’t as surprised as I had been. Apparently, I was the only
one who had difficulty reading people.

  Jules was going on about work, barely stopping to say thank you when the waiter delivered our second round of drinks and a heaping plate of chicken fajita nachos. He left us, and she resumed right where she’d left off. “So, this new kid, this little shit barely out of nursing school, is trying to tell the rest of us—who’ve been there for years—that we don’t know what we’re doing. The fucking doctors love him. Of course they do, because he has a dick. Am I right?”

  I laughed and scooped a couple of nachos onto a small plate. It was just a matter of time before Jules put him in his place. She could reprimand people in such a way they’d thank her for it afterward. The new kid wouldn’t know what hit him. I topped off the nachos with a smear of sour cream and guacamole. Pure heaven.

  Until I got a whiff of the grilled chicken.

  Normally my mouth would water in anticipation, but at that moment all I could taste was bile. I pushed away the offending plate and took a long drink of water.

  “Em? You okay?” Jules asked, frowning. “You look a little green.”

  “For a second, I thought I was going to be sick.”

  “Too much alcohol, maybe?” She pursed her lips. “We haven’t had any food all day.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know. I smelled the chicken and almost lost it.”

  Jules forked a piece of meat and held it to her nose. “Smells okay to me.” She popped it in her mouth. “Tastes pretty good, too.”

  I reclined farther away from the table and took another sip of water. “I guess I just need a minute.”

  The feeling faded, and I wondered if she was right about the alcohol. I took a few deep breaths and convinced myself to try again. I really was hungry.

  Then I watched as Jules loaded a nacho with salsa, guacamole, and a wad of sour cream—that suddenly reminded me of thick snot mixed with wallpaper paste—before taking a huge bite. That did it. I clapped a hand over my mouth and bolted to the ladies’ room. Once I’d expelled everything I’d consumed—which didn’t amount to much—I rinsed my mouth as best I could and splashed some cold water on my face. I tried to recall if anyone at work had been sick, but no one came to mind.

  It wasn’t until I slid into my seat across from Jules that another possibility occurred to me.

  “What’s today?” I asked.

  Jules looked at me like I’d gone mad. “Saturday.”

  “No, the date. What’s today’s date?”

  “The eleventh. Why?”

  I grabbed my phone and opened the calendar app, frantically counting the days. “Shit.”

  “What?”

  “I’m late.” I set the phone on the table and rested my face against my hand. “My period is two weeks late.”

  “Wow.” She shook her head and blew out a long breath. “You haven’t noticed?”

  Frustrated, I tossed my hands in the air. “There’s been a lot of shit going on, so no, I guess I haven’t.” My back hit the cushion behind me. “What the hell am I gonna do?”

  The take-charge part of Jules’ personality kicked in. “First, you’re going to calm down. Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Like you said, a lot of shit has gone down lately, so maybe it’s just stress. Second, we’ll stop and pick up a pregnancy test when we leave. Don’t freak out until you know for sure.”

  Easy for her to say.

  We paid the check, and I allowed Jules to usher me from the restaurant. My mind was wrapped in a fog, unable to process what could possibly be my new reality. It was a good thing I was riding with her. Ian and I hadn’t really talked about kids, though I had assumed we would end up there one day. I just wasn’t planning on it happening this soon, especially after everything we’d been through recently.

  By the time we bought the tests—I had insisted on more than one—and made it back to Ian’s, I was trying to imagine Ian’s reaction and I couldn’t. Would he be happy? Pissed? Would he think I was trying to trap him? There were too many variables, making it impossible to predict. It was both a blessing and a curse that he wouldn’t be home until much later.

  “Are you gonna do this or not?” Jules asked, brow arched and arms crossed.

  I grabbed the tests and plodded off to the bathroom, feeling very much like I was headed to an execution. “Yeah, yeah.”

  Ten minutes felt like an eternity but passed in a millisecond as I waited for the results. I tried not to look until the time was up, but kept stealing glances at the test strips. There was no doubt. I was pregnant.

  Jules had commandeered the remote and was watching Chopped on Food Network when I made my way back to the living room. She’d never admit it, but I think she harbored a secret crush on Ted Allen.

  My legs felt like limp noodles, and I collapsed beside her, test strips in hand. “Positive.”

  She leaned closer and stroked the length of my back. “How you doing?”

  I didn’t answer. I just angled my head toward hers and pursed my lips. Tears were already beginning to blur my vision.

  “Em, it’ll be okay.”

  “How can you be sure? Besides, it’s not just Ian I’m worried about. How pregnant am I? How much harm have I done by drinking? What about the drugs they gave me after Brett attacked me? Was I pregnant then?” Tears began to flow freely, and I wiped them away with my hands. “I’m freaking out.”

  “Hey now,” she murmured, folding an arm around my shoulders. “Call Monday and make an appointment with your doctor. They’ll verify the test results and an exam will tell you how far along you are. Everything will be okay.”

  Her phone lit up with a text from Parker, but she didn’t read it.

  “Aren’t you going to get that?”

  “I’ll text him later.”

  She tried to play it cool, but I knew she was dying to see what he wanted.

  “Jules, it’s okay. Answer his text. Hell, go home.”

  “I can’t leave you like this,” she said, tightening her arm around me.

  “Yes, I’m freaked out, but I’ll be okay.” I forced a smile. “I promise.”

  There was a twinge of hope in her voice. “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  Her brows knit and her lips twisted into a smirk. “That’s not funny.”

  “Sure it is.” I laughed and stood. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

  “All right, but make sure you eat something.”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  I walked her to the door, gave her a hug and a promise to call the next day. Somehow I managed to hold it together until I closed the door behind her. Then all bets were off, and the waterworks started. I couldn’t bring myself to eat, so I sat on the couch and cried while I waited for Ian to get home.

  27

  Ian

  Things began to make sense once we learned that Becky’s strange behavior was due to her relationship with Brett, a relationship that had begun while he and Emmy were still together. It was plain that Becky was trouble—I saw it the moment I met her. She was one of those women who sought validation through sex, yet rarely found it. I’m ashamed to say that there was a point in my life when that was exactly the type of woman I wanted—easy in, easy out, no strings. Emmy changed all that. She changed who I was and what I wanted. I just wished that were the only obstacle in our path.

  The remaining wild card, the one uncertainty in my life, was Blaire. That was a storm waiting for the right time to unleash its fury, and I knew it was coming, especially since I’d refused to continue working with her clients. I had hoped she’d give up, but her daily calls demanding I go back to Release were confirmation of what I already knew—Blaire was crazier than I thought and wouldn’t just go away. I needed to put more pressure on Parker to wrap things up so I could get Blaire out of our lives for good.

  It was just past midnight by the time I got home from Bellville, and I was exhausted and desperate for a hot shower. As soon as I opened the door, I could tell the storm clouds had gathered and the tide was about to turn. Emmy sat on the so
fa, her back to me, hunched over with her head in her hands. The shower would have to wait.

  Not sure what to expect, I pushed the door closed and walked over to settle in front of her in a crouch.

  “Hey, Beautiful.” She lifted her head, and the despair on her face gutted me. “What’s going on?”

  Her face crumpled as she shook her head, her hands tented over her nose and mouth.

  “I’m sorry,” she whimpered.

  I sat beside her, and that’s when I noticed the plastic strips on the coffee table. The panic I expected to overwhelm me didn’t come. Instead, a wave of intense calm washed over me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, and pressed a kiss to her temple.

  “Hey. Don’t cry, baby.”

  She stifled a sob that sounded more like a hiccup. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “Of course not. I don’t think that.”

  “But, I mean, we’re not married.” She sniffed. “We’re not even engaged. Oh, God…” Her eyes widened, and she clamped a hand over her mouth. “Now I sound like I did this on purpose.”

  “Relax, Emmy.”

  I shifted back a bit and pulled her into my lap so I could wrap both arms around her. She hesitated just a moment before snaking her arms around my neck. Her body shook with mute sobs as she buried her face at the base of my throat. My hands glided over her back, holding her against me.

  “It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

  “It’s just…” She sucked in a ragged breath. “You told me about Caitlin, and…”

  “Hey now,” I said, loosening her hold on me. My fingers threaded through her hair, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “You are nothing—nothing—like Caitlin. Do you hear what I’m saying? No, we didn’t plan this, but it’s happened, and we’ll deal with it.”

  “Promise you’re not upset?”

  “Promise.”

  “Cross your heart?”

  The childish exchange made me smile as I drew an ‘X’ over my heart. “And hope to die.” I kissed her on the forehead and folded my arms around her again. “Is that why you’re still up? I figured you’d be in bed by now.”