by K, S
911!!! Call me ASAP!
Jake climbed into bed and wrapped his arms snugly around me. "Babe, you look like hell. What's wrong?"
Nervous, I slid away from him and stood, taking a glance at myself in the mirror that adorned our bedroom wall. My eyes were bloodshot from crying, and the leftover mascara wasn't helping my case. Wringing my hands together, I paced back and forth in front of the bed while Jake came around and sat on the edge in front of me.
"Um, what exactly did Josh tell you last night when he called?" I asked skeptically.
Jake's eyes widened, "All he said was you weren't feeling well, and I needed to get home. I really didn't ask any more questions, I just hopped on the first flight out of Atlanta and headed home. Now would you please tell me what's going on?"
Okay, Josh didn't say anything. I may be in the clear. I continued pacing back and forth in front of Jake.
He reached for my hand as I passed by him for the umpteenth time in a few seconds, and I found myself falling into his lap, his muscular arms taking hold of my tiny body.
"Savannah, what's going on?"
I sat in his lap, contemplating whether I should tell him or not. Of course, it was probably best that I let him know he was going to be a father, but what would it hurt to push it off for a few more days, weeks — hell, maybe even months, depending on how quickly I began showing? Sure, it looked like I was already growing a baby bump, but that was probably my mind getting the best of me.
Jake cleared his throat and addressed me again. "Savannah, talk to me."
I shifted in Jake's lap, looking deep into his dark green eyes while reaching for one of his hands. He watched my every move, allowing his eyes to follow our hands as I placed them on my belly, mine on top of his.
Jake stared at me for a moment, almost confused, and then out of nowhere it hit him, and the biggest smile spread over his face. "Don't play with me, babe. Are you serious?" Jake pulled me off his lap so quickly I couldn't have resisted, even if I'd wanted to, and placed me on the bed. He pulled my tank up, fully exposing my belly as I laid back covering my face. His lips met every inch of my belly as he showered me in kisses.
Pulling my hand from my eyes, Jake hovered over my belly, staring up at me like a kid on Christmas morning. "Am I really going to be a dad?" Pure joy radiated off his face as he awaited my response.
Sighing heavily, I responded, trying to sound somewhat enthusiastic, "According to the tests I took, but I'm holding out hope for the one that was negative."
Jake stood up and literally leaped into the air. "Whoo!" he hollered.
I sat up and rolled my eyes whispering to myself as I basked in my own self-pity, "Yeah, whoo. Savannah's going to get as fat as a house. Wonderful news."
Jake's smiled faltered for a quick second before he was grinning again, sitting down next to me he grabbed my hand and kissed it. "Don't steal my joy. You know I've wanted this since the minute I married you. I know it's not perfect timing for you, but I'll be damned if you're going to steal this moment from me."
He was right. Just because I didn't want this didn't mean that I needed to take away from Jake's happiness. I stood up and wrapped my arms around his hips and squeezed them tight. "You're right. I'm glad that you're happy. You are going to be an excellent father."
Lifting me gently, Jake pressed his lips to mine and kissed me long and hard before setting me back down.
Looking up into his eyes, I continued, "But, you need to understand that this is not something I want, not right now. So, just like I need to be aware of your feelings, you need to do the same for me."
I could tell by the look of defeat that he was giving me that his heart was breaking into a million pieces. Finding out we were having a baby was supposed to be one of the happiest times of our lives, and in the current moment, I could tell that I was ruining it for Jake. But I didn't have the strength to pretend. I couldn't. I had to be true to my feelings as well.
The rest of the weekend dragged on entirely too slow. Jake had been on cloud nine since I'd given him the news, making a list of everyone he could think of to call with the news that he was going to be a daddy, but I was quick to squash those plans, reminding him that the first three months were the hardest to get through, and we didn't need to alert our family and friends of the pregnancy in case something happened to the baby.
Getting back into the office Monday morning was a breath of fresh air, giving me time to get away from Jake and his excitement. Brooke was in with Monica when I arrived, so I waited patiently for her to pass my office door on the way back to hers.
I hollered her name just as her lavender dress floated in front my door. "Brooke!"
She stopped abruptly and twisted to make her way into my office. "I swear to all that's holy, you better have told Jake, because if you didn't, he is getting an earful from Josh, probably as we speak. You have no idea how much trouble I was in when he found out I'd been lying to him. I can never do that again, do you understand me?"
Leaning back into my chair, I shook my head. "I know. Next time I'll call Kat instead. I told Jake on Saturday. He's thrilled. He even has an appointment with the realtor this week because he thinks we need to get out of the condo and into a house. Of course, he's looking at five- and six-bedroom houses online, like we'll need that much room. My condo has a guestroom. We can turn half of it into a baby's room and leave the other half a room for our company. I don't see why we need to go out and buy a new place. Besides, there's no possible way I'm filling those rooms with kids. He'll get this one, and that's it. A compromise if you will. He wants children before I'm ready, and he's getting it, which means I lay down the law and get to decide that we are only having one."
I lay on the examination table practically naked. Jake took notes on his iPhone as the nurse went over what to expect in the first trimester. "Your job right now is to make sure Savannah is comfortable. She may begin experiencing morning sickness soon, so be prepared to hold her hair."
I rolled my eyes as I tried to block out the idea of puking my guts out every five minutes as Jake continued listening intently, one hand on my belly, the other thumbing away, still taking notes. What kind of husband takes notes? I think he's lost it.
Silence filled the room as the nurse turned on the ultrasound machine, just before globing a mountain of clear jelly onto my belly. Wincing at the cold, I glared at her. "What in the heck is this crap?"
The snickering nurse didn't miss a beat. "It's just a lubricating jelly. It helps us see the baby more clearly."
Disgusted, I shook my head. "Great. I'm getting K-Y spread all over my belly."
Jake stood up, interrupting me, "Savannah, could you be any more inappropriate?"
I ignored his comment and went back to filing my nails while the nurse pulled out some type of pregnancy tool that she rubbed all over my abdomen, further spreading the disgusting jelly all over my skin. She continued rubbing my belly before she decided to take another route. "It appears that we are going to have to do a transvaginal ultrasound. Give me a second to get everything together for that."
I looked on as she pulled a long white rod from the machine and slipped what appeared to be a condom over it.
"Whoa, what in the hell is that? My husband's rod is the only one going inside of me."
The nurse chuckled. "It's the only way we'll be able to get a picture. I promise. It won't hurt a bit."
Irritated, I threw my head back and stared at the ceiling.
Jake was mesmerized by whatever it was that appeared on the screen. I didn't have the heart to look yet; looking at the screen would make it real.
Clapping her hands together, the nurse pointed to the screen. "Do you see that, right there?"
Jake's eyes were glued to the black and white monitor while I continued filing my nails, trying my best not to pay attention.
"Twins!" she exclaimed, much too loudly for my liking.
I almost broke my neck as I twisted toward the screen, practically falling off the ex
amination table. "What did you just say?" I shouted at her.
A colossal smile took hold of her face as she pointed to the screen again. "It looks like you two are having twins. Congratulations."
Frantically, I sat up and pushed the machine she was holding in her hand from my body. "It's broken. That damn machine has got to be broken. I want a second opinion."
The nurse looked at me, puzzled by my reaction. "Mrs. Worthington, this machine is not broken. I've been taking ultrasounds for twenty-five years, and I can assure you that I'm correct. You are having twins."
Shaking my head, I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I want a second opinion." Opening them up again, I looked up at the nurse who was standing right next to Jake. "I want you to bring in another machine, and this time have the doctor perform the ultrasound. Trust me when I tell you, I don't have a great track record with doctor's offices."
The nurse nodded her head and scurried out of the examination room.
Jake was at my side in an instant. "Savannah, what are you doing? You saw the screen. There are two babies in there. It was clear as day. There is no need for a second opinion."
Frustrated, angry, and emotionally drained, I laid back and let the tears flow down my cheeks. "I want a second opinion, Jake., Can you please, for one second, just be my husband and not the father of this baby, or babies, or whatever it is that's taken over my body?"
Jake's hand caressed my cheek before he kissed my lips, resting his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry, babe. I'll make sure the doctor takes a second look."
Utterly defeated, I lay there silently awaiting a second opinion I knew would be no different from the first.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Brooke
"JOSH, HAVE YOU heard from Jake yet?" I hollered from the closet as I tried to unzip my dress. Savannah had her first obstetrician appointment and was literally dragged out the Hourglass lobby by an over-enthusiastic Jake. I had high hopes that seeing her teeny tiny baby and the heartbeat maybe would make it all more real, get her excited.
"Nope," Josh's seductive voice whispered in my neck as his fingers glided the zipper down and set my skin on fire. His hands caressed my skin as they moved back to my shoulders and then gently nudged the shoulder straps off, letting the dress pool at my feet.
"I miss my wife," he said so softly I barely heard him over the pounding of my heart, as his lips tasted my skin ever so softly. Each kiss trailing over my skin had goose bumps popping up and my pulse quickening. I missed my husband too; we had been so crazy as of lately that we just hadn't had time together, and I planned to rectify that immediately.
"Oh yeah?" I purred as I nipped at his exposed collarbone, letting my fingers slide across his waistband. I could feel Josh nod against my head as I tugged his earlobe between my teeth, wanting to drive him stark-raving mad. I brought my lips back to his and grazed my teeth along his bottom lip, pulling it in and tasting the peppermint on his breath. When I gasped for air, Josh slid his tongue in, doing a tango with my own that had me curling my toes in anticipation.
"I want you, wife. Now." He growled against my lips, pausing just long enough to get some oxygen back into our lungs. Bending just a little, Josh reached behind my legs and lifted me up, pulling me close enough to feel every corded and bulging muscle, and he went back to showering me with kisses as he walked to our bed and laid me down.
"You," he kissed me on my shoulder. "Are," his lips moved to my navel, and his tongue slipped out to taste me, making me arch my back in response, "mine." Josh nipped at this inside of my thigh, nudging my legs open. The loud banging against the door echoed through our house, dousing the flames that we had ignited in the bed.
"Oh, hell no," Josh swore as he attempted to get the mood back in full swing. The knock restarted, so loud that the pictures on the wall shook with the house. The speakers of my phone joined in as Savannah's ringtone began to play in sync with the pounding.
I leapt from the bed in just my bra and panty set, barreling to the door, terrified of what the emergency was.
"Brooke! Brooke!" Josh yelled, chasing behind me with my silk robe. He quickly shoved my arms in each hole before I tied the belt and ripped the door open to a sheer-panic expression on my best friend, with Jake beside her gasping for air as if he'd just run a marathon.
"You," Savannah pointed to Josh, a scowl on her face and murder in her eyes, "Get. Out."
The silence was deafening as Josh's jaw hit the floor, his eyes darting between Jake, Savannah, and me.
"Don't fight it, bro. Just walk out slowly," Jake's defeated voice muttered.
"Savannah, now is not the time," Josh pleaded, trying to readjust himself in his trousers.
"Joshua Thomas Worthington, if you don't get out and go away this instant, I will not be held liable for your murder. That," Savannah looked to his crotch with disgust, "is what got us into this mess." Walking in further, Savannah shoved Josh out to his waiting brother's side.
"How much time do you need, like an hour?" Josh asked, hopeful to return back home.
"Days." Savannah growled. Reaching in her purse, she felt around until she heard a jingle. "Here are my keys. Congratulations. You officially live with your brother again. I wish you two all the happiness in the world."
Josh's eyes flashed to mine. "Brooke, say something here, honey."
I shook my head, trying to shake the daze. I had been watching this all transpire, silently. I had never seen my best friend this upset, this angry. She'd been pissed at Luke when everything had blown up in the hotel room, but this… this had literally driven her insane. "Um, Josh, just… just go. I'll call you."
Savannah slammed the front door shut with a loud thud and locked the deadbolt.
"Stupid, arrogant, baby-making men!" She tossed her arms up as she stomped off toward the living room and threw herself onto the couch in despair. The tears she had hidden away poured down her face as she curled herself up in to a ball.
We sat like that for an hour, literally. I watched the bright red lines on the digital clock vanish and appear, shift and transform as each minute passed, the entire time brushing Savannah's hair as she softly murmured and groaned, endless tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Savannah," I whispered. She didn't move, didn't speak, and, for a moment, I wondered if she heard me. Wondered if I should call to her again. Consider phoning a doctor to have her checked for depression.
"There are two of them," she spoke, so softly that if the room hadn't been doused in darkness and quiet, I wouldn't have heard it. But it was, and I had been staring at my best friend, scrutinizing her every move, focusing on her pouty pink lips, waiting desperately for a noise to come from them.
"Two?" I asked, confused at what we were talking about.
"I am pregnant with twins," she said, sitting up straight and leaving my hands to fall back into my lap.
I reached out and took her hands in mine, enveloping them with warmth and hoping to transfer some of my strength to her. To give Savannah whatever she needed. Excitement bubbled in me. Twins. I mean, I knew it was a strong possibility for both of us, considering the father's are twins, but I also knew excitement and enthusiasm wasn't what she needed from me, so I squashed it back down.
"I'm so sorry, Savannah. That's," I swallowed down the bile boiling in my throat, "that's awful. I wish I could spare you all of this. That I could fix it somehow."
Savannah jumped from the couch to her feet, pacing the room as I watched every thought come crashing down on her. Each step she took, her shoulders slumped more, her head hung more, and she looked even more defeated.
"I didn't want this. I wasn't ready for any of this. I just wanted to enjoy life, but you made relationships and romance look so, so… special. I wanted more, but not this much more. Not babies, and a husband, and a house. I didn't want to jump off the domesticated life-cliff head first. I'm not you, Brooke. I'm not a Suzy Homemaker who wants to rock an apron barefoot and pregnant. I don't want to have baby puke on me in
stead of couture dresses. I don't want to trade in my BMW for a minivan. Every part of me wants to run away, to escape, but this," she paused a moment waving her hand in front of her stomach, "this is just too much."
I watched Savannah disassemble. My best friend crumbled into a pile of rubble as she faced the reality of her inescapable future. After standing up, I slipped into the kitchen to pull out something that Josh had bought for a date night we kept putting off, deciding Savannah and I needed it tonight. When I walked back out to Savannah, her eyes lit up at the wine glasses in my hands.
"We can't. You wouldn't," she half-asked, half-begged.
"Not completely," I shrugged. "It's mostly grape juice with a very low alcohol content, and the midwife told Josh it was perfectly safe. One glass though."
Before I could say more, Savannah had the glass in her hand, holding it up like a chalice as she looked to me with appreciation.
"I've ordered pizza, I'm going to put in a movie, and we are having a girl's night," I said, clinking my glass with Savannah's as the first smile of the night tilted her lips up at the corners.
"Thank you, Brooke," she softly said. "I need this. And I need to stay here at least a week. I'm sorry."
"Don't," I demanded. "Don't apologize. It's you and me, Sav, always. The boys will be just fine at the condo for as long as you need."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Savannah
BROOKE HAD BEEN my saving grace for the past week. When I'd needed an out, a place to go where I didn't have to think about babies and my future, she'd opened her home to me, and I was so grateful for that. But, as Friday evening rolled around, I knew it was time for me to get back to reality, back to Jake. Meeting Brooke in her usual parking space at Hourglass, I hopped into the front seat, and she pulled out of the parking garage.
The brightness of the setting sun hit my eyes as Brooke awaited the turn signal that would take us toward her house. "Hey, I think you may want to go straight. I've been hiding out for long enough, and I'm sure you're ready to have your husband back."
