We both sit at the table, but before I dish up my food, I decide it’s now or never.
“We need to talk.”
Kato leans back in his chair. “Sounds serious. I’m listening, gorgeous.”
“The baby,” I murmur.
He sits forward and grabs my hand. “Hey, it’s okay, whatever happens, we’ll be good,” he tells me.
“What do you want to do?” It’s the question I’ve been too afraid to ask. I know he’ll stick by me whatever I decide, but I don’t want to decide alone. I need to know what he truly wants to do. “I need your honesty,” I implore.
His jaw ticks but he nods. “You want complete honesty?”
I nod, unable to speak as I listen to my heartbeat thrum in my eardrums.
“You’re sure, you think you can handle my truth?” he asks again.
“Just tell me,” I demand.
With one hand still holding mine, he nods, rubs across his lower face with his other hand and then pins me with his intense stare.
“Okay, don’t run when I tell you the truth. You promise to stay and work it through with me?”
“Y-you’re scaring me,” I whisper. It’s not an answer, but it’s all I can manage to get out.
“I want to keep you forever, I want us to keep the baby, then I want us to get married and have a bunch more babies,” Kato states matter of fact, like he hasn’t just rocked my world. “Say something, Nola,” he whispers and I can hear the vulnerability in his voice.
“Can we have some chickens?” I ask and he bursts out laughing, his dimple popping out. My whole body relaxes and I know we’re going to be okay. We’re going to get married, have lots of babies and chickens apparently. “And a goat, I want a goat like Aubrey and Chance.”
He stands, pulls me to my feet and lifts me up until my legs wrap around his waist, then he walks forward until my back is against the wall and he kisses the shit out of me.
“I have to tell you something,” he says, pulling his lips away from mine.
“Okay,” the word comes out breathy as I’m still in a kissing haze, “maybe you should put me down.”
He shakes his head, “Oh no, you’re perfectly placed not to run away.”
I frown, wondering what the hell he’s about to say.
“Don’t be mad,” he murmurs.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, stop stalling and tell me.”
He smiles at me and that damn dimple causes my mind and body to go mushy again.
“I’m the person who put the offer in on your house.”
My mouth drops open and I blink. I don’t know what to say, I’m not sure how I feel.
“I…I…” I shake my head.
His smile drops as a frown forms. Slowly, he drops me to my feet and takes a step back. “I’m sorry if I stepped over the line. You love this house and I do too, I want our child to grow up here,” he explains nodding to my stomach. “What do you say, Nola, move in with me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, we’ve known each other for five minutes,” I scoff, walking away from him and into my bedroom. I don’t tell him that I want to say yes, but I’m scared.
He follows me. “We’ve known each other for months,” he replies, moving toward me. I start backing up.
“We’ve known each other for months, but I’ve only kind of liked you for a few weeks,” I snap abrasively, leaning forward with my hands on my hips. The fear is turning me into a bitch.
“You’ve always liked me,” he smirks and I want to both kiss him and kick him. My eyes drop to his crotch thinking about kicking him, but I scratch that idea ‘cause I kind of need that part of him. “We’ve been dating for ages,” he says as my gaze moves back to his eyes which flare with heat and I know that look. He shouldn’t be looking at me like that when we’re arguing.
“We were fucking for ages, we’ve not been dating that long,” I try to convince him, my voice wavering and I hate myself.
He smirks, his arms come up to rest each side of my head, at the same time as my back hits the wall. “And as I recall, you’ve enjoyed every second of it. Let’s see if I can fuck you into submission now, shall we?” He cocks his head tempting me to argue, but the knowledge of what he can do to me sends a delicious shiver through my body and I welcome the battle.
“Do your best,” I taunt him, knowing it will result in a delicious night for me and I know the morning will bring Kato the answer he wants.
“So, you’re going to be living together, then?” Aubrey asks, a smile playing on her face as Chance grins at Kato.
“I don’t know why I agreed to come to dinner with you lot,” I complain, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Is it not true?”
“I have to live with him now,” I state, nodding toward Kato who raises his eyebrows at me.
“Dude, pregnant women are crazy,” Chance whispers to Kato, making a crazy sign next to his head with his finger.
“I am not crazy!” I snap.
Aubrey bites down on her lips, clearly trying not to laugh.
“You all think this shit is funny?” I say pointing around the table at each of them in turn. “Well, when I’m the size of a small country and need to constantly graze on raw onions, paint and gasoline, it will be you fuckers who have to run out and buy this shit.”
They all stare at me with wide eyes.
“Gasoline?” Kato mutters.
I shrug. “I’ve been reading up on cravings, some women want weird shit and you and I both know I will be some women.”
“You’re definitely not just some women, gorgeous,” Kato placates me.
“You don’t know,” I say, raising my hands in the air. “Since you made me pregnant, I’ve been crazy.”
“I thought you said you weren’t crazy,” Chance questions, a smile in his voice.
“Shh, don’t poke the beast,” Aubrey mutters, giggling.
“Oh, glad I amuse you all. I’m nearly three months, do you know what that means?” I shake my head, “Of course you don’t,” I answer for them. “It means I have another six months of this, and already my brain is fuzzy. I’m constantly tired, I pee every thirty seconds on a good day and I know it’s only going to get worse. I have to deal with everything, what do you get?” I stare at Kato, my arms crossed over my chest. Aubrey is grinning and Chance is smirking. Kato looks like a deer caught in the headlights and I feel sorry for him, for like a second, until I remember I’m going to get a huge stomach and have to push a small human out of my vagina.
“Urm, I get to watch you bloom?” Kato coos at me, trying to keep me calm.
“No, you get a pat on the back and congratulations from other guys on your amazing sperm breaking through my birth control.”
“Well, I did beat the…” he stops talking when he sees my face.
“Well, the next time another guy congratulates you, make sure you get them to pat your balls ‘cause they’re the real hero in this situation.”
Kato opens and closes his mouth, until Chance leans forward.
“You’re always wrong, get used to it.”
It’s then that I burst out laughing.
Kato’s eyes widen at my change in mood, but his fear just makes me laugh harder.
Before I can say anything else, something hits me on the back. I turn to find an elderly couple watching me, the lady has a straw in her mouth and I look down at the wrapper now on the floor. She quickly pulls the straw out of her mouth. “I’m so sorry, I was aiming for my husband,” she tells me pointing to the old man with her. They both start giggling and I turn back to the table seeing that everyone else has a smile on their face too.
“I think she’s my spirit grandma,” I nod.
Everyone stares at me like I have two heads, then Chance and Aubrey burst out laughing, while Kato smiles at me lovingly.
“I love your crazy,” he whispers, leaning forward and kissing me hard.
“Thank you… and I love you” I say softly. “Also, we should have lots of babies,” I murmur
.
“Whoa, let’s slow it down and deal with this one first,” he states, clearly still not one hundred percent on board with my new brand of crazy, which admittedly has gone up a notch with pregnancy.
I smile at him, then look back across the table at a visibly entertained Aubrey and Chance. “We need to leave and have sex now, I’ll catch up with you tomorrow,” I tell Aubrey.
Kato stands and shrugs his shoulder. “Not gonna argue with that,” he tells Chance who nods.
“I’ve got this,” Chance tells Kato, nodding to the bill, before we rush off to celebrate that really, we both love my brand of crazy.
Chapter Nineteen
NOLA
“So, you’re saying I’ll need one of these contraptions,” I say, holding up what looks like a torture device and shaking my head, “to suck the milk out of my breast when the baby doesn’t want any more, but I’ll also need these huge round doily cloths to tuck in my bra and like, soak up milk when it leaks?” I sigh, “Fuck, my nipples are never gonna be the same again, are they?”
The slightly frightened looking shop assistant laughs nervously and I realize she doesn’t look much older than the baby currently pressing on my bladder, and now, thanks to me, she’ll probably never have children herself due to being scarred by the crazy pregnant lady.
“Thanks for your help,” I say, handing her the items back before turning to leave. I knew I should have done this with Kato. He offered, but I thought I could do this alone. Turns out I can’t, because I scare young shop assistants, complain to elderly ladies on the bus – yes that happened – and when I practice parallel parking a stroller on two wheels the doll falls out, causing the other pregnant couples in the shop to side eye me and rush away like they might catch my crazy cooties.
“Nola?” Oh God, the voice causes me to freeze and as I turn and look at the face I know well, I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. “How odd, seeing you here,” he continues.
“Lance, baby, who’s this?” the blond next to him squeaks.
“Nola, Sandy,” he says, gesturing between us both.
The silence is so awkward I can feel the word vomit coming up my throat, but can do nothing to stop it. “So, you two are dating, huh?”
Lance smirks, “Yes. We all move on, Nola.” His voice is smug, but I don’t think Sandy notices as she smiles up at him like he lights her sky.
“Oh, I know.” I smile, unwilling to engage with him.
He shakes Sandy off rather rudely and as a frown crosses her face, I step away from him.
“I need to go. I would say it’s nice seeing you, but…” Turning I shake my head as I make to walk away.
“You know I replaced you, right?” he calls after me. “Upgraded,” he shouts now as I quicken my pace. “How does he feel getting my sloppy seconds?” Lance calls now across the store for everyone to hear.
I turn back to him, “He only has sloppy seconds for the first inch and a half, after that it’s all new.” I wink as anger rolls through his eyes. I quickly turn and rush away.
“So, he shouted that across the store?” Aubrey asks me for the second time.
I nod, stir my green tea and take a sip. “Ugh!” I complain, spitting the piss tasting nastiness back into the cup. “Why would anyone drink this crap?”
Aubrey smiles. “It can’t be that bad,” she says, eyeing her own cup.
When I called Aubrey straight after my run in with Lance and demanded she meet me for lunch, we stupidly decided to try a new health café. Now I’m second guessing our ridiculous decision.
“Try it.” It’s a dare and her eyes flash as she picks up the cup ready to take the challenge.
Slowly, she brings the cup to her lips and then makes a fundamental mistake. Aubrey doesn’t sip, oh no, she takes a huge gulp of the piss drink. Her eyes bulge at me in shock and I’m pretty sure I see a little fear. The next second, she spits her drink out, all over the server who happens to walk by at that particular moment.
I jump up from my seat, knocking it back in my haste. Unfortunately, it hits a lady on the table behind me and she somehow ends up with food down her white top.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Aubrey cries out her apologies to the server, while green tea dribbles down her chin.
I turn to look at the table behind me who are now giving me death glares, then I look back at the server as he glances down at his trousers, which now look like he’s had an accident and I can’t help the laughter which bubbles out of my mouth.
“I think maybe you should leave.” A new voice joins the fun.
I look up and note the woman who has just joined our little show. Her name tag tells me she’s Tina and I’m guessing she’s the manager.
Aubrey grabs a serviette, wiping her mouth before dropping it onto the table. “But we haven’t paid yet,” she replies, knowing we were going to order food.
Tina waves her hands, “Don’t worry. Please just collect your things and go.”
I’m still quietly giggling and Tina shoots daggers at me with her eyes.
“Let’s go,” Aubrey grabs my elbow and drags me through the tables of people staring.
Just as we get to the door, with everyone still staring, I turn and bow. “You’re welcome. Tomorrow’s entertainment will be a married couple, the wife will be confronting the husband for cheating.” I see a few lip twitches before Tina starts heading our way.
“Come on,” Aubrey ushers me outside. “Why do we keep getting kicked out of places?”
“Maybe it’s the universes way of saying, when it’s just the two of us we either need to stick to a drive thru or somewhere less arty farty.”
“What like Chuck E. Cheese?” she questions, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug, “Well their pizzas do rock, but I was thinking more about Chick-fil-A, I fancy some strips.”
“So, no more green tea?” Aubrey smirks.
“After you spat yours onto that dude’s crotch? Yeah, that will be a hard no. And I’m not even getting into the fact it tasted like piss.”
“How the hell would you know that?” she asks.
“The same way I know soda water tastes like static.” I shiver and stick my tongue out. Soda water is evil. I bet Blanche would love it.
“So, tell me more about Lance, is it not strange he turned up where you were?”
After my weird run in with Lance, I knew I needed Aubrey’s help to dissect our interaction. Even more, why he was in a baby store in the first place, unless his new girlfriend is pregnant. The one thing I’ve been trying not to think about, is why he happened to be in the same place I was. He’s stopped calling me, but he’s continued to coincidentally turn up at places where I am, but only when I’m alone. It’s creepy.
“Yeah, but it’s not the first time,” I admit.
“You told me he was doing it months ago when you first split up, but you haven’t mentioned it since then. I assumed he’d stopped. Obviously, he hasn’t. Have you told anyone?”
I shake my head. “I’ve never felt threatened by him or scared of him, but I have to be honest, today’s outburst went a little further than what I would have expected and I guess with me being pregnant,” I look down at my tiny rounded belly, “there’s more to protect.”
Aubrey nods, “Yeah, the last thing you need is stress while you’re pregnant.”
“Okay, what do you say we stop talking about Lance and his micro dick and I show you something?”
Aubrey threads her arm through mine and nods, “Okay, lead the way.”
We amble away from the café we were thrown out of and make our way along the beach front. The beach is quieter than usual and it feels nice to relax and enjoy it. We make it to the outskirts of the shopping plaza and I steer Aubrey toward the shops until we’re standing outside. It’s still looking exactly the same as it did the other day, but now, with Kato’s money in my bank, I know within a week this place will be mine. I’m still not sure how I feel about taking his money, when I’ll still be liv
ing in my home and, even though he’s bought it, it still feels like it’s my place. He has reassured me that it is my place and as far as he’s concerned nothing’s changed, except we’re finally living together. He told me it would have happened sooner rather than later anyway. So, I’ve been trying to take it all in my stride.
I let my eyes eat up the bakery again, imagining all the changes I’m going to make. “This will be mine soon,” I whisper.
Aubrey wraps her arm around my shoulders. “I’m so pleased you’ve followed your dreams, and now you have Kato supporting you.”
I turn to look at her and smile. “It feels like everything is coming together, like finally my life is starting,” I whisper, tears forming in my eyes.
“Hey,” she coos, “come here.” Aubrey wraps me in her arms, surrounding me with her love and I thank the stars above that she’s my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. She knows what it’s like to have a dream and not follow it, she also knows how it feels when you finally do.
Euphoric.
I know that feeling now too.
A week later, I finally find myself at the gynecologist’s after Kato practically forced me. I know why I’ve been putting off visiting the doctors, I’m afraid they may tell me something’s wrong with our child. My heart pounds as a lady walks into the room we’ve been waiting in.
“Hello, I’m Louise, your sonographer. If you just lay back and I’ll do my magic. Watch this screen and you’ll see your baby,” Louise tells us. Kato holds my hand and smiles down at me as we both watch the black screen turn to a fuzzy image of a nothing.
“There’s your baby,” Louise says smiling.
I blink and squint my eyes, but all I see is…
“It looks like an alien,” I wail, trying to sit up as Louise gently pushes me back down. Her eyes widen and Kato’s dimple pops out as he leans nearer to me, trying to simultaneously calm me while not laughing.
“It doesn’t look like an alien,” he murmurs.
I stare at him, not sure what to say. Am I the only one who sees an alien? OMG, will it burst through my stomach? Kato chuckles at me as though he knows what I’m thinking and tenderly runs his hand down my cheek.
Cocky Delight: A Hero Club Novel Page 14
