Caroline reaches a hand over and runs it across my back. “Look, everything is going to be okay. Let’s just get these trays out so we can get you home.”
“Home...I want to go home. I want to go to my home where my big, comfy purple and black bed is and not someone else’s home. Where I can soak in the tub for as long as I want because the only person I could possibly inconvenience will just climb in with me. I want to lie down on my couch, stuff my face with ice cream and watch crap TV without someone complaining about it.”
“So, why don’t you go there?” Caroline asks me.
“Because he won’t leave.” I say.
She shrugs. “Well, you’re pregnant with his child. He needs to make some sacrifices too.”
“Yeah,” I say as I finish setting up the pastry trays. “But in all fairness, it was his place first.”
We both grab a large, round pastry topped tray and walk out through the caterer’s door. There are two long rectangular tables set along one of the walls by where the birthday cake is. We set the trays up and I look around for Dean. I spot him across the room chatting with a couple people I don’t recognize.
“Hey Dean.” I say as I walk up to him.
“Hey Abby.”
He puts an arm around my shoulder and we walk over to a quieter spot.
“You okay?” he asks, his voice full of concern.
I shrug, not really wanting to get into this again tonight. “I’m gonna head out but I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”
“Thanks Abby,” He leans down to kiss the side of my head. “And thanks for everything you did tonight.”
I nod as Caroline walks up to us.
“Ready?” She asks.
I nod. “Bye Dean.
“Bye Abby.”
I look around for Tyler before we walk out but I don’t see him. I start to feel a combination of anger and nerves fill up in the pit of my stomach until I spot Cath in the middle of the room dancing with a bunch of people to the music the DJ is spinning. None of them have blue hair.
Wherever he is, at least he isn’t with her.
Chapter Eighteen – Tyler
She’s pregnant...with my baby.
I’m going to be a father.
Is it wrong that I was more terrified than excited when she told me? First of all, her father is going to kill me. Secondly, and most importantly, Abby still won’t take me back. She says I have to prove my love and intentions to her.
Prove it to her?
How am I supposed to prove my love to her? I guess technically I haven’t been the best boyfriend lately but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love her. It just means I’m a bit daft.
I rub my hands through my hair, still trying to process everything that just happened. What am I going to do? I have to do something. I’m not going to just let her walk out of my life and I am sure as hell not going to miss out on any part of my baby’s life. We’re good together, Abby and I. We belong together.
First thing I need to do is set Cath straight. I can’t have her going around telling people we are in a relationship when we’re not. What was she thinking doing something like that? Then I need to talk to Chloe. Aside from me, she’s the closest person to Abby. I wonder if she knows about the baby.
I walk over to the door, open it up and head back into the building feeling slightly more confident than I did when I came out here.
I see Cath talking with some people as soon as I walk back into the event room. I walk quickly over to her, grab her by the arm and pull her over to the wall that is the farthest away from other people.
“Wow Ty, I knew you were manly but I didn’t realize you were so dominant.” She teases flirtatiously.
“Did you tell Abby that we are seeing each other?’
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me. She said that according to you we are seeing each other.”
“I’m not lying. I didn’t say a word to your ex-girlfriend,” She emphasizes the word ex. “but I may have mentioned something to my friend, Dahlia, while she was in the vicinity.”
I close my eyes and silently curse to myself.
“Look, Cath, I apologize if I’ve led you on but this...this is never gonna happen.” I point back and forth between the two of us.
“You can’t tell me you felt nothing when we kissed.”
“I did. I’m not even going to lie about that, but it was fleeting and not worth losing Abby over.”
Anger flashes through Cath’s eyes as she stares at me. “I don’t understand what it is you see in her.”
“You don’t have to.”
“What if I said I was willing to fight for you?”
“I’d say you were fighting a one sided, losing battle because I am fighting for her and only her.”
Cath gives me an odd smile, almost as if she is trying to decide whether or not she should just walk away or challenge me to see if I mean everything I just said. She shakes her head and turns to walk off. As she does, I reach out to grab her arm. She turns back around and glances at my hand on her arm before looking up at me.
“Look, you are absolutely gorgeous; you don’t need me to tell you that. The thing is that kiss should have never, ever happened. My heart and everything I have to give belongs to Abby. You deserve to find someone that feels for you what I feel for her.”
Cath flashes a fake smile, nods her head and walks off. I turn and walk in the opposite direction, heading for the parking lot when Jack catches up with me.
“We’re about to say Happy Birthday to Dean,” He says. “Are you alright?”
“No, I don’t know,” I say. “Let’s just go wish this sorry sod a happy birthday.”
We make our way over by the DJ booth where there is a microphone set up. Noah walks over and taps his finger against the microphone a couple of times, the sound of tapping echoes through the room.
“Hello everybody, as you know we are here to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Dean Anthony Michael Marshall’s first day on earth.”
Cheers and whistles erupt through the room.
“Could you join us over here Dean?” Jack asks. “Dean just loves being the center of attention.”
Laughter erupts as Dean makes his way over to where we are standing. His face is turning a dark shade of red. I will never understand how he has no problem at all getting up in front of people and playing for an hour or two, but you get him in front of a crowd that wants to wish him well on his birthday and he turns twenty different shades of red.
I couldn’t imagine being like that. I like being in front of people. I’d play my drums, center stage with not one stitch of clothes on if it wasn’t considered to be an indecent act.
“Happy Birthday Dean!” someone yells out.
He nods and holds a hand up to say thank you.
“We wanted to get you something totally amazing but then we remembered that we just don’t like you very much.” I joke.
“So we asked ourselves, what would Dean want for a birthday present?” Noah says.
“My vote was for framed autographed pictures of the three of us.” Jack says.
“And I said a girlfriend but buying them will land you in a cell with a man named Bubba.” I say.
“So in the end, we decided to put our money out and get you this.” Noah points to the right of us and everyone turns to see Chloe walk out with a black Adamas 2080 SR Ovations guitar.
“Wow!’ Dean exclaims. He leans in and gives Chloe a kiss on the cheek as he takes the guitar from her. “Thank you so much, I have been wanting this very guitar for some time now. Thank you guys and massive thanks everyone for coming out to celebrate my birthday with me. This is amazing.”
Dean raises his pint in the air. “Cheers.”
“Cheers!” everyone shouts back.
I move over to Chloe, put my arm around her shoulder and lean down so my mouth is close to her ear. “I need to talk to you.”
“Now?” She asks.
I nod.
“Okay.”
>
I turn and she follows me out of the room, down the hall and through the door that Abby and I had used to go outside earlier.
“Do you know?” I ask her once the door shuts behind her.
She shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. “Know what? Please tell me you did not drag me out here because I am going to get a phone call about some ridiculous stunt you pulled.
“Abby hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what? I haven’t talked to Abby all day.”
The door swings open and Jack, Noah and Dean walk outside.
“What’s going on?” Jack asks.
Chloe turns towards him and shrugs her shoulders. “That’s what I am trying to figure out.”
“Abby’s pregnant.” I say.
“Wh-what?” Chloe’s hand flies up to her mouth and she takes a step back. “Is she sure?”
“She goes to the doctor in two weeks but she says she took six tests or something like that.” I say.
“Oh it makes so much sense now.” Chloe says. “I’ve heard her get sick a couple of times and she’s been sleeping a lot. I actually thought maybe it was stress or something like that. I can’t believe she hasn’t told me yet.”
“To be fair, she just found out this morning and she told me about thirty minutes or so ago.”
“So what are you going to do?” Noah asks.
“Hell if I know. She’s still insisting that I prove she can count on me. I don’t think she’s ever going to give me another chance. She says we don’t have to be together to raise a baby.”
“I think she’s just scared right now. I mean, aren’t you?” Chloe asks.
“Petrified.” I say, my voice just above a whisper.
“She was going to take you back.” Dean pipes in.
My head whips over to where he is standing. “What? How do you know that?”
“I talked to her but...”
“Talked to her when? When did you talk to her?” I cut him off.
“Right before her bakery opened. I popped in to see how she was doing.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this? What did she say?”
“If you would stop interrupting me I would tell you!” He exclaims.
“I’m sorry I’m just...never mind, carry on.”
“I asked her if you were broken up and she said sort of. She said you guys weren’t really speaking but no one had actually said it was over or something along those lines. I told her you weren’t going to be the one to end it and I asked her if that’s what she wanted – for things to be over between you guys.”
“What did she say to that?”
“She said no Tyler. She didn’t want things to be over between you two. I think Chloe’s right. I think right now Abby is just scared.”
My head was spinning with this information. It wasn’t much but it was something to confirm that Abby still wants me. At least she did anyway. It’s not like I haven’t messed up since then.
“I have to go.” I say.
“What are you going to do?” Chloe asks.
I shake my head. “I haven’t the slightest idea but I’ll figure something out. Dean,” I turn and give Dean a slap on the back. “Happy Birthday mate, I have to go.”
If Abby needs proof that I am in this with her than I shall show her. I go back to our flat and walk into our spare bedroom which, thankfully, doesn’t really have anything in it. First thing I need to do is turn this into a baby’s room.
Item number one on my agenda is painting. I don’t know if we are having a boy or a girl yet so I’m staying away from gender specific colors. Now, if it were up to me, I’d paint the room black with blue stripes but that doesn’t seem very baby like and somehow I don’t think Abby would be very happy with it.
As soon as I get up the next morning, I pull on a pair of jeans and a black Henley shirt and go to the home improvement store to buy some paint. After doing some research online last night I decide I want to paint the room green. The only problem is there are about two hundred shades of green. After staring at paint samples for at least an hour I finally decide on prairie sage because it is light, subtle and calming.
Two coats of paint later, I stand in the room pleased with my work. Step one is done, for now anyways. I don’t want to pick out any decorations without Abby. She’s upset with me enough as it is. I don’t want to get myself in more trouble by picking the wrong nursery theme.
Pulling my cellphone out of my pocket, I scroll through my contacts list and press on my mum and dad’s number.
“Hello?” My mum’s voice sings through the receiver.
“Hello Mum. How are you?” I ask her.
“Tyler! I’m good dear. When are you going to stop around? I haven’t seen you in almost two months and I don’t live that far from you. Surely you have a few minutes to spend with your mum.”
“I know, I’ve been a bad son but there’s actually something I wanted to tell you. It’s about me and...”
“Will this be a long call dear?” She asks cutting me off. “I want to talk to you it’s just that I have gardening club today. We’re getting together at Bea’s house to discuss the proposal for putting in a fairy garden at the children’s museum and we also have to discuss Sue Trishke’s membership in the club. She’s a nice woman but how can we have someone in the gardening club that has such dreadfully awful looking hydrangea bushes. We can’t afford a scandal like that...”
Lord help me.
I pull the phone away from my ear, place my fingertips to my forehead and shake my head.
“Mum, I’m terribly sorry about Sue Trishke’s horrid bushes but there is a reason I am calling. It’s about me and Abby...she’s expecting.”
“Expecting what?”
I roll my eyes, thankful that she can’t see the look on my face right now.
“A baby mum. Abby and I are having a baby together.”
“A baby? A BABY? I’m going to be a granny? Oooh I can’t wait to tell that Millicent Simpson. She is always bragging about how great her kids are and she was just saying the other day she wishes one of them would settle down and make her a granny and now I am going to be one before her!”
I laugh. “Well I’m glad I was able to up your status in gardening club.”
I hear mad click clacking through the phone and my mum is humming and hawing.
“Mum what are you doing?”
“Oh I’m just on this website ordering something for the baby’s nursery.”
“What are you ordering? We don’t even have a theme yet.”
“Oh it’s okay. You don’t need a theme for this.”
“What is it mum?”
“Oh it’s just a crib and a Moses basket with a stand in case you want the baby to sleep in your room.”
“Mum!” I exclaim. “That’s too much! You don’t have to do all of that.”
“It’s nothing really. Plus it’s for my grandbaby. My first grandbaby.”
“Alright, well thank you just...nothing else okay? You’ve been generous enough in the whole ten minutes since I told you.”
She hesitates. “I won’t buy anything else.”
I sigh and shake my head. “What else did you order?”
“Muslin swaddles and a onesie that says Future Drummer Just Like Daddy.”
“Thanks mum, but no more, at least not until we find out what we are having or when the baby is here. You’re going to be one amazing granny.”
“Thank you Tyler. You are going to be a great daddy. I have to go, it’s time for gardening club but I love you.”
“I love you too mum. Have fun kicking out Sue Trishke and her hideous hydrangea’s.”
Chapter Nineteen – Abby
It isn’t very often I get out of the kitchen and work in the bakery but today I just feel the need to be around people. I want to interact with the customers and find out what they like and what they would like to see us offer. Plus, Marci’s husband wanted to take her to lunch so I told her I would cover her if she wanted to ta
ke a little bit longer than an hour.
I am writing up a list of suggestions when I hear the front door ping.
“Hi, how are you?” I let the sentence die out as I glance up at the woman standing in front of me.
For a moment I can’t speak so I just stare at her. Her long legs, her trim, tiny waist, her silky, pink curls. The anger boils inside of me. I point to her and then point to the door.
“You can turn around and walk back out the door you just came through.”
“We need to talk.” Cath says.
“I have nothing to say to you. Please leave before I get customers.”
“He loves you, you know.” She says.
When I don’t respond she sighs loudly and I can just imagine the eye roll that surely went along with it.
I bend down to straighten the pastry case. I need something to keep me busy. I really don’t want to talk about Tyler with her. I don’t want to talk to her at all but there is something I need to know. I stand up just as she is about to walk through the door.
“Why?” I ask.
She turns back around, one hand remaining on the door.
“Why what?” She asks.
“Why him? You are absolutely gorgeous. I’m sure you could have any man you wanted. You knew he wasn’t available so why him?”
Without hesitating she says. “Because he’s hot. Because he’s everything I want and because I am better for him than you are.”
“You don’t know anything about our relationship.”
Cath walks over to the cases, puts her hands on top of the counter, leans in and says. “I knew enough to know how to come in between you two.”
I ball my hands into fists so tight that they hurt. I couldn’t let myself loosen them up though. If I did I’d hit her.
“You aren’t the reason we broke up. We broke up because Tyler kept what you did from me.”
“Maybe not, but I am the reason he didn’t make it to the opening of this crappy little bakery.”
“Excuse me?”
Cath smirks. “It was simple really. All I had to do was pretend to be afraid of that schmuck that follows me around and Tyler was putty in my hands.”
“Wow,” I say. “I really feel bad for you.”
She laughs. “For what?”
Always in my Heart (The Subzero Series, #2) Page 14
