Shaking her head, Cherry goes to leave the bathroom.
“Yeah, we had a…good night?” I didn’t intend it to come out as a question because the quality of last night isn’t what I’m unsure about.
“Good? Is that it? With a body like that, he should be a fucking god in the sack.”
“No, that was incredible. I just…” Breathing out a long sigh, I feel both of their gazes burning into me.
“Just what?” Cherry prompts.
“I shouldn’t have allowed it to happen.”
“Why fucking not? You deserve a good night in the sheets with a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing.”
I can’t really deny that, but sex seems like the least of my problems right now.
“Did you get a chance to talk?” Bryony shoots Cherry a what-the-fuck look and rolls her eyes. “What? Don’t you think that’s just as important?”
“Of course, but the fun can come first.”
By the time we’ve all showered and washed off last night’s make-up, I manage to convince both Cherry and Bryony we should spend today on the beach.
Bryony doesn’t really care as long as there are going to be half-naked men, but I can see the concern in Cherry’s eyes.
I don’t want to avoid Wes, but I could really do with a few hours without seeing him so I can get my head together and figure out what the hell I’m going to say to him.
By the time the beach starts emptying for the day, I’m no closer to knowing how I’m going to tell Wes he has a nine-year-old son. I’m pretty sure there’s no way to drop that kind of bomb gently.
“What’s the plan for the night, ladies?” Bryony bounces up to us, out of breath from playing volleyball with a group of college kids.
Looking over at Cherry, I shake my head. “No idea.”
“The guys have invited me to join them for a party at their hotel later. You guys are invited, too, of course.”
I don’t need to look at Cherry to know she’s screwing up her face at the suggestion. “How about we have a quiet one tonight at the hotel bar?” I ask her, much to Bryony’s disappointment. I’m with Cherry on this one. I have no intention of partying with kids.
“Sounds perfect.”
“Make sure you’re both in bed by ten, grandmas!” Bryony shouts as a couple of the guys she was playing with pick her up and carry her off.
“She’s a nightmare,” Cherry laughs.
“Aw, she’s just enjoying herself.”
Part of me is jealous that she can be so care-free, but I know I wouldn’t change my life for all the money in the world. My little boy is everything to me, and I already miss him like crazy.
“Everything okay at home?” Cherry asks when I walk back into our room from the balcony where I was catching up with Mom and Jacob.
“Yeah.” My eyes fill with tears and I bite down on my bottom lip to stop it from trembling. “Sorry, I’m just missing him.”
“It’s okay to miss him, Lace. You don’t need to apologize. Plus, you’ve got all this stuff going on with Wes.”
“God, I feel like an emotional mess right now.”
Sitting herself down next to me, she wraps her arm around my shoulder in support. “You’re not going to like this, but I think you need to talk to Wes sooner rather than later. It’ll make you feel better having everything out in the open.”
She’s right—I don’t like it, but I have to agree with her. This huge secret I’m keeping is weighing down on me. “He said he was working tonight. It’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
“This is Daytona Beach. Surely he’s in a bar or club. We’ll find him.”
Looking at my best friend’s determined face, I’m reminded why we’re so close. No matter what, she has my back and I love her to death for it.
“You’re right. Let’s do this.”
Bryony came back for a quick shower and a bikini change earlier before disappearing to the hotel next door for the party she mentioned. I’m glad she’s having fun and reliving her youth, but I’m much happier taking it slower with Cherry.
“Where do we start?”
“Let’s get a drink and we can start asking around.”
We settle out by the pool with two pina coladas each and keep an eye out for a lifeguard. The barman didn’t know where Wes might be, nor did the waitress we asked who cleared away the dirty glasses from the next table.
I start to think this isn’t going to happen tonight when I spot Cherry walking back from the toilets waving a piece of paper in her hand.
“What’s that?”
“An address. Where we’ll find Wes.”
“How did you get that?”
“I bumped into a lifeguard outside the toilets.”
“And he gave it to you willingly.”
“Yes and no,” she admits with a laugh.
“What did you do?”
Her face flushes red but she keeps her lips sealed.
“I will get it out of you by the end of the night, you know.”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”
My curiosity is seriously piqued, but my main focus is the address on the paper in her hand. “Let’s go.”
“You want me to come?”
“Oh, only if you want to. You can stay and do unspeakable things with another lifeguard.”
“No, I’ll come with you.”
After speaking to the girl at the reception desk, I discover we need a taxi. I’m surprised as I was expecting it to be a bar on the strip.
Handing over the address to the driver, I sit back and watch a small part of Daytona pass by the window.
“Any idea where we’re heading?” Cherry looks as baffled as I am.
“Nope.”
What I’m really not expecting is to pull up in front of what looks like a youth centre.
“Could you wait here? I’m not sure this is right.”
The second the driver agrees, I open the door and step out. Leaving Cherry in the car, I walk towards the building. A couple of teenagers are sat on the steps leading to the door.
They both smile politely at me as I approach, but I pay little attention. I’m too busy trying to figure this out.
I sidestep the door in favor of the window. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I can just see into the room. It’s exactly as I would expect. There are pool tables, books, desks, and boys ranging from Jacob’s age upwards.
I’m just about to turn away, thinking Cherry got the wrong information, when a man walks into the room with a little boy at his side. My breath catches as I watch the two of them interact before they settle onto one of the couches together.
The little boy looks up at Wes like he’s the most important person in the world. My heart swells to see him at home with children. He smiles down at the little boy and makes him laugh. A lump forms in my throat as I think about that being my son sitting with his daddy.
Wes goes to look forward and I panic. Stumbling back from the window, thankfully one of the boys has moved and he manages to steady me before I hit the floor.
“Thank you,” I say in a rush, racing towards the taxi idling at the curb. “Back to the hotel, please.” My breaths come out in pants as I strap myself in and the car pulls away.
“Was he there?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why are we leaving?”
Wes
Feeling like I’m being watched has me looking up. I expect to find one of the boys waiting to talk to me. But instead, I spot a flash of blonde hair at the window. It’s gone in an instant and I start to think I’m imagining things.
“I’m sorry. Can you just give me a minute?” I ask Matthew, who’s sitting next to me talking about Pokémon.
He nods and I rush over to the front doors. Two of our older boys are hanging out on the stairs, but I look past them in the hope I’ll find Lacey.
“Was there just someone here?”
“Yeah, a blonde lady. Fit as f—”
“Do not finish that sentence
.” Turning to stare at Mason, I watch his face pale. “Sorry, it’s just…” I trail off, not really wanting to explain Lacey to these boys. Not that I’d really know where to start even if I wanted to.
“She’s your girl, Wes?”
“Uh…yes and no,” I admit.
“Well, what the hell are you doing here? Go get her.”
I don’t hang around long enough to question the fact I’m taking relationship advice from a sixteen-year-old. Running back inside, I apologize to Matthew and make my excuses to the other youth workers here tonight before running back out the front doors.
The drive to her hotel seems to take forever. My hands tremble as I hold the wheel, knowing I’m going to have to revisit a painful time in my life as I explain why I had to leave her. I’d happily never let the words pass my lips again, but Lacey deserves the truth. She deserves everything.
Racing through reception, I stand in the doorway to the bar hoping she’ll be here. Elijah, a lifeguard and my roommate, smiles at me from the other side of the room where he’s surrounded by women and nods towards the pool.
Taking a breath, I follow his silent instructions outside.
Fairy lights twinkle in the palm trees and the setting sun reflects in the calm water.
There are only a few people out here and I find the two women quickly, sitting at the back in the shadows. My heart pounds as I take her in. She’s wearing a white sundress that shows off just the right amount of skin to tease at the incredible curves beneath it. My fingers twitch to get my hands on her, but I know that’s not going to happen any time soon. We need to do what we should have done last night. We need to talk.
I’m halfway across the pool before her friend spots me. I freeze when Lacey’s eyes find me. Every time I look at her, I swear my heart skips a fucking beat. I don’t remember it being quite this bad when I was a kid. But I guess it’s true what they say—distance makes the heart grow fonder. Well, if I thought I was in love with her when I was eighteen, I’m not sure what it is I’m feeling now. It’s all consuming and my need for her is almost painful.
After a nod from Lacey, her friend gets up and walks away. My pulse is thundering in my body as I close the distance between us. The second I’m in reaching distance, I can’t help myself. I lean down, pressing my lips to her cheek. I’m desperate for more, but I have no idea how she’s feeling after last night.
“Hey,” she says nervously. It makes me feel a little better that she’s anxious about this, although I’ve no idea why. I’m the one with all the explaining to do.
“How did you find me tonight?”
“Your friend gave Cherry the address.” She nods over towards Elijah, who smiles when he senses our attention.
Moving my chair a little closer, I take her hands in mine. I notice they’re trembling. “Lacey, I—”
“No. I need to tell you something first.”
She sucks in a long breath and my stomach knots with anticipation of what she’s got to say that’s such a big deal. Did she lie to me last night? Has she got a boyfriend…a husband?
“When you left…I…I had no idea…I thought we’d…”
“What is it, Lace?”
“I was pregnant.”
Lacey
He stills. His eyes widen and all the color drains from his face.
I allow him a few moments for the news to settle in. I’m not expecting him to slip his hands from mine or for his head to fall into them as though I’ve just told him someone’s died.
“Wes?”
The second I saw him across the pool only minutes ago, I thought I was going to be sick. Knowing this conversation was about to happen had blood pumping through my body so fast I felt a little lightheaded.
Although, that’s nothing compared to right now. Fear fills me that he isn’t going to accept this. That he isn’t going to accept Jacob. My son has lived without his dad for this long, so I know nothing will change for him. But this will change everything for me. The man—or boy—I fell in love with all those years ago, who gave me the most precious gift, could be about to turn his back on us once again. Only this time, he’s going to know the truth. All my treasured memories of our time together as kids start to shatter in front of my eyes. He’s not the person I thought he was.
Eventually he looks up, his eyes are haunted and full of fear. “How? We used…”
“I know. But it happened.”
“And it’s definitely mine.”
My body heats as anger like I’ve never experienced before washes through it. How dare he question me? “Yes,” I say, seething. “He is yours. There is absolutely no doubt about that.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Lace. I’m so sorry.” Pushing the chair out behind him, he starts to back away from me.
“Wait. Let me explain, let me tell you…about him,” I whisper, but it’s too late.
He’s gone.
I stare at the space where he just was, totally confused as to what just happened. I saw him with those boys this evening. He looked so comfortable, so at home with them. It gave me the confidence that everything was going to be okay. How can he go from that supportive career to running away?
“What happened?” Cherry asks, coming over with two drinks after I’ve been staring into space for a few minutes.
“He left.”
“Did you get a chance to tell him?”
“Yeah. And he left.”
“Shit.”
Taking the drink from her, I bring the sugary rim to my lips and allow the sweetness of the cocktail to wash away everything that just happened. It works, for all of thirty seconds because the second I pull the glass away, everything floods back. Tears sting my eyes. They’re not for me, or for everything I’ve lost with Wes. They’re for Jacob. My heart bleeds for him that he’ll never get to meet his dad. He’ll never get to go to the park and play football or basketball with him. If he plays sports in high school, he won’t have a dad in the crowd cheering him on with all the others.
A sob bubbles up in my throat and Cherry wraps her arms around me in support.
“I’m sure it was just the shock.” She tries to sound convincing, but it doesn’t work.
I nod in agreement, but it’s a lie. Whatever just happened with Wes was more than just shock. His eyes looked terrified as he backed away from me. The image of them is going to be burned into my mind for a long time.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that we don’t see Wes again for the rest of our time in Florida, but I am. We spend the next two days around the pool in the hopes that he’ll turn up to work, but he never does.
I try to continue enjoying myself and putting a brave face on, but neither Bryony nor Cherry buy the act. By the time we’re packing up to head home, I’ve just about had enough of their sympathetic looks. I know they’re just trying to help and be here for me, but every time I look at them I’m reminded of what I’m about to leave behind.
He shouldn’t have this effect on me. It’s been ten years and one night of passion, but I still feel like I’m about to leave my heart in Florida. I know the girls don’t understand it after the way he’s treated me. Hell, I don’t understand it. But it is what it is.
I tell myself not to look, but as we pass by the pool on our way to reception to check out, I find myself glancing over my shoulder at the lifeguard station. My heart drops when I see Elijah standing there. He nods at me before turning away.
“You want me to see if I can bribe Wes’ phone number out of him?” Cherry asks when she sees who’s holding my attention.
“No. He knows where to find us should he decide to.” I glance between them one more time, still trying to figure out what she did to get the youth centre address out of him. Cherry seems to be keeping it a heavily guarded secret, which is unlike her.
I feel empty as the taxi driver takes my bag from me and places it in the trunk with the others.
“Are you looking forward to seeing Jacob?” Bryony asks, trying to distract me.
“Y
es. I’ve missed him so much.”
Most of the journey passes me by. Bryony and Cherry try getting some conversation out of me, but now that we’re heading home the only thing I can focus on is wrapping my arms around my boy. I’ve spoken to him every day and I know he’s had a great time with Mom and Dad.
“Thank you so much,” I say to both of them as the taxi comes to a stop outside my parents’ house later that afternoon. “Ignoring the obvious, it was a great few days.”
“Go on,” Cherry says with a laugh. “Go hug your boy. Phone me if you need anything,” she calls out. I’m already out of the car, collecting my stuff, ready to do as she suggested.
“MOM!” is shouted the second I shut the front door. Jacob’s smiling face peers around the kitchen doorway and I drop everything in my hands in favor of running towards him.
Sweeping him up in my arms, I fight to keep the giant lump from clogging my throat. Tears sting my eyes as I breathe in my baby boy.
“I missed you. Did you have a good time with Gran and Granddad?”
“Yes.” Jacob thankfully doesn’t notice I’m on the verge of a breakdown as he launches into telling me about everything he’s done in the few days I’ve been away.
Mom gives me a sympathetic smile when I join her and Dad in the kitchen. “You look like you got plenty of sun,” she says, ignoring my threatening tears and instead focusing on my new tan.
“Yes, the weather was incredible.”
“Tell me all about it.” My chin trembles as the image of Wes pops into my head. “Hold that thought. I’ll make coffee.”
I try to keep myself together as she gets up, says something to my dad, who immediately suggests going out into the garden and Jacob excitedly follows behind. Mom makes quick work of the coffee and it seems like only seconds before a steaming mug is placed in front of me and she’s prompting me to start explaining.
My tears start to fall before I even get the first word out. “Wes was there,” I admit. “He’s a lifeguard at the hotel.”
I explain everything to Mom. Well, everything aside from the night we shared together.
Spring Break Secret Baby (A Spring Breakers Short Story) Page 3
