Knocked Up on Valentine's Day

by Amy Brent

  “I owe you for saving your life? You really did hit your head.” Lily snorted as she led me to her car. It was a tiny Volkswagen bug painted an obnoxious shade of yellow.

  “I’m not riding in that thing. We can take my car.”

  “Just get in, you big baby, and stop complaining.” Lily opened the passenger side door, not moving until I slid into the seat with a disgruntled look on my face.

  “You really are turning into your aunt, Lil.”

  “I know.” She sighed, not a hint of regret in her voice as she walked around the car and got in on the driver’s side before shooting me a grin, “Someone has to be Coral Springs resident crazy cat lady.”

  I rolled my eyes but even still felt a small smile tug at the corner of my lips. She was the hardest person in the world to stay mad at. It had always been like that. One moment I’d be infuriated by something and then the next we’d be rolling on the floor laughing like maniacs.

  “Let’s just hurry up and go so I can get this over with. I still have a lot of work to do.”

  “Don’t worry. The work isn’t going anywhere. But you’re not going to be able to do anything if you don’t take care of yourself.”

  “Okay, okay. I’ve already surrendered, what more do you want?” I said on a sigh as we backed down the long driveway. Lily just shook her head, chortling to herself as she made the short trip to the center of Coral Springs.

  She parked in front of the doctor’s office, insisting on leading me inside with one of her arms looped around mine and I cast her an annoyed look.

  “I’m not an invalid, you know. I just hit my head a little.”

  "I'm not taking any chances," Lily said, not breaking stride as we walked inside and she beamed a bright smile at the older woman behind the desk.

  “Hi Agnes,” Lily said, still smiling, “I’ve got a patient here to see Doctor Wiley.”

  “Oh, Lily. So nice to see you. And…is that Quinn Moore?” Agnes said, her eyes going wide on Quinn and moment before she noticed the small smear of blood on the side of my temple.

  "Oh dear, what happened?" Agnes fluttered as she grabbed a clipboard and started scribbling.

  “Quinn was working up at the Mayhew property and tripped. She hit her head pretty bad. I thought it would be a good idea to bring her down, just in case it’s a concussion.”

  “Well, you did the right thing, Lily. Head wounds can be nasty things.”

  I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes again as they spoke over my head as if I wasn’t even there. I really wish I wasn’t.

  “Come on, why don’t you bring her into the office and I’ll let Doc know you’re here.”

  "Thanks so much, Agnes," Lily said, and I forced a smile that was more a grimace than anything else.

  “Yeah, thank you so much, Agnes," I said, overly bright as Lily led me into the office. She tried to help me up on the paper-lined cot but I shooed her hands away.

  “It’s just a little bump. Really. I’m okay.”

  Lily held her hands up and I walked to the cot before jumping up on the edge. For a moment, the world tipped again and I was so glad I didn’t topple to the floor but it was a near thing. Finally, I got myself settled on the edge of the cot, the paper crinkling underneath me as I gripped it so tight my knuckles went white.

  It wasn’t long before old Doctor Wiley came in. He poked and prodded at my head, clicking his tongue as he examined me and suddenly I felt exactly like I had as a kid when I’d broken my arm and sat in that exact same spot as he put on the cast.

  He clicked his tongue again as he did a quick check of everywhere else that had been injured during the fall. I wondered why he was checking my arms, legs, feet, eyes, abdomen…everything. And then finally, he shot me a soft smile that double the wrinkles on his face.

  “Well, Miss Moore, there’s nothing to worry about. You both are just fine.” Doctor Wiley turned to the chart and I shared a confused look with Lily.

  “Yeah, Lily is fine. She wasn’t the one who fell. Are you sure I’m okay?” Are you sure you’re okay? He was getting up there in years, after all.

  But he just nodded, this time sending me a confused look. “No, dear. You and your baby. You both are just fine. I’ll bandage the cut on your head but it doesn’t need stitches. Head wounds always look worse than they are. It’s because there are so many blood vessels, when–.”

  The doctor was still talking but I’d stopped listening, my ears filling with a loud, rushing noise.

  “Wait a minute. Baby? What baby?”

  “You’re pregnant, Quinn. About eight weeks if I don’t miss my guess. I’ve seen the signs often enough to tell.”

  “Eight weeks.” I repeated weakly, “Pregnant?” I shook my head, overwhelmed with emotion but most of all, disbelief. “I can’t be pregnant. I’m on birth control.”

  Doctor Wiley just shrugged, “Nothing is foolproof, Miss Moore. There is still a chance of conceiving on the pill. It’s much greater if you were ever late in taking one or missed any. Could that have happened?”

  I wracked my brain, trying to remember if I had taken them every day at the same time. I’d been so wrapped up in the renovations, and with Leo himself, that it was entirely possible. My stomach tightened painfully.

  “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  "Totally normal for a woman at your stage of pregnancy." He nodded his head calmly, as if he hadn't just dropped a nuclear bomb on my entire life as he handed me a handful of pamphlets and paperwork. "I'll get you started on a prescription of neonatal vitamins. Make an appointment with Agnes to come in once every few weeks for a checkup."

  And then he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone as shock imploded inside me. I was so frantic that I had forgotten Lily was even in the room with me until she was suddenly standing by my side, my hand clenched in one of hers.

  I looked over at her with tears in my eyes, blurring my vision. “What am I going to do, Lily?”

  “Don’t worry, Quinn. I know it’s a…surprise, but honestly? I know you’ll make a wonderful mother.”

  I drew in a deep breath, so many thoughts running through my mind that I couldn’t focus on any single one. My whole body felt numb.

  “Come on.” She said, helping me to my feet, “I’ll drive you home.”

  Chapter 25

  Quinn

  I knew Lily had gotten me back to the apartment but I didn’t remember the ride, or the walk inside. It was like I was seeing everything in flashes. Flash. The doctor’s office, Wiley telling me my baby was okay. Flash. Leo, his expression as I drove away, the last time I’d seen him. Flash. Jonah, angry and raging at me for being a failure, for making yet another mess of my life.

  I was on the raggedy, time-worn couch in the cramped living room. The TV was on but I couldn't have said what was playing on it for the life of me. Every single thought was turned inward, desperately trying to untangle the chaos my life had become.

  First college, and finding out about my parents. Then Leo, and everything that had happened with him. My dream of turning the Mayhew house into a successful business was hanging by a thread. And now this. A baby.

  Instinctively, my arms wrapped around my middle. It was still flat, no sign of the life that grew inside me. I’d been so full of doubt that I’d taken three pregnancy tests when I’d gotten home, thinking the crazy old doctor had finally lost the last of his marbles. They’d all been positive.

  I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn’t hear the door open. I didn’t hear the shuffling of feet on the uneven floor. I didn’t even hear Jonah’s voice when he called my name from the kitchen.

  “Quinn? Hey, Quinn?”

  Some part of me must have recognized his voice and I looked over to see him staring at him with a strange look in his eyes from the edge of the couch.

  “Hey there, little sis.”

  “H–Hey.” I finally managed, stumbling through the word as I pushed myself to my
feet. I couldn’t deal with another lecture right now. I was terrified I would just break down then and there if Jonah tried to yell at me again. To tell me how bad I’d fucked up this time.

  I turned and started walking towards my bedroom but Jonah’s voice stopped me again.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m going to my room, big brother. I’m tired and I’m going to lay down for a little bit.” I knew my tone was sharper than it should be but I couldn’t help it.

  “Hold on a sec, Quinn,” He walked towards me, reaching out to turn me around until I was facing him and his eyes took in the white bandage marring the side of my temple. He didn’t look surprised. “Lily called me, Quinn. She told me what happened.”

  I sucked in a hard breath and it hurt so bad I couldn’t exhale again. It just sat there, filling my lungs like a million shards of glass, tearing me apart from the inside out.

  Lily had called him? She’d told him everything? How could she? Panic and a sense of sharp betrayal filled me and it had me opening my mouth, words flying out before I could stop them.

  “She told you? She had no right! No right at all–.”

  “Of course she did. She’s your best friend and she’s worried about you!”

  “She doesn’t need to be worried about me! And neither do you! I know you think I’m just one big giant fuck up and maybe I am, but I swear to you I will take care of this baby and be the best god damn mother I can be! I don’t need you or Lily or anyone else telling me what–.”

  “Baby?” Jonah said softly, just that single word, but it was honed to razor sharpness and it cut through the rest of my tirade in one blow. I looked at him then, really looked at him, and my heart was in my throat as I realized the truth. If he wasn’t surprised before, he sure as hell was now.

  “Lily…she…she didn’t tell you about the baby, did she?” It wasn’t a question. I already knew the answer but Jonah gave one anyway, shaking his head dumbly.

  “No. She just told me you had an accident up at the property and had a mild concussion. She said she took you to the doctor, that was…she didn’t say…a baby?”

  I couldn’t meet his shocked gaze, so terrified I would see disappointment in them that I just kept my own eyes locked on the floor.

  “I thought she told you.” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut tight. “I just found out today. I didn’t…I didn’t know.”

  “Well, that makes two of us,” Jonah said on a rough laugh that had a little humor to it but just as much shock. “Quinn, I have to ask. The father…”

  I opened my eyes then, forcing my gaze to meet his dead on. I wouldn’t flinch away from this, not now. “It’s Leo, Jonah. Leo is the father.”

  I wrapped my arms around my belly again as Jonah spun away with an angry hiss.

  “I can’t fucking believe this. I trusted him. I treated him like a brother and he goes and does this to me?”

  "To you?" I stuttered, staring at him wide-eyed, "Jonah, this has nothing to do with you. This is between me and Leo."

  “No, it isn’t. I’m your brother. We’ll get through this, together. Whatever you want to do, we’ll get through this.”

  He was giving me an expectant look and it took me a moment to realize his meaning but when I did I gasped again before narrowing my gaze.

  “I am keeping this baby, Jonah. And I will give it every bit of love I have to give.”

  He threw his hands up in the air, “I’m just saying it’s your choice, that’s all. I’ll support you either way.”

  “But you think I’m making a mistake?” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my tone as I voiced my question, “Just another mistake in a long line of fuck ups, right?”

  “No! Quinn, that’s not…I don’t think you’re a fuck up, alright? If anything, this is my fault!”

  "Your fault," I repeated his words, shaking my head in disbelief. "Listen to me, Jonah, Leo is the father of this baby. And I'm…I'm in love with him. I'll love him for the rest of my life. That wasn't a mistake, even if it hurts me now, and it sure as hell wasn't your fault, got it?”

  But Jonah kept on talking as if he hadn't even heard me, "If I hadn't been so busy if I had realized sooner what had been going on…"

  “You would have, what? Kicked him out of town sooner? Broken us apart sooner? Driven away the man I love sooner? Get over yourself, Jonah.”

  I turned away with a deep, angry sigh, my feet taking me back to the couch and I sat with another huff of irritation. The nerve. To think that this is at all about him when in reality it had everything to do with me, Leo, and the baby growing inside me.

  I didn’t realize that Jonah was still in the room with me until I felt the opposite end of the couch dip under his weight as he sat with a heavy exhale beside me.

  “I’m sorry, sis.” He said after a long moment, and it felt like all the tension I’d been holding inside of me went out with a rush and all that was left was exhaustion. I was too tired to argue. Too tired to do anything but what I’d always done my entire life. Lean against my big brother for support when things got tough.

  “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to be such a brat.”

  “You can’t help it.” Jonah teased and I slapped his shoulder but I couldn’t help the tearful laugh.

  “I know it doesn’t make sense, Jonah, but…I already love this baby. I was so terrified when that old doctor told me I was pregnant. I didn’t believe him. But a part of me knew he was telling the truth, and that part of me knew right away. Whoever they are, whoever they grow up to be, I love the little guy.”

  “Or girl.” Jonah added with a small smile, but then his expression faded growing serious as he held one hand in his, “Quinn, you’re nothing like mom. You know that, right?”

  My breath hitched painfully at his words, the worst of my fears being dragged into the light as I met his gaze.

  "But what if I am? What if I end up just like her? A selfish, self-centered screw-up?"

  “That’s never going to happen.”

  “What about Leo? I have to tell him. It’s his baby too.” Jonah’s green gaze shuttered at my word and he looked away.

  “Don’t worry, Q, we’ll figure this out together.”

  I nodded, my thoughts troubled but I remained silent. There wasn’t anything else to say.

  Chapter 26

  Leo

  “Hey there. Now aren’t you just a tall drink of water,” the cute brunette said as she sauntered up to the bar. I shot her a slow smile but I didn’t mean it, “You new to town?”

  "I'm just passing through," I said, leaning forward with my elbows propped on the worn top of the wooden bar. It had been easy enough to get a bartender gig with my experience and the manager hadn't asked many questions. I got the feeling I wasn't the only drifter this small, rural town had seen and I probably wouldn't be the last.

  "Well, that's a shame." She leaned in a little closer, her bottle blond hair sliding over her shoulder as she sent him a cat-like grin, "How long are you here for? Long enough to have some fun?"

  I smiled, a retort rising to my lips easily. Sure, sugar. I always have time for fun. But it stuck in my throat, choking me and instead I turned away, grabbing a glass.

  “Sorry. Won’t be here that long.” I watched her grin fade and got the feeling she wasn’t used to being turned down. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “A Cosmo.” She said, her tone no longer purring and edged with a harshness I hadn’t seen at first. “If you’ll be here long enough to make one.”

  “I think I can manage.” I huffed out a breath of relief as I walked away. Did I really used to be interested in women like that? I knew the truth. A few short months ago, I would have smiled at her invitation and taken her to the back storage room, and then taken her everywhere else before bidding her goodbye with a smile of my own. It seemed so hollow now, filling me with a sense of emptiness that ate at me from the inside out.

 
; I glanced back from the corner of my eye, seeing her scope out the rest of the bar now that I was off her hook, taking in the platinum, icy blond hair and considering gaze. The total opposite of Quinn.

  Quinn was bright sunlight and warmth and goodness, even when she was being wicked as sin. Especially when she was being wicked as sin, I thought to myself with a small, sad smile. It had been over a week since I’d left and I couldn’t keep my thoughts on anyone or anything but here.

  I’d only made it about forty miles out of Coral Springs before pulling into the nearest town. And I hadn’t been able to leave since. I couldn’t make myself put any more distance between us. It hurt too much.

  The moment I’d left, I’d known it was a huge mistake to leave without talking to Quinn first. Another thing that had kept me up at nights, lying in bed, wondering if things would have gone differently if I had just answered the fucking phone. If I had just stayed.

  You couldn’t have stayed. Losing the bed and breakfast would have destroyed Quinn. I knew it was true. But it didn’t make one bit of it any easier to swallow. If anything, it made the knife-like pain I’d been walking around with stab just a little bit deeper. Because I hadn’t even tried.

  I had just given up at Jonah’s threat and walked away without another word, without even explaining. Without saying goodbye.