Fairytale Lost

by Lori Hendricks

  “I do love her, you know. I want to be with her and the baby,” Lukas said.

  “I know. But Emmalyn isn’t going to listen to a word you have to say because you’ve said it all before. If you can’t be what you’ve said you’ll be, you should give up now.”

  “Hell, I’m not even sure that’ll work with her.”

  Lukas and Jaxon sat silent for a minute. Jaxon smiled at Lukas, and Lukas immediately sighed. He knew that look. Jaxon was about to say something stupid. He didn’t disappoint.

  “So, Sunny’s single now? Mind if I look her up?”

  17

  True Confessions

  Lukas knew he needed to figure some things out if he was going to fix the mess he and Emmalyn had made of their relationship. One thing he already knew for sure was that he needed to convince Isabel and Zavia that he was serious if he was to have any chance at winning Emmalyn back—or at least for them to be friends enough to be able to co-parent. He’d sent an email to Zavia, Isabel and Emmalyn inviting them to dinner in a couple days at Em’s favorite restaurant. He included Brian and Jaxon to ensure he had some non-hostile people there to watch his back.

  “Man, are you sure about this? It’s kinda like eating with a nest of vipers,” Brian asked skeptically. They were sitting in Brian’s office going over the plans for the dinner Lukas was hosting. “I mean, I’ve got your back, but this seems risky.”

  Lukas was leaning back in the chair opposite Brian’s desk, tossing a baseball in the air. “I gotta do something. I’ve got to go back to San Diego soon, and I don’t want to go without trying once more. Just say you’re coming. Jaxon is coming too,” he added.

  Brian rolled his eyes. He loved Jaxon like a brother, but Jaxon had a tendency to make things worse, not better. “Have you told him to behave himself? You know how he gets in serious situations.”

  “He swears on his Marine uniform that he will act like a gentleman.”

  On the night of the dinner, Lukas, Brian, and Jaxon arrived at the restaurant a bit early to make sure everything was set up properly. Zavia and her husband, Robert, arrived first. One look at Zavia’s furious face and Lukas immediately wanted to run and hide, but he needed Zavia’s support. That didn’t make him any more comfortable though.

  “Zavia, thanks for coming. Robert, good to see you man. This is Brian and my brother Jaxon.”

  Zavia didn’t even bother to hide her annoyance. She walked right up to Lukas and poked him in the chest. “I can’t change who the father of Em’s baby is, but if you hurt her or that child, I will gut you like a pig. Because there are children around, I won’t tell you what I have planned for your genitals.”

  Robert grabbed her and gently pulled her away. “Zee, give the man a break. He’s going to be a father. I doubt he brought us here to cause Em any pain. Right?” Robert gave Lukas a sympathetic but stern look.

  “Right,” Jaxon interjected. “My brother is very excited about the baby and wants to celebrate.”

  “Umm hmm. He just better watch himself. I won’t let him live long if he hurts my girl again.”

  Zavia sat down just as Isabel and Emmalyn walked in. Emmalyn looked beautiful. Pregnancy certainly agreed with her. Lukas started to tell her that, but a flash of pain across her face caused him to take pause.

  “Emmy, is something wrong?” he asked, rushing to her side. He took her hand and led her toward the table.

  She frowned in response. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because you look like something hurts.” He knew that was the wrong thing to say when she reached up and grabbed his ear, pulling his face even with hers.

  “There is a baby inside me that wants to eat its way out like the monster in Alien. Anything else you want to know?”

  “No. You’re pretty. Please let my ear go.” She let him go and turned to say hi to Brian. Her face turned to pure pleasure when she spotted Jaxon.

  “Jaxon! I’m so happy to see you. You look wonderful. War agrees with you.” She pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek.

  “And pregnancy agrees with you. You look glorious!”

  Em patted Jaxon’s cheek and hugged him again. “I’m glad one of you Upton boys knows how to talk to pregnant women.” She turned and stuck out her tongue at Lukas. He could only shake his head. Jaxon helped her to the chair between him and Lukas.

  Everyone seated and orders placed, the conversation went on smoothly. Jaxon told stories of his time overseas that kept everyone laughing. Lukas tried to engage Emmalyn in conversation a couple of times, but Zavia or Isabel interrupted in an effort to keep the peace. Jaxon tried to keep the ladies entertained and give his brother a chance to talk to Em, but they weren’t having any part of that.

  Finally, Jaxon asked Lukas about his job. “So, bro, what’s going on in the world of information technology?”

  Brian reached out and snagged the last roll but split it when Em growled at him.

  “Well, we’ve sold our last tool set to a major software company. And with Isabel and Emmalyn’s help, we believe our next set of tools will innovate mobile marketing and provide a platform for small businesses. Brian has designed a strategy to launch, and we’ve hired Isabel and Emmalyn to do the user interface development.”

  “That must be interesting. Is this something big in San Diego?” Zavia asked pointedly.

  “Uh, no, actually we’re looking to launch in Charlotte.” Lukas kept his eyes focused on his plate as everyone at the table stared at him.

  “Here?” Emmalyn choked out. “So, Brian will be leading the launch?”

  “Not exactly. He and I are co-chairing the launch. I’ll be relocating to Charlotte in the next month to prepare.”

  Emmalyn was completely speechless. She, Isabel, and Zavia simply stared at Lukas as though he’d grown a second head.

  “That’s awesome news, Lukas,” Jaxon prompted. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Emmalyn looked less than pleased by this bit of news.

  “Yeah, thanks. I’ll be renting a place here before I go back to San Diego at the end of the week to close out a bit of business.”

  Lukas watched the wave of emotions play across Emmalyn’s face. He could tell she wasn’t happy about being told in such a public way, but she didn’t seem angry. That had to be a good sign, right?

  “Well, since it’s open season on announcements, I have one as well,” Emmalyn said, relying on Jaxon’s friendly face for strength. She could feel Lukas’s warmth and wanted to both move closer to him and move away. She took a deep breath and said, “I’ve applied for a transfer to the Charleston office.”

  The entire table sat in dumbfounded silence. Isabel and Zavia in particular sat gape-mouthed and confused, not sure what to say. Emmalyn took the silence as a blessing and continued speaking. “I think this is going to be best for me and the baby. You know, start over someplace fresh with a slower pace of life.”

  “Wait, you’re leaving Charlotte? You can’t be serious,” Zavia asked skeptically.

  Em took a deep breath and began to explain her side of things. “Zavia, I know you don’t agree.”

  “You’re damn right I don’t agree. I know things are a bit hectic here, but at least you have me and Isabel. We can be your support system, and the baby’s father would be around to help. Babies are a lot of work. Robert and I are still figuring it out, and Jared is old enough to feed and clothe himself now.”

  “I understand that,” Em tried to say, but Zavia wasn’t quite finished.

  “Clearly, not if you want to move three hours away.”

  “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I’ve made up my mind. I am well aware that you don’t think I can do this, Zavia. You’ve made that clear on several occasions.”

  “I never…,” she started, but Em cut her off.

  “You most certainly have. But this is my life and my baby. Either support my decision or shut the hell up.” Em stood up and turned to walk away.

  “Where are you going now?” Isabel asked.

  “To
the bathroom. Or do we need to take a vote on that too?” She didn’t wait for an answer and stormed off in the direction of the restrooms.

  “Why don’t you say something?” Isabel asked, rounding on Lukas. He was obviously still stunned by Em’s announcement.

  “What should I have said?” he said weakly.

  “It’s your baby too, damn it. Make her stay here,” Isabel hissed.

  “Oh yeah, my position in her life is so rock solid I can make her feel like a child like Zavia does,” Lukas countered.

  Zavia opened then closed her mouth. She knew he was right. She flopped back in her seat heavily. “She’s been acting so distant the last few days. I thought it was just the hormones.” Zavia took a long sip of her wine. She turned to Lukas and said something she never thought she’d hear herself say.

  “You’d better figure something out soon. She’s running away from me and from you. If you don’t find a way to fix things with her, you’re going to lose her, and your baby.”

  *

  Exactly one week later, Lukas called Emmalyn and asked her to meet him for lunch. She didn’t want to go but figured she owed him at least that much. He hadn’t spoken a single word to her since her announcement. During the drive to the restaurant, Em practiced her speech about how her moving to Charleston is in everyone’s best interest. Assured she’ll be able to hold her own, she strode into the restaurant, confident and ready for battle.

  Lukas was visibly furious with her. She tried to give him her speech, but he didn’t want to hear any of it.

  “So, without so much as a word to me, you decide to take my kid to South Carolina. Just like that? I don’t get a say,” he snarled at her, angry that she would just up and leave like this.

  She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen Lukas this angry, especially not with her. She put up her hands in defense. “I didn’t know you were moving back here. If you were still living in San Diego, what difference would it have made?” This was not going at all like she’d planned. Lukas wasn’t supposed to care this much. Was he?

  “Tell me something, Emmalyn. If I hadn’t come to your office that day and seen your little baby bump, would you have told me about the baby?” Lukas shook with the effort to remain calm. Yelling at a pregnant woman wouldn’t win him any points, and it would be the fastest way to get Em to shut down on him completely.

  “I went to your house to tell you, but you were planning to marry someone else,” she said, her defenses going way up.

  He paused but didn’t let up. “That doesn’t answer my question. But for the record, my marrying Sunny would not have magically made that baby someone else’s. That would have still been my child. Would you have told me?” Lukas looked her square in the eye and waited for her to lie to him.

  “No, I wouldn’t have,” she said instead, his surprise visible.

  “And now you’re trying to keep the baby away from me?” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “No, it’s not like that. I want to start over somewhere else. Can’t you understand that?” Emmalyn didn’t know how to make Lukas—or anyone—understand. In her heart, she needed a fresh start and to get away from everything that was causing her stress. This pregnancy was much, much harder on her than she’d let on to anyone. She needed peace to make it through this pregnancy with any sanity, and she knew damn well she’d never be able to have it in Charlotte.

  “No, Emmalyn, I can’t. Your friends are here. Everyone you know, with the exception of your mother, is here. Why go to Charleston? What are you running from?” Desperation radiated from his gut to his chest. He had to find a way to convince her to stay.

  “Lukas, I can’t explain it. It’s just something I have to do, something I want to do.” She still wasn’t ready to come clean about what this pregnancy was doing to her health—both physically and mentally.

  “And now that you know I’ll be here and want to be a part of the baby’s life, will you still leave?”

  She looked at him and tried to gauge the situation. The truth was, his moving back to Charlotte made her want to leave even more, but she didn’t think admitting that would help the situation very much. But the alternative was lying, and she knew he’d see right through her. “Yes,” was all she could say.

  Lukas swore long and angrily under his breath, though Em caught each and every word. She honestly didn’t think he’d care this much. He never seemed to before.

  “We can figure something out, some kind of custody arrangement that will work for both of us. I’m only going a few hours away.”

  Lukas didn’t respond. He just stood up from the table and, without another word, left the restaurant.

  18

  Uh, Houston…

  In truth, Emmalyn did not settle into pregnancy very smoothly. She loved working, but since becoming pregnant, she simply didn’t have the stamina to push as she did before. As a result, her body was rebelling against her. She was tired all the time and couldn’t seem to eat enough to maintain her energy levels. Em struggled to learn how to listen to her body and slow down when she needed to.

  She’d just finished unpacking some things she’d bought for the baby and had finally found a comfortable place on the sofa when the doorbell rang. At just eleven weeks pregnant, her legs were beginning to bother her, and wandering the stores for several hours just wasn’t a good idea. She lumbered to the door and peeked through the peep hole. To her surprise, Lukas was outside, his arms full of bags.

  “Lukas, what on earth is all that?” she inquired as she held the door open for him.

  He dropped the bags on the floor in the living room, his face full of excitement. “I was in the store, and I saw this stuff. I wasn’t sure what you needed, so I bought one of each. I figure we can go through it, and you can tell me what you need and what you don’t.”

  She laughed. “You’re ridiculous.” She bent down and started looking through the bags, though when she tried to straighten up she grimaced. Lukas noticed.

  “What’s wrong?” He helped her back to the sofa.

  “Nothing,” she replied and tried to keep her face neutral. It didn’t work. She sighed before fessing up. “I went shopping earlier, and I must have overdone it. My legs and lower back are killing me,” she confessed.

  He led her over to the sofa and pulled her down beside him. He shifted to the other end of the sofa. “Here let me see your feet.” She hesitated a second too long, so he reached down and pulled her swollen feet to his lap. He rubbed and stretched her toes and ankles, making her groan in pleasure.

  “I’d tell you to stop,” she murmured, “but I really want you to keep going.”

  “Hold on a sec.” Laughing, he pulled his phone out of his pocket with one hand while massaging the ball of one of her feet with the other. He texted Brian and Jaxon and told them that he wouldn’t be joining them for drinks.

  “Got a hot date?” Em joked. Eyes closed, a mischievous grin on her face, she laughed out loud when he tickled the bottom of her feet.

  “Behave, will you? I was just letting Brian and Jaxon know I wasn’t going to make it tonight. Have you eaten recently?” He tried looking her over for an answer, but she was hiding her face from him. Under her eyes was dark with exhaustion and her skin looked pale.

  “I had something earlier. I’m a bit hungry. I’ll cook myself something. You go on ahead and meet your brother and Brian. I’ll be okay.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Does this mean you’re not still angry with me for moving?”

  He shook his head and tsked her. “I’m not leaving you. How about Chinese food? I know you have menus,” he laughed. He simply ignored her last question, instead focusing on this time. He wanted to show her they could get along, and then she’d know she didn’t need to leave. Up first, though, was feeding her. Something was off about her coloring, and it concerned him, though he decided not to ask her anything specific.

  She pouted when he gently laid her feet on the sofa and went in search of the menu
s. He found her folder of delivery menus right where she’d told them they’d be in the kitchen, then he called in the order. In the meantime he walked her through the stuff he’d bought earlier. They shared a few laughs as Lukas showed her all the clothes and things that he’d bought but that the baby wouldn’t be able to wear for a quite some time.

  “How was I supposed to know they come in different sizes,” asked Lukas, confused and grumpy that Em was laughing at him.

  “Um, the tag on the inside. Just like in your clothes, silly man. These clothes won’t fit until the baby is six-to-nine months.” She held out the tag for him to look at. “See. Six-to-nine months.”

  “Should I take it back? Get smaller stuff?”

  “I don’t suppose so. I mean, the baby will grow into it. I’ve bought a bunch of newborn and three-to-six month stuff. If you look in the spare room at the end of the hall upstairs, you’ll see the bags. Grab them, and I’ll show you what I have.”

  Lukas trotted off upstairs, returning quickly with the bags of stuff Emmalyn bought earlier that day during her shopping trip.

  “Jesus, Emmalyn, is there anything left in the store?” he joked.

  “You’re one to talk.” Emmalyn swung her feet to the floor and slowly slid to the floor from where she sat on the sofa. She pulled things out of the bags, holding them up for Lukas to see then folding them back up neatly.

  “You bought everything in yellow and green. You don’t know yet if it’s a girl or a boy?”

  “Not yet. The appointment for that is in a couple weeks. If you want to come, you can, you know,” Emmalyn offered quietly. She raised her eyes and met Lukas’s shit-eating grin.

  “Of course I want to come. I bet the baby looks like me,” he boasted.

  She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh Lord. Shut up, and open the door. The food is here.

  Emmalyn and Lukas spent an entertaining evening eating cheap Chinese food and watching B-movies on one of the science fiction channels. She fell asleep before the end of the first movie. Lukas woke her up and, after a number of foul words and growls, convinced her to go to bed.