“I like keeping busy,” I replied, knowing damn well that we had time off to do whatever we wanted and money to travel. I was settling in with the idea of going to California for a bit, but a big trip seemed unthinkable to me. I wasn’t ready where I detected she clearly was. I wondered if this was unfair to do to Nora, reminding myself that Elena didn’t want me. I deserved someone nice in my life, and Nora fit the bill, even if I did miss another brunette at some of the most awkward of times. I worked through it, and she had no idea.
“Mom is having a brunch tomorrow. Come with me? She wants to meet you,” Nora told me as I imagined meeting her family for a terrifying moment.
“I told Brandon I’d hang out with him. There’s a game on, and it’s been a while,” I lied, having no plans. I might go watch the game at a bar now and make some of it the truth, and I watched her face fall for a moment. “Sorry. I didn’t know.” Did I? I didn’t remember her mentioning it, but my mind was fuzzy a lot these days.
“It’s fine. Next time,” Nora responded as I smiled and nodded, spearing some salad with her fork. “She did a number on you, didn’t she?”
“Huh?” I asked as I looked blankly at her.
“Ex,” Nora said quietly as I took a breath.
“It would seem so, which is why I told you about that in the first place. I didn’t want any misunderstandings, Nora.” My voice was gentle as I reminded her of this and she nodded with a small smile on her face.
“I know you did,” her pretty face showed her discomfort as I looked her over. “I just…I like being with you. I have a great time when you’re not pulling away from me.”
“Fuck,” I muttered as I dropped my fork and ran my hand over my forehead and into my hair. I hated the pressure that I saw in her eyes, but when she talked about us, I wanted to crawl out of my own skin. I wanted to scream at her that I’d fallen in love with the last girl even though she was so fucking wrong for me. I wanted to tell her that I still smelled Elena in my house sometimes despite her citrus body spray and imagined her in my arms. It was maybe three months now, not three years.
Sadly, I was with Elena for a very short time and fell for her all too quickly. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“I’m sorry, Liam. I can’t stop talking sometimes.” She shrugged and sipped her wine as she looked out of the window. Nora was beautiful, but there were times I couldn’t stop thinking about Elena’s green eyes and graceful smile. Should I let her go find someone that would appreciate her? Give it another few months and determine where we were at? I knew that I would likely feel the way that I do now, but you never know.
“I understand. I’m here with you, Nora. Let’s just enjoy this.” I tried to give her an assured smile, and she merely nodded. We finished dinner and washed dishes together, reminding yet again of fucking Elena, and I made some popcorn to go with the movie we were going to watch. Nora liked staying around the house as much as I did but along with that came the sex that she would want later.
I made sure that I had a few beers before she nestled against me and pressed her lips to mine. God damn it. If I weren't so consumed with Elena, Nora would be the perfect woman for me. I forced my mind to the present as her tongue slipped slowly against mine and her full breasts pressed against me. The kiss deepened as she moved closer, climbing into my lap as her hand wrapped around my neck. I knew that she was turned on as she tilted her head to drive her tongue deeper into my mouth, rocking against me as she whimpered. Her dress slid up to her thighs easily with the movement, and her pussy was right against my shorts as she slid her feet into the couch behind me.
I pulled back and sucked on her ear before kissing down her neck with my eyes closed. She was a willing and wet woman, and I was going to take advantage of that fact as longing filled me, and I lifted her dress further to cup her ass tightly as she moaned.
Nora groaned as she moved for me to rip the sundress over her head, finding her clothed in pale yellow lace underneath. I reached for the clasp of her bra and opened it, baring her to me as I reached forward and cupped her breasts.
I heard Elena moan in my mind, focusing on Nora as she pulled me close to her for an awkward kiss. I pulled on her hard nipples before pinching them, making her gasp as she jerked in my lap. Nora liked it a little rough, and she pulled away and shoved her breasts towards my face, leaning her head back. “Suck them. Use your teeth.” I heard the husky tone to her voice and followed her orders, hearing her cry out as teeth dragged against skin.
I pushed her back against the cushion of the couch and leaned over her to keep teasing her with my mouth. I was too far gone to stop anything right now as she arched her back. Nora cried out my name as she tugged at my t-shirt futilely, easing her pussy against my hardened cock. “Fuck,” I hissed as I pulled away and stood to rip off my clothes right there, reaching for my wallet on the table to find my stash of condoms. I’d been carrying them since sleeping with Nora to make it work for wherever we were at the time. I tugged two out and dropped them on the table before I moved down to her neck so suck her skin into her mouth. I tasted citrus body spray and longed for the spicy apple scent that Elena used to wear. I still smelled it sometimes as if she was haunting my house.
Fuck that. Elena didn’t want to be here, and Nora did. I moved my mouth back down to take a nipple into my mouth before sliding a hand into her damp lace underwear. God, she was wet, and she moaned as I slid a finger inside of her. Nora rocked against me until she screamed my name with her release, making me take my hand away to remove all her clothes. I turned my body so that my cock was easing into her mouth and my tongue was stroking her where she was sweet and wet.
Nora sucked me hungrily into her throat as I parted her folds with my fingers to tongue her deeper. Jesus. Nora was responsive, and I pushed my hips to get deeper inside of her warm, wet mouth. I knew that if I came now like I wanted to, she’d still get a good, hard fucking later. My body seemed to accept that it was over with Elena so now my heart needed to catch up already. She came for the second time just after I’d swollen inside of her, shooting into her throat as she gushed all over my mouth.
I took a breath and moved off her, dropping to a sitting position as I reached for my beer. I was glad that my couch was leather and easy to clean after that, even if it took a few blankets to stay warm in the colder months sometimes. Nora slumped beside me once she could move and drink her wine eagerly.
We watched some more of a movie and then went to my bedroom. I’d enjoyed another beer or two by now, and she was a little more buzzed from her wine. We were on vacation so why the hell not? I had condoms back there as well, so I pulled one out and pushed her to her knees after we made out for a while. She complied, offering her ass to me as I smacked it, making her jump, and cry out. I got to business after that, sheathing myself and thrusting inside of her with one deep movement. “Oh, fuck.” It was a pussy, and it felt good. I gripped her hip with one hand and kept fucking Nora as she let out an assortment of erotic sounds.
We both came and dropped to the bed side-by-side as she sucked in her breath. “Was that better than before or is it just me?”
I realized that she wasn’t wrong and grinned. Maybe this was what I needed to do; to see what else was out there for me. “I think that you’re right.” I could sense her happiness as well as see it in her face with the moonlight that was coming through the window. I didn’t mention it, still wanting to go slow despite this revelation.
CHAPTER 20
Elena
I woke up to Ginger dancing around the apartment and singing since today was the ultrasound. I smiled and turned to my side to stretch slowly. She’d been dying for this day where I was feeling a little bittersweet about the whole thing. I was excited to know what the baby was, though the strain of not having the father there with me was getting to me. I wanted the dream, but I’d made a huge mistake with the man that it happened with. “Elena! Wake up and let’s eat before we go.” Lord, help me. Ginger was running on all cylinde
rs today, and I reminded myself that it was going to be good to have her help when I was exhausted and running on no sleep.
“I’ll be out in a sec!” I told her as I laughed and stood to use the bathroom. I always had to go these days, and it was getting irritating, not to mention I had to drink a shitload of water before we arrived at the doctor today. A lot!! I was going to have to pee so bad that I wouldn’t care about the ultrasound itself. I showered quickly and pulled on a robe to get some juice and eggs from her.
“Are you excited?” Ginger asked me as she beamed at me, her red hair bright in the sun that shone through the window. It was a pleasant sight in the Fall here, and I grinned.
“Yes. I want to know what the baby is so we can plan. Maybe that will get Mom and Dad excited as well,” I said as she gave me a sympathetic look. They weren't complete jerks about it, but they still wondered how I was going to do this. I did too on some days, but it would be nice if they believed in me.
“I am here for the long haul, Mama.” Ginger gave me a serious look. “You know that my mom loves you, too. She’ll be Grandma without any problem.” She was right, but I wanted my parents to be excited for me; to have faith in me.
“I know. Thank you,” I told her as I went to give her a hug and took the plate of scrambled eggs with some cheese melted on them. Instead of plain juice, Ginger handed me one of the healthy smoothies that she’d been into lately, this one a dark purple. “What’s in this?” I asked suspiciously as she giggled.
“Healthy stuff. Drink up,” Ginger teased me before she bit her lip. “This too.” She handed me my giant water bottle as I groaned. “It will make today possible!! I’ll take you for cake afterward if you’re good.”
“You would anyway!!” I laughed as I sipped the thick drink. I tasted the orange in it and smiled at her since I couldn’t eat enough of them these days. “Mmmm!!”
I alternated between drinking the water and the smoothie while I ate, going into my room to pull on some comfortable leggings and an off the shoulder shirt. My tummy was getting a bit bigger now, and it showed in these clothes, but I was done worrying. I couldn’t hide it forever, and I didn’t want to. I wore a cute, thick camisole underneath that would hold my growing girls in it and still be tasteful.
I drank the last of the water and refilled it, grumbling that I was going to die. I’d never make it to the hospital, much less the appointment itself. Ginger pulled on jeans and a thin shirt, and we left the house to go to the car and get to the doctor.
I was torn between having to go to the bathroom so much and being excited to take another step into my future. We had not gotten too many things yet since we didn’t know a color scheme and I knew that after today, there would be no stopping Ginger. Both she and her mom were excited about this and wanting to help me with the baby, which I did appreciate. There were days I didn’t know how I was going to handle this.
I went to tell the receptionist that I was here for my appointment, walking slowly to sit down and wait. The pressure on my bladder was intense, and I longed to just go empty it out. Why did the ultrasound have to be like this? I sighed, and Ginger flipped through her texts before glancing at me. “You okay?”
“I can’t wait to pee,” I murmured as she chuckled softly and reached over to cover my hand with hers.
“Soon,” she promised as my name was called across the waiting room. She squealed as we stood and I followed her to where the petite blonde nurse was waiting with a smile. We made our way to the room, and I settled myself on the bed, surrounded by screens and the ultrasound machine as I tried not to think about the bathroom that we’d passed on the way. The woman that led us back smiled as my doctor came in and asked how I was feeling and the usual things. I told her that it was going well since it was a relatively easy pregnancy.
I lifted my shirt and lowered my pants so Dr. Madden could dump the cold gel onto my skin, making me grimace as she gave me a soft smile. I pushed the pressure on my bladder away and focused on what she was telling me, mesmerized by the process that I was living through right now. I was having a baby and the emotions hit as I learned that everything was going well and the baby was growing beautifully.
I missed Liam when she asked me if I wanted to know the gender. Ginger grabbed my hand, staring at me as I told her that we did. Doctor Madden’s blue eyes warmed as she moved the device around and tilted her head. “See right there?”
“Yes,” I replied breathlessly as I kept staring at the screen.
“You are having a baby girl, Elena.” Tears streamed down my cheeks as Ginger squeezed me tighter, pulling me in for a hug with her free arm. I cried out of happiness as well as sadness that Liam wasn’t here for this. I cried for everything as the procedure was completed and I could finally go to the bathroom, where I cried some more.
We left, and Ginger asked if we could go to a baby store to drool at everything. I smiled and agreed, excited myself to start planning. We hit a strip mall with a popular chain, and she led me in by my arm as we checked out strollers, cribs and gushed over all the cute clothes. I took a lot of pictures of things that I liked to keep track since it was clearly going to be a lot of stuff.
Ginger insisted on buying some clothes and the baby’s first stuffed animal. It was a caterpillar that made all kinds of sounds and offered different textures, and I watched as the cashier tucked it into the bag as Ginger waited to pay.
“I couldn’t do this without you, Gin,” I told her as she hugged me. “I mean that. I would be lost without you.” She hadn’t bothered me about Liam too much in the last several weeks, but I knew that he was on her mind when she gazed at me.
“I will always be here for you and my niece. I have so much to teach her!!” She said as she unlocked her car from a few feet away. We decided to go to the dessert diner around the corner, and she drove there as I took the bag and looked inside. This was so surreal, and I shook my head as I fingered the soft cotton of a dress. I tucked the bag into the back before we went inside and joined the line to order, looking over the sweet treats as my stomach rumbled. “What do you want?”
“I want the carrot cake today. That looks so good,” I whispered as she giggled. Ginger ordered herself some chocolate cake, my carrot cake, coffee, and lemonade for me before paying and searching the room for a free table. “This place is always so crowded,” I murmured as she nodded. It was worth it, though. “Oh, I see one! I’ll grab it if you get the tray?” Ginger knew that I was a klutz when it came to carrying anything and she nodded as I made my way back with a smile on my face.
Today was magical. I was having a little girl!! I imagined what she would look like for a moment as I walked. Would she have her daddy’s eyes or his hair? Maybe both. I couldn’t wait to meet her suddenly, and I rubbed my stomach gently with one hand and slid a chair out with the other. “Are you Elena?”
I turned at the question and saw a face that I wouldn’t forget anytime soon staring at me. Marie. I wanted to tell her no, that I was a different girl, but by the look on her face, I knew that she wouldn’t buy it. “Uh, yeah. Hi…again.”
She searched my face before looking down at my hand, still pressed to my baby bump. Her eyes widened, and she looked back into my eyes as understanding hit her. “You’re pregnant.” I nodded slowly, trying to find a way out of this. Liam couldn’t know, but I saw her mind working as I dropped into the seat and took a breath. “Shit. You wrecked Liam by not calling him back or responding to him. I wanted to kill you for that watching him act so distant for weeks, but I get it now. I mean, I don’t get it, but I sort of understand. You found out after the accident, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t speak as she slipped into the third chair at the small table and made herself comfortable. “I…” I couldn’t talk for a moment, and Ginger gave us both a curious look as she set the tray down.
“Hi,” she said carefully as she looked at Marie with a hesitant smile. I was confident that she sensed the tension in the air between Marie and I and I reached for the
lemonade to take a long swallow.
“Hello. I’m Marie. You might know my brother, Liam.” Marie reached out her hand as Ginger’s face paled. Marie’s smile was tight as the girls shook hands.
“I’m Ginger, Elena’s best friend,” Ginger murmured as the reality of the situation hit her.
“So, is it his?” Marie demanded softly as she stared at me. “You don’t strike me as the kind of girl to fuck around with more than one man, Elena.”
“I’m not,” I shot back the same time as Ginger defended me, anger rising within me as I looked at Ginger.
“Were you going to tell him?” Marie kept going as tears filled my eyes. “He was a mess when you just dropped off the face of the Earth, Elena. He still is in some ways.”
“You know that we were wrong already. You know that, Marie. I saw it in your face that time at his place, and I just wanted to…I wanted to protect him. I didn’t want to make him help me out of obligation. I never meant for this to happen.” I wiped at the moisture on my cheeks and stared at the table. “I moved in with Ginger, and we’re going to do it together.” I felt Marie’s eyes on me. “I wanted to save his career. I don’t want him to get into trouble.”
“He won’t. You’re not at school together anymore; not in the same class. He’d want to know, Elena. He deserves to know.” Marie looked at me with broken eyes as she played with her hands on the table top. “I deserve to know. The baby is part Liam, and I want to see that happen.”
The Valentines Day Proposal Page 119
