by Mia Carson
With a sigh, I glanced at the clock. Two-forty. Mel would be here soon, and I hoped Denise was well on her way before she pulled in. I would have to tell Mel what had happened as soon as she got here. Again, the small town grapevine could be cruel in its retelling of a story. The half-truths and outright lies did not belong in our relationship.
I stooped and picked up the food Denise had thrown all over the floor. Nothing was damaged, so I decided to take advantage of it. I made a mean lasagna.
Mel
My nerves were jangling, my stomach in a twist, and my mind unable to focus. I drove through the gate that led to Will’s house, determined to keep my child, regardless of his thoughts. I knew him, though, and was sure he would want the baby as well. He wouldn’t ask me to get rid of it, and he wouldn’t turn his back on me. My only fear was telling him, because the news could be such a shock. Our relationship might not make it, but he wouldn’t turn away from a child. I could live with that, I decided.
As I reached the house, I saw a woman hoofing it towards her car and frowned. Recognition hit me as I pulled my car to a stop a little away from hers: Denise. She glared at my car, and upon recognizing me, changed direction and headed in my direction. Sighing, I climbed out of my car and braced myself for a confrontation.
“Hello, Denise,” I murmured as she reached me. When she lifted her hand as if to slap me, I jerked back and lifted my hand defensively. “Hey! You better put that damn hand down!”
“You stupid bitch! You stole him from me! And now he won’t have anything to do with me or my baby!”
My breath left my body as if she had punched me in the stomach. “What?”
“I’m pregnant! And he told me to get the hell out of his life because he’s with you. I’m on my own because of you!” She watched me, her eyes following my expressions as they moved across my face. She started nodding. “That’s right, Mel. I’m pregnant.”
“You’re lying,” I whispered, my heart breaking. “He wouldn’t fuck you while he’s with me. He wouldn’t.”
“Denise!” Will’s voice echoed across the yard.
She jerked around and walked to him. “I told her the truth, Will.”
“What the hell did you say to her?” He approached quickly, his eyes on mine. “Mel, are you okay?” I didn’t respond—I couldn’t even speak. He jerked around again. “Dammit, Denise, what the hell did you do?”
“I told her the truth,” she repeated.
“And what is that?”
Denise was in her car. She started it and rolled the window down. “That you’re a son of a bitch!” She sped off, spinning her wheels and shooting rocks into the air.
Will
The stricken look on Mel’s face frightened me. She looked pale, and her eyes were wide, though clear of all tears. Her hand was still on her car door as if she might climb back into it and leave.
“Mel, are you okay? What did she say?”
“Did you fuck her?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“No! Is that what she told you?” She nodded her head, and a tear slipped down her cheek. I didn’t touch her, not yet.
“Yes.” Her voice was gaining volume, and her eyes were staring at me as if she didn’t know me. “She told me she’s pregnant with your child.”
“What! I haven’t touched her in months, Mel. If she’s pregnant, it’s not mine!” I grabbed her arms then and pulled her close to me. “Mel, I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, I swear. And even if you and I weren’t together, I wouldn’t touch her. I’m in love with you.”
She watched my eyes as if waiting for the lie. I put as much of the love I felt into the look we exchanged and waited. The decision was in her hands. If she didn’t believe me, I wouldn’t be able to convince her. The moment stretched into a minute, and I think two passed before she spoke.
“Why was she here?”
“I honestly have no idea. She brought groceries like she was going to cook dinner. As if she did it every day. It was the weirdest thing.” I recapped the entire scene in the kitchen for her, and she listened carefully, obviously for any falsehoods or slips in my story. I hated that she thought I would lie, that another man had convinced her all men were liars.
After I finished speaking, we slipped into silence again. Patiently, I waited. I would not rush her. She had to make this decision without my persuasion.
My stomach lurched when her eyes met mine again.
Mel
Confusion assaulted my mind, and I debated with myself for a long time after he told me he loved me and after he told me what had happened in the kitchen with that awful woman. I loved him, too, but I’d never said it. He’d said it for the first time after an altercation with an ex. Was he saying it to placate me? Or did he mean it? These questions repeated themselves over and over in my brain until I thought I would scream.
I stared at the ground so he couldn’t see my face. He had let go of my arms and stepped back, giving me the space I needed to make a decision. And then it hit me. He knew not to touch me when I was upset. He knew I needed not only emotional space but physical space as well when I was angry or upset. He was perfect for me.
I sighed and looked up at him. His eyes were filled with dread, dread that I would walk away. He did love me—I could see it plainly. My hesitation, my need for a moment to think, was killing him. I couldn’t bring myself to smile, but I lifted the corner of my lips slightly to indicate to him the outcome was good. He smiled brilliantly but waited for me to speak.
“I love you, too, Will, and although this isn’t the best time, it works as good as any.” I looked away again and inhaled deeply. On my released breath, I said, “I’m pregnant. For real. And it is yours.”
He stared at me for a long time without moving. Fear snuck back into my heart, and now, I waited for the shock to wear off. When it did, he let out a whoop and swooped me up into his arms. He swung me around, laughing, and kissed me so hard our teeth pressed against our lips and it almost hurt.
“Will!” I shrieked.
He set me down but didn’t release me. “Mel, are you sure?”
“I’m very sure. I took the test this morning,” I explained with a shrug. “I asked to come over to tell you. And then that happened.” I gestured in the direction of Denise’s car, which had long since disappeared.
“Mel, I promise, you won’t have to deal with that woman again,” he promised.
“What if she really is pregnant? Even if it’s not yo—”
“It’s not mine, Mel,” he interrupted.
“But she can tell people it is,” I reasoned. “And small towns, blah, blah, blah.”
“We’ll handle it together. Just like we’ll handle this baby together,” Will said. When I didn’t say anything, a panicked look passed over his face. “Unless you don’t want it.”
I smiled at him. “I do want it, Will. I was scared you wouldn’t. I mean, Cara is in high school. You’ll be starting over.”
“I don’t mind starting over, Mel. I can’t wait to see what our child will look like. Beautiful, I’m sure of it. And Cara will make such a good big sister!” He was gushing adorably, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.
“I’m so happy to hear you say that,” I told him, relieved.
“I love you, Mel, and we’re going to be happy,” he promised. “Now, when are you moving in?”
I laughed. “Whoa, whoa, we’re having a baby, not getting married,” I teased.
“We are getting married, young lady! As soon as I decide how to propose to you.” He lifted me in another hug, kissing me gently. “Damn, woman, you try me. And I love it.”
“I love you too, Will.”
*** THE END ***
*** BONUS BOOK #2 ***
PLAYBOY’S BABY
(A Billionaire
Romance)
By
Mia Carson
COPYRIGHT © 2016
All Rights Reserved
Tia
The girl in the mirror had swollen, red-ri
mmed eyes.
I looked down at the water running from the tap and the small clouds of steam emitting from it. I’d been standing in front of the mirror for too long, and my red and watery eyes hadn’t stopped staring at me.
Forcing my gaze back to the mirror, I focused on my hair. Usually smooth and straight on its best day, it hung limp and lifeless today, matching my emotions. My face looked flushed from hours and hours of crying, and my neck looked naked without the long gold chain I usually wore. I had sold it to pay for my mom’s funeral. Had she only died a week ago? It felt like a lifetime.
I washed my face, pulled my dull hair back into a ponytail, and left the bathroom. My roommate and best friend, Ella, sat behind the kitchen counter, a mug of coffee cradled in both hands. She stood up when I emerged from my room, walked over, and hugged me from behind with both arms.
“It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.
A fresh batch of tears threatened to leave my eyes. Tired of crying, I blinked them back. “I know,” I whispered. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re more than welcome,” she said, hugging me hard.
She proceeded to make me a cup of coffee while I sat with my head down on the kitchen counter. My mom’s funeral had been six days ago. Her house was on the market, and an interested buyer had already contacted the real estate agent. I couldn’t live in my mother’s house without her, and Ella had offered to let me move in with her, I think because she didn’t want me to be alone.
“Tia, have you heard from your… um… dad?” Ella asked cautiously, sitting on the stool next to me.
I took a sip of my coffee, letting the warmth spread through me. “No,” I replied. “Not that I expected to, you know. Runaway dads hardly ever show up twenty years later.”
My father had left my mother and me when I was three. He had run off with another woman. Although I answered with sarcasm, Ella’s expression clouded, concern embedded in her eyes. I hated that she worried about me, but I would worry about her if the roles were reversed.
We had been friends for years. Ella and I had gone to college at Indiana East together. She had graduated with a degree in Communication Studies and worked at a digital marketing firm. My major had been Fine Arts, but I’d had to drop out of college in my second year when my mom fell ill. She had been bedridden, so in addition to taking care of her, I also had to work in the bookshop she owned so we had some sort of income. However, the bookshop closed six months after she was struck with cancer because of the heavy debt piling up. Frowning, I decided that it was high time I found a job.
“Are you going to work today?” I asked.
“No, not today,” Ella replied. “I wanted to spend the day with you.”
“I really wish you didn’t feel like you have to babysit me.”
“C’mon, Tia! I’m not babysitting you. You’re my best friend, and I want to be around you at a time like this.”
It was true. I had no other friend as good as Ella. When I had to drop out of college, she had offered to share my responsibilities so I wouldn’t have to leave, but I had refused.
“Thank you,” I said and shushed her before she opened her mouth to protest. “I mean it. You have no idea how grateful I am to have you in my life.”
Once we finished breakfast, I helped Ella do the dishes since she had made breakfast. When the dishes were done, she told me to go sit on the couch and made us green tea. She brought the tray out to our small living room and sat next to me on the couch. I ate my first proper meal in a week, and once we started talking with hot mugs of soothing tea in our hands, I felt better than I had in a very long time.
We talked for a long time about school and my mom, all the memories of the childhood we had shared in the small city of Richmond, Indiana, and our shared interests like art and mystery fiction. We talked and laughed and sipped our tea, free from cares and blithe like little children on a summer day. I don’t know when I finally drifted off on the couch. The last thing I remembered was Ella putting a blanket on me.
Tia
The sky outside was dark when I woke up. Ella sat in a chair across from me with her laptop. “Hello, sleepyhead,” she chirped, setting the computer to one side. “Are you hungry?”
The thought of spending another second indoors brought on a wave of depression. “Let’s go out to dinner.”
Ella’s expression transitioned from surprise to approval very quickly. “Good for you,” she said. “I’ve been a little worried that maybe you’d never want to go out again. Good thing it was your idea. I was dreading having to drag you out.”
I smiled—it was becoming easier—and told her to give me fifteen minutes to get ready and went to take a shower. After I pulled on a pair of jeans and a neat, white top, I grabbed my jacket and we left the apartment. The night air and the feeling of my freshly washed hair made me shiver with pleasure, and I managed another smile. Beside me, Ella remained quiet, probably too afraid to disrupt my changed attitude by saying something stupid.
My mom’s vintage Volkswagen was parked outside; I wasn’t sure I wanted to sell it. But I also didn’t want to drive it. “Why don’t we walk?” Ella grinned, happy to oblige.
We chose the Moonlight Café two streets away, one of my favorite places in town. It was a small, brightly lit restaurant with not much room, but the food was excellent. The owner, Derrick Swanson, was an old friend of my mom’s. Tonight, though, he was nowhere to be seen, and his absence was a relief. I still dreaded running into anyone who might want to talk about her.
We took a seat by the window and waited for a waitress to get to us amidst the crowd when I saw Derrick’s son, Will, waving at me from the front. I waved back, and Will made a gesture that said I will come over in a minute. He turned to say something to an elderly waitress.
Ella watched our exchange with an inappropriate amount of interest. “What’s the deal with Blondie? He hot for you?” She winked at me.
I responded with an exaggerated, incredulous stare that visibly said I’m not even going to dignify that with a reply. Infuriatingly, she winked again. I rolled my eyes and ignored her implication.
Will came over after a minute, offered his condolences over Mom’s passing and his apologies over the slow service. “We’re having some trouble keeping good help.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re not in any hurry,” I answered, smiling up at him. I gestured to Ella. “This is my best friend, Ella. Ella, Will.”
“Nice to meet you,” Will said, shaking her hand.
“You too,” Ella said, grinning at him and then at me.
“Will!” the older waitress interrupted, pad in hand, obviously irate. She gestured furiously towards the counter, her nostrils flared. Will flashed a grin at us and excused himself to go and deal with whatever had caused the waitress’ distress.
Another younger waitress came over to take our order. I ordered steak au poivre—the grilled steak with peppercorn sauce was the house specialty—while Ella took her sweet time going over and over the menu until I seriously thought the waitress would throw a fit and storm away. Finally, she ordered a chicken salad and grinned once the waitress retreated, her stiff posture an indication that she would have preferred to storm and rant.
“Tia, it’s been forever since you’ve actually dated, hasn’t it?” Ella spoke tentatively as we waited for our food.
“Um… Actually, I haven’t had much time with everything going on,” I replied, my eyes narrowing at her.
“There hasn’t been a single man in your life since Dan the Douchebag,” she said.
“Yes, that’s accurate, and thank you for reminding me that my dating hiatus has continued longer than I would prefer,” I said.
Dan had been my high school sweetheart. We attended Indiana East together. I had been accepted to Dartmouth, but he convinced me to go to Indiana East with him. I was pretty crazy about him, so I agreed. We were fine until my mom got sick. When I had to drop out, Dan broke up with me soon after. It was a hard blow,
but I had managed by constantly reminding myself that it was a good thing I had learned the truth about him sooner rather than later.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Ella said, “and Blondie over there looks like a nice guy you should consider. Really, though, you need to get back out there.”
Our food arrived before I could reply, and I picked up my fork and knife to eat. I pointed my fork at her and spoke sharply, oddly resentful and defensive. “I wasn’t aware you were concerned about my love life.”
“Well, I am,” Ella grinned wryly. “And since you’re aware of it, we can get down to it.”
“Actually…” I had a mouthful, so I chewed the steak and swallowed before finishing. “My priority is to start looking for a job first.”
Ella fixed me with a wide-eyed stare, her smile dazzling. I could swear her eyes shone for a moment.
“What?” I asked.
“I just had an idea!” she almost screamed in excitement.
I looked apologetically at the tables around us, but the place was so crowded and noisy I don’t think anyone heard Ella. She pulled her phone out of her bag and put it on the table between us.
