“I don’t mind cleaning up. I helped make the mess,” I continued, trying to distract myself from the thought of my parents.
“Somehow I doubt that,” he replied, dryly, gathering up stuff. We worked together in a comfortable silence. Once we finished, he asked, “You want anything to eat? I’m starving. I hid in my room, but I forgot to bring food.” My stomach growled at that moment and he laughed, “I’m guessing that’s a yes.” He headed to the fridge, as he said, “Pasta Carbonara okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good to me. I’m surprised you can cook,” I admitted, as I slid onto a barstool and watched him. “I can make some basics, but I’d rather bake than cook.”
“My mom taught me. She said a man should know how to cook, clean, and wash clothes. She told me my wife would thank her one day.” I laughed at the accuracy of that statement.
“You alright?” he asked me, suddenly, his blue eyes perceptive.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I replied, slowly, thinking about the night and the future. “He’s leaving and our lives are going in two different directions. I’m scared, but excited. I’ve spent the last three years with Colt, watching him pursue his dream. He’s a force to be reckoned with, you know.”
“I do know that. But you’ve always stayed the course. You kept him grounded.”
“I’ve lived in his shadow. I think now it’s time I stepped out of it. His dreams aren’t my dreams,” I admitted to him and myself. Looking down at my plate, I finished. “It’s a hard thing to realize that you’ve spent so much time floating along not noticing where you’re going isn’t where you want to be.”
He nodded at me in understanding, “At least you realized it. Some people never do, or they never do anything about it.”
“Thank you for the late night supper. But I better go before my free pass becomes a grounding,” I joked with him. I walked over to Colt and kissed him on the forehead before laying a blanket over him. “Sweet dreams.”
Ford slipped on shoes and walked me out to my car. He groaned when he saw the back of my car, “Really? He stuck an Alabama bumper sticker on your car?”
I laughed at his reaction, “You should have seen what he wanted to put on it. This was the compromise. I refused the Roll Tide sticker and the Proud Girlfriend of an Alabama Football Star. I don’t even know where he got them.”
“Oh my God,” Ford said, shaking his head. “My brother.”
“Thanks again. Colt was really happy you let him have a party here. I know he’s going to miss you.”
“Yeah, I am too. Drive safe,” he told me, as he turned to go back inside.
I started the car and drove away. A story Colt had told earlier that night had given me an idea about where I could stay the night. Colt had told us about a camping trip his family had taken a few years ago at a state park. They’d pitched a tent and taken showers in the bath house and cooked over an open fire. His mom had told them it was a boy’s trip, because she wasn’t sleeping on the ground.
I figured I could pay the fee and sleep in my car instead of a tent and take a shower there. It was the best I could come up with. I wanted to call my grandparents, but they lived hours away and I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I’d get. I didn’t know what my parents might have told them.
I wound up spending the weekend at the park before some of the park rangers started questioning why I was there alone.
After that, I started taking showers at school after gym and then slept in my car at different locations each night. I knew I’d have to come up with a better solution. School was almost over for the semester and I wouldn’t be able to shower there anymore.
I could work more hours, once school was out, but I still wouldn’t be able to afford a place to live. I’d considered hotels but they were too expensive. Anything I could afford rented by the hour.
I never called my grandparents. I didn’t know if it was pride, or shame that prevented me from asking for their help. I didn’t want to tell them their son had thrown me out, or that I was pregnant and had nowhere else to go. My parent’s rejection had made me wary of asking for their help.
My eyes focused, as I came back to the present. Ford knew I was pregnant and he didn’t hate me. In fact, he’d offered to help me. Even if I was living in my car, life was looking up. I wasn’t alone anymore.
Ford
Chapter Five
I headed to my parent’s house on Sunday afternoon. The entire family was coming over to celebrate Colt’s graduation. It was going to be a mass of aunts, uncles and cousins.
Colt would be in his element, accepting the congratulations and accolades, as his due. Mom would be bustling everywhere, making sure people had food and drink. Dad would play the part of proud father. I remembered my own graduation. He’d spent the entire day talking about how I would join the firm after I finished law school. Today, he’d talk about Colt joining the NFL.
No one would be talking about Hannah, or their baby. Nobody would even know. I couldn’t help regretting that I wouldn’t watch their kid grow up. It was nothing compared to the pain I knew Hannah would go through, but I’d watched Colt grow up. I’d taught him how to throw a football and he wasn’t going to get that chance with this child.
Colt slapped me on the back, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Bro, glad you finally showed up. We want to throw the ball around and I didn’t want to play without you.”
I gave a quick laugh and hooked my arm around his neck. Colt was six foot two, but I still had a couple inches on him. “You mean you don’t want to lose, because I’m not on your team,” I clarified.
“Oh, I see how it is. You think I need you to win Is that it? I can’t handle you playing against me. Alright, fine. You play for the other team and let’s see how this goes” Colt declared, shoving me off him, smiling. We’d been doing this as long as we’d been playing.
I’d taught Colt how to throw a spiral and spent every afternoon practicing with him. Dad had always been too busy to throw the ball around, but I made it a point to do it with Colt. Mom could always find us outside throwing the ball, until it got too dark to see. It was where we talked about girls and sports, sometimes our dreams.
Colt was the only person that knew I didn’t want to become a lawyer. I did it for Dad. It was his family’s tradition. Those afternoons throwing the football was where I’d discovered Colt had an incredible arm and the drive to actually make a career with it. Even when we fought, it hadn’t mattered, because at four o’clock we were outside throwing the ball. We might not speak to each other the entire time, but we never missed it.
Once I’d moved out, our daily ritual was replaced with actual football practice and Hannah. But I was glad to get in another game before Colt left.
“Oh, we’re gonna see alright. Be prepared to lose,” I goaded him, heading to the front lawn where a group of guys were tossing the ball.
We played a fast and furious game. Colt and I were the quarterbacks, and in the end, my team edged them out with a last second touchdown. I couldn’t let my little brother win against me. I’d taught him almost everything I knew, just for these occasions.
“If I’m going to lose, I’d rather it be anyone but you!” Colt told me, panting.
“I know. I feel the same way, which is why I won!” I crowed, slapping him on the back.
“Another game? I need to redeem myself,” Colt asked, grabbing the football from me.
“Come on, what about food?” I shouted back, my arms spread out.
“What? You chicken now? Can’t beat me a second time, old man?” Colt taunted, throwing the gauntlet down. The other guys started shouting shit, and there was no way I was backing down now.
“Bring it on, little brother,” I responded, heading back out. We played the rest of the afternoon, between eating and mingling. Our mom raised us with some manners. We were expected to be polite and speak to everyone at some point.
I got home late and threw myself in the shower. The hot water felt good on my muscles. I was
going to feel some of those hits tomorrow.
As I stepped out of the shower I heard someone knocking on my door. I wrapped a towel around my waist and hurried to answer the door. When I opened it, I saw Hannah, who looked very surprised to see me in a towel, dripping water on my floor.
“Do you always answer the door shirtless?” she asked, with a smile.
“Only when I know it's you on the other side,” I flirted back automatically. She arched her eyebrow and told me, “Good to know. Can I come in?”
Flustered, I moved aside. What was I thinking, flirting with my brother’s pregnant girlfriend? “Let me get dressed,” I said, heading to the bedroom.
“Don’t bother on my account,” I heard her say. I looked back at her, shocked, and saw a wicked grin on her face. She was obviously enjoying teasing me.
I pulled on an undershirt and some shorts before heading back into the living room. I found her curled up on the couch, flipping through my phone.
“Find anything good in there?” I asked, joking.
“Sorry. Kind of presumptuous of me to look through your phone. I thought you might have pictures from today,” she apologized, handing my phone to me.
“I don’t, but I know my mom was taking pictures. I’ll text and ask her to send some of them to me,” I answered, typing a text to my mom as I spoke.
“Thanks,” she said. “Played football?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?” I said, looking back up at her.
“Well, you always play football when you’re together. Plus, you just showered and you have a scratch on your shoulder,” she recited off to me.
“What?” I said, looking down at my shoulder, where there was a long set of scratches, probably from one of the sacks I’d taken today.
Hannah laughed at me, “Neither of you escape unscathed. I found out the first time I had dinner with the two of you. Remember? Y’all had to throw the ball around after dinner, which turned into tackle football.”
“Yeah, I remember that. It was the first time I met you, and Colt wanted to show off,” I shrugged and glanced at her. “I couldn’t let that happen.”
Hannah laughed, “You never let him win. Made it all the sweeter when he did beat you at anything. He’d brag about it for days. It’s all I’d hear.”
I smiled, because I knew it was true. Colt would rub it in, sending texts and calling me to talk about it. Anything to remind me, he’d won. I glanced up at the clock and realized it was after nine.
“Hannah, what are you doing here so late? Have your parents completely done a one eighty?” I asked her, surprised, because it was a Sunday and she was not allowed out this late, much less on a Sunday. I could tell my question made her uncomfortable.
“I needed to pick up some vitamins and I just stopped by to see how it went,” she responded, hurriedly, jumping up. “But you’re right, I need to get home.”
“Oh, were you picking up prenatal vitamins? I read those are important to take from the start,” I said, following her to the door.
“Yep, that’s what I was getting,” she answered me, heading down the stairs. I followed slowly, curious about her parents still. I’d heard Colt complain about their restrictions for three years, but now it seemed like Hannah had free rein. It was puzzling me.
She was at her car by the time I got down the stairs, and she gave me a quick wave before getting in and driving off. I headed back inside and noticed my mom had sent me pictures from today, so I forwarded them to Hannah.
The next couple weeks settled into a routine. Hannah came by for dinner when she worked at the leasing office. We’d found an ob./gyn. for her and she had an appointment Monday.
School had ended for the semester. Hannah was officially a senior now. She’d broken up with Colt the day after the family graduation party.
Colt came by my place pretty often, wanting to talk about it. I told him it was for the best. He was going to school in another state, and as much as he didn’t believe me, he’d be busy meeting new people. And with football, he wouldn’t have time for Hannah. He didn’t want to hear it. He thought first love was forever love.
I knew as soon as he got to school, life was going to pull him along and he’d get over it. The same thing had happened to me and my high school girlfriend. Granted, our circumstances hadn’t been quite the same, but that was why we hadn’t told Colt about his baby. He might not understand, but we knew he needed to go and pursue his dream, and he wouldn’t if he knew Hannah was pregnant.
It was Friday night, and as I headed out to meet up with friends at a new sushi place, I passed the leasing office and saw Hannah’s car parked out front. I remembered she’d told me she would be working every day, now that school was out.
I’d told her I had plans tonight, so I knew she wouldn’t stop by. I make a mental note to get her a key to my place, in case she ever needed it.
It was after midnight when I pulled back into my complex. I’d had a couple of shots of Saki and had a little buzz; not so drunk I couldn’t drive, but I did miss the turn to my building and had to go back around another building complex.
As I drove past the other building, I thought I saw Hannah’s car with the Alabama sticker. I knew that couldn’t be right, because she was supposed to be at home curled up in her bed. It was way past her curfew.
I parked in front of my complex, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling, that was Hannah’s car. I gave up and jogged around the building back to where I thought it was. It was parked in a corner, slightly out of the way, like a guest had parked there. The only reason I’d even noticed it was the Alabama sticker. It seemed like I saw them everywhere, now that Colt was going.
I slowed to a walk, as I approached the car. The closer I got, the more certain I was that it was Hannah’s. But I couldn’t figure out why she’d be here. Had she come looking for me and couldn’t get in? Had something happened with the baby? She hadn’t texted or called me, but I was anxious now.
I looked in the back window and saw her curled up asleep in the back seat, a pillow under her head and a blanket covering her.
Suddenly, the pieces shifted into place: The dinners at my place, the seeming lack of a curfew, the clothes in the back seat of her car, and her avoidance when it came to answering questions about her parents. It all made sense now, but she couldn’t have been living in her car for the past two weeks. She would have told me. I would have helped her.
I rocked back and grabbed the car, feeling sick to my stomach. I knew it was her parents. They would be capable of this. I banged on the car window to wake her up. She was not sleeping in this car another night. When I thought of what could have happened to her out here alone, I felt equal parts sick and enraged.
I saw her head jerk up and the fear that crossed her face before she saw me. Thoughts raced across her face clearly, and I knew she was trying to come up with an excuse to explain why she was sleeping in her car. I shook my head and motioned for her to open the door. She did it reluctantly.
“Grab your shoes and your purse. You’re coming inside with me,” I growled, my mind still going through a list of horrible scenarios. She pulled on her shoes and grabbed a bag, jumping out of the car. I slammed the door and grabbed her arm, as we walked back to my apartment in silence.
I couldn’t help but notice how slender her arm was. She was tiny; not even five foot four to my six foot four. It seemed like she’d lost weight since she’d become pregnant, and I cursed myself for not noticing sooner. I was sure she hadn’t been eating right. How could she, living in a car?
I felt my anger taking over, so I took a deep breath to calm down. When we got inside, I brought her to the bedroom.
“You sleep here. I’ll take the couch. We’ll talk in the morning.” I saw her mouth open to object, so I shook my head and shut the bedroom door. I threw myself on the couch and groaned.
I’d thought my life had changed when Hannah told me she was pregnant, but I’d had no idea how much things were about to change. It was so
metime around two before my brain shut off, and I finally fell asleep.
I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon frying. Hannah was padding around my kitchen making breakfast. I could tell she was trying to be quiet, but she didn’t know where anything was and kept opening cabinets looking for stuff.
I sat up and observed her more closely than I ever have. Her caramel colored hair went halfway down her back, thicker than I remembered. She was fine boned, but even more fragile than normal. She had definitely lost weight, and I didn’t know if it was due to the pregnancy—or homelessness. Her skin looked like cream and seemed to glow, which I’d read happens in pregnancy.
She was humming some nameless tune, and I remembered Colt telling me she does that to relax herself. I assumed she was nervous about my reaction. I was angry, but not with her. I was angry at her parents who thought it was acceptable to throw their sixteen-year-old daughter out, because she was pregnant. I didn’t doubt they believed it was the Christian thing to do, but I disagreed.
The Anderson Brothers Complete Series Page 4
