by Unknown
“What?” Dad barked, looking at Travis and Mom, gasped.
“Whitney isn’t pregnant,” replied Travis firmly, his hands up in surrender to our parents.
“Then why is Mom making a baby blanket out of their old quilt?” I asked, pointing to the pile of fabric on the table. The room remained silent. I fixed a hard look on Travis, “I thought we talked about always wrapping it up? Didn’t you learn anything from the last time?”
Mom let out a breath as she collapsed into a chair. Dad stood at the counter, “Travis, I think you’d better explain.”
Shooting daggers at me, Travis quickly clarified, “Whitney and I had a scare a few months back. We had sex, and I forgot to put a condom on. She is on the pill and everything is fine, I promise, and I’ve worn a condom every time since. Whitney and I are not pregnant, and if we we’re,” Travis shot me another evil glare, “I’d check up on her, and wouldn’t be a fucking dick and walk away. I’d own up to my responsibilities.” The growl following his tirade set me on edge.
I looked at him, my brow furrowed in confusion. What the hell is he talking about? He’d own up to his mistake?
Mom finally broke the tense silence, “Will?”
“Yeah?”
“I think I need a drink.”
“You’re not the only one,” Dad muttered before taking the seat next to hear and reaching for her hand.
Looking at their entwined hands Mom asked, “Will, I thought you said you talked to the boys about having sex?”
“I did.”
“Obviously not about the actual part of wearing a condom.”
“I did. I threw them each a box and told them to read the directions and always wear one.”
“Will!” Mom said exasperated pulling her hand out of Dad’s.
“What?”
“What do you mean, what? I asked you if you had a serious sex talk with the boys.”
“I did,” he said trying to defending himself.
“No, you didn’t,” Mom argued.
Fed up with the conversation going around in a circle I roared, “What the hell is going on? Why are you making a baby blanket and talking about grandkids if Travis and Whitney aren’t…” Oh fuck. Realization dawned, halting me mid-sentence.
My eyes swept from my parents to the quilt on the table and back to my parents, their faces saying it all. I sucked in a few breathes before words could even form. “How…when?” I touched the blanket and looked at Mom, “How long…have you all known?”
Mom teared up, “I’m so sorry, Bentley. This is not how you were should find out. Haley should have been the one to tell you, not us.”
I turned to Travis, “This is why you were so protective.” Then I looked over to dad, “This is why you told me to get my ass home.” Now everything was starting to make sense, and why no one would really talk about Haley.
I paced around the kitchen, “I can’t fucking believe this! I can’t fucking believe not one of you thought of telling me.” I yanked my keys out of my pocket and stormed toward the back door.
Travis put his hand on my arm, “Bentley, don’t.”
I shoved him into the wall, “Don’t fucking touch me. Out of everyone, you shouldn’t have kept this from me. What were you thinking?”
“You left, and didn’t even call her! Even after you came home, or did you already forget that?” he pushed back, getting in my face.
I pushed him back, “Yeah, well I still had the right to know.”
“If you would have gone to her when you came back, you would have known!” he roared.
I wanted nothing more than to say fuck it to the lot of them, but I knew it was better if I just left.
I slammed the door open and flew to my truck in a rage. Travis followed me out, “Bentley, don’t do this. She doesn’t deserve your anger.”
THE UNEXPECTED INTERACTION with Bentley stirred up more mixed emotions than I thought it would. The guilt over not telling him about the pregnancy overwhelmed every other feeling. I rubbed my stomach, trying to convince myself everything would be okay.
After a nice cool shower, I made myself a crisp chicken salad then set about flipping through the channels while I ate. Eventually I came across a motorcycle series the girls at work said was a must see and settled on it.
I can see why the world stopped when this show came on. The men were frickin’ hot! They walked around half-naked most of the time with their tight butts and chiseled chests on display.
Hours later, my phone rang, groaning a bit when I noticed it was Carleigh. I’ve been dodging her calls, or making our conversations short because I was busy with the farm and work. I hadn’t told the news to anyone other than the people closest to me here in town, not even my dad.
“Hey, Carleigh.”
“Well you do breathe and live to see another day,” she said sarcastically.
“Sorry, it’s just been really busy.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Please, I said I was sorry.”
I knew Carleigh wasn’t really mad at me, and even if she was she would get over it quickly. We’ve been friends for too long to stay mad for long periods of time.
“I heard you, just not sure I believe you,” Carleigh huffed.
“I know, I’m a terrible friend,” I sighed.
“Yes, you are,” she teased. “How are thing going in the little second grade room?”
“Great. I love those little guys. My fridge is full of art work from them.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty hard not to like the little buggers.”
“And you, how is seventh grade treating you?”
“I hate those little bastards. They are mouthy and some of them have the biggest b-o problem. I’m thinking of handing out deodorant as prizes next week.”
“Only you would actually buy them deodorant,” I giggled.
“Fuck yeah, I would. My classroom always stinks. I even bought one of those wax burning things to mask the smell.”
We both laughed. It felt good to laugh with Carleigh, it’d been a while.
“So hey, I’m calling to let you know something, and I’m not sure how you are going to take it,” Carleigh hedged.
“Okay?”
“I’m kinda dating your neighbor,” she confessed.
“Jerad?”
“That would be the one.” I could hear her smiling into the phone.
“Really?” I asked, shocked; he didn’t seem like her type. She was more direct and he seemed…well romantic.
“Well after we moved you, I ran into him at the coffee shop, and we’ve been seeing each ever since.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yes, and he makes me laugh. He’s fun to be around and he understands when I need time and space for me. He’s caring and thoughtful.”
“Carleigh that’s great. I couldn’t be happier for you guys.”
“I really like him. I even think I’m falling in love with him.”
“I guess it’s my turn to tell you something now.”
“I knew you were hiding from me,” Carleigh taunted.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out.
“You’re what!?” she screeched into the phone.
“I’m pregnant with Bentley’s baby.”
“How? I mean when?”
“Before he left.”
“How long?”
“I’m almost twelve weeks.”
“Twelve weeks?” she repeated into the phone.
“I know, I’m sorry, I just…”
“Haley, I get it. I’m not upset. Well I’m upset you felt you couldn’t tell me, but I understand your reasons for keeping it to yourself.”
“You do?” I started crying.
“Don’t cry. Tell me about this little person in your belly.”
I smiled while wiping my nose on my hand, “According to the book I’m reading, the baby has arms and legs and can hear already.”
“Wow, already?”
“Yeah,” I laughed into the ph
one.
I spent the next few minutes filling Carleigh in on all the small details, my first doctor’s appointment; hearing the heartbeat. It feels so good to be able to talk to my best friend without hiding the news.
“How did Bentley take the news?” she asked.
“He doesn’t know yet.”
“What do you mean he doesn’t know yet?”
“I haven’t told him.”
“I don’t think you’ll be able to hide it for too much longer.”
“I know. I saw him for the first time today.”
“First time, wait are you telling me that when Bentley left, he never called you and hasn’t seen you since the night you all slept together?” I figured my silence on the phone was enough of an answer. “How long has he been back?” Carleigh asked.
“A little over a month.”
“A little over a month and that asshole hasn’t even come to see you? I’m going to kick his ass. I warned him; I warned him, Haley.”
I knew she did, I heard her that day at the ranch. “It’s just as much my fault as his. I’ve known he was home, and I could have gone to him just the same, or called. I have his number, too.”
“Does he have a dick?”
“Yeah, but I don’t see…”
“Did he use it?”
“Obviously,” I groaned into the phone.
“Well then he should have at least called to make sure you were okay afterwards.”
We said goodbye not long after that, after I promised to send her pictures and recordings of the baby. I watched the motorcycle marathon until my eyes grew heavy. Dragging myself from the couch, I checked the doors and crawled into bed, falling asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.
I woke up with a jolt from an intense dream, turning on the bedside lamp as my eyes flew around the room. My heart finally began to slow and became aware of the heaviness in my breast and the ache between my legs. “It was just a dream,” I said on a sigh and slid back under the covers, hoping to get more sleep. The clock on the table read two thirty am as I switched off the light.
The dream lingering in my mind, I lay awake thinking how real it seemed as one of those motorcycle men came into my room wearing only his tight ripped jeans that rode just under the V of his toned abs. I could still feel his hands on me as he repositioned me on the bed for better access, pushing my legs apart with his knee as he cupped my breast and lifted it to his mouth, moaning my name.
Thinking about the damn dream got me even more hot and bothered, and I debated whether to take out B-O-B to help with the ache, or to just get a warm a glass of milk. Two glasses of warm milk and an hour later, I was stretched out on the couch when my eyes finally closed and I drifted into deep sleep with no further interruptions.
I felt the warmth on my face as I woke to a knock on the front door. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I went to answer it.
Charlotte greeted me with a smile, “Morning, Haley.”
I pushed my hair out of my eyes as I stepped aside to let her in, “Hi, Charlotte. Come on in. What brings you by at this time of morning.”
She looked at the time on her watch, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought you would have been up already, since it’s ten.”
“It’s time for me to get up anyways. Coffee?” I offered.
“No thanks,” she said fidgeting with her purse straps, a sure sign she was upset.
“Charlotte, is everything okay?” she grabbed my hand and I instantly went cold at the thought of something being wrong.
“Bentley knows.”
“I know. I saw him yesterday after track practice,” I said not understanding why this made her so upset.
“No, Haley…Bentley knows you are pregnant.”
I closed my eyes at the news and took a step back. “How mad is he?”
“I’m so sorry. I was talking about it with Will and Travis, and he overheard us when he came home.”
“It’s okay, Charlotte. He was bound to find out at some point, I am just starting to show now. Besides, I should have already told him,” I said rubbing a hand over my stomach as the guilt washed over me again.
“We never meant to tell him,” she cried.
I pulled her in for a hug, “This just means no more secrets, and honestly I’m a bit relieved; you should be, too.”
After giving her another tight squeeze, I walked into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. “How did he take it?” I finally asked.
“He left.”
I spun around, “Left?”
“After he found out, he and Travis got into it and he grabbed his keys and left.”
“I see.” Nothing like running when times get tough, eh, Bentley? Man, I sure know how to pick them I chided myself.
I DON’T THINK I have been this pissed off at my family. I couldn’t believe they would keep something like this from me. I was…I am going to be a father.
I drove around for what felt like hours, listening to my phone go off over and over with texts and calls from the farm. Eventually, I turned it off and went to the one person I knew was always willing to see me.
My hands turned sweaty as I stepped up on the porch and knocked. It felt like a lifetime before the door was finally answered. “Hey man, come on in.”
“I’d rather if we went for a beer, actually,” I said, staying on the porch.
Curtis gave me a funny look before he shrugged, “Sure, let me tell Loran then we can go.”
Climbing into my truck, my best friend asks, “Where are we off to?”
There is only one place Curtis and I went when things became too much for us, and we only brought the other person along when we felt like jumping in. The last time we were there together was when Curtis’s grandfather died when we were seventeen. No one knew about this spot except us, and we only came across it one day while mud dogging with our quads. “The fishing hole.”
“That bad?” he asked putting on his seat belt.
“That bad,” I said before pulling away from his house.
When I was cracking open my second can of beer, Curtis finally asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s up or are you going to keep up the silent treatment?”
“Haley’s here.” I breathed out.
“I know.”
I turned to Curtis in surprise, “How do you know?” And not tell me? I closed my eyes for a quick second, telling myself to breathe. He probably just saw her in town, or something.
“She’s renting my house,” he replied before taking another gulp of beer.
What? “She’s renting your house and you didn’t think to tell me?” I tried holding in my anger, but I just couldn’t any more. “What’s the next thing you are going to tell me, that you knew she is pregnant, too?”
“Whoa! What, she’s pregnant?” Curtis asked, choking on his beer.
“Yes.”
“With who? She hasn’t even been here that long,” he said wiping off his chin with the back of his hand.
“Me, asshole. The baby’s mine.”
“How did you get her pregnant if you only just found out she is here?”
“I got her pregnant the night before I left,” I said more calmly after realizing Curtis hadn’t known anything other than she was renting his house.
“When she did tell you?”
“She didn’t.”
“Well, who did?” he gave me a confused look, still not understanding.
“My family. I overheard them talking about it when I got home tonight after practice.”
“That explains it,” he said like puzzle pieces were dropping into place.
“Explains what?”
“Why your mom pushed so hard for me to rent my house to her. Your mom even managed to get me to hire a cleaning crew, and to paint the whole damn house before they moved her in.”
“My family moved her in?” What else are they keeping form me? This just gets better and better. Of course, I would have known all this if I’d just pulled my head out of my as
s and dealt with life.
“How did you not know any of this?” Curtis asked breaking my thoughts.
“I left,” I answered simply.
“You never did tell me where you went.” he offered me another beer.
“No thanks.” lifting my half a can of beer.
We sat in silence for a few moments as I gathered my thoughts to tell him everything. Finally, with a deep breath I spilled my guts to my best friend.
“I went back to Texas,” I began, and proceeded to recount my conversations with Coach Brown and Darryl, and about staying in Darryl’s pool house while I sorted everything out.
“Dude, you just walked up to Darryl Buchanan’s front door, knocked and asked, “Hey man, got time for a beer?”
“Pretty much. We are friends, you know.”
“He is one of the best line backers in all of Texas.” I laughed at Curtis’s star struck voice. “You have his number?”
“I do, but I’m not giving it to you,” I smirked.
“Asshole.” Curtis muttered.
“You sound like a jealous girl,” I teased.
“I am. Did you at least get him to sign a jersey for me?”
“Next time.”
“That’s what you said last time, douche bag,” Curtis whined. I should really take Curtis to meet him; maybe that would be a good wedding present.
“I mean it this time,” I said pausing before I told him the rest. “He is thinking of retiring.”
“What?” Curtis jumped at the news.
“Watch it, I almost landed in the water,” I growled.
“He can’t retire.”
“Everyone retires, Curtis,” I reminded him then told him the reasons Darryl had.
Curtis was quiet for a moment as he absorbed everything. Finally he looked at me, “Did he give you any advice?”
“Told me to stop living in the what-if world and enjoy the moment I was in.”
“Sounds like some solid advice to me.”
“It took me a while, but I finally realized I belong here, Curtis. My family is here, my friends are here, and now my future is here.”
“Now, it’s time to get the girl.” Curtis smiled as he started packing up our empty beer cans knowing the reason for coming here was achieved.
After dropping Curtis off at home, I drove over to Haley’s. I wanted to knock on her door, but stopped myself since it was two thirty in the morning. I was just about ready to pull away when I saw a bedroom light turn on. It took every bit of strength in me to keep myself from knocking down the front door to make sure she and the baby were okay.
