I made it back that morning, thinking she’d have at least called me once to see how I was, but she didn’t. I figured I’d hear from her eventually when my contracts were ready, and maybe the two of us needed a breather until then. Still, the past week had been the longest of my life.
I had gotten up early to leave and get Ollie, and this was the last time I’d have to do so. From here on out, she was home for good, and though it would still be an adjustment, at least the back and forth could stop.
The past months had been hard, not only for her but for me. Now, we could settle in and be a family. At least, I wouldn’t have to divide my time. I shook my head thinking of all the things Lauren had said, the sarcasm wasted on myself.
I pulled up at Edna’s place and parked. This time, I hadn’t met her halfway as usual because there were too many of Ollie’s things to pack and bring. The old woman met me out on the porch, and Ollie ran out, slamming the screen door on the way.
“Daddy!” She carried her bag and dropped it as she dove into my arms. I picked her up and spun her around.
“How’s my girl?” She looked like she’d grown a foot and did every time she’d come back from a visit. “You’re going to have to stop growing!”
“Do I really get to bring my stuff this time?”
“Of course. You’re going to live with me now. We talked about this. And Edna will keep you a room here for when you visit.”
“I’m leaving for the Bahamas tomorrow,” Edna said with a smile. “I’ll probably be staying at some fancy resort you helped build.”
“I hope you have the vacation you deserve.” The lady had done me a great favor by taking in my girl, and she’d gone above and beyond her grandmotherly duties to give her a home.
“I hope so, too. It’s been a long time coming.” She led me inside, and we spent the next half hour gathering up the things that Ollie thought she couldn’t live without, and then I took them both for lunch. After I drove Edna back to her house, Ollie and I made the trip back home.
When we arrived, Ava had a special cake sitting on the table up in Ollie’s room. There was a special gift and a banner that said, “Welcome Home.”
“Look, Daddy! We can have a tea party!” She ran over to the table, stuck her fingertip into the icing, and gave it a taste. “It’s a real cake and everything!” She picked up the present and shook it, and then ripped into the package. Inside was a new tiara and a note welcoming the princess to her castle. Ava had really outdone herself.
“Here, let Daddy put that on your head. I think it needs to clip into your hair.” She passed me the box, and as I took the paper out to see if it came with clips, I noticed the tiny card that had come with it. The name on it surprised me, and as it turned out, Helen had bought the tiara.
I affixed it to her head, and she danced in a circle. “Look, I’m a real princess now.” She spun around until she wobbled.
“Sit down and let’s have some cake, Princess Ollie, and you’ll be sure to thank Ms. Ava and Ms. Helen. She’s the one who gave you the crown.”
“Okay, Daddy, but it’s Princess Olivia. I’m a big girl.” She pulled out her chair and then walked around to move the bear out of my seat. She pulled off his boa and plastic crown, and then she placed them on the table in front of where she wanted me to sit.
“How about we put the boa away so the feathers don’t ruin your cake?”
“Okay, but I still want you to wear the crown. You’re the handsome prince.”
“I’m the king,” I said with a smirk. “Daddies are always kings.”
“King Daddy,” she declared.
She sat with me and sliced us each a piece of cake and placed it on our small, crystal plates. Ava or Helen had set out some of my mother’s crystal for the occasion, along with her gold flatware.
When we were done, Ollie was yawning, so I had her lie down and take a nap. It had been a big day. To my surprise, she didn’t fuss.
I went to my office downstairs, and as I plopped down into my big, black leather chair, my phone rang. I glanced down to see Lauren’s face, a selfie she’d sent me, one of the less provocative ones, on my screen. “Hey.” I tried not to sound too angry with her.
“Hi, Gage. I just thought I’d call and let you know I finished the contract.”
“That’s perfect. James will be glad to hear that. Did it look okay?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, no. I wouldn’t take the deal, and only because some of the regulations for the area they want the project to take place makes it illegal. You’re not allowed to build in that area, and I think whoever is in charge of this operation knows that.”
“I’ll tell James to count me out. He’ll either understand, or he won’t. Either way, it makes no difference to me. I’ve decided to leave my future contracts to the lead foreman. He could stand a promotion; nice guy. How are things at your job?” I wondered if she’d gotten any ugly looks when she went back after the party.
“I haven’t been in the past couple of days. I think I have a virus or something. I’m not keeping much down.”
I suddenly wanted to go to her, but I knew things were still so strained, and she was nine hours away. “Are you running a fever?”
“No, maybe a low grade one now and then, but nothing high, which is why I think it’s viral.”
“Have you taken anything for it?”
“No, I don’t have an appetite.” She didn’t sound like she felt good, either. Her voice was low and rough, and she sounded sleepy.
“I’m sorry, baby. I wish I could help.”
“Me too.”
“Would you let me if I could?”
“Yes, silly. You’re the one who left without a goodbye.”
“You have to admit, you gave me a hell of a lot to think about.”
“Maybe, but we could have worked something out. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you.”
“Well, my being a father isn’t going to change. Maybe you should find a guy that doesn’t have any kids. Someone who you won’t have to split your time with.” I knew I sounded like a bitter fool, but I couldn’t stop myself. She’d really hurt me.
“Maybe I will.” She had a little sass to her voice, and the defiance made my cock harden and my jaw clench. No one could make me feel so many emotions at once.
“You better be careful what you wish for.”
“If I could wish, it would be to see you.”
“Then come and see me. You could meet Ollie and see if there’s anything to be afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid.” She let out a sigh, and then her voice softened. “I just want it to work.”
“But you don’t see how it can, right? I remember. I still think you should come out next weekend. We’ll go for ice cream or something.”
“It’s supposed to snow. Let’s go for cocoa.”
“It’s a date. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“No, you’re not calling it a date until we figure this out.” Her voice was hard, and she sounded like she meant it.
“I agree. It needs to be figured out. We could have figured it out a week ago if you’d have called me.”
“Don’t give me that. You could have called me.” She had a point, but I didn’t want to hear it. She’d been the one to start this argument. “I don’t want to fight. I’m too sick. If I feel better, I’ll give you a call.”
I let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, baby. Feel better and call me if there’s anything I can do for you.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, Noah called. It felt strange every time I talked to him, and the lies were piling up daily.
“Hey, man.” Noah sounded congested.
“Hey, how’s it going? You sound like shit.”
“Not as bad as my sister. That’s why I’m calling.” I braced myself for what he might say. Had he found out there was something going on between us?
“What do you mean?”
“Look, I know you talked to her, so did you find anything out?�
� For a moment, I’d almost forgotten it was Noah who had put me on Lauren’s radar in the first place. I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing what he was talking about. My guilt was getting the best of me.
“Oh, that. Yeah, I found out. I meant to tell you, but it’s been crazy with Ollie moving home. Besides, it’s settled now. What she had going on was over by the time I talked to her.”
“And?”
“And she’s not even talking to the guy anymore, so she’s good.”
“That’s it? She’s good? The reason I called you to take her out in the first place was to find out details, so either you’re really forgetful, or you’re hiding something. I think you better just spill it. What did she get into, and with who?”
“Look, if I tell you this, man, you’ve got to promise not to go off on her about it. It’s the whole reason she didn’t feel she could say anything to you in the first place. You’re always overreacting.”
“Fine, I’ll behave, but tell me. I’m tired of wondering every time we talk.”
“She was in an affair with a man. He lied to her about being divorced. He was actually still with his wife.” That was all he needed to know.
“No, there’s more. There has to be. She’d have told me that. It’s not like she did anything wrong. Who is he?”
“Does it really matter?” I knew if the roles were reversed, I’d demand to know who, and he didn’t disappoint.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Of course, it does, and if you know, you better fucking tell me.” His voice rose until it cracked and caused him to cough. He cleared his throat. “Tell me.”
“She was seeing her boss. The guy kept confiding in her at work, and it started out with them being friends. He not only used her as a confidant, but they started sleeping together.”
“That’s why she had to change her job, then. Well, it makes sense. She was devastated.” He got quiet for a minute. “I can’t believe she doesn’t think she can tell me things like that.”
“She doesn’t want you to be disappointed in her, and let’s face it, you’re never okay with her dating anyone. She’s a grown ass woman, Noah. She’s got her own life to live.”
He let out a sound of frustration. “You don’t know how badly I want to pound that guy.”
I did, though. I wanted to pound him good, and I had the chance right in front of me but couldn’t take it.
“Just promise me that you won’t mention it to her. She’s been looking over my contracts, and I don’t need her in a shitty mood for me telling you. Plus, the poor girl has been through enough. She doesn’t need you being an ass.”
“Fine, but only because you asked. Thanks for telling me, friend. I owe you one.”
After ratting Lauren out and lying to Noah, I didn’t feel like much of a friend to either of them.
Chapter 20
Lauren
Chloe had been eyeing me for a straight ten minutes.
“Go ahead. Get it off your chest.” She had something on her mind, and I had a pretty good idea of what it was.
“I can’t believe you didn’t say something to him, is all.”
“Not this again. I said I’m not even sure. I’m not going to fuck with his head over this. It’s bad enough it’s fucking with mine.”
“I just think he should know there’s a chance.”
“We had unprotected sex like a bazillion times; he should know there’s a chance.”
She turned her attention to her phone and asked Google for a list of pregnancy symptoms. “Are your boobs sore?” she asked after a moment.
“Yes, but they usually get sore around the time my period starts, so maybe that’s all this is. I’ve had irregular periods before.”
“Irregular, but never late, right?” She gave me a pointed look, and I couldn’t deny it.
“Right, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
She placed her hand on my arm. “Lauren, you need to get a test from the pharmacy. It will tell you for sure, and then you can call him and let him know what’s really got you puking.”
“It could still be a virus, and you’ll be sorry you were over here breathing my air when you’re doubled over the toilet, praying to the porcelain gods.”
“Nah, I think the only virus you have is a nine-month one where a baby pops out at the end. And tell me again why you had unprotected sex with this man?”
“It’s Gage. I trusted him, which I know is a dumb excuse, but I thought I had another month on my birth control, which turns out, I didn’t.” I called my doctor and scheduled the appointment, and that was when I found out I was late.
“Isn’t that something you should keep a better record of?”
“Okay, Mom. Would you like to scold me some more, or are you done yet? I didn’t think I could get pregnant, okay? And I don’t even know that I am.”
She got up and stepped into her shoes, which she always kicked off the minute she was inside. “I’m going down to the corner pharmacy; you can come with me, or wait until I get back.”
I let out a growl and got to my feet. “Fine, I’m coming.” I grabbed my keys and my pocketbook, and we headed down to the elevator together. We didn’t talk the whole way down, and in the silence, I said a silent prayer for it not to be positive. I didn’t know what I’d do if I was pregnant.
Gage probably wouldn’t want another child, and I certainly didn’t want to have one anytime soon. I had goals to meet and a career to rebuild. I couldn’t even fathom being with Gage because his daughter would need so much of his attention, and now, there might be another little one that needed more of it, as well as mine.
We got to the pharmacy, and after reading every box and checking all the prices, we opted for one of the cheapest and one of the most expensive. If I ended up with the same results on both, we’d know it was true.
We went back to the apartment with my packages and headed straight to the bathroom. We got everything set out, and then Chloe excused herself as I filled the little cup that the cheaper one had come with. I walked out when I was done, and we counted down the minutes. After the first minute seemed to go too slowly, we went to the kitchen for coffee.
“It’s bound to be ready by now, Lauren.” Chloe was so jittery, I’d have thought it was her test.
I raked my hand through my hair. “I know. I just don’t want to see it.”
“Until you do, you’re both pregnant and not pregnant. The suspense is killing me. If you don’t go peek, I will.”
“This is not Schrödinger’s cat.” I forced myself to put down the coffee and went back to the bathroom. The tests were lying on the counter, and without picking them up, I peeked at the indicators. Both were clearly positive. Tears filled my eyes, and I covered my mouth as Chloe walked in behind me and pulled me into a hug. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. You need to tell him, Lauren. You can get through this together.”
“No, I can’t.”
“He’s already a father; he’s been through this before.”
“His girlfriend left him right before she knew, so it isn’t going to be the same. She didn’t want to be with him.”
“And you do, right?”
“I know I damned sure don’t want to do this all alone, but I don’t know if he would want this. He’s planning on retiring and focusing on his daughter.”
“Call him.” She went to get my phone and brought it to me. “Here, his number is dialed, and it’s ringing.”
I didn’t like to be put on the spot, and I walked into the bathroom and shut the door, just me and the tests. I tried to compose myself, and when he answered, I could tell that he was out of breath and irritated.
“Yeah?” His voice was a tad harsh, and I had no idea if he’d known it was me or not.
“Hi.”
“Oh, hey. I was on the other line. I didn’t know it was you.” That made me feel a bit better, and I felt a wave of relief, thinking he couldn’t talk. I was off the hook.
“I can call you another time; I didn’t mean to b
other you.”
“Don’t be silly. I’d rather talk to you. Besides, I hung up. You actually saved me from talking to James. As if my nerves aren’t shot enough, Ollie has been so hyper today. Please, remind me never to have kids again. She’s enough. I swear, she’s wearing me out, and I’ll be an old man with graying hair from all of her antics.” I could hear a loud sound in the back like she was screaming and laughing.
My heart sank. How could I tell him I was pregnant after that outburst? “She certainly sounds rambunctious.”
“That’s putting it kindly. She’s got a built-in charger for her batteries. It’s like she’s got two settings, off and hold onto your hat.” He made a weary sound. “Enough about me. How are you feeling?
“I know you wanted me to visit, but it’s a virus after all. I called my friend who is a doctor, and he said that I shouldn’t go anywhere for at least fourteen days in case I might expose someone else. There’s an awful flu going around. I’d hate for you or Ollie to get it.” There was plenty of illnesses going around, so I knew my story would be believable.
He gave that same disappointing sound again. “Oh, no. That’s terrible, baby. I already told her we’d have a special visitor soon, so I’ll have to tell her it might be a while, but she’ll understand. You better make sure you’re well, and we can always do something later.”
Yes, later. When I found out what I was going to do. He’d have to know eventually, but I needed a little time to myself to let it all sink in.
“Right.”
There was a moment of silence that stretched out. I didn’t know what to say or think. My mind was cluttered with too many thoughts.
“I miss you, Lauren. I wanted to talk about us when you came. I don’t like where we’ve left it. I don’t know how you even feel anymore.”
“I don’t either, Gage.” He was quiet, and although I didn’t quite mean the words how I’d said them, I didn’t really know what else to say. My whole world was upside down. The fact that I was carrying his child was all I could think about. I knew he loved his daughter and was probably just speaking out of frustration and being tired, but I wasn’t about to say a word. I needed more time. “I need to go; I just wanted to let you know that I can’t make it.”
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