“I guess so.”
He rings the bell and then opens the door with a key. I wonder why he rang in the first place, but I remain silent. “Come in,” he says.
I step inside and smile at the realization that I still know it by heart. Nathaniel and I wait by the door.
As his father comes down the stairs, he says, “What are you doing here?” When he sees me, his expression changes, and he offers me a warm smile. “Hello, Shailene, what a pleasant surprise.” He sees Nathaniel’s hand intertwined with mine and lifts an eyebrow. “So you’ve found each other again?”
Nate lets go of my hand and steps toward his dad, hugging him briefly. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, Mr. Jenkins,” I say with a shy smile.
He comes over to where I stand and pulls me into a bear hug, which I return with a smile. Nathaniel’s dad is utterly kind and welcoming. He’s always reminded me of a darker-skinned version of Santa Claus, with his full beard, hair streaked with grey, and his round paunch of a belly.
“Would you please not break my girlfriend, Dad?” Nate pleads.
“Don’t be such a sissy,” his dad grumbles, sounding amused. “Shailene can take a hug.”
“Uh, Dad, please,” Nate insists. “I’ll tell you why in a minute.”
“Why are you acting so concerned?” his dad says. “Is she pregnant or something?”
Man, why is this always the first question people jokingly ask? I clear my throat. “Yes, Mr. Jenkins, that is why we’re here.”
Nate’s father lifts an incredulous eyebrow and lets go of me. Then he looks at Nate. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be a father.”
“Yes, I am,” Nate answers calmly.
Mr. Jenkins stares at me for confirmation. “You’re pregnant with Nate’s child?”
I nod hesitantly. “Yes,” I squeak.
He grabs me by the shoulders and gives me a grave look. “Why couldn’t you be more careful?”
Nate answers for me. “I didn’t think about contraception at the time. It’s my fault.”
Mr. Jenkins looks at him with mounting anger. “You’re ruining your future. How do you intend to finish college with a baby?”
“My parents will help with that,” I interrupt. “They promised to watch the baby whenever Nate and I both need to be at school at the same time.”
“But how do you plan to feed the baby, pay for everything that having a child entails?” he probes.
“We’re going to use my college fund,” I explain. “So far, I’ve been working my way through college, so I still have all that money in the bank.” I should’ve known Nathaniel’s father wouldn’t remain as calm as my parents did.
“Dad, we’ll get by,” Nate says. “I have some savings, too.”
“That was intended to get you off to a good start after college,” his father scolds, “and what about rent? Nate, it’s far too early. You both should graduate and start working first, start building a solid foundation. It’s too early to have children!” His voice is getting louder.
“What is going on here?” Nate’s mother appears then, coming into the hall from the living room. She looks at me. “Why, hello, Shailene.” She smiles. “Nice to see you again.”
I nod at her, but I can’t speak right now. The tears are threatening to spill from my eyes. Of course I understand Mr. Jenkins’s concerns, but it also hurts to hear him speak like this. We both want this baby, yes, but … he’s right. We haven’t gotten anywhere in life yet, and it is far too early to have a kid. Of course, my mom, on the other hand, says there’s never a perfect time to have a child and that you can’t really plan them because life has a way of changing your plans for you.
“What’s going on here?” Mrs. Jenkins repeats.
“What’s going on here?” her husband echoes sarcastically. “Our son is going to be a father, that’s what’s going on!”
Mrs. Jenkins claps her hands. “Oh, that is lovely! Who is the lucky lady?”
“She’s right here, Mom,” Nate says with a deep frown.
She looks at me again. “You’re pregnant with Nate’s baby? But I didn’t even know you two were back together.”
“We’ve put the past aside,” I say hoarsely, not knowing how to explain it all.
“Robert, you can go into the living room and calm the hell down,” Ms. Jenkins decides. “I’m taking the kids to the kitchen with me.” She waves me and Nate along.
“Beth, I don’t want them to proceed with this nonsense!” Mr. Jenkins calls after us.
“Don’t listen to him. He was the same way when I told him I was expecting Nate all those years ago,” she confides, pointing to the table in the cozy kitchen.
Nathaniel and I sit down slowly. As I wipe away the tears, he puts a protective arm around me. I hide my face against his chest for a moment, not wanting his mother to see I’m crying.
Ms. Jenkins sets down a jug of iced tea, followed by glasses. She joins us at the table. “It was an accident, right, Nate? The last time I talked to you, you were still single, my dear.”
“Neither of us thought of using a condom, Mom, that’s the long story short. But you have to be ready to be a father once you’re ready to have sex, at least theoretically, in my opinion. I saw the baby for the first time today, on the ultrasound, and now I know for sure that I’m really happy, really looking forward to being a father. Shailene and I are still a little overwhelmed by the situation, but we’re also happy.”
“What are you thinking, Shailene?” his mom turns to me, her voice warm.
“That your husband hates me, Mrs. Jenkins,” I say hoarsely.
“Please call me Beth,” she says. “And Robert doesn’t hate you. You and Nate have merely taken him by surprise.”
Nate snorts. “Still, there was no need for him to get so upset. That was not cool, Mom.”
“All your father wants is for you to follow your dreams, and he probably thinks you won’t be able to do that if you have a wife and child. I wasn’t much older when I had you, Nate. Maybe he doesn’t want you to repeat our mistakes.” She looks at me. “Don’t cry, Shailene, honey.”
I nod, sniffling, and wipe the tears from my cheeks.
“I look forward to being a grandma, that’s for sure,” Beth says. “And I’m going to help you any way I can. Something to care for and focus on will do me good.”
“Mom, that’s very kind of you, but you’re too ill to take care of an infant,” Nate says gently.
“Children keep you on your toes, but I’m much, much better since they released me from the hospital.”
The two of them keep talking for another while, until Nate’s father comes into the kitchen. “Have you really thought this through?” he asks.
“Yes, Dad,” Nate answers. “We want to have this child.”
“Fine. If your decision stands, I’m going to support you, son.”
“What suddenly changed your mind, Robert?” Beth asks happily.
“It can’t be helped,” Mr. Jenkins says. “Doesn’t make me happy, but I’m still going to support my son.”
“Thank you, Dad,” Nate says, rising to hug his father.
I remain seated. After the way he flipped out, I don’t feel like hugging him. If I had my way, I’d go home now. I don’t like arguments, fights, or screaming people. When you have a complaint, you should be able to talk about it in a civilized, rational way. Or at least try. I know it’s hard to stay calm; I can’t always do it, either. When staying calm doesn’t work, you may have to vent your anger in a scream, but a pregnancy is not cause for anger. It should be a joyous occasion.
We stay a while longer to have dinner together and talk about how Nathaniel and I envision the near future, juggling college and raising a child.
Chapter 9
Time really does fly. Today, Nate’s been invited to Delsin and Camille’s house, and he insists I come, too, but I’m still wary, ever since Camille showed me her resentment in no uncertain terms. Even though I no longer have anything to do
with Pearl and Cay, I’d rather not come close to angry Camille again.
We’re in Thalia’s car, because she’s been invited to their little get-together as well, Nate in the passenger seat and me in the back, behind him. “Are you really sure you don’t want to come?” he checks for the third time as we drive.
“No, I’d rather not. I don’t think Camille would be thrilled to see me,” I explain.
“Cami can be an annoying bitch,” Thalia chimes in, “but as soon as she hears you’re no longer friends with her two nemeses, she’ll relax and be friendly.”
“I don’t think she’ll be relaxed in my presence.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Nate says.
“You just want company while you visit your friends.”
“Touché.”
“He’s not alone,” Thalia says in a mock huff. “I’m here. Hello?” I like her cocky and straightforward manner.
“You could stick to Thally and Hailey, Shai,” Nate suggests. “They’re not as difficult as Camille can be. But, anyway, she’s already admitted that she was wrong to be so rude to you the first time she met you.”
“I’d still rather go see Cliff. He promised he would do some online shopping with me, for cute baby clothes. Mind you, I’m not buying anything yet, but I’m curious as to what’s out there,” I giggle.
“Wait a minute. You’re pregnant?” Thalia asks.
“Um … yes. I thought you all knew that,” I reply.
“How would I know?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I thought Nathaniel would have told you, or maybe the others.”
“What others?” she probes.
“Delsin, Avery, and Dahlia know as well,” Nate explains.
“Nice. And the old roommate isn’t told first? That’s disappointing,” she gripes.
“We wanted to wait until she made it through the first trimester,” he says.
“Yeah, that’s what I would say if you were the one berating me.” She grins and steers her car over to the curb. “All right, Shai, here we are. Have a nice day.”
“Thanks, Thalia.” I get out and lean down to kiss Nathaniel. “See you later then?”
He nods at me. “Yep, later.”
I give him another kiss. “Take care.”
“I will.”
I step backward and watch them drive off. Then I walk over to Cliff’s house, where my brother’s also hanging out today.
“Hey, pregnant beauty,” Cliff greets me cheerfully.
“If you don’t stop that soon, I’ll have to rip something off you,” I giggle. “Hi.” I hug him tightly.
“In a few more months, I’ll be able to start calling you Moby Dick,” he jokes.
“Don’t you dare,” I laugh.
“We’ll see. Your brother is already sitting out on the balcony, waiting for you.”
“Yeah. I only went home once this week, to fetch some fresh clothes,” I explain. “And he complained he doesn’t see me anymore.”
Cliff grins. “Seems like the little sister finally got her wings and flew the coop.”
I lift an eyebrow in reply and walk through the apartment toward the balcony. “Hey, Noah.”
“Praise the Lord, she’s still alive,” my brother shouts, pretending to get all worked up. “I was worried out of my mind for you.”
“You knew where I was, so shut up,” I say, kissing him on the cheek despite his theatrics.
“Yes, but I didn’t want to interrupt your honeymoon phase over at Nate’s place.” He smirks, and I sit down.
Cliff hands me a cold bottle of water and joins us. “How come you wanted to be here instead of spending the day with Nate?”
“He and his friends are going to the beach,” I explain, “and since Camille doesn’t like me, I didn’t want to join them.”
“The harmful side effects of being friends with people like Pearl and Cay,” Noah surmises. “All the women they screwed over will hate anyone who’s part of their circle.”
“Pretty much,” I say with a shrug. “I was thinking we could do some online shopping so I can see what the baby essentials will cost me.”
“I assume they’ll cost you money and nerves,” Cliff says.
I pull a shocked face. “You don’t say!”
“Yes, I do.” He nods gravely.
“Really?” I ask dryly.
“That’s the way of the world, sister.”
“Inconceivable!” I screech with a giggle. “I know it’ll be quite costly, but my dad made sure my college fund was transferred to my account, so I can start spending. I mean, right now I just want to look, but I think I can start buying stuff once the first trimester is over.”
“Why this early? You still have a few months, Shai,” Noah chimes in. His dark blond hair is hidden under a baseball cap. He was probably too lazy to comb or style it.
“Because I don’t want to get all hectic towards the end. I also need to look for a new place, since Nate and I want to move in together.”
“He shares an apartment with some others, right?” Noah asks. I nod. “Then I could just switch rooms with him. My room could be the baby’s, and yours could be the bedroom.”
“You would really move out?”
“Well, I’m not clamoring to, but if it helps, I’ll trade places with him.”
I jump up, walk over, and hug him tight. “What would I do if I didn’t have you?”
“You’d have someone else,” he counters.
“Nobody as great as you. I’d be screwed.”
“You’re right. Just call me your hero.”
“Don’t ask too much,” I laugh and sit down again in my chair. While I’d like to be with Nate right now, spending time with Cliff and Noah is actually very soothing and reassuring. I realize I haven’t done this much since Nathaniel came back from Texas a few weeks ago.
***
After I’ve stopped bothering the guys with my compulsive online shopping, my phone rings. It’s slowly getting dark outside. “Hello?” I say hesitantly, because it’s an unknown number.
“Hey, Shai,” Cay’s voice comes through the line like thick syrup. “Don’t you want to come over to Delsin’s place? Pearl and I are about to have some fun with Nate.”
What? Are they really trying to make me jealous? “That’s strange, since Nate is already on his way to me,” I lie.
“Is that so? We must have stopped him just as he was leaving, because Pearl is chatting him up right now.”
I sigh. “So what’s the point of this little game, Cay? I really don’t feel like arguing with you, and I don’t know what to think of this childishness.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” she hisses, “because we’re going to make you see that we don’t take any shit from the likes of you.” She hangs up.
I put my phone on the table. “Cay and Pearl are trying to chat up Nate. I think I should go over there.”
“Do you want me to drive you?” Cliff asks.
I nod quickly. “That would be nice. Or can I take our car, Noah?”
“I need to go see a friend at the other end of town in a bit,” he says apologetically. “But I can drive you.”
“Who knows what’s going on with these crazy bitches,” Cliff interrupts. “I’ll drive her, and if necessary, I’ll drive her home after, too.”
“Awesome. Can we go?” I ask impatiently.
They both rise, and Cliff doesn’t bother to clean up the glasses and stuff. As we leave the house, Noah calls over, “Do you want me to come, too?”
“No, it’s fine,” I answer. “You go see your friend.”
“All right then. Call me if you need me,” he says and starts his car.
I wave after him while Cliff steers his car in the other direction. “Are you really sure you want to start a catfight right now?”
“No, I don’t want to fight,” I say, feeling the anger rise within me, “but I need to tell them leave me alone and keep me out of their immature crap.”
“
Just don’t take their bait.”
I shake my head. “I don’t intend to take anything. I’m just going to tell them to leave me and Nate alone. They need to grow up and stop acting like they’re the ones on hormonal overdrive.”
Cliff smirks. “Do you really think you can stay calm around them?”
“If my hormonal overdrive doesn’t kick in, I can.” We talk about mundane things on the drive over to the area with the fancy beach houses, which takes almost half an hour. Well, it would have taken a little less time if I hadn’t given Cliff the wrong direction once. But I’m just a woman, not a living GPS unit.
When we arrive, I see Pearl’s car in the driveway. Outside, Nathaniel is talking to the two annoying women, but he doesn’t look thrilled about it.
I get out as soon as Cliff finds a parking spot across the street, but I don’t slam the door, because I don’t want to draw their attention. Instead, I wait and watch the scene before me, in order to gauge what is actually going on. Nathaniel looks at Cay, who strokes his arm and then suddenly presses against him. He shoves her away and shakes his head, frowning.
“What kind of messed-up game are they playing?” I ask Cliff in a quiet voice. He’s come to stand next to me, watching as well.
“I guess you’ll find out once you cross the street.”
I utter a sigh. “Are you going to wait here? I might need a getaway car.”
“Yeah, I’ll wait right here.”
I slowly approach the spectacle my two former friends are making of themselves. I wonder what they think they’ll gain, why they think they need to teach me a lesson. I didn’t do anything beyond asking whether they’re still sane, and quitting our friendship. What’s so upsetting about that? Friendships develop, and sometimes they falter, and in my book, it’s perfectly legitimate to doubt a person’s sanity if they suggest you kill your unborn baby for the sake of your figure.
Pearl turns around and sees me, then pokes Cay, who briefly turns to throw me a glance, probably to check that I’m really watching. They must have planned this, because Pearl distracts Nate for a second while Cay looks at me. When Cay turns to him again, she grabs his face with both hands. “Do you want me?” she asks, suddenly loud enough for me to hear.
“No?” Nate says, clearly dumbfounded.
Nathaniel: True Love: New Adult College Romance Novella (Coral Gables Series Book 4) Page 11
