by R. Linda
Audrey nodded and jumped into Bennett’s car, while I stood to the side and waited for Bennett to put Bailey down.
He looked at me and growled, “Get in.”
I moved to get in reluctantly.
“Drive,” he said, and then he opened the back door and manoeuvred himself into the back with Bailey.
“Jeremy isn’t answering either,” Audrey cried, her breath was coming hard and fast, and she looked like she was going to throw up.
I pulled Bennett’s car out of the parking lot and headed toward the hospital.
Bailey cried out in pain, and Bennett whispered words of encouragement and reminded her to breathe. I watch him in the rear-view mirror, and my heart fluttered. He was such a good guy. I didn’t deserve him. No wonder he wanted nothing to do with me.
“Try Romanov’s,” Bailey said, referencing the bookstore where she used to work.
“The bookstore?”
“Ryder runs it,” Audrey answered as she put the phone to her ear again. Of course, he did. That was where they fell in love. “Thank god. Bailey’s in labour. Meet us at the hospital. Me, Bennett, and…and Christina.” She stumbled over my name when I assumed Ryder asked who Bailey was with. “Now.”
She dropped the phone and turned in her seat to look at Bailey. “He’s on his way.”
Bailey nodded and groaned.
“Step on it,” Bennett said. So, I did. I put my foot down and sped toward the hospital.
“Audrey, call my dad and tell him where we all are,” Bennett said as I pulled his car into the emergency department and climbed out to open the door.
“It’s okay, I’ll go back. You two stay with Bailey. I’ll finish her classes and bring your car back after school. If that’s okay?” I couldn’t hang around the hospital. I didn’t want to be there when she had the baby or when everyone showed up. I didn’t care.
“Whatever.” Bennett rushed out again as Bailey tensed in his arms and cried out again. “You’re going to leave some killer scratches on my back, Bailey. Too bad it’s not more pleasurable for both of us,” he joked.
And that bitter, jealous part of me bubbled to the surface once more. It should be me leaving scratches on his back.
Bailey laughed, and Audrey came around and smacked him. “Ryder will kick your ass. Come on.”
Bennett gave me one last look and nodded before carrying Bailey in through the double doors.
Chapter Twelve
Bennett
I carried Bailey through the doors and into the emergency department as Audrey rushed to the desk and explained what was happening.
“Bailey!” Ryder’s voice echoed through the room as he burst through the front doors and rushed toward us. “You okay, love?” He leaned in and kissed her. I averted my gaze and looked at the ceiling, counting all the scuff marks up there, including a footprint. How a footprint ended up on the ceiling, I didn’t know.
“What’s going on?” Ryder looked at me.
“Don’t know. She’s been having contractions, I think. Pretty bad, couldn’t move, so I carried her in here.”
“Thanks, man.”
Audrey came over. “They’re getting her a wheelchair and taking her straight in.”
A couple of seconds later, a nurse pushed a wheelchair over, and I placed Bailey in it carefully. She winced but quickly covered it with a smile. “Thanks, Bennett.”
I winked. “Anytime.”
The nurse pushed Bailey away, and Ryder rushed along beside them. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, hands running through his hair. He couldn’t stop fidgeting, out of nerves or excitement, I wasn’t sure.
“Can we come?” Audrey called out.
“You can come to the waiting room,” the nurse answered. We followed them through the winding halls until the nurse pointed out the waiting area while taking Bailey and Ryder to wherever the hell people went to have kids.
Audrey and I sat in the hard plastic chairs. Who knew how long we’d have to wait?
Audrey pulled out her phone and laughed. “He’s so excited.”
“Ryder?”
“Yeah.”
“Or scared.”
“Check your messages.” She waved her phone at me, so I pulled mine out of my pocket and laughed.
Ryder: I’m gonna be a fucking dad. Baby’s coming!
“You think he sent that to everyone?”
“Absolutely.” Audrey smiled.
“Which means that every—” I was cut off by the waiting room doors opening and Kenzie appearing, followed closely by Jeremy, “—one will be on their way.”
“What’s going on?” Kenzie asked.
“They’ve just taken them through. So, now we wait,” Audrey answered.
Jeremy slouched in the chair beside me, while Kenzie paced the waiting room, running her hands through her hair, the same way her brother did, tugging on the ends and bouncing on the balls of her feet nervously. They were so much alike it was a little scary sometimes.
“How did you get here?”
“Christina.” Audrey frowned. “She’s such a bitch.”
Kenzie stopped pacing and stared wide-eyed at Audrey. “What?”
“She drove Bennett’s car here, while Bennett sat with Bailey, because she didn’t want a mess in the back of her car if the baby came. I hate her.” Audrey crossed her arms and pouted.
“She wasn’t that bad. She didn’t even have to drive here. She could have just called an ambulance and left Bailey alone. At least she tried to help,” I said. Considering Bailey and Christina’s history, I was surprised she even helped her out of the classroom, to be honest.
“You’re defending her?” Audrey screeched. “After what she did last—” I shot her a warning glare, knowing she was going to bring up Mr. Hamilton and the bar last night, but she couldn’t because we weren’t alone. “Last time she lived here,” she covered quickly.
“I’m not defending her. She was still a bitch, but she could have been worse. That’s all.”
And she was a bitch. I was beginning to see that side of her. She didn’t do things unless they suited her or were to her advantage. I’d paid close attention to her all week when she wasn’t aware, and if things didn’t benefit her, she had no interest in them. So, not wanting Bailey to birth a baby in the back seat of a ninety-thousand-trust-fund-dollar car wasn’t that much of a surprise to me. But I had to believe a part of her was still the girl Bailey once called a friend. The girl who cared. Otherwise, she would have left Bailey high and dry to fend for herself the moment she realised the baby was coming.
“I still can’t believe she’s back.” Kenzie resumed her pacing. “I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t think anyone does.”
“Anyone does what?” Indie asked, walking into the room with Linc. She looked at Audrey. “I called Mum and told her you won’t be home until late and that Bailey was having the baby.”
“Thanks. I forgot about Leanne.” Audrey smiled.
Indie paced the room with Kenzie while Linc leaned against the wall. “So, did we all get the same text?”
I nodded, and Jeremy laughed. For a person who quietly observed everything that was going on around him and didn’t show a lot of emotion, Ryder certainly flipped a switch when it came to Bailey and his unborn baby.
We sat quietly for a while until Harper arrived with her Uncle Johnny and Aunt Julie, the ones who owned the roadhouse.
“Where’s Nate?” Audrey asked.
“He and Brody are working the same shift. They should be here soon.” She looked at her watch and shrugged. While Brody was a paramedic and worked crazy hours, Nate was a fireman and worked different shifts as well. Harper looked at Linc. “You couldn’t get dressed?”
Linc frowned and looked down at his clothes. “I have shorts and shoes on.” He shrugged. “I’d just put my board in the water when Ace came running to tell me we had to go. She didn’t give me the chance to get changed,” he said to explain why he was in boardshorts and sanda
ls with no shirt. “The waves were good too.” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Indie.
“Quit pouting,” Indie teased her fiancé. “We live on the beach, and there will be more waves. But only one baby Jones.”
“Well…” Kenzie interrupted. “What’s Cole?”
“Oh, he’s going to be a Donovan,” Indie laughed and pointed at Jeremy, “when he finally pops the question.”
Jeremy smirked and didn’t say a word, and I wondered whether he was planning to ask Kenzie at some point. Their relationship was almost as intense as Bailey and Ryder’s, and Jeremy absolutely adored Cole, Kenzie’s son…with Chace. Still couldn’t wrap my head around that whole situation. It was like daytime TV.
“And what if Ryder knocks Bailey up again?” Linc asked. “Then there’d be Cole, this baby, and another. There’s always going to be Jones babies.”
“You know what I mean.” Indie sighed and threw her hands in the air. “This is the first baby for our group. Cole doesn’t count—no offence, Kenz—because he was a baby before we all knew about him. He’s the big kid of the group. But this baby, this baby is the beginning of the future.” Indie clapped and grinned.
“Ace, you okay? You’re talking a lot of crap.” Linc reached for her and pulled her close.
“Eh. Just been reading Bailey’s baby books. But, you know, they’re all philosophical and not useful.”
Johnny started laughing. “Watch out, kid.” He pointed at Linc. “You’ll be next.”
Indie just smiled, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Johnny was right. Indie would be next.
Linc’s eyes focused on Indie, and he winked. “Don’t mind practicing.”
“Has anyone called the grandmothers?” Kenzie suddenly asked. Everyone looked at each other blankly. “Shit, I’ll do it.”
She left the room, and we all fell into silence. Surely, Ryder had texted them as well.
“How long does it take?” Linc asked after a while.
“You got a lot to learn, kid. We could be here all night,” Johnny answered.
Linc paled.
Kenzie returned a minute later, huffing. “I can’t believe she’s here. What is she doing here?”
“Who?” Indie rushed to the door and poked her head out.
“Christina. She’s out in the hall.”
And that was the moment my phone buzzed in my pocket. Ignoring the sudden increase in chatter as the girls discussed all the reasons they hated Christina, I pulled it out to see a text.
Christina: Can you come outside? I don’t want to go in there.
Audrey leaned over and read the text. “You can’t go out there.”
“I have to. You read it. She doesn’t want to come in here. I can’t expect her to face a room full of people who hate her. Besides, I’ll have to drive her back to the school to pick up her car.”
Audrey frowned. “Drop her off and come straight back?”
“Of course.” I kissed the top of her head and left the room.
“Where’s he going?” Indie’s voice drifted into the hall.
“He’ll be back soon,” was all Audrey said, and I smiled, knowing she wasn’t going to throw me under the bus and tell them what I was really doing. What would they all think if they knew about Christina and me? They’d be pissed. But then again, I didn’t really care. I liked them as a group. They were cool, fun to hang around, but they were Audrey’s family, not mine. In the end, what they thought of me didn’t matter. Audrey’s opinion was the only one I cared about.
I found Christina at the reception desk, tapping her blood red nails on the counter, waiting for me.
She gave me a nervous smile as I approached. “Thank you. I saw Kenzie and freaked out. I’d be the last person they’d want to see.”
I nodded and put my hands in my pockets because I had the urge to reach for her and comfort her. I knew she screwed up when she was younger, but who didn’t? I also knew the person she was now and believed if everyone in that waiting room tried to get to know her, they might find she was pretty cool and not as much of a bitch as they thought. “I’ll take you back to your car,” I said.
“Oh, umm, okay. Thanks.” She fidgeted with the strap on her bag. “I have Bailey’s stuff too.”
My gaze followed hers to the ground where Bailey’s things were packed neatly into a box.
“I cleared out her desk and brought her bag and things too.”
“Thanks.” I reached down and picked it up. “I’ll just go and give it to Indie.”
I walked back into the waiting room.
“That was quick.” Audrey’s face lit up.
“Yeah, I ran into Ms. Brown. She’d brought all Bailey’s things, so Bailey doesn’t have to worry about going back and packing up her stuff with the baby, or whatever.” I raised an eyebrow at Audrey as if to say, “See, she can be nice.”
“Hmmm. Probably just wanted the desk and locker for herself. She’s selfish enough that she would have cleaned it out straightaway.” Indie scoffed. “She never does anything out of the kindness of her heart.”
I shook my head and walked out. There was no getting through to them. They’d made up their minds about her, and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.
Chapter Thirteen
Christina
I watched Bennett out of the corner of my eye as he drove us silently back toward the school. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn’t know what to say. The fact he didn’t make me walk into that room with everyone there proved he cared about my feelings in some way. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have come to me.
“How was Bailey doing?”
“Don’t know. We hadn’t heard anything. It’s just a waiting game.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel, the muscles in his arms contracting.
“How do you know them all?” I was genuinely curious how he became friends with them. He was much younger, and it didn’t make much sense. I was surprised when he lifted Bailey into his arms earlier and took care of her. Any other student probably wouldn’t have done such a thing.
He was a good guy, and it only made me want him more. It was going to be a long ten weeks. Nine weeks. One week had passed torturously slow. Nine more weeks to go, and maybe we could pick up where we left off.
“Audrey.”
Of course. It always came back to Audrey.
I tried not to show my disappointment and waited for him to explain.
“After the fire, Audrey had no one. She was orphaned. Nate and Indie’s parents took her in, cared for her, and sought the best medical treatment money could buy to help her.”
“The fire was that bad?”
Bennett laughed darkly. “Yeah, it was bad. It killed her parents and her sister. Nearly took her life as well. If it weren’t for Nate and Brody finding her in the rubble when they did, she wouldn’t be here today.”
“I had no idea. She’s strong.”
I felt terrible for the girl, knowing more of the story.
“She’s a fighter. The strongest person I know.”
“How did you become friends?”
He concentrated on the road, but his posture tensed. “We started school the same day. Neither of us wanted to be there, and we both took refuge in Bailey’s classroom.” He smiled at a memory. “Audrey was hiding under Bailey’s desk, too nervous to face the students because of her anxiety. She was worried what they’d think of her, or that they’d stare at her and be cruel. We became best friends instantly.”
“What about y—”
Bennett held up at hand to cut me off. “What’s with the sudden interest in my personal life?”
I took a deep breath and turned in my seat as Bennett pulled his car up beside mine in the parking lot. I lifted a shoulder. “I want to get to know you better?”
“Is that a question, or are you telling me?”
“I’m telling you.”
“Why?”
“Look, I know I’ve been petty and jealous.”
Bennett smirke
d. “Go on.”
“And I don’t deserve to even have you talk to me, but I like you. I shouldn’t, because you’re my student, and it would cause all sorts of trouble if anything were to happen.”
“But?”
“There is no but. That’s it. I like you. I want to know you better.”
“But…we still have nine weeks of you being my teacher, and nothing can come of this until then. You said so yourself.”
“Right.”
“So, where do you see this going in nine weeks’ time?” He dropped his arm from the steering wheel and rested it on the console between us. His fingers hung dangerously close to my thigh.
“I don’t know, but I’d like to find out. Wouldn’t you?” I moved my leg closer to his hand, hoping he’d close the small distance and touch me. My body was buzzing with anticipation. It needed to feel him, and I’d take just about anything at the moment. Even his pinky finger that was drawing lazy circles above my knee.
He stared straight ahead into the shrubs that lined the school parking lot.
Not a person was left.
The place was barren.
“What about Hamilton?” he asked.
“Who?” I was too focused on the light touch of his finger.
“Mr. Hamilton? The teacher who was all but under your skirt last night?” His voice was controlled, low, but I could sense the resentment. His jaw tightened.
“He’s nothing. I wanted to make you jealous.”
“I don’t get jealous.”
Unfortunately, I did.
“I tried to convince myself this was just a fling, that I didn’t need you or want you,” I said, my voice lowering as I spoke.
“Did it work?”
“Would I be sitting here hoping you’d do something more than caressing my knee with your little finger if it did?”
Bennett dropped his gaze to his hand. Lips tilted in a half smile, he flattened his palm and curled his fingers around the inside of my thigh. Leaning in, he spoke softly, and his breath whispered across my lips, he was that close. “And what more would you have me do?”
