She dismissed thoughts of the two men and tucked into her food. When they were done, Daniel sent her to the living room to relax, and the two men cleared the table and stacked dishes into the dishwasher. Tae strained her ears to catch whether they fought in the kitchen, but she couldn’t hear anything. A short while later, Jax walked into the living room and sat at the foot of the couch and pulled her feet into his lap. He removed her thick socks from her feet since she tended to walk around the apartment in them rather than shoes. Daniel joined them sitting at the head of the couch, and he drew her head onto his lap. Jax glared at him, but he didn’t say anything.
“Mm, that feels good,” she murmured as Jax began massaging her feet. Both men shifted on the chair, and Tae’s heel brushed something hard. She raised an eyebrow at Jax, and he winked, not sorry in the least. Deciding to ignore his physical response to her moan, she turned her attention to the TV and flipped channels, but nothing distracted her from the tingles Jax’s strong hands sent to her nether regions.
When she landed on the health channel, she was reminded of Jax’s injury. He was mostly better now with time passed, but sometimes she saw how stiff his shoulder seemed. She drew her feet away from him. “That’s enough.”
He looked up. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” She sat up, and both men moved closer to her while she sat in the middle of the couch. Sighing, she shook her head. Jax took her hand in his and held it. With Jax around, Daniel never tried to touch her intimately, but she often felt his gaze on her, and she’d noticed as much as with Jax the tent in his pants. The worse part of all of this was her own horniness. Being pregnant seemed to have made her desires skyrocket, but so far she hadn’t given into either man. She used her own fingers to get herself off. That did not do much when two hard, male thighs bumped hers on both sides. Longing made her panties damp. Jax escalated the problem by caressing the inside of her wrist with his thumb. The bastard played dirty.
Tae drew her feet beneath her and rubbed her belly. She yawned, her eyelids drooping. Next week, she would be twenty weeks, and she had a doctor appointment to see what the sex of her baby was. She bit her lip.
“My appointment next week…”
“I’m going.”
“I’m going.”
She tensed. Both men had spoken at the same time. She groaned and rubbed her forehead. Somehow up until now she’d avoided having them both at the appointments at the same time. Jax attended more often than not because his schedule was flexible, and Daniel hadn’t pushed.
Jax laid a hand on her thigh, and Daniel laid his on her other thigh. She shut her eyes. If she came right now, it was both their faults. A cramp in her side made her forget about sex, and she winced, rubbing it.
“What’s wrong, Tae?” Jax sat forward and pressed a hand over hers.
“Nothing. I’m fine. Just a little crampy.”
“You should go to bed,” Daniel suggested. “Alone.”
“Don’t start!” She moaned when the pain intensified.
Jax jumped from the couch and whipped her into his arms. He charged down the hall toward her bedroom and kicked the half-open door inward. Tae found herself dumped on the bed, not roughly but not gentle either. The knitted brows over Jax’s eyes told her he was worried. He walked over to the dresser as Daniel entered the room and rummaged through her drawers. When he pulled out a nightgown, Tae opened her mouth to protest. Jax had her blouse off in seconds, cutting across her protest.
“Get her some fresh socks,” Jax ordered.
Daniel moved to do as he asked without complaining. With Daniel bent over his task at the dresser, Jax pulled the nightgown over her head, and with deft fingers reached beneath it to unhook her bra. He tucked her between the sheets, and she squeaked, eyes widening when he nabbed her panties and slid them down her legs. By the time Daniel turned around frowning at them with socks in hand, Jax had her panties balled up in his palm.
“Maybe you need to go to the doctor,” Daniel said.
Tae clutched the sheet to her chin and lay on her pillows. “I just need rest.”
Both men stood over her bed watching her. She squirmed, feeling exposed.
“You can go. I’m all right.” The pains had eased, but her body was on fire for a whole other reason than her health. “T-Thanks for taking care of me.”
Daniel nodded. He flipped the bottom of the sheet up and slipped her socks onto her feet while Jax watched as if he were judging whether Daniel did it right. Or making sure Daniel doesn’t feel me up. Remembering the way Jax had removed her underwear had her squeezing her legs together. They needed to go.
“Good night.”
Jax chuckled. “Fine. I can take a hint. Come on, Daniel.”
Daniel glared at him, but he started for the door with Jax following.
“Jax,” she called.
He stopped and looked back at her.
“My hamper is over there in the closet, perv.”
Amusement lit his green eyes. “Oh, you don’t want me to leave your clothes on the floor. Got it.” He knew what she meant. She watched to make sure he dropped the panties he still held in his hand, along with her T-shirt, bra, and pants into the basket. Then he leaned over her and planted a soft kiss to her lips before leaving. “Good night, beautiful. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Her breath hitched in her chest, and she nodded. They left, and she lay in bed lonelier than she ever remembered feeling in her life. She turned onto her side and let her body sink into the groove she’d made in the mattress. She missed lying on her stomach and hated the aches and pains that came with shifting of her hip bones to make room for the baby. When sleep didn’t come quickly as it usually did, she reached for her cell phone and sifted through the favorites list. Her mom picked up on the third ring.
“I can’t believe it. Is this my daughter Octavia calling me?”
“Dramatic much, Ma?” Tae smiled. “How are you and Dad?”
“We’re alive. Not in the grave yet.”
Tae rolled her eyes.
“Your sister called me and said she asked you for help, but you ignored her. I worry about Janita.” Tae heard the concern in her mother’s voice.
“But you don’t worry about me. She has a husband, Ma, and I’m not paying for a new phone for her.”
“I do worry about you, Tae, but you’ve always been strong. I know you are doing well for yourself.”
“Apparently, everybody thinks I’m well, asking me to shell out six hundred dollars.”
“Terrence is only working part-time. They have to take care of themselves and the babies.”
“You mean the teenagers.”
“Tae.”
“What?” Tae sighed and rubbed her belly. Why did she call now? She should have just waited until her mind settled down and she fell asleep. “I don’t want to argue about Janita. She can take care of herself, and if she would get a job, she wouldn’t be looking to everybody else in the family for money all the time. I’m sorry. I gave her all I’m giving. I’ve cut her off.”
“Well, you have to do what you think is best, sweetie.”
Tae thought her mother didn’t agree with her choice. Well they could all get over it. She needed to save for her own baby. Janita’s oldest was sixteen for goodness sake. She could get a job herself.
“Ma, I wanted to ask you something.”
“What’s that, sweetie?”
She hesitated and then plunged ahead. “This is going to sound crazy at my age, but… Ugh. Okay, how do I know when I’m really in love with the right one? I mean, you and Dad have been together since the beginning of time and…”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Tae chuckled at her mother’s dry tone.
“Are you in love, Tae? I remember how hurt you were when you broke up with Daniel. I liked him. I thought he was a wonderful man, and even Dad said you let a good one go. He could have been the one.”
“Okay, Ma, I get it.”
“He got married though, s
o he’s off the market.”
Tae wondered where her mother had heard that news. She never told her. “How do you know?”
“Oh we talk sometimes.”
Tae’s throat closed. She swallowed. “Excuse me?”
“I called him not long ago to see how he was doing. We had a nice long talk. He told me he married. I congratulated him. To be honest, he didn’t seem all that happy, but I encouraged him to keep working at it. Marriage is no picnic. I can tell you.”
If Tae didn’t cut her off, she’d keep rambling on. “What else did he tell you?”
“What else was there for him to tell me?”
Damn, her mother was clever when she wanted to be. “I just wanted to know about love.”
“I think you know what love is. You loved him, Tae. You may still love him. Is there someone else?”
With every passing moment, she regretted asking the question.
“You never talk to me,” her mother complained. “I used to always hear your news from Janita or your younger sister, Sasha.” As if I don’t know who Sasha is without her explaining.
“I’m sorry, Ma.”
“You were a closed-off little girl coming up, always wanting your own space. You would hide in the closet to get it, but Janita and Sasha would find you and pick at you until you gave in and joined the family. I put it down to being a middle child.”
Tae rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling, letting her mother ramble on. Her personality was what it was and wouldn’t change this late in the game. She loved her family, but her mother was right, she’d fought for her own and lost the battle too many times. She hadn’t told her mother about the baby, and now didn’t seem like a good time. Her mother would be thrilled, but she would no doubt descend upon Tae with others in tow. Tae wasn’t ready for that, not with her emotional tug-o-war over Jax and Daniel.
Her mother broke through her wandering thoughts, and Tae realized she’d started to drift off. “You will know when you love the one, Tae. Just trust your heart. It will never lead you wrong.”
“Thanks, Ma. Well, I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to get some sleep because I have to be in early tomorrow.”
“Okay, sweetie. Call more often. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Good night.”
“’Night.”
Tae disconnected the call and dropped the phone at her side. Exhaustion hit her hard, and she decided she’d put the phone on the nightstand in a minute. She shut her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter Twelve
The jagged pains across Tae’s belly woke her from sleep. She cried out, fear gripping her chest. This should not be happening. What was this pain? Blowing out shallow breaths, she tried to roll over from her back, and another cramp dropped her flat again. She pushed a hand beneath her hip to give herself a bit of leverage, and her fingers touched something damp. She froze. Can’t be, can’t be!
Feeling something hard on her other side, she realized she’d fallen asleep with her phone in the bed. Somehow she worked it out from under her and dialed Jax. He answered on the first ring, his voice thick with sleep.
“Tae, baby, what is it?”
She burst into tears. “Jax, I think something’s wrong. It hurts so bad, and I think… I don’t know. Please come get me.”
“I’m on my way. Don’t move, baby. I have the key. I’ll let myself in.”
She had argued with him when he insisted on making a copy of her apartment key. Jax wouldn’t let it go. He claimed she might need him unexpectedly, and she’d told him he just wanted to come and go as if he lived there. The man had had the nerve to tell her he didn’t care what she thought of his motives. He wanted to be sure he could get to her if he needed to. Now she was glad she’d given in to his bullying.
Sobbing but trying her best to calm down, Tae waited what seemed like an eternity. She took Jax’s advice not to move, hoping and praying it would save her baby’s life. Please, please…anything…I’ll do anything.
The front door banged against the wall, and she jumped. Seconds later, Jax rushed into the room and flipped the light on. He bent over her, touched her cheek, and whispered words of comfort she couldn’t understand, but she saw his expression, the anguish and tears when he examined the bed.
“No, no, no,” he whispered, this time his voice a concentration of pain. “We don’t have time to get you dressed. I’m going to wrap you in a blanket.”
He did, and soon they descended the stairs to the first floor and out to his car. Jax drove like a demon all the way to the hospital, running red lights. Tae shut her eyes, trying her best to hold onto the strap and her belly at the same time. As he drove, Jax’s hand covered hers, and he never stopped talking to her. His smooth, deep voice kept her from panicking.
When they screeched into the hospital parking lot, Jax barely made time to park before he ran around to her side of the car and scooped her into his arms. She marveled at the care he took not to jostle her when his usual way was so rough.
He barreled through the emergency room entrance, demanding service. “She’s cramping and bleeding. I need someone to look at her, now!” Nurses scrambled. Soon Tae found herself ensconced in a bed and a doctor examining her.
After a tense few moments when he asked her questions, the man looked up. Tae crushed Jax’s hand in her hold, but he never even winced. She shook from head to toe and pulled Jax’s hand to her cheek, desperate to absorb some of his strength.
“Your baby’s heartbeat is steady, and there’s been no major change in the condition of the amniotic sac. However, there has been as you’ve noted some leakage. I’m prescribing rest and absolutely no stress. You must remain calm. This is important for the health of your baby. Do you understand?”
Tae resented the condescending attitude, but she nodded her head. “For the rest of the term?”
“Not necessarily. Your regular doctor can monitor you, but for now you need to take a few days to put your feet up and stay in bed.”
“She will get the rest,” Jax promised.
“Good.” The doctor scribbled something on his clipboard. “It’s a good idea to see your regular doctor, no longer than a day or two from now.”
“Of course.” Tae sighed and lay back on her pillow. She loosened the death grip she had on Jax’s hand, and he flexed his fingers. “Sorry.”
He grinned and brushed the sweaty hair off her forehead. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t feel a thing.”
“Because you’re Superman?”
He stroked her cheek and then touched her belly. “Because I was terrified. I’m a man, but I’m only human.”
Her heart stirred. She recalled how he looked like he would cry. Jax thought the baby was Daniel’s, but he loved the little one, maybe as much as she did.
He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I’m going to go out and call Daniel. He should know.”
“Wait.”
He had started for the door but stopped and turned back. “What is it? Do I need to call the doctor back in?”
“No, not that.” A cramp rolled through her belly, and she breathed deep, shutting her eyes.
“Tae, whatever you’re stressing about, stop it. You heard the doctor. I’m going to be right there to make sure you do as he says.”
She opened here eyes, looking at him. “I’m not going to fight it. Trust me. This scared the crap out of me, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize m-my…” She hesitated.
“Tae?” He leaned close. “Baby, what’s wrong.”
“It’s your baby, Jax,” she blurted out. “You’re the father. I never slept with Daniel—I mean not after we broke up.”
The silence was deafening.
He straightened and moved away from the bed, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and said nothing. She could no longer see his face and worried about his reaction. What was he thinking? Did he hate her? Of course he did. For almost five months she’d let him believe the baby he loved wasn’t his but his
best friend’s. In fairness, she hadn’t known until she was two months pregnant, but three months was too long.
“I’m so sorry. I was wrong to keep it from you. I have no excuse.”
“You’re right. You don’t,” he interjected, and she felt tears start that she blinked away. He heaved his shoulders and rolled his neck, then turned back to her. The smile on his lips didn’t reflect in his eyes. They appeared sad, but the sadness vanished, hidden away she knew because he wanted her to stop worrying. “We’re going to concentrate on you and the baby.”
She couldn’t help it. She cried, and he sank onto the bed and drew her into his arms. The trembling wouldn’t ease for long minutes until he rubbed her back. Later, when the doctor determined she’d be better off at home for the time being, Jax helped her dress in a gown the hospital provided and disposable panties she never knew they had. Too tired to be embarrassed, she said nothing to Jax the whole time, and he finished up by pulling socks with rubber on the bottom onto her feet.
Tae did complain when he insisted he carry her from the wheelchair to his car, but he disregarded her protests and tucked her in. By the time they got back to her apartment, she fell in and out of sleep, and he tucked her into her own bed. Sometime later, voices woke her, and she strained to hear who it was in her living room. She picked up Jax, Zerita, and Daniel’s voices.
“We can take turns caring for her, if you want, but there’s not going to be anymore arguing, Daniel.”
“Who do you think I am that I would risk her baby?” Daniel shot back. When he spoke again, she could tell he’d forced himself to get better control of his temper. “You’re right. No fighting.”
“Good,” Jax said, “and while we’re on the subject, I want you both to know. The baby is mine. Yeah, that’s right, Daniel. She told me the truth at the hospital, and I’ve been thinking if she never slept with you, you couldn’t have thought he was yours. That means you knew.”
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