More of You: The Home Series, Book Two

by Gretchen Tubbs

  I take care of the rest of my clients in a daze. The time passes at an unbelievably slow pace. I can’t get the picture of Maggie out of my brain. The image of her and that asshole is burned there, teasing me and pissing me off, over and over again. If she thinks that’s the kind of man who’s gonna be raising my child, she’s got another thing coming.

  I get a text from her shortly after Camille leaves.

  Maggie: As tempting as it was, no shark. Ur baby is safe and sound

  I don’t reply, partly because I’m pissed at her and partly because I’m guilty over what I did to her. She’s got me tied in knots. I feel like a thirteen year old school girl. This is exactly why I don’t do relationships. I have no idea how to do this, how a relationship is supposed to work. The one time I tried, I was tied down with a raging bitch. I can’t exactly cut Maggie out of my life, but I don’t know how I’m going to keep doing this with her. She’s turning me into a lunatic.

  Chapter Six

  Lunch with Troy and Landon is exactly what I need today. Troy and I go down to the art gallery where Landon works to surprise him and take him out. Spending time with those two always puts me in a good mood. I catch them up on all the latest drama in the Finn and Maggie Show.

  “I accidently had sex with Finn,” I tell them over appetizers.

  Landon’s fork falls, while Troy’s mouth is opening and closing like a fish out of water. Landon gets over his shock quickly and speaks.

  “Honey, I don’t have much experience when it comes to relations between boys and girls, but I’m pretty sure you can’t accidently have sex with someone.”

  “I didn’t mean to do it. It just happened. I promise I tried not to. I just don’t have any will power when it comes to him.”

  Troy pipes up. “Was it amazing?” he asks, his eyes shining. “It had to be. I mean, just look at the boy.”

  Landon glares at him.

  “The fact that it was absolutely mind blowing isn’t the point.” I stage whisper to Troy. “I mean, it was better than the closet sex.” He clutches at his chest like he might faint at that little piece of information. “Anyway, I feel like shit now. He used a condom. Do you know what that means? He’s obviously still sleeping around. It’s not like I can get any more pregnant than I already am, so it wasn’t for that.”

  Landon grabs my hand from across the table, and Troy moves his arm from the back of my chair to my back and starts rubbing comforting patterns along my spine. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. They don’t say anything else for a minute, and then Landon starts the conversation up again.

  “Maggie, he just found out about this about two minutes ago. Give him some time. Maybe he was sleeping around before he found out about the baby, but he’s not anymore. He’s just trying to protect you. You’ve just turned his whole world upside down.”

  I nod. Landon’s right. It’s not like we’ve been sleeping together for months exclusively and he whipped out a condom.

  I love my besties. They always know exactly what to say to make me feel better.

  “You’re right, Landon, as usual. You and Troy are seriously gonna be the best Guncles ever!”

  I text Finn when I leave lunch, but I don’t get a reply. Strange, considering he basically stalks me throughout the day. I guess he’s busy decorating the residents of our city in beautiful tattoos. Troy and I head back to the apartment complex, and I decide to be responsible for once and get some school work done.

  When it was time to start the new semester, my life was in upheaval. I had just found out about the baby, and Lucy was flipping out about her own life, living in voluntary exile. I decided to enroll as an online student, which was the best thing for me. After Daddy was killed, I spent a lot of time with my family. Between Goose and Ava’s recoveries and Momma’s shattered life, I had my hands full. Not to mention, leaving class every ten minutes to puke would probably piss a lot of people off.

  After spending a few mind-numbing hours in front of my laptop, I force myself to dress and leave for work. Just the thought of smelling all that food has my stomach churning. Maybe I can start hosting or bartending. I can’t keep doing this to myself.

  I park my car out back in the employee lot, but don’t see Finn’s Bronco. I’m disappointed. I actually kind of miss him. I feel better about our situation since I talked to Troy and Landon at lunch today. That’s not to say that I think things will be perfect, but maybe we can figure out something that works for us.

  I walk through the doors of The Red Magnolia and notice there’s a strange vibe in the air. Gossip runs rampant in any restaurant, and this place is no different. Paranoia sinks in when I notice a few stares, because it’s highly likely that I am the reason for the weird vibe. I can only hide this little bundle of joy for so long. I mean, I can’t even run my own food. For the last few days Sam ran it for me because Finn wasn’t here.

  My first table orders and I have no choice but to go in the kitchen. Finn is still not here. It’s not like him to blow off work. Pulling my phone from my apron, I check to see if I missed a call or text from him, but I don’t have anything. As soon as I pick up the tray of food, I throw it back down, run out the kitchen, and head straight into the bathroom.

  I’m sprawled out over the toilet, trying to find the will power to get up, when I hear the door push open. I instantly recognize the voices. They belong to two of the biggest gossips of the pub, Anna and Katie. This should be good.

  “I mean, she can’t even bring out her own food. It’s got to be Finn’s baby. He follows her around like a lovesick little puppy. He turns into a total pussy when he’s around her,” Katie says by the sinks.

  Fuck. They obviously don’t know I’m currently hunched over a toilet.

  “I didn’t even know they hooked up.”

  “Don’t you remember Kelly telling us about them goin’ at it in the supply closet that night? And I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the first time. I heard from Grace that Maggie was the reason he broke up with Stephanie a few months ago. She was crazy jealous when she found out about the two of them. She didn’t care about all the other girls he’d been sleeping with for some reason- just Maggie.”

  Anna laughs. “Oh, yeah. I can’t keep up with all of his conquests. His list of whores is waaay too long for me to remember.”

  The hand dryer drowns out some of the conversation and then the humming of the machine cuts off. The conversation has turned to another topic and it rouses another round of sickness that has nothing to do with the greasy smells from the kitchen.

  “…getting a tattoo. My roommate Camille goes to him. He finished the huge piece on her back today. She said before he started on it he fucked her against his chair and it was the best she’s ever had.”

  My heart is pounding so loud they can probably hear it. I can feel the bile creeping back up my throat. This can’t be true, but Katie keeps talking.

  “I mean, she told me that they have sex every time he tattoos her, but this time it was like, unreal. She said she’ll have her whole body tattooed if it means getting some from Finn like she got today. He was like an animal.”

  I can’t hold it in any longer. The vomiting starts up again, and there’s no way I can hide the fact that I’m in here, laid out across the toilet, feeling like my world just got turned upside down.

  “Oops,” they giggle, leaving the room.

  I can’t get off the floor. My chest hurts. Am I too young to have a heart attack? My heart beat is echoing in my ears and my breaths are coming out so fast I feel like I’m about to hyperventilate. I have to get out of here. I can’t be around these people. They must think I’m such an idiot.

  I am an idiot.

  A complete and total fucking idiot.

  I lay on the dirty bathroom floor, curl into a ball, and sob for what feels like hours. I get it all out. I cry until I am numb. Fuck him. I will not let him make a fool of me. I will not let him act like he cares for me and then fuck someone in a tattoo shop, just a couple of d
ays after he was with me. I will not let him have another piece of me.

  I manage to get off the floor and wash my face and hands. I text my manager and tell her to meet me in the bathroom. I can’t go back out onto the floor. She comes in, takes one look at me, and tells me to go home.

  I can’t go there, either. He’ll come for me there. I head to Lucy’s house instead.

  As soon as Lucy lets me in she can see that I’m devastated. She wraps me in her arms and pulls me into one of the bedrooms of her and Bennett’s house.

  “What’s wrong? Is it the baby? Do I need to call Dr. Redmond or get Bennett home?”

  I shake my head. I can’t talk yet.

  “Do you want to sleep here tonight?”

  I nod. If I go home, chances are, he’ll come knocking. That is, if he’s not out screwing someone else.

  “I’ll go make you some tea. Sit tight and I’ll be right back.”

  I sink down on the bed, stare at a blank spot the wall, and wait for my sister to come back.

  “Drink this,” she tells me. “You look like hell. What’s going on, Mags?”

  The tea settles my stomach, and I launch into all the details of the past few days, ending with the vile bathroom gossip I overheard. As the story unfolds, Lucy gets more and more concerned, the sympathy evident in her eyes.

  “What are you gonna do about this?” she asks, running her hand over my hair. The simple movement reminds me of Momma and causes me to tear up.

  “What can I do? It’s not like I can just say ‘fuck him’ and cut him out of my life. I’m about to have his baby. I’m stuck with this prick forever.”

  “You need to establish some very clear boundaries about your relationship.”

  “I know.”

  Her hand moves down from my head and she starts rubbing my back. “Maybe you need to get a lawyer. Mom and Daddy used an awesome one when they adopted Ava. We should give him a call. If you set up custody terms before the baby is born, it may save you some grief down the road. Bennett and I can help you. We’ll do anything you need us to.”

  I know they would, but this hurts my heart. I don’t want to deal with this. Custody agreements, lawyers, visitation.

  I shake my head as the tears continue to fall silently down my cheeks. “I don’t want to, Goose. I just want this baby to have what we had growing up,” I whisper. We had an amazing childhood. Our parents had more than enough love for us and for each other.

  Lucy shakes her head slightly. “I don’t think that will happen with Finn, sweetheart.”

  “I know. But maybe we can work something out on our own. I don’t want paperwork deciding if I can take my own child on vacation, or if Finn gets to spend Thanksgiving with it.”

  “Do you know what he wants?”

  “Besides to stick his dick in everything that moves? No.”

  She chuckles and swats my arm at my gruffness. “I know you’re hurt, but you need to push that aside for now and focus on this baby. Easier said than done, but that’s the most important thing. You have to talk to him. See where he stands. Not with you, but with the baby. How involved does he want to be?”

  She’s right. I need to forget about Finn’s asshole-ness and think about my baby.

  “I’d say pretty involved. He’s made several comments that make me think he’s in this for the long haul.”

  “This is grown up stuff, Mags. You’re not used to being an adult. You’ve never had to be responsible. I know you hate it, but this is your life now. You’ve got to be a big girl and deal with it.”

  “Can I be a big girl tomorrow, Goose? Right now I just want to take a shower and go to sleep.”

  “Of course. But, tomorrow, big girl panties. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Embracing my new adult attitude, I convince myself I can’t hide at Lucy and Bennett’s house forever. I will have to face Finn and set some boundaries, decide what I want for my child, and try not to rip his balls off and shove them down his throat in the process. I spend most of the day with Lucy, enjoying having old Lucy back. Bennett has made her so happy. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her. I can only hope to find a love like Lucy and Bennett have. Obviously, it won’t be with the man-whore whose child I’m carrying.

  Eventually, I leave the safety of my sister’s little cottage and head back to my apartment. As soon as I pull up I see that familiar Bronco. Before I can manage to even throw the car in park, Finn is outside of my door and he is irate. His hair is crazy, his clothes are rumpled, and he’s got a cigarette in his hand. Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen him smoking lately. I’m sitting in my car, bracing for attack, wondering what he’s got to be so mad about, when he rips my door open.

  “Where the hell have you been and why the fuck is your phone off?” he yells.

  I put my hand on his chest. “You need to back up and calm down. I’m not talking to you like this.” He backs up a bit so I get out and shut my door.

  “Put that out and come inside,” I say, pointing to his cigarette.

  He follows me inside and is pacing back and forth in my living room like a caged beast. He shoves his hands in his pockets, then takes them out again, runs them through his hair, then shoves them back in his pockets, all while furiously pacing in the small space. He looks like a raving lunatic.

  “Did you take something? Are you high?”

  “No, I’m not fucking high. I spent the night driving around, looking for your car in fucking ditches. You left work sick and then never made it home. Sam called me worried about you. Your phone is off. Where. Were. You?”

  He’s making me nervous. I lower my voice to a calmer tone, hoping it will rub off on him. “I was at my sister’s house.”

  He stops his pacing and looks at me like he doesn’t believe me. “So why’s your phone turned off?”

  “It died and I didn’t have a charger. What’s with the third degree, Finn?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” he yells, throwing his hands out. “I thought maybe you were with that douchebag you went to lunch with. If you’re seeing other guys, don’t you think I have the right to know. It is my child you’re carrying,” he says, hitting his chest.

  I look at him like he’s lost his mind. He is not going there. Not after his little romp at work yesterday.

  “How do you know about Troy?” I whisper, forcing myself to look guilty and worried, like I got caught doing something wrong. Let him sweat a little bit over this. He deserves it.

  “I saw the two of you walking past the shop, looking mighty cozy, your hands all over each other, you letting him kiss you. Christ, Maggie, does he even know about the baby?”

  Is he jealous?

  “Of course he does. He thinks it’s fabulous. He couldn’t be happier about it.”

  Wrong answer. Finn looks like I just slapped him. He puts his face nose to nose with mine. His jaw is clenched shut, the muscles in it working overtime.

  “If he thinks he’s raising my child, he’s fucking crazy,” he hisses through his teeth.

  “I don’t have time for this conversation right now. I don’t want to be late for dinner.”

  “Are you going back out with him?”

  “Jealous, Finn?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Don’t flatter yourself, Maggie.”

  That feels like a punch to the gut. He couldn’t have hurt me more if he actually put his hands on me.

  I don’t have the energy to deal with Finn. This entire conversation is ridiculous. I didn’t do anything wrong. He did. I should be the one that’s pissed.

  “I’m going to my Mom’s,” I tell him with a defeated sigh.

  His eyes get a devious twinkle in them. “Well this is just perfect. I’m coming with you.”

  “Umm, no you’re not.”

  “Don’t you think we should meet? What are you going to do, wait until the baby’s graduating from high school? It has to happen eventually, it might as well be now.”

  “I’m too damn exhausted to fight
with you about this. You can come if you promise to drop the asshole act.”

  “Has your boyfriend met Mom yet?”

  “Plenty of times. She absolutely loves him,” I yell to him over my shoulder as I walk to my room to get dressed.

  The ride to Mom’s is tense. How can he be so mad at me when I’m the innocent one? I refuse to tell him that there is nothing going on with me and Troy. I don’t have to justify myself to him. If he wants to screw other people, I can at least pretend I’m doing the same.

  We get to Mom’s, pulling in right behind Bennett’s car. I’m glad the two of them are here. They can diffuse the situation. Bennett’s good at that. If I can help it, I don’t want to even have to look at Finn.

  As soon as we are all out of our cars, Finn and Bennett are doing that one arm hug, slap on the back thing that boys do.

  “Do you two know each other?” Lucy asks, confused by the scene in front of us.

  “This is Finn, sweet girl. He’s done all of my ink. He’s the best around.” He looks from Finn to me, then back at Finn, the light bulb going off. “I didn’t realize you were Maggie’s Finn. I should have figured that one out. Not too many guys named ‘Finn’ around here.”

  “So Maggie’s told you about me?” Finn asks Bennett, while aiming a smirk in my direction.

  “Only that I want to punch you in the throat,” I tell him.

  Bennett looks between the two of us, finally taking in the tension. It’s a little thick right now.

  “Small world,” he says, gathering my sister back up in his arms.

  “Well, at least I can be sure you didn’t fuck Bennett when you did his tattoos,” I say, and stomp towards the front door. I can’t hold it inside any longer. I really did try, but I only have so much will power. This acting like an adult business is for the birds.

  I don’t get very far before Finn grabs my arm and turns me around.

  “Alrighty, I think we’ll just head inside,” Lucy says, dragging Bennett towards the front door.