Reject Me

by Jennifer Foor

  There was a missed call from Jamey. I don’t know why it got me excited, because he could have very well called to tell me to stop leaving him messages. I called the voicemail to see if my waiting message was from him.

  “Pey, baby it’s me. I need to tell you a secret. You’re brother, Shayne, is a douche. He’s like a fuckin’ cock suckin’-.” The message cut off.

  I looked down at my phone wondering why in the hell he’d call me to cut down my brother like that. It was obvious that they’d gotten into a fight, but after hurting me so terribly he’d think it was okay to belittle my family on a message? It made me so angry.

  When I heard Wayne coming out of the bathroom I turned off my phone and put it back in my purse. He walked out in a towel with his chest bare. Wayne was an attractive man, his light hair and honest eyes always made me feel safe. “Good morning. Do you feel any better?”

  I reached up and touched my swollen eyes. “My head is killin’ me from all this cryin’, and I probably shouldn’t tell you this but I got this message from Jamey on my phone last night where he called my brother a few choice names and then hung up. Now I’m more pissed off at myself for being stupid enough to sleep with him again in the first place.”

  “You didn’t mention that you slept with Jamey.” I’d neglected to share every detail of what had transpired between us. There were just some things that I didn’t like talking to Wayne about. The last thing I needed was for him to think I was becoming a whore. I’d already been called that in high school, and vowed to never be that person again.

  “It was a small detail that I left out. It’s not like I planned it.”

  “You know what I think?”

  I climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. “What?” I was fully prepared for a lecture. Sometimes Wayne was as bad as my own mother, except I could avoid seeing her much easier.

  “I think your brother might have said something to Jamey yesterday. Think about it. He was set on doing whatever it took to get back together, and then after fighting with your brother he changed his mind, telling you it was all some kind of mistake. Unless your boyfriend has a mental illness like bi-polar disorder I’d say that someone was forcing his hand.”

  What Wayne was saying made sense. It would explain why Jamey was all over the place, and also why he’d pushed me away so abruptly at the police station. “It’s possible. My brother had him locked up before for drinking. It caused a lot of problems.”

  “That’s when we became friends. I remember you telling me about it. Do you think your brother is capable of doing something so severe to protect you?”

  “I suppose. He hates Jamey so much. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

  “Peyton, you need to get to the bottom of this. If your brother did this to you than you still have a chance to work things out. As your friend, who doesn’t want to see you suffering, I’d suggest you get this all figured out, sooner than later.”

  I sank down on the mattress. “God, you’re right. What am I goin’ to do? How will I know?”

  “I’d call that boyfriend of yours for starters. He’d probably come clean before your brother. I’ve got a feeling that if this is all true Shayne isn’t going to broadcast that he was the reason for your pain.”

  I’d been angry at Shayne a million times in my life, but for him to mess around with my relationship was beyond wrong. I picked my phone back out of my purse and dialed someone who I could talk to about our brother.

  “Hey, sis. How’s it goin’ in Farmville?”

  “It blows. Listen, I’m callin’ because I need your advice.”

  “What have you gotten yourself into now?”

  Leave it to my twin to assume I was in some kind of trouble. “I haven’t done anything. It’s Shayne.”

  “What did he do? Did he cheat on his wife? Did she cheat on him?”

  “Jesus, will you shut up and listen to me? It’s nothin’ like that.”

  The line got quiet. “Is somethin’ wrong? Tell me, Pey. I can hear it in your voice. Are you okay?”

  “Not really. I think Shayne my have sabotaged my relationship with Jamey. It’s a long story, but I wanted your advice on how I should handle it if it’s true. I live with him for Christ sakes. How can I look at him and not want to kill him in his sleep?”

  My brother burst into laughter. “You’re not goin’ to kill him. Don’t even say that. If you’re that pissed you can always move back in with mom and dad.”

  “That will never happen.”

  “Then make amends with your boyfriend. Just know that if I find out he’s cheatin’ I’m going to have his balls removed with a steak knife.” I cringed just thinking about it.

  “I’ll deal with Shayne in my own way.”

  “Let me know if you want to come visit. My girlfriend wants to get to know the family more. It makes me nervous knowin’ what Shayne has over my head. She can’t know about the twins, Pey.”

  “Parker, I don’t have time to discuss this. I’ll call you back when I get things figured out. Don’t worry about your girlfriend. I’ll come to visit as soon as I can.”

  “Love you, sis.”

  “Yeah, I love you too.”

  Wayne handed me a cup of coffee when I walked out into the kitchen. I could tell he was waiting to hear about anything new I’d learned. “No new news yet. I’m trying to conjure up the courage to call Jamey. It’s hard to know what to expect.”

  “You won’t know until you try.”

  I pulled out my phone and dialed his number while Wayne watched like a hawk. After four rings it went straight to voicemail. I dialed again, getting the same result. “I don’t understand why he won’t answer. Jamey wouldn’t listen to my brother.”

  Abigail came running in, making me spill my coffee down the front of Wayne’s t-shirt. “Shit.”

  “I’ll clean it up. Go change so I can throw that in the washer with the load that just started.”

  “You’re such a homemaker,” I teased.

  “I’m a jack of all trades. Be jealous.” We both laughed for a moment, and I appreciated even the smallest of happy moments.

  I headed into the bedroom to change my shirt and heard Wayne come in behind me. “Do you want us to go with you?”

  I shook my head. “No. I need to handle this on my own. I’ve already burdened you enough.”

  “We’re here if you need us.”

  I hugged Wayne, knowing that without him I’d be a mess. “I know. It’s what is keeping me calm. I’m just goin’ to -.” Waves of nausea hit me all at once. I ran into the bathroom just in time to vomit in the toilet.

  When I was finished I walked over to the sink to rinse out my mouth. Wayne handed me a washrag. He had a frown on his face. “Has that ever happened before?”

  “What? Have I ever thrown up? Of course. It happens.”

  “You’re missing the big picture. Peyton, is there a chance you could be pregnant?”

  I shook my head. “No way!”

  “Well are you on birth control?”

  “Come on, Wayne. It’s just a little puke.” He was freaking me the hell out. I had enough problems. The last thing I needed was to turn up pregnant. “You gave me that pill last night on an empty stomach. I’m sure it was that. Besides, Jamey and I have had unprotected sex on and off for two years. I’ve never missed a period.”

  “So you didn’t miss any lately then?”

  I looked away and tried to think of what the date was. I’d started school, and been dealing with so many things in my life. Between Wayne and Abigail, homework, and my feelings for Jamey I’d been preoccupied. He chased me out of the bathroom. I pulled a calendar up on my phone and sat down on the bed. “Oh, God. This can’t be happenin’ to me. It’s got to be stress. I read somewhere that some women don’t get a period when they are stressed out.”

  Wayne went right into dad mode. He grabbed his keys and headed for the front door. “I’ll be right back. If you’re pregnant you’re goin’ to need to see a doctor
. I’m going to the drugstore around the corner. Keep an eye on Abigail for a minute.”

  “Wayne, seriously, I’m not pregnant.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I waited until he left to start freaking out. Not only was I single and alone, but Jamey had made it clear we were through. I knew a pregnancy would only make him hate me more.

  I didn’t know what to do. I’d certainly never been one to consider abortion.

  When Wayne got back I’d thrown up again. Convinced that it was just my nerves, I was contemplating refusing to take the test, on account of his idea being ridiculous. One look into his concerned eyes let me know that he wasn’t going to leave me be until I proved him wrong.

  I took the first stick in the bathroom and peed on it. Since I was sure it would be negative, I left it alone on the counter and walked away. Not even two minutes later Wayne was holding the stick. “I think you need to sit down.”

  “Stop messin’ around. Just admit you wasted your money.” If this was his way of making a joke I wasn’t finding it funny.

  “Peyton, there’s no easy way to tell you this. “You’re pregnant.”

  I walked up and grabbed the stick, glancing at it for only a second before my legs gave out on me. “This can’t be happenin’. My whole life is a mess. This can’t be true. I’m in no condition to be a mother, Wayne. What am I goin’ to do?”

  “It’s important that you try to remain calm. It’s not good for the baby. I feel like shit for giving you that pill last night. You’re going to have to tell the doctor that when you go in. I’ve read a ton of books on pregnancy and hopefully your still early enough along that it won’t affect anything.”

  His words were becoming muffled. I felt dizzy, like I was going to pass out. “Stop. Please stop.”

  Wayne sat down by my side. He put his hand on my knee. “What can I do, Peyton?”

  “Get me my phone. I need to make a call.” I was going to have to make a lot of calls with this kind of news. Dialing my brother’s number wasn’t the hard part. It was hearing him answer.

  “Where are you, Pey?”

  “Did you send Jamey away, Shayne?” I was already getting emotional. “Did you make him break up with me?”

  “No. Where are you? You better not be with him.”

  I don’t know how I could tell, but I knew he was lying to me. “How could you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

  “Let me just tell you that you’ve pretty much ruined my life. You may think Jamey’s bad for me. You can hate him forever, but that doesn’t give you the right to break us up. I love him, Shayne. You know firsthand what’s that’s like. How dare you mess with my life.” I was so angry. He’s betrayed me more than Jamey cheating. My own flesh and blood had interfered in my life, and whether he admitted it or not, I knew it was true.

  “I’m movin’ out, Shayne. I’ll be gone before you get home.” I started to hang up the phone when I heard him talking.

  “I did what was best for you. Someone had to do it. He’s been dickin’ you around for years. I knew he was trouble, but you refused to see it.”

  “So you what? Did you blackmail him? Did he even assault you, Shayne?” The line got quiet. “I hope you’re happy with yourself. You just lost a sister, and I want to thank you ahead of time for runnin’ away the father to my unborn child. I’ll never forgive you for this.” I hung up the phone before he could reply. Nothing he said was going to makes amends for what he’d done to me.

  Just to be sure I went into the bathroom and took the second test. It immediately reflected a positive result. After pulling out my phone again I saw that I’d actually missed two periods, which meant I was probably eight weeks or more pregnant. I was going to have to tell Jamey, and it was going to have to be in person.

  Shayne started blowing up my phone after I’d hung up on him, I was sure he was probably freaking out, not that I cared. I had something more important than my brother’s issues to deal with.

  After assuring Wayne that I’d visit with the doctor, I got into my car and started to drive back to the beach. Since Jamey refused to answer his phone I was going to have to hunt him down.

  When I pulled up at the beach house I saw my brother standing outside. He must have assumed that I’d been with Jamey when I called. Fear swept over me when I thought about him finding out my news from Shayne. I rushed toward the house, before being stopped by my brother. “Get your hands off of me.”

  “I need to talk to you. Where have you been?”

  Ford’s voice made Shayne let go of me. “Give the girl some space, Shayne. You’re not her keeper.”

  I shoved him back. “Go home, Shayne. This doesn’t concern you.”

  “Pey, we need to talk about this. It’s serious.”

  “You think I don’t know that? Because of you I may have to do this on my own. I’ll deal with you later. Now get out of my face. I need to talk to Jamey.” He tried to grab me again. I pulled away and darted inside of the house. Ford would protect me, and if he wasn’t willing I was certain Joey would.

  Lacey and Sky looked surprised to see me. They were sitting in the kitchen looking online at wedding dresses. “Is there something I should know about?” The whole family knew that both of them had talked about marriage.

  “Sky and Ford set a date. Isn’t it exciting?” Lacey seemed just as excited as her best friend.

  “Congratulations. That’s wonderful.” I gave her a hug before addressing why I was really there. “I need to talk to Jamey.”

  “He’s still in bed. Last night he got kicked out of the bar. He went on and on about how he lost his cell phone. You should have seen how drunk he was,” Sky explained.

  Jamey never went anywhere without his phone, except for when he let me take it. I knew he was pissed about losing it, but it explained why he wouldn’t answer my calls. He also didn’t drink, not since he’d been in trouble. For him to go out and get shit-faced meant he was upset. It actually gave me hope that we still had a chance.

  I found him in the back bedroom. The shades were pulled down and he had his head covered with a pillow. I sat down on the foot of the mattress trying to come up with a good way to tell him about my situation. Regardless of what was going to happen between us, he needed to know the truth. I was going to figure out a way to keep the baby. I loved children, and after seeing what both of my brothers had been through I knew I could never give up my child.

  I felt the bed moving and turned to see that Jamey was sitting up. He looked like Hell. “Hi.”

  “Pey, what are you doin’ here?”

  “Did you really think my brother could keep me away? I know what he did.”

  He scratched his head. “How did you find out? Did Ash tell you?”

  “She knew?”

  “She found out late last night. I remember talkin’ to her. She said she was goin’ to take care of your brother. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

  “Not exactly. I mean, I know that Shayne made you push me away. I still want to know why you did it. I mean, I thought you said you’d fight for us.”

  “He was goin’ to have me locked up again, and I knew I’d lose you anyway. I just felt like it was best if I let you move on. All I’ve ever done is hurt you. It’s not fair to ask you for another chance.”

  I shoved his leg over. “You big idiot, don’t I get a say in who I want to be with?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t sleep with Ang, Pey. I lied to you yesterday to make you hate me. I never called her and told her to go along with it.”

  I looked down at my hands and thought about how hurtful his words had been the day before. “You hurt me, Jamey. I felt like I was nothin’ to you.”

  He put up his finger. “Hold that thought, baby. I’ll be right back.”

  I watched him leap over the bed and run into the jack and jill bathroom. The water started running and I could hear him brushing his teeth and then rinsing. He came back into the bedroom and sat
down next to me. “Sorry, I had to piss, and I was afraid I wasn’t goin’ to be able to hold it.”

  “How sexy,” I teased.

  “Where were we?”

  “I need to tell you somethin’, and I don’t think you’re goin’ to like it.”

  Jamey seemed worried. “Did you hook up with that guy, Wayne?”

  “No. It’s not that.” I played with my hands while trying to get my nerve up. We’d been through so much already, and this was tipping the pot. There was no other way to get the nerve to tell him. “So, I’m pregnant.”

  Jamey, who’d been close enough to kiss me, backed away. He stared into my eyes, waiting for me to announce I was joking. “Yeah right.”

  “I’m serious. I found out this mornin’. I mean, I still have to call a doctor but I took two tests. I didn’t know. With everything that’s been going on, I wasn’t keepin’ track. I’m probably eight or more weeks along, and before you try to talk me out of it, I’ve already decided that with or without you I’m keeping the baby. It’s my decision and it’s final. I know this probably changes everything, and you didn’t sign up for all of this when you were tryin’ to win me back. I didn’t plan this either, but I’m not goin’ to get upset over it. This is a new start for me. I’ll be a good mother, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure my baby is cared for.”

  “You know, my new place has two bedrooms. I’m sure the other one could be a kickass nursery.” He shocked me.

  “You still want to be with me? It’s more than you bargained for.”

  “Jesus, Pey, you just told me that we’re goin’ to have a baby together. Last night I thought I lost you forever. This is the best damn news I’ve ever heard.”

  I fell against his chest and started to cry happy tears. “I thought we were through. It hurt so much.”

  He kissed me tenderly. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry. I thought I was doin’ the right thing. I regretted it immediately, that’s why I was goin’ to tell you the truth. I couldn’t live with that decision. The next time I see your brother he’s gettin’ an earful.”