by Jodie Larson
From this angle, her perfect breasts bounce with each thrust of my hips. I lean back on my heels, pushing her legs wider with my knees. Her eyes widen as I hit a new depth inside her.
“Fuck,” she moans, finally able to verbally express herself.
“That’s right, baby. I wanna hear you.” I keep my rhythm, grabbing her hips and tilting them up.
Another long moan follows. Her knuckles turn white from gripping the metal so tightly.
“Pax, please.”
I lean over her, bending down to take one of those perfect nipples into my mouth, nipping it lightly. “Please what?”
Her panting breaths hit my face as I loom above, the first beads of sweat forming on my brow. She feels too good to keep this pace. Coupled with her moans, I won’t last more than a few minutes.
“I-I-Oh, God!”
She lets go of the headboard, clinging to my shoulders as she squeezes her eyes shut. That perfect pussy pulses against my cock, pushing me right over the edge with her.
“Fuuuuuuuuck,” I grunt out, pouring myself into her.
We lie together, panting and sweaty as our breathing regulates. Kylie places her head on my chest, her fingers tracing tiny circles all over my body.
“I’m in love with you,” I say, pressing my lips to her forehead as her hair tickles my nose.
Kylie sits up, not bothering to cover her body. “Y-you are?”
Why is she surprised by this? I basically said the same thing the other day.
I sit up next to her, tracing the crest of her cheek with my thumb. “Of course. Kylie, I can’t picture my life without you in it. That’s why I want you to come to Kansas City this summer. I want to show you my town, introduce you to my mom, and spend as much time as I can with you.”
Her brows draw together. “How can you spend time there?”
“We designed the tour to have long weekends and days off around our hometown. The girls will all be there, which you already know. We did it last time, so I know it works.” Grabbing her hands, I bring them to my chest, pressing her palms flat above my heart. “You feel this? It beats only for you. And Jayce. If you want me to beg, I will, but I know you feel the same way. I know you love me too.”
I study her face, unmoving without a glimpse of hope. Until a smile breaks through, lighting her face. “You love me.”
I nod. “Yeah, I do.”
Without warning, she wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me with every fiber of her being.
“I love you, too.”
Finally.
I take control of the kiss, leaning her back until she’s flat against the bed. She writhes beneath my touch, wrapping her legs around my waist to pull me on top of her.
“Keep this up and we could go all night.”
She smirks. “Sounds like a challenge.”
“Oh, you’re on.”
Challenge accepted.
Two weeks I’ve been fighting this stomach flu. Jayce had it off and on for five days. Why is mine sticking around? Today is probably the best I’ve felt outside of our little getaway. It’s also my first day back. The unexpected time off about killed me, but there was no way I could work while I was chained to the toilet. I did discover that I felt better when I had something in my stomach, so I stopped skipping meals, which seemed to help. I love throwing up as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous. And I refuse to go to the doctor for something stupid like the flu.
“Hey, you have color back,” Katie says.
I finish my bite of scone, unsure of how long it’ll stay down. I should have made a piece of toast or something light. This will sit like a rock in my stomach. Grabbing my water, I take a few sips before attempting to stand. The dizziness has gone away so I walk up to the front counter and wait for the next customer while Katie goes back to the kitchen area to finish assembling the trays for later.
It doesn’t help that Pax has been unavailable, which only makes me miss him. Maybe the stress of his impending tour is wearing down my immune system. That’s why I can’t shake this. I haven’t slept in days due to finals and getting Jayce ready for the end of school. I’m beat and worn down. Most nights I flop onto the couch and fall asleep right after work and then crawl into bed after dinner.
After everything is said and done, it’ll be better. We’ll both be on summer break and all our deadlines and activities will be over. Just need to look at the bright side.
The bell rings and I force a smile on my face, now sorry I ate the scone as it churns in my stomach.
“Welcome to Grounded. How can I help you?” I swallow hard, hoping to keep everything down.
The gentleman stares at the menu before looking over to our specials. “I’ll have one of those butter pecan lattes.”
I nod. “Coming right up.”
The coffee bean aroma is overwhelming, causing my minor headache to balloon into a full-on throb. When I add the flavoring into the coffee, it’s game over. Sugary sweet and way too strong. I barely have time to set the cup down without spilling it all over the floor as I dart to the back room, calling Katie’s name on the way. She flies out of the back in time to watch me slam the bathroom door before spilling my guts out.
Maybe I wasn’t ready to come back yet. Or I should go see the doctor.
After I freshen up and splash some cold water on my face, I open the door and wince at Katie.
“I’m so sorry. I was fine until the coffee made my headache worse. Then I poured that new syrup into it and everything went south from there.”
She nods and rubs my back. “Yeah, that stuff is vile. It makes me nauseous too. Go home, get some rest. I called Lila in early, so I’ll be okay. Maybe visit the doctor?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Thanks, girl. I owe you one.”
“Did you say drinks? Because that’s what I heard,” she calls after me as I walk into the employee room and toss my apron in the dirty bin. Now that I’m away from all the smells, my headache lessens and my stomach stops churning.
Worst flu ever.
I crank the air conditioning on the drive home, even though the temp outside is fairly mild. The rush of cold feels amazing and seems to help my symptoms. By the time I pull into the driveway, my headache has diminished immensely, and the nausea has subsided.
With the house empty, I toss my bag and keys on the table and fall face first onto the couch. I’ll just close my eyes for a second. That’s all.
Mom called to say she’s working late again, so I’m in charge of dinner. Nothing too fancy. Jayce requested spaghetti. Perfect.
I fill a stock pot with water and start bringing it to a boil. Taking the package of hamburger from the fridge, I place it in a fry pan on the stove. As I chop it up to brown, the smell hits me like a ton of bricks.
I can’t.
Turning off the burner, I race to the bathroom and hover over the toilet, dry-heaving until the spasms stop squeezing my stomach. I fall back onto my ass and lean against the cool wall, panting like I’d run a marathon. With my stomach cramping like it is, I think I did.
Jenny walks past, concern etched on her face. “You okay?”
I shake my head, my limbs weak. “I can’t shake this flu. Everything turns my stomach. The coffee at work, anything really sweet. Even the smell of meat cooking…”
Wait.
No.
I’ve had this before.
It can’t be.
All the blood drains from my face as realization hits.
No.
Jenny’s face goes from concern to fear. “What is it?”
Standing up carefully so I don’t fall over, I walk past Jenny, who quickly turns on her heels to follow me.
“Can you finish dinner and watch Jayce for a second? I have something I need to do.”
“Yeah, sure, but are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Shaking my head, I grab my purse and keys. “Not yet. Later.”
In a flash, I’m out the door and in my car, taking off down
the road to the nearest drug store I can find.
My pulse beats a mile a minute as icy cold fear wraps its tentacles around my heart.
I can’t. We’ve been careful. I was careful.
There’s no way this can happen twice in my life.
The little purple and white box stares at me as I grab two off the shelf, quickly running to the front to pay for them and speeding home before everything sets in.
Jenny pokes her head out from the kitchen as I race by and close the bathroom door behind me. Ripping into the foil wrapper, I take out a stick and read the directions, since it’s been a few years.
I recap the test and place it on the counter, staring, waiting for any sign that it’s working.
Liquid moves up the white paper.
One line. Come on one line.
One line appears.
I hold my breath.
Then another.
And my heart lodges itself in my throat.
It can’t be right.
Taking the other test out, I pee on the stick and wait.
Same result.
This package is defective.
I open the other one.
Two lines.
I use the other stick.
Two lines.
Four sticks lie on the counter, all with the same result.
I’m pregnant.
Jenny beats on the door. “Kylie? You okay?” She jiggles the handle. “Open up, let me in.”
Tears well in my eyes. Oh God, what am I going to do?
Unlocking the door, I grab Jenny’s arm and drag her inside. She takes one look at my face and instantly holds me.
“You’re scaring me.” I know the moment she sees them. Her whole body stiffens before she pulls back to look me in the eyes. “You’re pregnant?”
I nod. “Appears so.”
To my surprise, she grins so wide I fear her face might crack. “Kylie, this is amazing. How can you not be excited?”
I sit on the closed lid of the toilet and lean forward, placing my head in my hands. “Jenny, this isn’t good. This is Craig all over again.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” She crouches down to my level, peeling my hands away from my eyes. “This isn’t even close to the same thing.”
“He’s going away. For six months. I’ll be alone, raising this baby, stuck here in this house while he forgets about us and his responsibilities.” To my shock, Jenny smacks my knee hard enough to leave a red mark. “Ow! That hurt.”
“That is the dumbest crock of shit I’ve ever heard.” She stands. The joy in her face instantly morphs to anger. “Do you honestly hear the words coming out of your mouth? Have you met Pax?” She waves her hand to the door. “That man would move heaven and earth for you. He stayed here for two days while Jayce was sick, even though he had work to do. Who else comes running when you need something? That boy is in love with you.”
I scoff, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Craig said he loved me too. Look how that turned out.”
Frustration laces her voice. “His actions prove he’s in it for the long haul.”
I stop crying and process her words. “B-but he’s leaving.”
Jenny sighs and leans against the vanity. “Not forever. For his work. And didn’t Adrienne say you could go with them for the summer? Hell, I think you should. Take Jayce and spend time with his friends. They’re practically his family. They have a bigger support system than Mom and I could ever give you.” She chews on her lip. “Besides, I’m moving in with Brady, so I won’t be around to help. And Mom is getting serious with her new boyfriend.”
Boyfriend? “When did she start dating?”
Jenny smirks. “When you did.”
A glimmer of a conversation we had months ago shoots into my head. She did say she’d start when I did. “Where did she meet him?”
“At the hospital. He’s one of the doctors. She was filling in on one of the floors and they started sparking up conversations whenever they worked together.” Jenny laughs. “Why else do you think Mom is always working late?”
Okay, now that makes sense. “Why didn’t she say anything?”
“Because she wanted to make sure you were okay. And you are. Haven’t you realized we’ve been helping less and less with Jayce?”
“No,” I simply say. It hadn’t occurred to me that I’ve been asking less and less of them the closer Pax and I got. It made more sense to lean on him, considering how fast he and Jayce clicked.
Jenny grabs my shoulders. “You’re ready to leave. Trust me. This is not the same situation as before.”
The unease in my stomach eases slightly. No, it’s not the same. Pax loves my son. “The question is, does he want to be tied down.”
“Ugh.” Jenny opens the door and pauses before walking out. “I swear, you are so frustrating.”
With that, she leaves me sitting alone with a million thoughts running through my head.
Later that night, I lie in bed, working on my sleeve of soda crackers because I couldn’t stomach the spaghetti. The sight of meat almost threw me over the edge again. My phone buzzes with Pax’s smiling face.
“Hey,” I say, trying to add some levity into my voice.
“Did I wake you?”
I glance at the clock. Didn’t even realize how late it had gotten. “No, I’ve been up for a while.”
“You okay? Still not feeling well?” His concern is heartwarming.
I work harder to choke down the emotions and bile. “Yeah, it’s a stomach thing. It’ll go away.” In nine months.
He sighs. “Good. I was worried about you. Glad I didn’t catch that flu.”
Oh, don’t worry. You don’t have the right equipment to catch this bug.
“Yeah, me too.” Needing to change the subject, I switch to something else. “How was your day?”
Pax groans. “Long. We met with four different radio stations up the coast, did phone interviews for a couple stations outside of the state, and now we’re gearing up for a few late-night performances to feature our first single off the new album. My head is killing me.”
“Aww, poor baby. You had a hard day at work,” I say in a mocking tone.
He laughs, instantly raising my spirits. “God I love your sassy mouth. Too bad I can’t kiss you right now.”
“I know.” I place my hand on my stomach. “But don’t worry, you’re with me even though you’re not physically here.”
For the first time in a few hours, a smile graces my face. I can feel Pax’s through the phone. Don’t ask me how. I just do.
“I miss you.” He yawns, which causes me to yawn. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you in a couple days, once things settle down.”
“I miss you, too. Night, Pax.” I click end and place the phone back on the stand.
Hope dares to blossom in my chest. I still don’t have all the answers, but I have an idea of where to find them.
I twiddle my thumbs in my lap, constantly looking around as I wait at the table. I’ve never been here before, so I feel a little out of place.
Adrienne walks over with Lyric babbling away in the stroller; her smile bright and wide. “I was so glad you called and wanted to meet up for lunch. I needed to get out of the house. Lyric has been missing her daddy something fierce, so I need to get her used to this before the tour starts.”
I chew on my bottom lip and look at Lyric, who lets out an excited squeal when she sees me. Adrienne reaches into her diaper bag and pulls out some food, placing it on the tray attached to the stroller. Lyric instantly quiets down as she shoves the puffs into her mouth.
“Well, actually, I need some advice.” I take a deep breath and pause, trying to process the words in my head before I vomit them out loud where I can’t take them back.
Adrienne reads me like a book. “I’ve been where you’re at.”
I blink, shocked. “You have?”
She nods. “You’re afraid because it’s new. He’ll leave and forget all about you, wanting t
o live the rock star life.”
“I-uh, yeah.”
Adrienne grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “When the band got their big break, I pushed Kade away.”
“You did?” You’d never know it from the way they are together. I’ve never seen two people more in love.
“Worst mistake of my life. I was so used to being on my own, protecting myself, that I forgot I had someone else to lean on. I knew deep down that Kade would never leave me, nor would he hurt me the way I imagined. If you’re like me, being alone with your thoughts is never a good thing.”
I nod. “Tell me about it.”
The waiter comes over, dropping off two large glasses of ice water and handing us menus.
“We’ll need a few minutes,” Adrienne says with a smile. He slinks away, and she returns her focus to me. “So, you want to know how this will work, right?”
Exactly the question I want to ask. “Yeah. With Jayce and school and everything else, I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, for starters, you can come to Kansas City with us.” I eye her skeptically. “Not to move,” she says quickly. “But to check it out. See what it’s like there. I know he wants to introduce you to his mom. And all the girls will be there so you won’t be alone. Heck, even Quinn will entertain you.”
I laugh. “From what I’ve seen of her so far, I’m afraid to know what that entails.”
“As you should be,” she says with a laugh. “But really, you can think of this as a vacation. Stay with me, even if it’s for the week. We can take the kids swimming at the lake or go to the parks. I have a huge playset in my backyard that the kids can play on.”
It sounds like a good plan. Only one tiny hitch. Well, two really. “I don’t have the money to do this.”
“You don’t need it. Pax will take care of it.”
“But he’s not always around. And what if my worst fears come to light? Then I’ve built up this world for me and my son, only to drag us back to reality when Pax leaves.”
Adrienne looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Are you kidding me? That man is madly in love with you.”
I tilt my head. “How do you know?”
“How do you not?” Realization hits as she widens her eyes. “He hasn’t told you yet.”
