by Brynne Asher
I say nothing but I do clench my teeth.
“This might’ve sealed the deal on him not getting bail,” Jude growls before tipping his head to me. “You okay?”
I close my eyes to control my temper before stating, “I’ve gotta get home. Now.” I try to take a calming breath, knowing it won’t work before telling him, “Please, fuck, there’d better not be anything else, but if there is, call me. I need to get home to my family.”
He lifts his head. “Go home. I’ll call the Tonys, fill them in. They’ll be pissed, but relieved he’s behind bars.”
I nod, but say nothing before turning to get the fuck out. If I stand in this sick fuck’s condo for another minute, I might explode.
I turn off the alarm and move through the clean laundry room and kitchen. It’s late and a single light glows from over the sink letting me know someone’s thinking of me, waiting for me to return. I drop my keys on the counter, reminding me how she took up twenty minutes of my life the other day explaining how we needed a key holder mounted in the laundry room by the garage door. That morphed into a hook for her purse and, if it can be believed, by the end of the twenty minutes, her key holder turned into lockers and cubbies along the blank wall in the mudroom. I finally asked, “Can we order that shit or are we going to need a contractor?”
That bought me her “I win” smile and she said she’d shop for both, do a cost comparison.
I told her I’d be holding my breath for the results.
Then she jabbed my shoulder grinning right before I pinned her to the blank wall and kissed the grin off her face.
Before I let her go, she informed me that I loved her.
I agreed but said she loved me first. Then she burst out laughing.
That’s what my life has been like since I won her back, even if she has been working ninety to nothing. And I fucking love every second of it.
I try and focus on that instead of the sick shit I just left behind and move through the dark family room to the hall. The bedroom door is open but when I get to the threshold, I stop.
That was enough to rid my head completely of the sick shit at the condo, because lying in the middle of the bed is Paige with my kids and the dog. The dog, who’s tucked tight with her head lying over Paige’s ankles, lifts her head and whines.
“Shh,” I murmur, not wanting to disturb the moment so I can memorize it—file it away for safe keeping.
Cara’s scooted down the bed, her head on Paige’s belly with an arm wrapped around her waist. Jordy’s on her other side, burrowed in, his head on her shoulder. Paige has a hand on Cara’s head and her other arm wrapped around my son. They’re all dead to the world.
I lean on the door jamb and breathe deep, imagining that big bed filled with a relay team, or who knows, maybe a Montgomery basketball team. I decide I can’t wait to build my team, filling that bed full.
I sigh and move to carry kids to bed. Even if I want to wait 'til tomorrow, I know Paige will demand to know what happened and I’m going to have to rehash that sick shit. But when I’m done, I’ll make love to her slow and sweet and gentle. I need to give her gentle and slow and sweet after all I just saw. But I’ll make sure it’s all for her and she knows it.
Chapter Thirty-One
Now
Paige
I just got done hauling the last of the food from my car to a clubhouse where my client is throwing a surprise party. It’s my second delivery today. My busy schedule is about to slow down to a point of normalcy. Not that all the extra money hasn’t been nice, but if I decide to keep up this crazy schedule, I need to hire someone fulltime and I’m not sure I want to be an employer. Charlotte’s taken over my advertising like a pro— she used to be in sales before she quit to stay home with her kids. I’m paying her a percentage of her sales, she does her own thing, and I stay out of her hair because she does it way better than me.
Not that I don’t want to set my goals higher, but I’m happy with things the way they are. Plus, Cam wants family time and that sounds great to me. Especially since I’m not locked up in his house anymore because Brian is behind bars.
Brian. My poor friend.
He’s been in jail for three days. The last Jude told us, he’s undergoing medical evaluations. I know what he did and I sort of know what he planned because Cam gave me an overview, even though I didn’t get to read his short story collection. If Cam has anything to do with it, I never will. He said, and I quote, “That shit is so sick, baby, I don’t want it in your head. You just have to know, it’s beyond bad.”
The whole thing is—disturbing, however I can’t help but remember how Brian used to be—the sweet friend with whom I have years of memories. I don’t know how to feel. My family and Cam are furious over the whole thing and, even though I’m freaked and anxious, I can’t help but feel a deep sadness for him. I have no idea what’s going to happen to him legally, but I hope he gets the medical attention he needs. He has a disease and it’s changed the person he used to be.
It’s Saturday and I have no events scheduled for the next three days. Not that I don’t have work to do for the blog and website to catch up on—I have tons. But tomorrow I’m looking forward to the family time Cam has demanded.
My phone rings over the speakers of my car, telling me it’s my mom. She’s kicked in a lot in the past couple weeks, helping me shop and keep up. I’m grateful for all the help, even if I’m still exhausted.
“Hey,” I say into the speaker as I start my way back to Athica Lane.
“Are you done for the day?” she asks.
“Yeah, I just dropped off at my last event. I’m headed back to Cam’s.”
“I see,” she starts. I can tell her voice is strained when she continues, “Your father and I want to have you, Cam, and the kids over for dinner tomorrow evening. Since you’ve decided you’re moving in with him … well … prematurely, we don’t want to hesitate getting to know him better. Yes, we’ve known him for a couple of years, but only as Sophia’s neighbor. I know things have been on shaky ground between the two of you—”
“We aren’t on shaky ground,” I interrupt, setting her straight and when I do, I can’t help my defensive tone.
“Fine,” she huffs into the phone before continuing. “It’s ‘smooth sailing.’ Is that better?”
“Can you get to the point?” I bite.
“You must be about to start your cycle. You’re irritable,” she announces.
Wait, what?
Of course, she doesn’t wait for me to respond. “We want to get to know him better, you know, as your boyfriend—if that’s what he is to you.”
Oh shit.
“We’re hoping he’s more than merely a boyfriend since you’ve given notice at your apartment and moved into his home. With his children. I hope you’re taking that seriously.”
Fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight…
“When children are involved, you can’t afford to be selfish. They need consistency. Not this on-again, off-again, on-again thing you and Cam have done.”
Thirty-five, forty-one … I think.
“Are you listening to me?” she demands.
“Mm-hmm,” I hum, frowning into my windshield, double checking the numbers in my head.
“I know you’re great with kids and they seem to have taken to you. But with their mother being the way she is and now out of their lives permanently—at least for the next couple of years—it’s all the more reason you and Cam need to think of them above all else. Give them the stability they deserve. At their ages, their upcoming years are incredibly influential as to how they will form values and – ”
“Mom!” I yell, shutting her up. I feel my stomach drop as I take a quick turn, pulling into a parking lot and ask, “Why did you call? Other than to lecture me.”
“Well,” she breathes. “We want to get to know him better. We want you all to come for dinner tomorrow night.”
I grab my purse and prepare to climb out of the car. I say whatever is nece
ssary to get her off the phone. “Sure, whatever. We’ll be there. I’ve gotta go.”
I hear her sigh again. “Good. Six o’clock, we’ll eat at six-thirty. I hope your disposition improves before then. Eat a banana.”
You’ve got to be shitting me. If my math hasn’t failed, a banana is not going to help.
“And don’t forget the water. You’re probably dehydra – ”
“Bye,” I interrupt and disconnect the call before she can boss me more.
I hurry in to run my errand. How I lost track of time, I have no idea.
Cam
“Can we order pizza?” Jordy asks.
“Ooh, can we get the pizza cookie thingy, too?” Cara adds.
I pull into the garage next to Paige’s car—she must be back from her deliveries. She’s off tomorrow and I can’t wait. I know she’ll do what she wants, but I secretly want her to back off the catering and focus on her blog. I know it’s selfish, I can’t help it. Now that she’s mine, she doesn’t need both sides of her business. Maybe she’ll back off on her own.
“We’ll see if Paige has anything planned. If not, then yeah.”
I took the kids with me to The Shed this afternoon to catch up on some things after practice this morning. My boys came out with the W again last night, but it was close. Brett Sullivan has cemented himself into the quarterback position, proving he’s as good and getting better by the week, than Michael Gheer. Gheer is off my team for good after his stunt last summer, breaking into The Shed. Word is his parents were shopping private schools so he could play and maybe still get a scholarship, but no one will take him since he was charged as an adult for breaking and entering.
Stupid fuck. He’s young enough to get his shit together so he doesn’t completely screw up his life. I hope he figures that out before it’s too late.
But Sullivan is drawing plenty of attention and we had three college recruiters at the game last night watching him. I’m using my contacts to do what I can—he’s a good kid and a hard worker. He has the potential and I want to see him succeed.
As we climb out of the car, the kids run to Lanny’s yard after eyeing the boys playing. I go to the house and, when I don’t see her in the kitchen, bellow, “Paige?”
I don’t get an answer, so I move to find her. When I finally make it to the bedroom, I turn and see her in the bathroom sitting on the floor with her knees bent, her legs pulled into her. Her eyes dart to mine and her face falls, an unease sweeping over her features.
I tip my head. “Why are you sitting on the floor?”
“I – ” she starts. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? What’s wrong?”
She closes her eyes and strangely says, “They were right.”
I move in closer and cross my arms frowning. “Who was right?”
She looks up from where she’s sitting. “In middle school. And I guess high school, too. Those stupid videos that we made fun of, they said it would only take once. I mean, I knew scientifically they were right, but they were really right.”
Tired of this, I squat in front of her, putting my hands to the outsides of her thighs and give her a squeeze. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
She pulls in a breath. “I’m worried. I know we talked about this, but not this.”
“Baby,” I say firmly. “Quit talking in circles.”
“Your swimmers?” her voice dips. “They’re strong, just like you.”
My body turns to stone and I can hardly hear my own voice. “What?”
“And accurate,” she adds.
“Are you…” I go on but can’t finish.
Her voice drops even lower. “They must really like me.”
I can’t help but stare.
“Cam?” she calls for me on a breath.
Holy shit. She’s pregnant?
“Please,” she keeps on, quietly. “Say something.”
Paige
Dammit, he hasn’t said anything and he looks upset. I know this wasn’t planned, it’s not like I’m not surprised, as well. But he needs to say something.
I’d know even if I hadn’t taken the test. I’m never late and I’m going on almost three weeks late. Not to mention I’m tired and don’t feel like myself. The test was just a confirmation of what I knew the moment I did the math. And the test, which says can take up to five minutes, confirmed what I knew in record time, giving me a plus sign, big and bright.
He drops his head a fraction and levels his eyes on me. “You’re pregnant.”
My eyes fill immediately, not able to hold back the tears. “You’re unhappy.”
“You’re pregnant,” he repeats louder this time, his voice strong and deep.
I feel my tears spill and only nod my head.
“You’re having my baby,” he keeps on.
I keep confirming on another teary nod.
His eyes drag over my face and down my body. When he looks back to my eyes, he surges to his feet, but I yelp when he tags me under my arms on his way up.
“Cam!” I barely get my legs around his waist to hang on.
He turns toward the bedroom with a hand on my ass and one on my back, coming down on top of me on the bed.
“Just the other night,” he leans up and before I realize what he’s doing, his fingers are working my jeans, “I came home from seeing some sick shit, only to find you in bed asleep with the kids. Nothing but that could’ve made me feel better at that moment. And I thought to myself, I can’t wait to fill the bed with more of them.”
He yanks my jeans down, jerking my body, and taking my panties with them. I only have eyes for him when I ask, “You’re not upset?”
He spreads my legs before his hand comes between them, softly brushing against me. But he doesn’t keep at me, his hand travels up, hitting my clit on the way, before he splays his hand on my lower tummy.
He looks deep into my eyes and says softly, “No.”
Then he leans down and kisses my tummy where our baby is growing.
And that makes my tears flow with relief.
He comes up to my face, but his fingers go back between my legs. “Stop crying.”
I ignore him. “You’re happy.”
“Yeah,” he says. “My baby’s growing inside you. I’m happy.”
I finally smile and put my arms around his neck to pull him close. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t be happy.”
“I don’t ever want you to be afraid,” he whispers as he keeps playing with me. His goatee grins. “Now, are you ready to celebrate? We don’t have a lot of time—the kids are outside.”
I nod as he kisses me.
And in what has become our bed, he makes love to me and we celebrate our baby without anything between us. After all, he’s already knocked me up.
“What are they all doing here?” I panic.
“Guys.” Cam turns to the kids in the back of the car where he just pulled up outside my parents’ house. “Run on in, we’ll be there in a second. Looks like there might be other kids here to hang out with.”
The kids climb out of the back, but I can’t stop taking in all the cars lining the drive and street. Over the last twenty-four hours, Cam has calmed my anxieties about events happening out of order. So much so, it’s been a great day—full of happiness and rainbows and sparkles and unicorns. Cam even talked me into telling my parents about the baby at dinner tonight, “Sooner rather than later, so we can get on with it. We need to tell the kids.”
And I listened to him. I even bought into it being the best idea ever. How could it not be with all the unicorns magically dancing around me, full of glee?
But now we’re here and reality has squashed my unicorns, dead to the ground, taking the sparkly rainbows with them. Because everyone is here and no one is supposed to be here but us. No one!
“You’re freaking out,” Cam notices.
“My sisters are here, Cam. Along with Tony and Leigh. And Jude and Gabby. Seriously, everyone’s here! What�
��s wrong with my mother?” My yelling voice bounces around the car.
“Calm down,” he bosses.
“I’m not going in. Take me home,” I demand.
“Baby, calm down,” he repeats.
“Stop telling me to calm down,” I snap looking away from the street and back to him. “You’ve seen my family. There’s going to be a drama, Cam, especially with my mother. She was upset I moved in with you and now I’m pregnant. Pregnant!” I yell again, as if he forgot. But then realization washes over me and it gets worse. “Oh shit. I told Charlotte you didn’t use a condom that night. She’s going to know I was knocked up at the Star Wars party. Who gets knocked up at a Star Wars party? Of course,” I throw my arms up in surrender looking back out at the street, “me!”
He sighs. I feel him unhook my seatbelt and reach for my face, forcing me to look at him. He’s fighting back a smile when he asks, “You done?”
I shake my head quickly in his hands. “It’s going to be bad.”
“It’s not going to be bad,” he disagrees.
“Yes, it is.”
He lets go of my face and leans back, digging in his jeans pocket. When he settles back in his seat, he doesn’t look at me, but reaches for my left hand and I look down at what he’s doing. I feel my mouth drop as I see a single diamond sitting at the base of my left ring finger. It’s simple, a square solitaire, sitting high on a delicate white gold band. I don’t even know the official name of a square diamond—I’ll have to figure that out later. It’s not huge, but it is larger than small. What it is is perfect.
“What’s this?” I whisper, not looking away from my hand that he’s still holding in his.
“Baby,” he says, I feel his hand come to my chin and lift it for me to look at him. “You go in there tonight and tell your family we’re getting married. You want to tell them about the baby tonight or wait to tell them, I don’t care. But if it’s not tonight, it needs to be soon. It’s good news to me and it will be to them, too. They’ll be surprised but they love you. In the end, they’ll be happy. Do what you want, but one thing’s for certain, we’re getting on with it and we’re starting with this.” He gives my hand a squeeze.
