by E. L. Todd
Trinity was silent as we finished the rest of our grocery shopping. She stuck to the list and threw everything inside. Whenever I tried to put my arm around her waist or touch her, she quickly maneuvered away. The last item she threw in the cart was pregnancy sticks—and five of them. She constantly checked to see if she was pregnant almost on a daily basis. I tried to reason with her but it didn’t change anything.
We arrived at the check out counter and threw everything on the conveyor belt. When she emptied most of the cart, she saw the Nerf gun at the bottom. Then she turned her frosty eyes on me.
“What?” I asked innocently.
“Are you five?”
“What? It’s cool.”
She read the box. “Why do you need to shoot balls at seventy miles an hour?”
“Because…” I wasn’t even going to finish that sentence.
“I better not be a target.”
“Like I’d ever shoot my lady.”
She sighed then set the gun on the conveyor belt.
“Yes.” I fist-pumped the air.
“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes.
After we finished getting the groceries, we carried everything home. I carried most of it but I only had so many hands. I took all the heavy stuff like the milk, cream, and beer.
We put everything away when we got home, and Trinity immediately went for the pregnancy sticks.
I snatched the bag away. “Okay, you need to stop. These things aren’t cheap. They’re like fifteen bucks a pop and you buy them every week. Cigarettes would be a cheaper addiction.”
“And that gun was a dollar?” she snapped. “And what about all the beer you buy? That’s not cheap.”
She had me there.
She snatched the bag away. “Now excuse me, I need to pee.”
I grabbed the bag again. “What did we talk about, baby? You said you wouldn’t be so obsessive over this. You’re putting a lot of pressure on me and yourself.”
She bit her bottom lip as she considered my words.
“It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen. Give it a rest.” I tossed the plastic bag in a drawer. “Okay?”
She sighed like I just asked her to never eat again. “We’ve been trying for a while and it should have happened by now.”
“It’s only been a few months. You can’t rush these things.”
“I think we should see a specialist.”
“I really don’t think that’s necessary. You need to just calm down.”
“Skye is already four and a half months along.”
I held up my hands to keep her calm. “Baby, I know. The second you stop thinking about it, it’ll happen. I know it may not seem like it but you’re putting your body through a lot being so stressed out all the time. You need to relax. Instead of having sex just to get pregnant, let’s do it for us. You know, the way we used to.” I put my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. “What do you say to that?”
She looked down at the floor.
“Come on, baby. Look at me.”
She reluctantly met my gaze.
“Will you calm down now?”
She finally nodded.
“Good.” I kissed her forehead. “Because you were starting to drive me crazy.”
“Well, you always drive me crazy.” She moved from my embrace then grabbed the gun from the ground. “And you’re lucky I’m not mean enough to shoot you.”
“Whoa.” I raised both hands. “I surrender.”
She lowered the gun. “I’ll let you off—this time.”
Seeing her hold that gun was kind of hot. “Let’s bring that into the bedroom…”
She narrowed her eyes but an amused smirk was on her lips. “You want me to hold you at gunpoint and take you hostage?”
“And make me do things against my will…” I got turned on just from the short amount of role-playing.
She pointed the gun at me again.
“Oh no…it looks like I’m at your mercy.”
“Yep.”
***
I reached the floor then walked past some girl’s desk.
“Excuse me?” she asked. “Do you have an appointment?”
I held the plastic toy gun over my shoulder. “So to speak.” I opened the door.
“Wait, you can’t go in there—”
I shut the door and entered Cayson’s office.
He was on the phone and talking quietly. His eyes narrowed on me when he saw the toy I brought along.
I pointed it at him as I came closer. “Don’t piss me off today.”
He finished his conversation then hung up. “What the hell is that?”
“A Nerf gun.” I fired it at his window. It made a loud sound then bounced off.
“Whoa…” Cayson seemed impressed.
The woman opened the door. “I’m sorry, Mr. Thompson. I told him to leave and—”
“It’s okay,” Cayson said. “He’s fine.”
I turned around and pointed the gun at her.
She immediately left the office and shut the door.
I turned back to Cayson. “I got it yesterday. Snuck it into the cart.”
“It was nice of Trinity to let you keep it.”
“We fooled around with it last night.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“You know, roleplaying. She was pretending to be—”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Well, I just thought I should—”
“Keep it to yourself.” He leaned back in his chair and sighed.
I took a look around. “Your office is just as nice as Trinity’s.”
“Does she have a private bathroom?” He nodded to the left.
“No!” I eyed the door. “You totally beat her.”
He chuckled. “It’s not a contest.”
“Not a close one…”
“So, what’s up?” he asked.
I handed the gun over so he could play with it. He made a few shots and hit the bookshelves against the wall. “Just thought I’d swing by for lunch.”
“Not hungry.” That usual look of melancholy was on his face.
I wish I could cheer him up.
“Anything new?” He knew what I was asking.
“We had dinner with our parents the other night…that backfired.”
“Why the hell did you go out to dinner with them?” I demanded.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
I pointed at the gun. “Did they point that at your head and make you?”
He sighed and rubbed his temple. “They wanted to take me out to celebrate my promotion. I wasn’t at Conrad’s announcement so we couldn’t blow off two things in a row.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“And I did something stupid…”
“What?” I asked.
“I kissed her. I did it in front of her parents so he couldn’t push me away.”
I nodded in approval. “Nice.”
“She threw a hissy fit later. It bit me in the ass.”
I wanted to strangle Skye right now. “She hasn’t come around at all?”
“No. I’ve told her a million times what really happened but she won’t believe me…”
“Did you decorate the baby’s room?”
“How did you know that?”
I didn’t want to tell him I convinced Skye to bring him along. “Trinity.”
“Oh…yeah. We painted it blue. Now that the paint is dry we’ll do everything else.”
“Well, that’s something to be grateful for, right?” I asked. “She’s not cutting you out of the baby’s life.”
“It’s a blessing…” It sounded like he wanted a lot more.
“Maybe I should have Silke kick her ass.”
“She would never do that.”
“She might,” I said. “She is my sister.”
“And Skye is pregnant.” He gave me that look that told me it was a stupid idea.
“I’m really sick of this,” I said.
&nbs
p; “How do you think I feel?”
I couldn’t imagine. “Give her more time. If she’s still keeping everything a secret then you have nothing to worry about.”
“Maybe…”
“And I know one safeguard way to make her get over it.”
“What do you mean?” Cayson asked with a raised eyebrow.
“You know, one for sure way to get her to come back to you.”
He stiffened in his chair. “If you know something why didn’t you tell me a long time ago?”
I shrugged. “It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“What is it?” he demanded.
“Sex.”
Now he was more confused. “What?”
“You need to get her into the sack. When she sleeps with you, it’ll fix everything. I’m telling you it works. It doesn’t matter how pissed off Trinity is, whenever we make love it’s like nothing happened.”
Cayson sighed in disappointment. “That’s not going to work.”
“Why?” I asked. “Lost your mojo?”
“No…but she hates me. I can’t even get her to kiss me.”
“Think of something,” he said. “Get her drunk.”
He gave me an irritated look. “Get her drunk?”
“Yeah.” Did he not hear me?
“Skye? My pregnant wife?”
“Who else would we be talking about…?”
Cayson rubbed his temple in irritation. “Pregnant women can’t have alcohol.”
“Oh…” I forgot about that part.
“Well, you could do it in the middle of the night while she’s sleeping.”
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “You’re telling me to rape her?”
“No, not rape. When she wakes up she’ll be so into it that she won’t stop it.”
Cayson closed his eyes. “You’re the worst person to get advice from.”
“Look, I just gave you great advice. It’s not my fault you can’t close the deal.”
Cayson shot me right in the forehead.
“Ouch.” I rubbed the skin. “Damn, that did hurt.”
“What?” Cayson asked. “The ball or your brain?”
“I get you’re going through a hard time but don’t pick on the one person who actually believes you.”
He lowered the gun in defeat.
That letter was so incriminating, and Trinity and Skye were so livid over it that I felt the doubt creep into my heart. “Nothing else happened, right…?”
Instead of giving me an angry look, Cayson gave me the grimmest expression I’ve ever seen. His face was pale and death hovered in his eyes. He released a breath like it was his last. “No.” His voice was so quiet it barely came out. “And now you don’t believe me either.”
“Of course I do,” I said quickly. “I just—”
“Wanted to make sure.” He stared at the bookcases against the wall. “Yeah, I get it.”
“Cayson, I know you didn’t do it. Trinity just seems so convinced that you did.”
“I read the letter, Slade. I know how it makes me look.” He bowed his head in shame.
“I’m sorry. I’ve never felt so bad for another person before.”
His eyes turned to me, and the gratitude was deep within.
“I know everything will work out,” I said. “But I don’t think it’s going to happen overnight.”
“I hope you’re right…”
“I know how much Skye loves you. If she didn’t, she would have done about this in a completely different way. She needs you too much to walk away. Even if she thinks you really did it, she’ll forgive you. You aren’t that kind of guy and it was just a one-time thing. And you got a kiddo on the way…”
“I’d rather her just believe that I didn’t do it instead of taking that path…”
“She’ll come around, man. Just have faith. You guys always say you’re meant to be together. Even if it’s pitch black, you’ll feel for each other in the dark.”
“Yeah…hopefully.”
***
Mike stopped by the shop just before closing. He wore a gray suit with a black tie, looking like a member of the CIA. He approached the counter then rested his right hand on the surface, his watch shining under the florescent lights. “Almost off work?”
“Yep. Well, I get off work whenever I want.”
“That’s not what your dad tells me.”
“That old man is crazy,” I said with a wave. “Don’t listen to him.”
Mike chuckled. “I agree with the second part, not the first.”
“So, what’s up?”
“You want to box?”
“Is that your discreet way of trying to kick my ass?”
He smirked. “Nope. Just wanted to see what you got.”
“Sure.” I pulled out my phone. “Just let me text my lady and tell her I’m going to be late.”
“You can call her Trinity,” he said. “I know who she is.”
“But she’s my lady,” I said as I typed the message. “That’s what I’m supposed to call her. Or wife. Whatever.”
Mike didn’t bother arguing with me. “Ready?”
“To kick your ass? I’m ready any day.”
***
We hopped around the ring as we made our jabs left and right. We were both wearing gloves and masks so there wasn’t much blood involved. It was still fun to mess around with my father-in-law. He was pretty sly for an old-timer. But he had a lot more muscle than I ever would even if I hit the gym all day, every day.
We sparred for thirty minutes before we called it quits. We removed our gear and stood shirtless in the ring. “Mike, you should get some ink. Like, right along your ribs or something.”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Dude, the wife would love it. Trinity loves mine.” I realized the error I made and cringed at my mistake.
Mike brushed it off. “My wife loves what she’s already got.”
“But it could spice up the marriage.”
“My marriage doesn’t need spicing up.” He handed his gear to the worker.
“What about a grizzly bear or something?” I asked. “With blood dripping from it’s mouth.”
“Okay…my wife would hate that.”
“What?” I asked in surprise. “Why?”
“She loves bears. She thinks they’re cute.”
“Cute?” I asked incredulously. “Does she not know what a bear is…?”
“You know women,” he said. “They think anything with fur is cute.” He stepped out of the ring then returned to the bench where our water bottles were. “So, what’s new with you?”
“Nothing really.” Just drama with Cayson and Skye.
“Nothing at all?” he asked. “Spending a lot of time with Cayson?”
That was an odd question—a really odd question. “About the same as I normally do. He’s usually busy with Skye and then I’m busy trying to knock Trinity up—”
Mike dropped his bottle. “What did you say?”
Shit, I needed to watch my words around him. Sometimes I said the most inappropriate things about his daughter. I needed a filter—a super filter. “Sorry…I don’t think before I speak.”
“No…you’re trying to have a baby?” His eyes were wide and his shoulders were tense.
Fuck, I wasn’t supposed to say anything. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to slip out.”
“So, it’s true?”
“Yeah…please don’t tell Trinity I told you. She didn’t want to say anything until it was official.”
Mike broke out in a smile I hardly saw. “Wow…that’s great.” The gentle side of him came out, the part I only saw through Trinity’s memories. She said her dad was sweet and sensitive. I didn’t believe her until now. “I’m going to be a grandpa.” He took a deep breath like he couldn’t hold in everything he was feeling.
“Well…it hasn’t happened yet. We’re still trying to make it happen.”
He sighed again, like he was lost in his own world. “My son
is getting married and now my daughter is having a baby…”
“Like I said, we’re still in the conception stage. And Conrad isn’t getting married…he’s getting engaged.” I hated to be the voice of reason but Mike was floating too high on his cloud.
“I’m so happy for both of my kids.”
“Remember, you aren’t supposed to say anything,” I reminded him. “You can’t tell Cassandra.”
Disappointment filled his eyes. “Come on, she’s my wife.”
“No, I wasn’t supposed to tell you at all.”
“Fine,” he said with an irritated growl. “The wait better not be long.”
“Working on that…”
His eyes drifted away as he continued to daydream about his future grandkids.
I felt like I was talking to a whole new person. He was always so rough around the edges and harsh. I guess every giant had a heart underneath all the muscle and fangs. “Since Cayson and Skye are having a baby, we wanted them to be the same age. It was important to Trinity that our kids grow up together just the way she and Skye did.”
“That’s a great idea,” Mike said. “Your kids will always have someone to play with. And there’s Ward Jr.”
“Yeah, he’ll be the old man of the group.” I felt like I was having tea with a girlfriend or something.
Mike finished his water then wiped the sweat from his forehead. “So, Skye and Cayson are still excited about the baby?”
What kind of question was that? “Yeah…why wouldn’t they be?”
“Just curious,” he said with a shrug. “They aren’t sick of each other yet? They’ve been stuck like glue since he came home.”
I’ve been stuck to Trinity since the day I fell in love with her. But no one asked me that. This conversation was odd on so many levels. I wasn’t even sure what we were talking about. It felt like a discreet interrogation.
Then it hit me.
They were onto Cayson and Skye. Mike and Sean knew something was wrong. Obviously, Skye hadn’t said anything but they must have heard something somewhere else.
Oh shit.
“They’re stupid and in love like always. Nothing has changed. Whenever they come over they’re always making out on the couch. So gross.”
Mike hung onto every word I said.
“We know they’re in love but do they need to show it all the time?” I asked sarcastically. “And Trinity wants to do baby stuff with Skye, but Skye is always so busy with Cayson that they don’t see each other a whole lot. That works for me because I don’t like to share Trinity with anyone.”