MAYBE BABY

by ANDREA SMITH

  “No he didn’t. We know that now, sweetie,” he said gently. “The hospital did tests and you weren’t sexually assaulted.”

  Well, I wouldn’t say that, but I knew what Trey meant. Charlie had not raped me with his penis.

  “When you got to the hospital, I stayed here with you throughout the time you were in the ER until you got to this room. Mark stayed at your cottage until the sheriff’s deputies arrived. Charlie was arrested and he’s in jail now, where he belongs. Mark had to go to the sheriff’s station and give a full report. Obviously it had to have been Charlie that was the one leaving those things at your cottage. We don’t know why.”

  I knew that I could fill some of those details in, certainly not all of them, at least not yet. Trey still had hold of my hand. His fingers brushed lightly against my thumb. He wasn’t looking at me.

  “Tylar, the initial tests the hospital ran on you to determine if Charlie had raped you, well I know your secret now.”

  What the hell was he talking about, my secret? My secret what? I looked over at him; he still was looking down at our hands that were interlocked.

  “It appears as if Mark doesn’t know. Do you plan on telling him or have you decided to terminate the pregnancy? I know that it is none of my business, but you are seven weeks along, Tylar. You need to make a decision one way or another, don’t you think?”

  Pregnancy? (Oh my God!)

  I had suspected something was wrong with me, but I hadn’t figured pregnancy into the equation. My periods were late sometimes; I had been under tremendous stress recently. There was just the one time that we hadn’t used a condom. It was that night in the stable; that magical night that had suddenly turned ugly and humiliating, at least for me.

  (Wait a minute…)

  Trey believed I was pregnant by Mark? How could he possibly think that? Logic would dictate that even if I had slept with Mark (which of course I hadn’t) the timing would still be suspect as to which of them had fathered the child I was carrying.

  Was it possible that Trey had no recollection of the night in the stable; the night our baby was conceived? I took this opportunity to study his face for some recognition that he remembered that night. He was clueless.

  Oh my God! It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic I thought. I didn’t know whether to be ecstatic or furious. I was insulted at the very least to think Trey thought I would have hopped into bed with another man so quickly after waiting twenty-one years to part with my virginity. Perhaps he thought he had created a monster; one of the ‘horny’ variety. He was watching me now; his blue eyes looked almost pained. What gave him such pain, I wondered?

  Was it the fact he thought I was carrying another man’s child? Was it simply the thought that I had fucked someone else? I liked that he felt pain right now. I wanted him to feel it. I had felt it that last night we were together; the night his drunken mind had forgotten.

  It gave me pleasure to see him hurting right this minute. I wondered how many times he had fucked Charlotte. The thought of that made me want to hurt him all that much more.

  “There was never a decision to be made,” I whispered. “Of course I intend to have this baby.”

  I crushed him with those words, I could tell. I didn’t see Trey as having an opinion one way or the other as to a woman’s choice when it came to the subject of abortion.

  He had probably never had any reason to be concerned about that volatile topic. But when the issue was about me making that decision for myself, it certainly appeared as though he had an opinion, and he wasn’t happy with the choice that I had made. He looked defeated. Good; I wanted him to feel that way.

  “I take it that you haven’t told Mark yet, otherwise I would find it difficult to believe he would allow you to continue riding?”

  I didn’t answer him. I really didn’t know what to say.

  “Well Tylar, how you choose to handle this situation with Mark, clearly is your business. However, now that I am privy to it I will tell you that you can no longer ride the horses, nor can I permit you to care for them. There is a liability issue at stake here.”

  (Of course, Mr. Sinclair.)

  That would be his primary concern I thought. Trey stood up, preparing to take leave of me. Part of me wanted to blurt the truth out to him, but the other part of me, the stubborn part remained silent.

  “As soon as you’re well enough, there will be some detectives paying you a visit, Tylar. They will have some questions for you as to what exactly you recall from that night. They have also collected evidence at your cottage."

  "Hopefully, we can get to the bottom of this and find out exactly what Charlie’s motivation was in attacking you, and if there are others behind it as well.”

  I was certain that there was at least one other person behind it. I hoped those detectives were grilling Charlie good right about now. I needed some answers, too.

  “Take care, get some rest, Tylar.”

  I nodded, watching him walk from the room. I wanted to cry, but tears would not come for some reason. Perhaps my tear ducts had been damaged when Charlie slammed his fist into my face.

  I moved my hand to my abdomen and rested it there. It was still flat and taut, but I knew within the confines of my womb, part of Trey was growing within me. I was hoping that it was the best part. I was comforted in knowing that the life growing inside my belly was his gift to me. No matter what transpired with Trey and Charlotte, or Trey and anyone else down the road, I knew that I had the best of his love inside of me.

  I had plans to make in the next few days. I was fairly certain as to where I would go. It was time to go home. I had my house in Radcliff to return to whenever I wanted. For some reason, it no longer represented anything that I didn’t want to face. It was mine. I could live there; or I could sell it and get something smaller, a condo maybe. I had options for the first time in my life it seemed. I was content with that. I drifted off to sleep with my hand still resting on my flat belly thinking of Trey.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  I was released two days later from the hospital with restrictions that I needed complete bed rest for the next several days. My pregnancy was not at risk; my attending physician had assured me of that.

  True to Trey’s word, a couple of detectives had come to the hospital to take my statement of what had occurred the night Charlie attacked me. I told them only what had occurred that night. I didn’t tell them that Charlie and I had a prior affiliation when I was thirteen; as far as I knew, Trey had not put that together yet either. I didn’t want to delay my departure by having to stick around Bristol. I had plans made and was anxious to be out of here.

  Denise had picked me up from the hospital. She offered to let me stay with her and Ray, but I really didn’t want to impose. I would be fine back at my cottage. Denise had cleaned up the aftermath of the assault as well as the investigation where they had dusted for fingerprints in several areas of the cottage. She had seen to it that my bed had clean sheets and blankets on it. My front window had been repaired with a new screen. Everything was in order.

  “Who’s going to take care of you there?” she asked.

  “Denise, I will be fine. I will rest like I’m supposed to but it’s not like I’m an invalid.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant, Tylar?” So much for Trey keeping ‘my secret’ I thought to myself.

  “Because I didn’t know that I was, Denise; and I swear to God, that is between you and me, do you understand?”

  She nodded silently; I could see her mind working; the wheels were turning.

  “Is Mark the father?” she asked.

  I was not going to confirm or deny anything to Denise. Her allegiance to Ray was much stronger than any allegiance she might have to me.

  Ray’s allegiance was to Trey, period. I ignored her question altogether. She walked me to my cottage. As soon as I climbed up onto the porch, the front door opened.

  “What kind of a mess did you get yourself into this ti
me, girlfriend?”

  “Oh my God - Gina!”

  We hugged each other like long lost friends which is exactly what it felt like.

  “I’m here for the week,” she announced. “And I will be staying right here with you to make sure you follow the doctor’s orders, understand?”

  “That is fantastic,” I replied.

  Denise brought my overnight case in, setting it down on the coffee table. It was obvious that she and Gina had talked previous to her bringing me back here. Denise was a good friend. I wanted to share everything with her, but I couldn’t right now because I knew that she would be compelled to let Ray know. Gina on the other hand was a different story.

  Gina was showing Denise that she had stocked my small fridge with healthy fruits, juices, dairy and veggies. She had stocked my cupboards with cereal, granola bars, macaroni and cheese, and assorted soups and crackers. Denise seemed satisfied that Gina would see to my health and recovery. She gave me a quick hug, telling me she would check on me in a couple. I thanked Denise for all that she had done for me, once again.

  After she left, Gina ordered me to lie down on the couch. She got a pillow and blanket for me, and I allowed her to help me get comfortable. She asked if I was hungry or thirsty but I wasn’t. I knew that she wanted to talk, and I was ready now.

  I filled Gina in on what had happened the night when Charlie assaulted me; I let her know that Charlie was the one who had left the jewelry in the blue velvet boxes, the ripped up silk pajamas, the notes and most likely the one that had taken the picture of Mark and me kissing and sent it to Trey.

  She hadn’t been aware of that incident until now.

  I told Gina everything about what happened when I was thirteen; that Charlie had been one of my mom’s ‘boyfriends’ and what he had done to me back then. I hadn’t recognized him because it had been dark in my room that night; it was also eight years later. I told Gina that somehow there still had to be some connection between Charlie and my mom. Trey and I had established with the records we were able to get from Mr. Sneed that someone here had aided my mom in getting my trust account emptied.

  Gina questioned me as to why I hadn’t told the detectives everything that I was telling her. I really didn’t know why, and I told her just that. I said that part of me just wanted it to end with his arrest for assaulting me and be done with it. As long as he was locked up and stayed locked up that was all that I cared about. She wasn’t comfortable with that I could tell.

  I was finishing up my revelations to her, there was just one more. I wasn’t sure how much had already been divulged to Gina prior to her arrival. I didn’t know how much her Aunt Becky even knew. I would know with this next one by her expression.

  “Gina, I’m almost two months pregnant,” I said very matter-of-factly.

  “Oh My God,” she screamed, grabbing me and hugging me closely.

  I guess she hadn’t been told this already. Perhaps everyone and their brother didn’t know my business yet.

  “That is so fucking fantastic, Ty. You know your baby is gonna be beautiful, don’t you? I mean look at you, look at Trey? I can think of only one other couple who might have a baby that comes close.”

  “Let me guess,” I laughed, “Ian and Gina?”

  “You got it girlfriend!”

  “Gina, there’s just one thing you need to know. Trey doesn’t know he’s the father?”

  “What the fuck do you mean he doesn’t know?”

  I knew she was going to go all east coast on me with that last revelation. I explained to her in as much detail as I was comfortable with what had transpired the night in the stable when I conceived.

  “You mean to fucking tell me he doesn’t remember that you and he, you know, made love?”

  “He was pretty wasted that night Gina. He had an almost empty bottle of Jack Daniels when I found him. I think he fucked me during a black out, is that possible?”

  “Hell, girlfriend, Ian claims some of the best sex he gets from me is when I’m passed out, so who knows. I think anything’s possible with Jack.”

  “Aren’t you going to tell him, Ty?”

  “I don’t think so, Gina. You have to promise to keep this our secret, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure, but who does he think the father is?”

  “Mark.”

  “Holy shit. If you leave like you’re planning how do you think he’s going to treat Mark? I mean, I know Trey is a jealous maniac, but come on, if he thinks Mark is not standing by you in your time of need, don’t you think Trey is going to make him pretty miserable?”

  “I haven’t figured that part out yet, Gina. It may not even be a problem. With Trey’s parents back from Europe, I have a feeling that he’s going back to Atlanta for good. He may not be back until next summer. I’m told that is pretty much his routine. Besides, Mark planned on moving on after the fall competition.”

  Gina got up and went to the kitchenette to make lunch for us. She was making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. She said we could both use some comfort food. While she did that, I looked over my finances. I tallied up

  what I had in my savings account. With my share of the purse I received in the last two competitions I had $10,500. I had deposited the check I received from Mr. Sneed for $10,000 so I had a total of $20,500 in my savings account.

  My checking account had a balance of $2276. That was certainly enough to start out on back in Radcliff. The important thing would be to find some sort of a job before I started showing. Obtaining employment while being noticeably pregnant was likely very tricky.

  Over lunch, I discussed my plans with Gina. She wanted me to come back to Atlanta with her to stay.

  “Gina, that’s not possible but I love that you want me there.”

  “How will we ever see each other?” she wailed.

  “We will make it a priority to see each other. After all, you are going to be a god-mother.”

  “Really, Ty?”

  I could tell that she was delighted at the prospect.

  “I’m going to need your help with this, Gina.”

  “Name it,” she said.

  “Over the next few days while you’re here, I need you to kind of nose around, okay? I need to know when Trey returns to Atlanta. For all I know, he may have already returned.”

  “Okay, what then?”

  “When we know he’s not up at the manor, I need you to take my car keys and get my car out of the fourth garage up at the manor. I’ll give you the code.”

  “Whoa, hold up there sister, why me?”

  “Because, I have never met Trey’s parents. If they see me up around there they are likely to think I’m stealing it. They know you, however.”

  “Yeah, but just because they know me how would I explain taking a car that is not mine out of their garage?”

  “You can tell them it’s mine that you’re a friend of mine and Trey was letting me park the car there temporarily and I'm letting you borrow it while you're in town. Once

  you have the car, come pick me up and we will take it to a dealership.”

  “A dealership, for what?”

  “I’m going to trade it in for something more practical.”

  “Oh fuck, Trey will kill you.”

  “Hey, it’s my car. It was his gift to me to do with what I please, right?”

  “You know you’re going to lose your ass on it if you don’t sell it outright, don’t you?”

  “I don’t have that kind of time, Gina.”

  “Whatever. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of it.”

  The following day was Friday. Gina went down to the office to chat with her Aunt Becky and promised to nose around and see what she could find out. I made her take my keys just in case the window of opportunity was open. I had my cell phone plugged into the outlet near the breakfast bar when it rang. I checked the caller i.d. and it was Gina.

  “Yeah, what you got?”

  “Oh dear God, girlfriend, who are we Cagney and Lacey?”

&
nbsp; “Who?” I asked.

  “Never mind. Jeez, anyway, Trey is back in Atlanta and I have your car out here next to the stables, come on down.”

  I grabbed my purse and placed the title to the car in it. Trey had given the title to me a couple of days after my birthday. I headed down to the stables. I walked around the outside. I was not stepping foot in there for several reasons. Gina was in the driver’s seat with the car running as I came around the stable. I got in the car and fastened my seat belt.

  “Where to?” she asked.

  “Bristol, to the car dealership on Volunteer Parkway.”

  An hour and a half later, I was driving my new Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Edition down the highway towards the manor.

  Gina was in the passenger seat, ‘tsking’ away at me.

  “You realize that the deal you just made cost you around $19,000 don’t you?”

  “It didn’t cost me a dime,” I answered her. “I’ve got this nice new SUV with all the trimming, and a check for $10,000 made out to me. I’m happy with the deal.”

  “You traded that nearly brand new car in for $19,000 less than its current book value. You do realize that, don’t you?”

  “Gina, it wasn’t practical. I need a car suitable for me and the baby. I need something that I can cart me and my stuff back up to Radcliff in that won’t cost me a fortune to insure and maintain.”

  “I just don’t know what the hurry is,” she replied... You could have sold the car in a couple of days by asking maybe just $5000 under book value and had another $14,000 to the good.”

  “I can’t focus on that right now. We still have lots to do.”

  “Like what?” she asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

  “Well, like helping me pack my stuff up; going to the bank to get my money out of my savings. I mean it doesn’t make sense to bank in Bristol, Virginia when I’m living in Radcliff, Kentucky does it? I need to go to the post office and put a change of address in; call the utilities back home and have them transferred into my name, get insurance on this car. I need your help with this stuff.”

  By the end of the day, my change of address was put through, my bank accounts emptied by means of a cashier’s check, I had my new car insured through a local agency in Louisville, the utilities at the house in Radcliff were in my name and I had contacted the Washington County prosecutor’s office to let them know I was leaving the area, and provided my new address. They already had my cell phone number. Charlie had already been arraigned and pled ‘not guilty,’ he had a public defender assigned to him, so the trial date was several months off.