by Dawn Martens
“You have a lot of nerve. My daughter and I will never make Vinny do anything he doesn’t want to do or be a part of,” I growl at her. “Get out of my house!” I shout.
“I won’t leave until I know for sure you won’t sink your claws into my son and his money.”
“Money? What are you talking about?”
“Forget I said anything,” she says, lifting up her chin. She digs through her purse, pulling out an envelope. “Here. Once that child’s born, you see to it that he signs those, because it will be over my dead body that I see him shacked up with you again.”
I take the folder from her and pull out papers from inside it—Parental Termination papers.
I grind my teeth together, and I am about to lash out, but then I seriously think about what she has said. Vinny doesn’t seem to want anything to do with me. Maybe this would actually be a good thing. “Yeah, now you can leave,” I say finally.
I hear the front door open and shut, and her car takes off minutes later as I’m walking to my living room. I put the papers in the drawer of my side table, then fall to my couch, crying. Later, I find the food Vinny was cooking for me on the counter, and I throw it in the trash. He doesn’t get to just show up unannounced, looking cute and thinking he can be nice to me. It hurts too fuckin bad.
I’m at the hotel I rented when I left Lilly a few months ago. In the back of my head, I keep thinking that maybe one day we can be together again, so I didn’t want to get into a lease or buy a place. This place isn’t anything fancy, but it suits me just fine for now. At least, it’ll work until I figure out what in the fuck I’m doing. Part of me think I never should have given up my house, it could have been my back up plan, but I never thought this shit would happen.
I’m lying on the bed, flipping through the channels, when a knock comes at my door.
Flinging it open, I come face to face with my mother.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her. She is one of the last people I expected to see. She has a lot of nerve showing up here.
“Well, that isn’t any way to speak to me,” she says, pushing me aside to come in. “I just saw Lilly.”
“Yeah, and let me guess- you were a bitch to her,” I throw out. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her. She has always hated Lilly.
“Don’t you speak to me like that! That little bitch is nothing but trouble. I won’t see her trap you,” she says.
“Fuck you, Mom! I love her, and you know, after what I’ve done with my life, I probably won’t ever get her back because I’m a fuck up!” I shout.
Her eyes narrow. “What did you do?” she questions.
“Kayla is pregnant too,” I say quietly. Fuck, I feel so ashamed.
“That slut you were seeing in high school?”
“What is with you and calling the women I’ve been with bad names? It’s like you never want me with anyone.”
“Yeah, well, no one is good enough for my baby. At least Bryce has the good graces to date a rich woman.” Mom sniffs. She picks at the lint on her sweater and looks around my small room, wrinkling her nose with distaste.
“Get out. Try to take Lilly and I to court for grandparental rights, and I swear to God, I’ll bring up every fucking thing I can to make sure you never see those kids,” I threaten. Getting angrier, my fists curl up into balls at my sides.
“Oh, please, like I would want to have a relationship with my bastard of a granddaughter, and this other one you are having with the other girl.” She smiles wickedly, almost laughing. She is taunting me.
“Daughter?” I ask, taking her bait.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” She laughs. She throws her hand up over her heart, clearly amused.
No, I didn’t know, because I missed the fucking ultrasound.
“Get out! I swear to God, get the fuck out! We’re done. You aren’t my fuckin’ mother! Get out!” I roar at her. She leaves quickly, and I start to pace. I can’t get Lilly off my mind. The urge to do something, anything for her right now, is clawing at me.
I end up driving back to Lilly’s place, wanting to make this right somehow. I fucking miss her! Heading in the house, I see her laid up on the couch, resting. I want to go over to her, to touch her—something. Why is this so hard? We used to love each other more than anything, but then shit got fucked.
Everything is such a damn mess. I don’t know how to fix it. No one knows, except me and Kayla, about everything that’s going on.
Standing there watching her rest, I realize that she didn’t lock the front door. I shake my head and move quietly into the kitchen. Realizing she threw out the food I made her earlier, I sigh and start making more. Memories flood me as I finish up in the kitchen, scooping out a big bowl of soup for Lilly to eat. The first time I kissed her sweet lips is playing on a loop in my mind. I wish we could go back to things being simple. I shake off the past, knowing there is no going back—I can only move forward.
“Hey, I made you some vegetable soup,” I tell her, walking out with the bowl in my hand, noticing she is now sitting on up on couch and looks surprised to see me back here.
She sits up on the couch, putting the TV remote on her coffee table. “Thanks,” she says quietly without looking at me.
Handing her over the bowl, I sit down beside her. Just being here right now feels good, even if I can’t fully have her. I feel like I should be doing more, but I don’t want to press her too hard.
The ringing of my cell doesn’t wake me up, but the whore next to me does. “Get your phone. It’s annoying,” she says sleepily from beside me and rolls over.
Snatching it, I open it up and hit the screen to accept the call. “Yeah,” I croak hoarsely, getting up from the bed as the mattress squeaks.
“Things aren’t moving along as fast as we want. Need to start with more stakeouts. See where we can get the guys where it hurts the most.”
“I know. After Bruce’s death, I backed off a bit. Angel was already snooping around, saying someone is messing with the club,” I tell him.
“Good!” he booms. “That’s what we wanted! Now, stop pussy footing the fuck around and get shit done,” he says before hanging up.
Fuck, guess it’s time to step this shit up.
“You,” I say, nudging the whore roughly in the shoulder. “Get the fuck out. I’ve got shit to do.” She moans but does as I demand.
I grab my cut off the back of my doorknob, shrug it on, and step into my riding boots.
After finishing up the soup Vinny made me, I place the bowl on the coffee table. “Thanks, that was good,” I say, sitting back into my comfy spot on the couch. I feel stupid for throwing out the first batch he made me, but when he came out of the kitchen with a new batch of soup, I was starving so I accepted it. I remember this Vinny, the one that’s thoughtful and takes care of me. It is almost like old times. He settles in close beside of me, and it’s almost more than I can bear, having him this close to me. I love him so damn much. Why does this have to be so hard? I look over at my bare finger, missing the ring that once took up a permanent residence on my ring finger.
“Oh, I found a lighter of yours. I put it in the junk drawer in the kitchen.”
“Cool.” He gets up and takes my bowl with him. He returns a moment later with a glass of milk. “Drink up. Need to make sure you are getting plenty of calcium,” He says oddly. I don’t even want to know how he knows that.
“Vinny, your mom came over earlier after you left. She said something about keeping me away from you and your money. What’s she talking about?” I ask him quietly.
He hangs his head down. “When my dad died, he apparently was from big money, and it all came to me and Bryce when he passed. I haven’t really touched it much, but it’s there.”
“Why did you never tell me?” I say with hurt obvious in my tone.
“It just never came up. Would you have thought any differently about me, had you known I have almost a million in the bank?” he asks.
“Well, no. I just lov
ed you for you. I didn’t care if you were rich or poor,” I say, feeling put out.
“Is the baby moving around?” Vinny asks hopefully, changing the subject.
“Yeah, she is. She must have liked the soup,” I say with a smile.
Without asking, he puts his hand on my stomach to feel the kicks. I hold back the tears that are building up in my eyes. This shouldn’t just be a random thing. This should be something that happens every night while we are lying in bed together.
“How much longer?” he asks me with his hand still on my belly. He feels a flutter, and he smiles so big and proud. I knew he cared.
“Two more weeks,” I say, feeling sad knowing that he’ll only be here with me for a short while.
He quickly moves his hand away, and suddenly, the air in the room changes.
I want to ask him what’s wrong, but Hilary comes walking in with a smile on her face. You’d think I just smacked him or something. I just don’t understand. Things were going well. He seemed so happy to be here with me.
“Man, oh man, I love giving that old timer in town a hard time. Bastard tried saying we could just work together, as partners.” She lets out a loud laugh. “Screw that.”
I hear her kick her shoes off and walk into the living room. “Oh, it’s you,” she says, nodding to Vinny.
“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Vinny says as he gets off the couch. I almost want to ask him to stay, but I won’t beg him.
“Yeah, by the way, let Mason know someone will be stopping by to see him later today,” she says with a smirk.
Vinny, looking confused, says, “Uh, okay?”
Hilary just smiles hugely at him.
“I’ll, uh, talk to you later,” Vinny says, looking at me with this lost expression in his eyes. I know he still loves me somewhere deep inside. This is hurting him too. But how do we fix it?
“Yeah, sure,” I tell him. I don’t know what else more there is to say.
Hilary sits on the couch with a bowl of soup after the front door closes. “Mhhm, this is good,” she says, taking a big spoonful.
“So, I take it you’re getting those divorce papers to Mason?”
“Yup, sure am. He should get them in about an hour, actually,” she says.
“Think he’ll sign them this time?” I ask.
“Doubtful. Not sure what his problem is about that, but I have hope,” she says. “He didn’t sign the ones I sent him when I first left, but, come on- it’s been almost nine years. Let’s get it over with already.”
I leave Lilly’s feeling like shit. Kayla must have gotten pregnant just before Lilly, considering Kayla’s due date is in a few days. I check the time on my cell and realize I need to get to the doctor’s office before I’m late for Kayla’s appointment. She has her appointments set for later in the day so I don’t have to take off. Plus, with them being late appointments, we’re less likely to run into people we know in town.
I know I need to talk to Lilly about this; I just don’t know how.
I get to the doctor’s office and see Kayla sitting in a chair reading a magazine. “Hey, sorry I’m late,” I tell her.
She smiles. “No worries. They’re running behind a little.”
“Kayla,” a nurse calls. She puts her magazine on the table, and we get up and follow. She has Kayla pee in a cup, something about checking the protein in her urine or some shit, and leads us into an exam room. “Dr. Carson will be in soon.”
While we wait, I tell her about my visits with my mom and then Lilly. “Vincent, you need to tell her about this. If she finds out after she has the baby, it could put her into a depression. She could change completely. Trying to get her back after that will be impossible.”
“I know, okay, I know. I just don’t know how to tell her. I think, either way, she’ll hate me,” I tell her.
“But better to tell her now than later. It will hurt more later on. What if someone sees us together and tells her? Think about that.” She gives me a harsh stare, and I shrink away from her. Pregnant women can be scary; they get this twinkle in their eye.
The doctor comes in after she says that, so I don’t get to reply. If someone else tells Lilly before I do, I will kill them. I can’t even imagine her finding out. I’m terrified just thinking about it.
The doctor looks Kayla all over and says the baby is doing great. After Kayla gets up and dresses, I tell her I’ll meet her at the house.
Once at her house, we talk about baby names, but we can’t seem to agree on one. We decided a while ago to keep the sex of the baby a secret. We want to be surprised.
“Do you know what you and Lilly are having?” Kayla asks.
“Yeah, a little girl,” I tell her.
She smiles brightly. “That’s awesome. Good luck with that.” She giggles.
I hear a bike pull into the driveway.
“Oh, Brandon’s here. You can go now. I need some alone time with him,” she says with a wink. I chuckle and leave.
Passing my brother by as I walk, I offer him a head nod. I thought it might be weird with him dating Kayla, since she’s pregnant with my kid and all, but he’s been pretty cool about it all. He hasn’t mentioned it to anyone. He seems to make her happy, and that’s all that matters to me.
After leaving Kayla’s place, I drive to the woods. I just need some alone time. I think back on the time I ended it with Kayla for good, wanting to keep my promise to myself that Lilly and I were done with the petty bullshit.
But now, I have no one. Kayla moved on finally, and Lilly, I just don’t know how to make that shit right.
Hilary decided to go out tonight, considering her phone has been ringing off the hook like crazy. Of course, all the calls and texts are from Mason. Hilary thought it best to not be around, in case he shows up, and I don’t blame her. Mason is flippin’ scary when he’s pissed.
About an hour after she left, Mason sure enough showed up too. When he started shouting at me, saying I was a liar for saying Hilary wasn’t home, I slammed the door shut in his face and locked it. Not even five minutes later, he ended up picking the lock and storming in, searching the house for her.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of the time Vinny did that to me, when I ran from his house after the showdown with his mother.
Snapping out of the memory, I decide to text Vinny. It’s been months since we broke up over Jasper and Eden’s shit. He really can’t still be pissed with me over that. We need to get over this; I miss him. I want him back. As much as he hurt me, I am ready to make us a family—him, me, and this child.
Come over? Wanna talk.
A second later I get a text.
K, be there soon
Smiling, I sit outside on my bottom step and wait for him.
When I get the text from Lilly, I rush from my spot in the woods to go to her. It’s just one night. We’ll put aside all our problems for one night.
I pull into her driveway and see her sitting on the bottom step.
“Hey,” she says quietly.
“Hey, Lilly-pad,” I say warmly.
I pull her up and crash my mouth down against hers. Fuck, I have missed her kisses, her tongue dancing with mine.
Pulling away, she looks at me. “Inside,” she says, sounding out of breath.
I lead her to the bed we used to share, needing nothing more than to get lost inside of her. I don’t waste any time stripping her bare. The sight of Lilly lying on the bed has my dick ready to give her a full salute. The curves her body now has from being pregnant with my child are so beautiful it mother fuckin hurts.
There is an ache inside my chest. I’m hurting for all the pain I have caused her. Taking my cut off, I hang it on the bed post. I kick off my boots and slip out of my jeans, then slide my shirt over my head and snake across the bed until I’m facing Lilly. God, I wish she were still mine. I run my hands over her naked torso, gently caressing her round stomach with my lips.
Knowing we made a baby together and seeing her round with my child
nearly brings me to tears. I wanted this so badly with her, to have a family and be happy. Lilly is looking at me with those beautiful brown eyes, wanting me just as much. Does she know how sorry I am, how I would give just about anything to make it right?
“Stop thinking and make love to me, Vinny. I need this. I want this right now. Please.”
“Lilly, I don’t want to hurt you or the baby. Do you think this is a good idea?” I want her, I do, but I want her to be sure.
“It’s perfectly fine. I don’t have any restrictions. Is it a good idea? Probably not, but we need this. Give me this, Vinny. Give me this tonight.”
My lips collide with hers. There is no denying the heat between us. Making love to Lilly Is like nothing else on this earth. It’s a bit awkward at first, trying to find the position that is most comfortable for her. I’m spooning her from behind as she lies on her left side. Slowly, she guides me into her slick heat with ease—fucking heaven. I nearly come at first contact with her tight pussy. It was made for loving my dick. I’ve been without this feeling, this connection to her, for far too long.
*~*
My phone pinging with text messages is what wakes me up. I gently move Lilly off of me. “What is it?” she says quietly, lifting up from the bed.
“Nothing, just a few texts,” I say, checking the phone. They’re all texts from Kayla. I decide for right now to ignore her, to just be in this moment with Lilly.
“I have something else to confess,” Lilly says hesitantly.
I stiffen around her. “What?”
“I don’t want any more secrets or lies between us, and this is the last one I have. I figure, it’s no longer a secret anymore, at least I don’t think it is, but you should know that Eden came back years ago, three months after she left, to tell him she was pregnant.”
“What?” I say, bolting out of the bed. “Tell me everything,” I demand.