by K, S
Brooke let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness."
Giving her a dirty look, I crossed my arms. Some best friend you are.
"Oh don't give me that look. I don't mean that I'm glad to be getting rid of you. I'm just glad that Josh will finally be able to come home. Poor thing has had to wait for you to fall asleep every night so I can sneak him in, and then he's up and out before you wake up."
Releasing a laugh that seemed like it'd been built up forever, I massaged my temples. "I know I've been childish, I get that, but it's so hard."
Brooke reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "You don't have to apologize to me, Sav. I know you better than anyone else, so I get it." Taking off when the light turned green, Brooke drove toward the condo, the car silent of conversation the entire way there.
My key twisted inside the lock, and I pushed the door open to a deserted condo. Glancing around the empty room, I noticed Jake was nowhere in sight, so I peeked down at my watch, checking the time. Six in the evening on a Friday night? He'd usually be home by now. I wonder where he is? I dragged my overnight bag across the floor toward our bedroom.
The room was just as I'd left it, as if the bed hadn't been slept in since I'd gone. I lifted my overnight back onto the crisp white quilt and began unpacking; figuring Jake would be home any minute. Thirty minutes later, my things were all put away, and I'd even thrown a load of dirty clothes into the wash.
Standing in the bathroom, I examined my naked body in the mirror. I turned to the side and ran my hands over my belly, noticing its growth since I'd first taken the pregnancy test. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get used to the fact that twins were growing inside of me, but I felt like it was time to start dealing with it. I stepped into the shower. As the boiling hot water splashed over my skin, I began talking to my belly like an idiot.
"Alright, you two, I've got a serious problem with what you're both going to do to my body over the next few months, but it looks like at this point I have no choice. I hear they have a name for it in Florida. Squatter's rights. In a nutshell, it's when you take over someone's property, and there is nothing they can do about it. I'm not sure that's the true definition, but we'll roll with it for now. From here on out, you two will be known as my squatters. Your dad will probably think it's a stupid name for our twins, but I know, deep down, he understands my quirky way of dealing with things."
I reached for the shampoo and began washing my hair, allowing the familiar scent of lavender to envelop my nose. "So, let's continue this meeting. I'm your mother, Savannah Worthington, high-end fashion photographer for the world-famous Hourglass Magazine and wife to Jake Worthington, also known as your father, co-owner of Worthington Squared. I don't have time for morning sickness or crazy cravings. I love to run, and I plan on running as much as possible to keep myself from gaining too much weight. Couture dresses and stilettos are among my favorite things, but they, of course, come after your father. He is my most favorite thing in the entire world. I haven't really been showing it lately, but I promise, that's all going to change."
Placing my soapy hands back on my belly, I tapped it with my fingertips. "Okay, I'm going to be real with you two. I don't want any kids right now, but it's a little late for that, so let's make a deal. I let you live here, rent free for nine months, and, in return, you all use your magic powers to give me a girl and a boy."
Lathering conditioner in my hair, I continued the ridiculous conversation with the squatters in my belly. "I want my daughter to be just like me, beautiful and confident. Smart and sassy, but not conceited. Take life by the horns, and do with it whatever you wish. Don't be afraid to fail. It's a part of the learning process, and it'll make you that much more appreciative when you finally succeed. Love with every ounce of your being, even if your heart gets shattered into a million pieces. Trust me when I tell you, when you finally find the person who you are meant to spend the rest of your life with, every shattered piece will have been worth it."
I reached for my razor and began shaving my lathered legs. "And for my son, I want you to be just like your father. He is the most loving, compassionate, hardworking man I've ever met in my entire life. I know you'll be just as, if not more, handsome than he is, but you can't count on your looks. Your father and Uncle Josh have worked so hard to build an empire that one day you and your cousins will inherit. Be wise enough with your choices in life so you are able to continue building such a legacy that one day you can pass along to your children. Love your sister and protect her in everything she does. She is and will always be the closest part of who you are."
I stood under the water and allowed it to wash away the suds from my body as I turned the handle and reached for my towel. Drying off, I finished up my conversation. "And always know that regardless of how I currently feel, when I finally hold the two of you for the very first time and see the beautiful creations that your father and I have made together, my life will never be the same. Everything I do will be for the two of you. I will love you until I take my very last breath and still, even after that."
Opening the foggy glass door of our oversized shower, I stood there wrapped in a plush white towel, face to face with my husband whose eyes were welled over with tears. I smiled softly up at him as I shrugged my shoulders, and in two swift steps he'd crossed the enormous bathroom and taken me into his arms, lifting me up around his waist as I discarded my towel onto the floor.
Jake slammed his lips to mine, the bristle of his facial hair scathed my soft skin as he kissed me with what felt like every ounce of passion he had in his body since the first day we met. Jake's strong masculine hands wrapped tightly around me, while my legs gripped to his waist, our tongues colliding against each other as my arms clung around his neck for dear life, forcing him closer to me.
"I'm so sorry I left, and I've been so miserable," I said between kisses. "I love you, and I'm learning to love these squatters."
Jake's body shook as laughter erupted from within while he carried me into the bedroom, gently laying me down on our huge bed. His massive frame climbed in on top of me, showering kisses all over my neck, causing my skin to prick with goose bumps.
His deep voice whispered into my ear while his hands wandered all over my body like a pirate looking for his treasure. "You are perfect, Savannah. What you said in there makes me love you even more. But right now I don't want to talk about our children. Hell I don't want to talk at all. I just want to feel the warmth of your body surrounding me."
As Jake took me right then and there, I'd never felt so loved in my life. He was my reason for existence, and now, so were these two squatters.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Brooke
I PULLED INTO MY doctor's office parking lot right beside Josh's silver Mercedes. After grabbing my purse from the passenger's seat, I opened it up and pulled out my lipstick to touch up the color on my lips. Here I was, five months into this pregnancy, and the morning sickness still had not subsided. My face was tinged grey between lack of sleep and starvation. A sharp rap on my driver's side window captured my attention back from my pitiful reflection. I reached down and pressed the button to unlock my doors so Josh could open it.
His masculine hand reached in to my car to help me step out, and as my hand slid into his, I could feel the warmth coming from it in waves. Clenching on, I balanced my weight onto him as I stepped out on my stilettos, pausing long enough to meet his gorgeous green eyes and worried expression. I flashed him a smile and stood to smooth out my dress, trying to come up with something to say to ease the tension I saw in his face.
"Hey, handsome. Careful, my husband is supposed to show up soon, I don't want him to catch me with someone as drop-dead sexy as you," I taunted, stretching up on my tiptoes to place my lips against his.
"I bet I can take him," Josh teased back, a smile slipping into place before he returned my kiss. I ran my hand up his chest and behind his neck, before grabbing hold and pulling him closer to me so I could deepen the kiss. As o
ur mouths molded to each other I could taste the spearmint gum on his breath.
As soon as the moment was over, the concern in his eyes quickly returned. "How are you feeling today?" Quickly, his eyes roved over my body, analyzing my appearance. Josh was not dealing well with me being so ill and had commented several times about how my clothes were hanging differently on my body.
"I'm fine." I turned to lead him to the office doors. "Really, I haven't even gotten sick today." Lies, all lies so that he wouldn't worry more than he already was. I had been violently ill at even the thought of food. Eating it was out of the question. When Savannah had walked by my office that morning snacking on a bag of cheese crackers, I literally wanted to just die, right there on the spot. "Come on, let's get inside before we are late."
Josh pulled open the large glass door and held it for me as I stepped inside, grumbling to himself about something. There were pregnant women everywhere in the lobby, with a few also toting around toddlers as well. It was a mecca of motherhood and new life, and most of the women were strutting around, smiles on their faces, glowing with joy. Just as the door closed behind Josh and me, one of the toddlers passed by, his peanut butter and jelly sandwich smeared on his face as he took another gigantic bite.
The green nausea rose quickly up, racing the rising vomit. I cupped my hand over my mouth and bolted for the bathroom, careful to not run anyone over or trip over anything. Clinging to the toilet, I dry heaved repeatedly, unable to stop the onslaught of nausea as it hit me in waves. My body finally withered with exhaustion when it realized there was nothing in my stomach to empty. I reached into my purse and pulled out my pack of saltines, slipped one in my mouth, and ground it between my teeth before swallowing. With a shove on the toilet seat, I pushed myself back up to a stand. The stall door lock slid open, and I walked over to the sink to rinse out my mouth.
As I walked back out to the lobby, my eyes quickly met Josh's scrutinizing glare as he strode over to me. "Feeling fine, huh?" He was ticked; he knew I had lied earlier and was not happy about it.
"I am. It was the peanut butter. It just caught me off guard," I amended. Grabbing up a magazine, I flipped it open and stared at a page, hoping he'd drop the interrogation.
After about five minutes, Josh spoke up again, his voice eerily calm. "So what do you think about the correlation between circumcision and erectile dysfunction?"
"Say what!" I screeched, whipping my head to look at Josh as he stared back at me.
"That article, you've been reading it for about ten minutes. I figured you'd have come up with an opinion by now. No?" Josh's eyebrow lifted in question as he waited for my answer. Just as fast as I looked to him, I averted my eyes back to the magazine, where sure enough, there were graphs and medical opinions defending their stance.
"Brooke, talk to me. You can't keep going on like this," he pleaded. Pulling in a deep breath, I contemplated what to say to Josh. What could I say? Unknowingly to him, we had tried every treatment under the sun, and while I was losing weight, between my vitamins and supplements, I was still nutritionally healthy. According to my doctor, I just had to keep drinking fluids and be watched closely as we waited for it to pass.
"Brooke Worthington?" a nurse called from the opened doorway.
I leapt to my feet and strode across the lobby toward the nurse like she was my salvation, because in this moment, she was saving me from a tyrant, my husband. With a friendly smile, she greeted me and led me toward the triage area so that she could get my vitals and weight as Josh watched.
"How was her weight?" Josh asked from beside me as he massaged his temples.
The nurse flipped a sheet of paper and then looked back to him. "It's actually gone up. The doctor will be happy to see that."
Josh's face lifted as a small grin spread across his face, nodding in approval.
"Come on. Let's get you two into a room."
The rest of the appointment was uneventful. My doctor reviewed my chart and told me that she was hoping the weight increase was a turn in the right direction, but it had me puzzled. At this point, I wasn't even showing, and if someone didn't know I was pregnant, they'd never be able to tell. I had been puking just as much as I had been the last five months, but I couldn't discuss that with her without worrying Josh. As we stepped out, I made a mental note to schedule my next appointment while he was out of town so that I could have a one-on-one with my doctor.
Back at Hourglass, Savannah greeted me in the lobby. "Hey, how was your appointment?"
"Fine, I gained, so hey, that is something." I dug around in my purse until I found what I was after. I pulled out another pack of saltines and began to chew them. "So what's going on? Why are you waiting for me here?" I asked, pulling Savannah in for a hug.
"Well, Monica called while you were out. We got invited to some event tomorrow night for Nike, and she wants us to attend, go figure. Apparently, we need to continue to put on a cordial front with their main player, no pun intended. Okay, maybe a little one." Savannah began to let out a ringing laugh at her own joke.
"That's just what I want to do. Go to a dinner event with a brown bag to puke in. Hey, do you think we can decorate it to match my dress? Crap, a dress. Savannah, I don't have anything to wear or time to get it this last minute." I brought my fingers to my mouth and began chewing my nail nervously; I hated things being thrown at me last minute.
"Relax! We will just go to the closet. You and I are bound to find something there."
After letting out a heavy sigh, I trudge behind Savannah to the closet, arms folded over my stomach, not wanting to go to this event by any means. As soon as we walked in, the models and fashion designers were bustling around in a flurry, excited to play dress-up with us as their dolls. Satin and velvet was thrown at me, each in a different color, as another girl put a pair of strappy stilettos by my feet.
"You do realize I am five months pregnant?" I asked as one rather low-cut, backless dress was held up to me.
"Yeah, have you checked out your rack? It's amazing, and with the nausea you are still a twig. Work it," the blonde model replied with a dumbfounded look on her face.
"Yes, that is the one," Savannah enthusiastically agreed, shaking her head up and down as she strode to me with a dress in her hand. "Come on, let's try these on, but I'm one-hundred-percent sure we will look like rock stars."
Behind the curtain, I quickly pulled off my dress and slipped the new one on. The black velvet clung to every curve of my body, fitting like a glove. The front draped delicately above my breast while the back was non-existent, all sure to give Josh a heart attack.
"Hey, can you help me out here?" Savannah grunted from behind me.
"Sure. What's—" After turning to face Savannah, I could see she had wrangled herself into the coral-colored dress she had picked out and was trying to reach the zipper with no success.
"I just can't reach it. Can you zip me? I want to see it on." With her back to me Savannah blew out a breath and stood up straight, rubbing her hands along her little bump that had recently popped up. I stepped up to her back and pinched the delicate zipper between my fingers to give it a gentle tug. It didn't move a bit, and I knew there wasn't a chance. Giving it my best effort, I used my other hand to gather the satin material and again tugged on the zipper. The teeth and zipper ground together, screaming in resistance.
"Sav, it ain't happening," I whispered, backing away from the temper tantrum I knew would ensue.
"What do you mean it's not zipping? Is it broken? This damn designer. I swear the stuff is crap. She has beautiful visions, but the quality just sucks."
"No, Savannah, it's not the dress. It doesn't fit. What size did you grab?"
"Zero, of course." Turning to face me, Savannah smacked her lips and put her hands on her hips.
"Well, you are showing you may need to go up a size," I muttered, taking a few more steps back.
"Lucky me, the squatters strike again! Go figure, here I am, only three months pregnant and looking like a
hippopotamus, yet you, you, get off staying the same size. Are you even pregnant, Brooke? I mean, seriously, look at you." Savannah flung her arms in the air as she went on with her tirade.
"Oh yeah, Savannah, look at me." I tossed my arms in the air in frustration. Savannah had been having the most perfect pregnancy, and I was stuck dying a bit each day. At her blank expression, I became even more enraged and pressed on, "I don't sleep a wink because I am so uncomfortable. I'm like a walking pharmacy, on so many supplements and vitamins so I get the nutrition I need, it's ridiculous. I'm constipated from the iron and calcium and dehydrated from the nausea pill. I can't even walk out the door without at least ten packs of crackers in my purse because I'm always nauseas. God help me, if I even think about food, I hurl a little each time. Forget actually eating a bite. Yay me!"
Savannah gasped as her hand covered her mouth in shock. "Brooke," she whispered.
"No, Sav, just no. Please, I don't want your pity. Just realize that while you didn't want this, and it is oh-so-awful because you have a cute bump and are having a perfect pregnancy, I, the one who did want a baby, am positively miserable. "As the tears began to well in my eyes, I spun around and quickly tugged the dress off and my own back on, before stomping out of the dressing room thoroughly irritated with my best friend.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Savannah
I PEELED MYSELF out of the dress that was obviously too small for my pregnant self and threw it at the model assisting me, "Pull a size two and deliver these to my office later today and keep your mouth shut about my sudden increase in size."
The model giggled under her breath and nodded her head. "My lips are sealed."
I rolled my eyes as I took off, knowing full well we worked in one of the biggest gossip industries in the world.
I rushed after Brooke, who'd already bolted back toward her office, running into Monica on the way.