He puts his arm around my shoulder and kisses the side of my head. “Oops!” he says as he licks his finger and wipes at my temple. “Forgot I had all this makeup on,” he laughs.
I chuckle. “Do you need me to clean you up and undress you again?” I ask with an eyebrow raised, thinking of the very first day in the hospital parking lot.
“Need?” Dean grins. “I don’t think I need you to, but the real question is do I want you to undress me.” He wiggles his overdrawn clown eyebrows. “The answer is yes.”
I laugh and tap his arm lightly. “You have to wash that off first,” I say. “I know you love being a clown but there’s nothing sexy about it.”
“Nothing?” he says in a sultry voice as he licks his lips and pretends to unbutton the fluffy red buttons down his front. I laugh again and nod to the door.
“Come on, you. Let’s go.”
He laughs and swings his arm around my shoulder, leaning over to plant a sloppy kiss on my cheek as I laugh and try to push him off. We gather his things and head out toward our cars to head back home. I give him a kiss after we finish loading everything in the car and search his eyes. He looks at me, questioning my stare. I just smile and kiss him again before we part ways for the night.
He wouldn’t betray me. I know he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t choose money over me, would he? I touch my stomach and glance at him from my car. Everything seems a thousand times more complicated with this baby inside me.
34
Dean
After I say goodbye to Sam, I pack my equipment in my car and head home. I feel good. I had a great show with the kids, Sam’s boss seemed to like me, and Pat will be happy to have a new partnership with the after school program. My new job is going well, and Sam and I are stupidly happy together.
I lug all my props and my costume over to the elevator and carry it up to my floor. I shuffle the big box from one hand to the other and find my keys. I’m focused on balancing everything in my hands and I swing the door open, holding it ajar with my foot as I shuffle inside. I drop the box onto the floor and let out a big sigh, stretching up tall and running my fingers through my hair.
My mother’s voice makes me jump out of my skin. I stumble backward and whip around to see her sitting at my kitchen table.
“Mom!” I exclaim.
“Dean,” she says. She stands up and walks toward me slowly. I adjust my clothing, still wearing my clown suit tied around my waist. My mother’s eyes drift down and she scoffs. She hands me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” I ask. Instead of answering, she nods to the paper and I unfold it slowly. I frown as my eyes scan the page. “What is it, a contract?”
“Your contract,” she corrects. “Clause 42.B. The non-compete agreement.” Her eyes narrow as she looks me up and down. “Last time we spoke I told you I’d give you three months to think it over with Victoria. And time is almost up.”
“What does this have to do with anything?” I ask, waving the paper at her. She sighs and shakes her head.
“Well, it seems that the time for reflection didn’t convince you to play by our rules. Looks like you’ve gotten yourself a new little girlfriend. So maybe this will change your mind. Read the clause.”
I shiver as she mentions Sam and flick my eyes down to the page. I scan the paper again and I read the heavy legal writing. I frown. “This says I can’t work for any investment firm for five years after I leave Dad’s firm!”
“Ding, ding, ding!” she says with a bitter laugh. “It seems you’ve breached the terms of your contract by getting yourself a new job.” She takes a step toward me and runs her finger down my cheek. “And as much as I’m proud of my boy for being so resourceful, I won’t hesitate to make sure to punish you to the full extent of the law.”
“Mom…” I say, frowning. “What am I supposed to do! I need a job. This is all I know how to do.”
“You’re supposed to dump that little whore you’ve found yourself and marry the fucking woman we chose for you.”
“Don’t call her that.”
“Fine. The selfless children’s program director from fucking Virginia. Really, Dean? A girl from a small town in a dead-end job? You’re giving up your future for her?”
“I’m not giving anything up,” I shoot back. “I’m giving up the future that you and dad had planned out for me. For yourselves! When are you going to understand that I’m my own person? I’m not going to throw my life away in a fucking loveless marriage just because my parents told me to!”
My mother sighs and shakes her head. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this. If you don’t come back to the family, not only will we sue you for breach of contract, but you’ll never see Samantha again.”
My heart drops to my stomach and my brow knits together. “What does that mean?” I ask slowly, not wanting to betray the panic that’s rising in my throat.
My mother waves her hand and straightens her jacket. She pats her hair down in that familiar motion, making sure not a single hair is out of place.
“It means what it means,” she finally says, swinging her eyes over to me. “Look at where we are, Dean. We’re up on the tallest, thinnest branch of the tree. You don’t get here without leaving some people behind.”
“What does it fucking mean,” I say, taking a step toward her. “Don’t you fucking dare hurt her, or—”
“Or what,” she interrupts. My chest is heaving up and down as I try to understand what she’s saying. “You’ll hurt us? You’ll sue us? My dear son,” she says, taking a step toward me. “You are nothing. You have nothing. You’ve been able to keep your bank accounts, your apartment, and your new job because I’ve allowed you to. But now, my patience is wearing thin.”
She grabs her bag and steps around me, turning around when she gets to the door. “Break up with the girl today, and show up to your father’s office tomorrow morning. There are no other options. Your time is up.”
With that, she swings the door open and walks out. All the air in my lungs goes out with her and I slump down onto a chair. I’m breathing heavily, head in hand, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.
She threatened me, she threatened Sam, she threatened to take everything away from me. As good as it felt to be independent, I don’t doubt that she’d be able to close my accounts and lock me out of everything I have.
“Fuck!” I yell, slamming my palm down on the table two or three times until my palm stings. I grab the contract she brought me and rip it into a thousand pieces, throwing them across the room. They flutter down, taunting me as they fall one by one at my feet.
I take a deep breath. I don’t have to break up with Sam. I can figure this out.
As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I know it’s not true. They’re too powerful, they have too much control over me, and I know that they’ll stop at nothing to make their dreams of political success come true. I’m not their son anymore, I’m an obstacle in the way of their rise to the top. It feels like a dagger in my heart. After everything I’ve done, all the hours I’ve put in at work, all the time I’ve spent trying to be a good son… it means nothing.
What can I do?
I can run away. I can tell Sam to pack a bag and I can drain my accounts and run away. I grab my phone, ready to call her and tell her before slumping back down in a chair.
She’ll think I’m crazy. There’s no way she would agree. And plus, where would we go? My parents have friends all over the country, all over the world! They’d find us, they’d hurt her, and they’d force me to marry Victoria.
No, I can’t put Sam through that. My priority has to be to keep her safe. What’s that thing that people say, when you love something you have to let it go? Maybe that’s what this is.
I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel the tears falling off my chin. I bring my hands up to my face and sob, my whole body shaking. It takes me a long time to accept that in order to protect Sam, I need to get her as far away from me as possible.
35
Samantha
I pull up in front of Jess’s house and take a deep breath. I probably should have told him about the baby, but I just couldn’t find the words. I’ll tell him next time I see him. I think about his performance and smile.
The kids were so happy when Dean was performing, and they were already asking about juggling lessons. I think he’ll be one of the more popular acts. Even if we could schedule Dean or one of the other entertainers for one night a month it would make a big difference to the program.
My mind is buzzing with all these thoughts as I grab my purse and head inside. The moment I open the door, I hear one of the twins screaming. I walk down the hall and Jess appears, her hair sticking up in all directions as she rushes out of the twins’ bedroom.
“Sam, hi!” she breathes. “Would you mind grabbing Matt’s blankie? I think it’s on the sofa. I have to grab Michelle.”
“No problem,” I say. I glance at her from the corner of my eye, seeing how frazzled she is for the first time. She sighs as she moves some of my things off the coffee table and I cringe. For the first time since I got here, I feel like I’m in the way. And now, with the child inside me, I know I’ll definitely be overstaying my welcome.
I grab Matt’s blanket and bring it in to him, doing my best to quiet him down while Jess takes Michelle. Once the twins are quiet and finally asleep, I head to the kitchen and pour two cups of tea. Jess takes it gratefully. She shakes her head.
“It isn’t getting any easier,” she says.
“I know. Listen, I don’t mean to be in the way here, so I was thinking I would start looking for a place of my own. With the baby…” I pause, glancing at Jess’s reaction. Her face stays steady and she nods slowly.
“You’re not in the way, Sam. I hope you don’t feel like you have to leave. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. Have you spoken to Dean?”
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
“Maybe he’ll want to move in together,” she says.
I sigh. “I don’t even know if he’ll want the baby,” I say.
“Why don’t you stay here a little longer, Sam. Your life is going to be upside down soon.”
I smile. “You guys have been so great and it’s time I leave you to your family.”
Jess nods and sighs. “I can help you go to viewings if you want.” She takes a drink and sighs again. “I’m exhausted. I need to go to bed while the two of them are sleeping.”
I nod. “I’ll clean up,” I say as she drops her mug in the sink. Soon I’m alone in my friend’s kitchen, wondering how I’ll find a place of my own. I can start looking online tonight and see what there is on the market. Maybe I could even move closer to work and closer to Dean, that way I wouldn’t be spending so much time in the car. I brush my hand over my stomach and shake my head. Maybe I’m being ridiculous, and moving is just going to add extra stress.
A small flame of excitement builds as I think of having my own space and starting a family of my own. I need to tell him about the baby first, before I make any rash decisions.
I pull out my phone and find Dean’s number.
Sam: I’ve been thinking I’ll move out of Jess’s. How do you feel about helping me view some shoebox apartments?
I smile as I press send and head toward my bedroom. Something catches my eye as I walk by—the brown box. I grab it off the shelf and turn it around in my hand. I take a deep breath. I finally feel like my own person, and I finally feel like I’m completely over Ronnie. I can deal with whatever’s in this box. Once I’m in my bedroom, I rip the brown paper off the box and open it up. I frown as I look at the contents.
It’s a red clown’s nose with a scrap of paper. The scrap of paper has the same sharpie writing as the box, with four words scrawled across it.
Go back to Virginia
My heart starts to beat harder and my mouth is suddenly dry. Go back to Virginia? Is this a threat? The red clown nose obviously means Dean. This can’t be from Ronnie. It was on the front steps the day he showed up here. He almost got in a fight with Dean, and they’d never met before. I turn the paper over and look in the box again. There’s nothing else.
My thoughts turn back to the woman in the hallway. Could she have sent it? She knew my name, and I had no idea who she was. What the fuck is going on?
My cell phone buzzes.
Dean: We need to talk.
My chest feels hollow and somehow my mouth gets even drier. I fucking know we need to talk, Dean. All of a sudden, my hands are trembling and I try to think of something to answer. Should I tell him about this? I stand up and pace back and forth when the doorbell rings.
My heart is thumping as I glance down the hallway toward the front door. I walk slowly, each step creaking on the wooden floors as I make my way to the front. My heartbeat is roaring in my ears by the time I get to the door. I wish Jess had a peep hole and the panic starts to rise inside me.
I take a deep breath and shake my head. I’m being ridiculous. With a sudden gust of courage, I rip the front door open and stare outside. I take a step back in surprise when I see a woman on Jess’s front steps. She’s perfectly put together, standing with her hands clasped in front of her body. Her cold smile makes a shiver travel down my spine.
“Hello, Samantha,” she croons. I try to swallow, licking my lips to get some moisture back in my mouth. How does she know my name? She looks familiar somehow, like I’ve seen her before. I frown.
“Who are you?” I croak back in response. Instead of answering, she hands me a large yellow envelope. I hesitate before taking it from her. I turn it around and then glance back at the woman. She nods to the envelope.
“Open it.”
I glance from her to the envelope and unhook the string holding it closed. I open it up and pull out a stack of papers. They look familiar, and it takes me a few seconds to realize these are my divorce papers.
“What the fuck?” I say, staring at her. “How did you get these? Who are you?”
She just smiles at me. “I want you to stop seeing my son.”
The recognition finally clicks and I see a hint of Dean in her features. My jaw drops open and I shake my head.
“No! Why? What’s going on? Why do you have these?”
“Unfortunately, it seems your lawyer never filed them,” she says slowly. “And your ex doesn’t seem too happy about your relationship. He might want to renegotiate some of the terms in a way that’s… more palatable to him. A judge might not like the fact that you’ve jumped into bed with another man so soon after your separation. It might raise certain questions about your fidelity.”
“My fucking fidelity?” I repeat, jaw hanging down. “Are you serious? He’s the one who cheated on me! He’s the one who broke my heart! How did you get these! I’m calling the police.”
She shakes her head and smirks. “No you aren’t. You’re going to stop seeing my son, and those divorce papers will get filed. If they don’t, you’re in for a very long, very expensive legal battle where your name will be dragged through the mud. You’ll never work with children again.”
She flings the last words at me and they hit me as if they had physical weight. I stagger backward and stare at her, trying to understand what’s going on. She gives me that cold smile again and turns around, walking slowly down the steps as a driver steps out of her waiting car and opens the back door for her. She glances at me once more before sliding in. The driver closes the door and walks around to the driver’s seat before speeding off down the road.
I stare after them until they’re out of view and then swing the door shut. My eyes drop to the stack of papers in my hands and then back out to the street.
What is going on? Why doesn’t she want me to date Dean? How did she get these papers? Where is Ronnie? Who is she, and more importantly, who the fuck is Dean? Who have I been dating for the past two months?
36
Dean
The phone keeps ringing and ringing and ringing. Sam isn’t pickin
g up. The last text I got from her was about moving out of Jess’s place. I toss my phone aside, blowing all the air out of my lungs. I bring my hands up to my face and groan as I lean on my elbows.
What a mess.
I’m going to be honest with Sam. That’s the best way. I’ll be honest about Victoria, about being pressured to marry her, about my parents’ political aspirations, everything. I’ll tell her about my mother’s threats and then she’ll be able to make her own mind up.
My phone is still dark and silent, and I pick it up to dial her number one last time. I know I shouldn’t. It’s late, and she’s probably asleep, but there’s still a niggling thought that tells me something else is going on. She usually sends me a message before she goes to bed, and tonight I’ve heard nothing from her.
I replay everything my mother said and sigh again. She wanted me to break up with Sam tonight and report back to my father tomorrow. That gives me no time to figure anything out.
I can’t take this anymore. I need to see her. I need to talk to her and tell her what’s going on.
I grab my jacket and rush out the door. I’ll drive to her place and make sure she’s alright. From there, we’ll be able to figure something out together. I jog to the elevator and tap my foot as it makes a slow ascent toward my floor. I sigh, counting the seconds until the doors ding open.
It seems to take an eternity to go back downstairs and I rush to my car. It seems like every single light is a red light and it takes me forever to get to her place.
Finally, I pull up outside and jump out. I ring the doorbell and shift my weight from foot to foot until I hear someone coming toward the door. I breathe a sigh of relief when Sam opens the door.
Unexpected (Complete Accidental Pregnancy Box Set) Page 62