Her Baby Secret (Friends & Lovers Book 1)

by Jaye Diane

  Her head was throbbing. Robyn willed the headache away but of course it just seemed to get worse. She'd pulled the shades down and closed the curtains. The lights were off and she'd taken a couple of acetaminophen tablets. She knew the pills probably wouldn't help. Normally, when she got a migraine, she'd take four pills. But since she worried about the safety of the baby, she wasn't even slightly tempted to take that many.

  A knock sounded at her door and she called out, “Come in.”

  She'd had a lot of company that day, which she ordinarily would have enjoyed. Of course when she needed alone time it was nowhere to be found.

  Marjorie entered the dim room, quietly closing the door behind her. Frowning, she walked to where Robyn lay on the bed.

  “Why didn't you come down for lunch?” Her mother asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “I have a massive headache,” Robyn said, “I took medicine but they haven't kicked in yet.”

  Marjorie nodded a little and stared at Robyn for several quiet seconds. Robyn closed her eyes, her temples throbbing ruthlessly.

  “It's you, isn't it?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Elena said someone else is pregnant,” Marjorie said, her voice very low. Robyn opened her eyes, her heart leaping within her chest. “It's you, isn't it?”

  She couldn't lie to her mother again, not after the tutoring for Christmas lie and not after all these hours of hiding her pregnancy and her relationship with Devin.

  “Yes,” Robyn confessed, her eyes filling with tears. “Yes, I am. Mom, I'm s-s-sorry,” She ended on a wail. Her own sobs made her head ache even more.

  Marjorie pulled Robyn up and into her arms as if she was a child. Robyn cried helplessly while her mother gently held her. She was sure, if her head wasn't pounding, that she would feel some kind of relief. But all she felt was sadness for lying to her mother and hiding secrets from everyone. Sadness that Devin hadn't been a part of her pregnancy and wasn't going to be.

  When her sobs had subsided and she'd cleaned up her face, she lay on the bed feeling weak. Her throat felt raw.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Marjorie said at last, tears in her own eyes.

  “I feel like I've let you and Dad down.” Robyn's voice cracked. “I know you want more for me...”

  “You're a wonderful teacher who is well loved by her students. You've made a great life for yourself. That's all we have ever wanted for you. You have not let us down.”

  “You told Dad?”

  Marjorie nodded, smiling. “I told him that I suspected... He's dying to come in here with us but I told him I didn't want you to feel like we were ganging up on you. He's excited.”

  Robyn allowed herself to smile, a huge weight lifting off of her. Her parents didn't hate her and weren't upset with her.

  “I knew something was going on,” Marjorie said, a hand on Robyn's arm. “I wish you would have told me sooner. I hate knowing that you felt so alone.”

  “I didn't tell anyone,” Robyn said, body still trembling from all the tears and strain. “I only told Emerald. And Ines figured it out this morning when she heard me in the bathroom.”

  “She didn't let on... No wonder you two stared at each other when we were talking about who could be pregnant... But honestly, that's when I started thinking it was you. And my morning sickness was awful with both you and your sister.”

  Robyn remembered when Peyton was pregnant. She'd had bad morning sickness too, even worse than Robyn. Peyton would puke all day long.

  Marjorie stood up and began to pace the room. Trying to watch her mother pace made her head feel worse so she closed her eyes.

  “I'm so excited,” Marjorie exclaimed in a hushed tone. “I'm going to be a grandma again! How far along are you?”

  “I'm eleven weeks,” Robyn answered. “I'm due on July 15th.”

  “A summer baby!” Marjorie sung from across the room. “I can't wait to tell everyone the great news!”

  “Mom, please don't,” Robyn said quickly, opening her eyes, her nerves jumping to attention again. If everyone found out she was pregnant, Devin would definitely figure out that he was the father. And that's not how she wanted to break the news to him. She didn't even know how or when she would tell him. She'd been so focused on her broken heart and on her parents' reaction to her pregnancy, and on keeping her secrets, that she hadn't even really considered how to tell Devin.

  “I was so scared to tell you and Daddy,” Robyn admitted. “I felt like a high school kid again. I'm so happy that you two aren't angry with me. But I'm not ready for anyone else to know yet. Please.”

  Marjorie was frowning. She walked back to the bed and sat down again.

  “Okay, honey, but a lot of people know already. Your father and I know. Ines knows. And Elena knows, of course.”

  Robyn had been trying to avoid Devin's grandmother once it became clear that she had detected Robyn's pregnancy. Elena seemed intent on keeping quiet about Robyn being pregnant but Robyn didn't want to risk her saying or doing something suspicious.

  “The less people who know, the better,” Robyn said. “Please, Mom.”

  “Of course,” Marjorie said, looking almost somber. “But let me know when I can tell everyone because I can barely contain myself!”

  Robyn's head hurt too much to laugh but she gave her mother a beatific smile. Her mother left a couple of minutes later after asking Robyn what she wanted to try eating. Robyn turned over onto her side, hardly believing that her parents knew about the baby and that everything was okay. More than okay. Her parents were happy about the baby.

  For once happy tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away thinking of the hurdles that she had yet to get over. Telling Devin, along with his and his parents' reactions. But she figured that could probably wait awhile longer. There was only so much she wanted to deal with at once.

  Devin entered the dining room to see his mother clearing the table.

  “Come eat,” Angelica said. She immediately began loading food on a plate for him. He took the plate and went to the living room.

  He discreetly looked around for Robyn but she wasn't in the room. Ignoring the disappointment that he felt, he ate his lunch, observing his family and close friends. Javy and Elizabeth were cuddled together on the loveseat while she spoke on the phone to her parents. The roads hadn't been cleared enough for travel so a phone call would have to be enough.

  His dad and Quintin sat at a small table in the corner playing a card game. Peyton and Whitney were doing a doll's hair while Keith typed on a laptop. Grace was polishing her nails. Ines and Enrique were talking in very quiet tones, sitting on the other couch. His brother-in-law had been a little sad that morning because of the snow keeping him from his family but he'd cheered up somewhat.

  Marjorie entered the living room and asked, “Where's Elena?”

  “In the kitchen,” Grace replied, blowing on her fingernails. “How's Robyn?”

  “Bad migraine,” Marjorie replied, looking kind of red in the face. “I'm going to ask Elena to make her something. Those pills aren't helping.”

  Devin forced himself not to show a visible reaction but he became very worried. Robyn had obviously lost a lot of weight since they broke up. And now she had a migraine. She'd suffered from migraines since they were kids. She'd had severe ones a few times that had caused her to miss school.

  “I'm going to go check on my baby girl,” Quintin said, standing up. He told Jared, “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

  Quintin and Marjorie both walked out of the living room.

  “Poor Robyn,” Grace said, giving Devin a strange look, her eyebrows raised. “That migraine hit her pretty fast.”

  Devin put his fork down and stared at his sister. What was that look all about?

  Grace got up and came to sit next to him.

  “A good boyfriend would check on his lady,” She whispered in his ear, winking at him.

  Devin's mouth opened and closed several time
s as he tried to figure out how Grace could have figured out that he and Robyn were a couple. Although they weren't exactly a couple at the moment.

  Grace stood up and walked out of the living room. Without thinking, Devin followed her. She entered the library and closed the door.

  “Aren't you going to deny that you're screwing my best friend?” Grace demanded, a smug smile on her face.

  “We're not screwing,” Devin said, because it was the truth. And even when they had been together, he'd never considered it to just be a sexual relationship.

  “So why were you in her room last night?”

  He kept a straight face, all the while wondering where Grace had been that had allowed her to see him while he hadn't been able to see her.

  “I went to talk to her but she was already sleeping,” Devin walked to one of the leather couches and sat down, trying to appear casual.

  “So why did you look so happy when you walked out?” Grace put her hands on her hips.

  “Because I'm happy we're all here together for the first time in a long time.” Devin frowned. “What the hell do you care, anyway?”

  “She told me she spoke to you last night,” Grace admitted.

  “So what the hell is this third degree?” Devin asked, finally losing his cool facade and the control he'd had on his temper. “We're adults and this isn't any of your business.”

  “It is my business. You're my brother. She's my friend. And you're lying to me. You just told me that you went to talk to her but she was asleep but now you're admitting that you did talk to her. What's going on, Dev? And can you please tell the truth for god’s sake.”

  “We did talk,” Devin said, standing up and walking over to Grace until he stood directly in front of her. “But we didn't settle anything. So I went back later. And she was sleeping.”

  Grace shook her head sadly and put her hands up on his shoulders. He was almost a foot taller than her and she stared up at him for several seconds before speaking.

  “You broke her heart, Devin,” She said. “I didn't think you would ever be the type to do that to someone.”

  “Did you ever stop to think that my heart was broken too?” He demanded, his tone hard despite the sadness in his sister's eyes. “I've made some mistakes but I'm not the only one.”

  “You're the one who broke up with her,” Grace said accusingly.

  “I can't believe you and Robyn were talking about me like I'm some asshole who didn't care about her,” Devin said in a low tone. He raised his voice, “Yeah, I broke up with her. But I thought that's what she wanted.”

  “Why would she want that?”

  “Damn, Grace, back the hell off me.” Devin removed her hands from his shoulders. “None of this matters now. I'm going to get her back and that's all that matters. Now get off my case.”

  His sister surprised him by laughing. Then she threw her arms around him and jumped up into his arms.

  “That's what I want to hear!”

  His only reply was an annoyed shake of the head. The women in his family had the ability to make him feel like an adolescent and it pissed him off.

  “I didn't want to think that you'd just used her and abused her. She's not the average girl. We grew up with her. She should automatically mean more than anyone else you've ever been with.”

  Devin groaned. “Enough, Grace. Shut up. Don't you think I know that?”

  “Well, if you didn't, you do now.” Grace nodded her head vigorously and started for the library door. “Keep me posted. I'm rooting for you guys.”

  Devin muttered a curse when she left out of the room, wondering who else Robyn had confided in. It didn't matter. Pretty soon everyone would know about them and that's how it should have always been.

  Robyn was talking with her father when Elena brought in a bowl of soup. Elena had a broad smile on her face as she carried the steaming bowl of soup on a tray with crackers and fruit.

  “Your mother asked me to prepare something for you to eat,” Elena said. “This is chicken noodle soup. I think you will like it.”

  “Thanks, Elena,” Quintin said before Robyn could answer. “Marjorie's worried she's not eating enough.”

  “I'm not a kid, Daddy,” Robyn said, only pretending to be annoyed. The truth was that it felt good to have people know about her condition, especially her parents. She'd been so scared and alone. She still felt somewhat scared but she felt comfort in the fact that she wouldn't be alone. It felt wonderful to be looked after.

  “I know, I know,” Quintin said, laughing.

  Elena set the tray, on it's stand, over Robyn's lap.

  Robyn picked up the spoon and stared down at the soup. It was very pale and unlike any soup she'd ever seen before but she was actually feeling hungry for once. Since the scent was very light and slightly appealing, Robyn quickly scooped some soup onto the spoon and blew before putting the soup into her mouth.

  The chicken flavor was very mild but very good. Elena and Quintin watched approvingly as Robyn ate several more bites, until the soup was gone.

  “Let me see if they need my help in the kitchen,” Elena said, taking the empty bowl. “We will talk later, Robyn.”

  Robyn's heart did a jig in her chest at those words but she made herself smile and nod. She just knew that Elena was going to confront her. She hoped Elena wouldn't ask her who the father was. She hoped no one would ask. She had to break the news to Devin first before she could tell people.

  She ate a few of the crackers, and some slices of apple and orange before her father left with the tray. Feeling comfortably full for the first time in days, Robyn decided to take her father's advice about getting some rest. The headache had really drained her and now that her belly was full, she felt her lids dipping.

  She yawned, deciding that she'd have a nap for a little while. She set the alarm on her cell phone and put the phone on the bedside table. She quickly pulled the blankets over her and in a matter of seconds, was asleep.

  Devin knocked on Robyn's door before entering, startled to realize that he was excited about reconciling but nervous as well. He already had a speech prepared for when she tried to make him leave but he came to halt, seeing her sound asleep on the bed.

  Knowing that she'd woken up late that morning, he wondered if she was sick or if it was just the migraine that had made her so tired. She'd slept a lot the day before also. He remembered once during their brief relationship that she'd slept for more than twelve hours straight after a severe migraine. She'd gone to bed early Saturday evening and hadn't woken up until Sunday morning.

  He walked to the bed and stared down at her for several seconds, admiring the light gold of her skin, the brown strands of her hair spread across the pillow. Her hands were pillowed under her head and he could barely hear her inhaling and exhaling.

  He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, but she didn't stir. She usually wasn't a deep sleeper and he grew more concerned. He'd assumed that her weight loss was because she was upset about their breakup. But what if she was actually sick?

  Needing to be close to her after all the weeks without her, he kicked off his sneakers and climbed into the bed with her. She didn't react or move at all. He slowly moved closer until his body was pressed against hers. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the light lemony scent of her shampoo. Relief swamped him and he buried his face against her, wondering how he'd made it all these weeks without her.

  He didn't know how long he lay there, holding her, his broken heart soothed by her presence. But after awhile he felt a heavy urge to go to sleep. He hadn't slept well since the night of their breakup. He'd lain in bed every night, missing her, filled with regret and heartache. But a strange peace was now settling in his heart and he was actually sleepy. He smiled because of his sappy thoughts, then closed his eyes, at last allowing himself to rest.

  At first, Devin didn't know what had woken him. But once he groggily opened his eyes, he saw Marjorie standing in the doorway, obvious glee on her face. All of h
is sleepiness dissipated and he became fully alert.

  That's it, Jamison. The truth is about to be out.

  “Hey...uh...Marjorie,” He said awkwardly. He'd known Marjorie for most of his life but this was completely new territory for them both.

  “Devin,” She murmured, grinning and nodding. And without another word, she pulled the door closed, leaving the room. He knew that in about sixty seconds, every Jamison and Phillips would know that he and Robyn were in bed together.

  He felt Robyn move and his thumping heart seemed to pick up the pace. It took her a minute to turn to him, frowning.

  “Devin,” She said in a low tone, “What the hell are you doing in here? Get out now, please.”

  “No,” He said simply, although he did sit up.

  She jumped out of the bed and went to the door, yanking it open, “Get out.”

  Angelica and Marjorie stood in the hallway and their eyes widened when the door opened. He would have laughed at them if he wasn't trying to keep Robyn from kicking him out.

  “What the...” Robyn shook her head. “What are you two doing out here?”

  “I was about to ask you what you two were doing in there,” Angelica said, grinning.

  “Mami, you know we were sleeping,” Devin said, folding his arms over his chest.

  “Are you two seeing each other?” Marjorie asked calmly. There was something about the look on her face that made him not want to answer her but he wanted the truth to come out so he answered.

  “Yes,” He replied at the same exact time that Robyn said, “No.”

  Their mothers looked at them, obviously bewildered, before looking at each other.

  “Go away, Devin,” Robyn said, swallowing several times.

  “Baby, I'm staying right here,” Devin said flatly. It was time for them to fix this. They belonged together. It was so obvious that they'd both been miserable without each other.