by Jaye Diane
“Who is it?”
“Devin,” Came his low reply.
“I really don't want to talk about this anymore, Devin,” She said without getting up. She'd just had to shoo Grace away, telling her that she needed to be alone.
“Fine,” He said. “We don't have to talk.”
“I'll see you in the morning,” Robyn insisted, turning from her back to her side, staring at the door. She almost expected it to swing open although she'd locked it.
“Let me in, Robyn,” Devin said firmly. “Like it or not, we're in this together...whatever that involves. We have to start sticking together.”
She bit her lip and slowly sat up. What he said was the truth. And she'd be childish to ignore him.
“And besides,” He went on as she slowly approached the door, “It's the least you owe me for not telling me about the baby for a whole month.”
She opened the door, instantly irritated.
“You ass,” Robyn muttered, glaring at him before walking back to the bed. “I told you why I didn't tell you about the baby.”
He closed and locked the door, then leaned against it, folding his arms over his broad chest. She tried not to notice the way the muscles in his arms moved when he folded them.
“But we just saw each other on Monday,” Devin said. “Why didn't you just tell me, knowing that we were going to see each other on Christmas just a few days later?”
“How could I tell you anything?” Robyn asked, impatiently. “When I saw you, you weren't alone. You were with Casey.”
He shook his head sadly. “I thought I was spending time with a friend. Obviously I was wrong about her.”
“Anyway,” Robyn went on, deciding to be fully honest. “I wasn't planning on telling you or anyone...not for awhile. It's all so overwhelming. I guess I was being a punk and I didn't want to deal with it just yet.”
“Deal with it? Is that how you see our child?”
“I don't mean the baby,” Robyn replied crossly. “I mean this. The discussions and arguments and judgments. The pressure and expectations. It's too much.”
He walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed. He picked her hand up and held it in his, gently squeezing. Unbelievably, a ripple of pleasure ran down her spine.
“But I'm glad the truth is finally out,” Robyn went on, feeling unsettled. “It was very hard keeping the baby a secret.”
Devin lifted their clasped hands to his mouth and gently kissed the back of her hand. Another ripple ran through her and she felt goosebumps rise up on her skin. She pulled her hand away as her breasts began to ache. She tried to keep a straight face as she walked to the desk and sat down, but damn him; he knew the affect he had on her. He gave her a knowing smile and remained on the bed.
“I thought you said we didn't have to talk,” Robyn pointed out, needing a break from everything.
“We don't.”
“So stop talking.”
“Fine.” He grinned. Damn, he was gorgeous.
She reached for the remote and turned on the big, flat screen TV. After flipping through half the channels, she settled on some action movie, hoping that would appease him for the time being. She excused herself to go use the bathroom, her overactive bladder becoming a nuisance. When she returned, he'd kicked off his shoes and leaned back against the headboard. He didn't look in her direction at all, just focused on the movie.
Wordlessly, Robyn gathered her toiletries and pajamas and left her bedroom to go take a shower. Angelica stood in the hallway, her beautiful face in a tense frown.
Robyn pulled the bedroom door closed, not wanting Devin and his mom to have another confrontation. She'd had enough of the ugly mess for one night. If Angelica thought she was going to start with her judgment again, Robyn would politely walk away.
“Robyn,” Angelica said immediately, rushing towards her. “I need to speak with you.”
“Okay...” She stood stiffly, trying her best to appear calm although she was starting to tense up.
“I'm sorry,” Angelica said, looking sad but also sheepish. Robyn instantly began to relax. “I know I'm old fashioned but I always thought that my grandchildren would be born to happily married parents. I'm sorry I behaved so horribly. Please forgive me.”
“Of course,” Robyn said, offering her brightest smile.
“Come, let's talk,” Angelica said, taking Robyn's hand. “I won't keep you long. I see you're about to take a shower.”
Robyn walked with Angelica to the orange room, which was a lovely orange and cream room. Angelica and Jared always used that very room each time they stayed for an overnight visit. Robyn sat with Angelica on a small cream colored couch and folded her hands in her lap.
Although she knew that Angelica wasn't about to berate her anymore, she was still cautious about not revealing too much to the older woman.
“How are you feeling?” Angelica asked. “I'm sorry I ruined your dinner.”
“I'm fine,” Robyn assured her. “And don't worry. I was finishing up anyway. I haven't been able to each much.”
“I can see you've lost weight. I thought you were just on a diet. Not that you needed to be dieting,” Angelica hurriedly added. “I never suspected that you were pregnant.”
“No one did,” Robyn acknowledged ruefully. “Everyone assumed that I was single, therefore I could not have possibly been who Elena was talking about.”
“Oh but you are! And I am so happy!” Angelica grinned before getting serious again. “Do you mind if I ask why...did you and Devin break up? I feel like you both are in love with each other. I can see the love you have for one another.”
“Of course we love each other,” Robyn began, “We've been friends since we were children...”
Her voice trailed off as Angelica shook her head.
Robyn thought about how much she could actually say. She didn't want to reveal too much to Angelica. She didn't want to make Devin out to be some villain but neither did she want Angelica to think that she was stubbornly rejecting him.
“We had a serious misunderstanding and we both got our feelings hurt,” Robyn said, keeping it as vague and as simple as possible. “That caused him to break up with me.”
Angelica was shaking her head, looking extremely sad. “If it was a misunderstanding then why can't you work it out?”
“The day it happened, I tried to talk it out but he didn't want to. I thought I was worth more than that to him. But he wouldn't even speak to me.” Robyn stared down at the thick orange carpet, thinking random thoughts so that she would not cry.
“I'd rather be single than ever feel like that again.” Robyn clinched the edge of her T-shirt in her hand nervously.
“Men are often pigheaded. But the smart ones will see the error of their ways.”
“Devin did see,” Robyn said. “But it's too late.”
“It doesn't have to be,” Angelica said, her voice dropped down to a whisper.
“But it is,” Robyn said firmly. “I can't give him another chance to treat me like that.”
“Okay,” Angelica whispered, standing up. “If you ever need anything, please call me. Call me even if you don't need anything.”
“I will,” Robyn agreed. Angelica would no longer just be a close family friend. She was her baby's grandmother. There was something so deep about that fact that it made Robyn both extremely happy and sad at the same time.
A few minutes later, when Robyn stepped under the hot spray of the shower, an incredible urge to weep came over her and she lay her forehead against the cool tile wall and gave in. She cried for herself, her broken heart and all her worries. She cried for Devin. She knew his heart was in the right place. She cried for their families and the disappointment that they obviously felt about the situation. Her shoulders shook with the power of her sobs and her throat began ache.
Obviously she would love nothing better than to be with Devin. To be free to love him and rely on him. And have him do the same with her. Those few months with him had been wo
nderful. But he'd jumped ship so quickly and wouldn't even discuss it with her. How would he act the next time they had a problem? Would he quit then too? She couldn't risk it although she was so desperate to take that risk.
She slowly calmed down but there was a hitch in her breathing. She bathed as quickly as she could and got out of the shower, fatigue setting in. She dried off and blew dry her hair, then got dressed in a long T-shirt. She'd packed a couple of extra things just in case and she was grateful that she had.
After she'd brushed her teeth, she opened the bathroom door and cautiously peered into the hallway. It was empty. She didn't want to bump into anyone. She didn't want to have any more conversations. She didn't want to see any more looks of pity or disappointment or even curiosity.
She rushed down the hallway to her room, hoping that Devin had left while also hoping he'd still be there waiting for her. She'd been gone for awhile so she braced herself for the possibility that he had gone.
But when she entered the room, he was leaning back in the chair with his feet propped up on the foot of the bed, talking on his phone while a movie blared on the television. She was annoyed at herself for the relief that she felt but it just couldn't be helped. She was head over heels and she'd been for some time. As long as she hid it, she'd eventually be fine. She hoped.
“Nah, we go back on Monday,” Devin was saying. He winked at her, a broad smile on his gorgeous face. “Corporate decided to stay closed since so many people are stuck outta town.”
Robyn hoped he wasn't talking to Casey. She couldn't wait until she saw the bitch. She was going to give her a piece of her mind.
Devin laughed. “Yeah, I am gonna enjoy it. How's the cruise?”
Robyn didn't realize that she'd been standing still for a moment, listening to Devin's side of the conversation just then. Once she heard him mention a cruise, she knew he was talking to his best friend, Linc, who was on a Christmas cruise with his parents. Devin wasn't the type to get loud, even when he lost his temper. But she still hoped he wouldn't be that civil to Casey after what she'd done.
Robyn got into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chest. Her shirt reached mid-thigh but she still felt self-conscious. Devin didn't look in her direction though. He continued his conversation. She looked at the TV and tried to get into the movie. But the constant explosions and shooting weren't her thing and she quickly got bored. She grabbed the remote to turn to another channel but decided to leave the movie on since she was sleepy anyway.
She thought about everything that had occurred that day and was glad that it was over and done with. All of her secrets were out. She didn't have to hide anything from anyone anymore. It was a great relief. It hadn't been nearly as bad as she'd predicted but it had still been stressful. She could finally move on. Her immediate task was to get ready for the baby and that was all she would focus on. She had to convince herself one way or another that that was all that mattered.
Devin knew the minute she'd fallen asleep. He could hear the difference in her breathing. He kept his voice down while he spoke to his best friend. He and Lincoln Thayer had been best friends since the first grade. They'd been through so much over the years and were as close as brothers.
Devin let Linc finish his story about the sexy cabaret singer that he'd been flirting with. Devin made the appropriate responses, or at least he hoped he did, before saying to his friend,
“I have some news.” He knew that he suddenly sounded very grave and told himself to lighten up.
“Oh, man, this must be serious,” Linc joked.
“It is.” Devin waited a beat before saying, “I'm going to be a father.”
“What!” His friend exclaimed loudly. “Man, please tell me it's not Casey. She is too desperate-”
“No,” Devin interjected, surprised that Linc had anything negative to say about Casey. His two best friends had always seemed to get along well. “It's Robyn.”
“Robyn?” Linc's voice was filled with disbelief.
“Yeah.” Devin grinned.
“Robyn Phillips? The girl you're practically related to?”
“Yeah, Robyn Phillips. And we're not related,” Devin reminded his friend in a gruff tone.
“I know but...damn...” Linc whistled. “What the hell is going on? How'd this happen?”
“We were together for a few months,” Devin admitted. “But nobody knew.”
“I knew you were getting some ass from somebody,” Linc said, laughing. “But I didn't know who. I figured you'd tell me when you were ready.”
“I think we would have told people soon, but we broke up.” Devin explained the rest of the situation, telling Linc about the breakup and his recent discovery that Casey was the cause of it.
“I'm not even surprised,” Linc muttered, his voice filled with disgust. “She's always been a bitch. But she hides it when you're around.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Devin asked, hating the idea that he'd been fooled by Casey.
“Whenever you had a girlfriend she would cock-block. I knew she wanted you from the first time you introduced me to her.”
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“I tried, man,” Linc said, quietly. “When we were, what, nineteen... You brought her to a party at my house. She followed you like she was your goddamn shadow. You know how many of those girls were there just to try to talk to you? And Casey wouldn't back off long enough to let them say more than hi.”
Devin remembered the night that his friend was talking about. Other than Linc and Casey, the only people that he'd spoken to had been a few guys he knew as well as Robyn and Peyton. And Peyton had been there with Keith so Casey had known she was no threat. Linc had told Devin to watch out for Casey but Devin had thought his friend was exaggerating.
“Fuck,” Devin whispered.
“Yeah,” Linc agreed. “After that, I didn't bother saying anything else. I figured you'd see it after awhile.”
Except he hadn't. He wondered how many women Casey had pushed away. He didn't care now. He hadn't been interested in settling down until getting close to Robyn.
“So did you and Robyn kiss and make up?” Linc teased again. “Damn, I can't believe you're with Robyn. She always was hot as hell.”
“Linc, shut the hell up,” Devin said, although he knew how most guys viewed Robyn. She was gorgeous. Linc had casually noted it a few times throughout the years. “And no, we're not back together yet. It's gonna take time.”
“You mean you can't win her over?” Linc asked, obviously enjoying his friend's suffering.
“Not yet. But I will.”
“What does that mean?”
“Don't worry about it. You'll see.”
“Sure,” Linc said skeptically. “You let me know when it's time to book a church.”
Devin knew that Linc was joking but that was his plan. And he felt confident that it would happen sooner rather than later. He just had to show Robyn that he was in this for the long haul. She was not going to be able to shake him. He wasn't going anywhere.
When he finally got off the phone with Linc, he went to take a shower, leaving Robyn's door unlocked. He was not going to sleep alone. She was his woman and it was about time that he started showing her what she meant to him. Everything would be different now. He'd make damn sure of it.
Chapter Ten
Robyn's bladder woke her up in the middle of the night. She opened her eyes, disoriented, and struggled to sit up. She was laying on Devin's chest and his hard arms encircled her waist. His chest rose and fell in the rhythm of his deep breathing as he slept. The more she tried to pull away from him, the tighter he held her. He usually was a possessive sleeper. She'd missed that. But right now, she just wanted to get to the bathroom before she had an accident.
“Devin,” She tapped his chest.
“Hmm...” He mumbled, still asleep.
“I need to get up,” She said, pushing away from him. He let her get up and she ran out of the room, down the hall, t
o the bathroom. No sooner did she sit down on the toilet did Devin burst in, looking worried.
“What the hell!” Robyn protested, her face heating up. “Get out!”
“I'm sorry,” Devin rushed to assure her, backing out of the door and closing it. “I thought you were sick.”
She wiped herself and flushed the toilet, her face feeling as if it was on fire. She tried not to overreact but she felt extremely embarrassed.
“I'm sorry,” Devin repeated from outside the door.
“Leave me alone,” Robyn said, staring in the mirror at her flushed cheeks, wild hair and over-bright brown eyes.
“Baby, don't be like that,” Devin said, his voice low. “It's not that serious. We all pee.”
“Shut up!” Robyn shouted, squeezing soap onto her hands so that could wash them. She'd been sitting on the toilet with probably the most embarrassing expression of relief ever on her face. And he said it wasn't serious.
“What's going on out here?” She heard her father's low voice.
“God,” Robyn muttered under her breath.
“Robyn's using the bathroom,” Devin replied innocently.
“I'm sure she would've made it to the bathroom on her own,” Quintin said sarcastically. “What's all that yelling about, Robyn?”
“N-nothing, Daddy,” Robyn quickly answered, opening the bathroom door. “I'm sorry I woke you up.”
“What's the matter?” Her father demanded.
“Nothing,” Robyn repeated, uncomfortable and annoyed.
Her father crossed his arms over his chest and looked suspiciously from her to Devin and back again.
“I walked in on her in the bathroom,” Devin supplied, shrugging his broad shoulders. “I thought she was sick.”
The frown that her father gave her would have been comical if she hadn't been so mortified.
“I'm going back to bed,” Quintin said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Robyn watched her father walk down the hall and kept her eyes on him until he'd entered his room and closed the door.
“I'm sorry,” Devin said again, but he was smiling.