Perfect Storm (The Exes #1)

by Cheryl Douglas

I grabbed the bottled water she left behind and took it to her. “Here, thought you might need this.”

  She grimaced, looking mortified as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. “Thanks. Sorry, about that.”

  “No problem.” I stood beside the sink, rubbing her back as she washed her hands and brushed her teeth with the toothbrush she kept there. “You feel a bit better now?”

  She nodded, unable to meet my gaze in the mirror. “I think I’m just gonna head home now and crawl into bed. I just need to sleep it off.”

  “Take a few days. I’m serious. Even if you do wake up feeling better, I don’t want to see your ass in here tomorrow.”

  “I have to get up early in the morning anyhow,” she said, groaning when she finally looked at her reflection in the mirror. She tried to rub away the streaks of smeared eyeliner, to no avail.

  “Why? What’s so important it can’t wait ‘til you’re feeling better?”

  “Doctor’s appointment. Then I have a job interview.”

  “What?”

  “I meant what I said about selling you the bar.” She looked at me in the mirror. “I think I’m going to go back to selling real estate. You know I’ve kept my license, just in case. I have an appointment with my old brokerage in the morning.”

  “What the hell?” I asked, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face me. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

  “A couple of weeks,” she said, shrugging off my touch.

  So since we’d had the talk in her apartment. I shouldn’t have been too surprised that had been the catalyst. No wonder she wanted to cut all ties with me now. A man who’d been relieved his girlfriend miscarried wasn’t the kind Cory would want in her life.

  “And you’re waiting until now to tell me? Don’t you think you should have…” I paused, looking at her a little closer. “You said you’d already been the doctor and he said you were fine. Why the hell do you have to go back tomorrow?”

  “I, uh, just have to get a prescription for some… vitamins.”

  “Since when do they give prescriptions for vitamins?”

  She bit her lip. “I’ve been a little run down lately. Probably wants to check my iron, maybe give me iron pills.”

  “Something isn’t adding up. First you-”

  “Will you stop interrogating me! I feel like shit. I can’t deal with this right now.”

  I watched her storm out of the room and heard her slam the door to the outer office before I pulled my phone out and fired off a text to Tracey. If anyone could tell me what was going on with Cory it would be her.

  ***

  I was surprised Tracey had agreed to let me come over, but when I arrived she invited me into her tidy bungalow and offered me a cup of coffee.

  When we were sitting in her living room with her spoiled cat curled up in her lap, I asked, “What the hell’s going on with Cor? And don’t tell me nothing ‘cause I know that’s bullshit.”

  “You’re not dragging me into this, Jace. This is between you and Cory.”

  I set my mug down on the coffee table. “Then you admit there is something going on? Something I don’t know?”

  She focused all of her attention on the purring cat, stroking him gently. “How should I know what you know?”

  She wasn’t making any sense, a sure sign she was nervous. “What are you two trying to hide from me? Is Cory sick?”

  Her head shot up and her eyes softened. She must have spotted the fear in mine. “No, it’s nothing like that. She’s fine.”

  “Then what is it?” I asked, throwing my arms up in the air. “Why does she want to sell her half of the business all of a sudden? Why is she going back to selling real estate?”

  “She made a lot of money in real estate,” Tracey said, carefully. “And she has been talking about buying a little house lately. Maybe she figures if she sold her half of the bar and got back into real estate, she could do that.”

  This wasn’t adding up. I knew Cory wasn’t a big spender. She had a lot of money saved up, more than enough for a down payment on a house. And she’d made as much working with me last year as she had her best year in real estate.

  “She told me she’s not seeing anyone. That true?”

  “She’s not,” Tracey said, definitively. “This has nothing to do with another man.”

  “Then what the hell am I missing?”

  She drew a deep breath, finally focusing her eyes on me. “I think she’s just come to the realization there’s no going back for you two. That only gives her one other option: to move forward without you.”

  “Did she tell you what I told her?” I knew these girls shared everything and since I hadn’t sworn Cory to secrecy, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d confided in her best friend. “About what happened back in high school?”

  “Um yeah, she mentioned it.”

  “Is that when she decided to cut ties with me?” God, this was killing me. If I’d known she was going to react this way I never would have told her the truth. “I mean, the last two weeks she’s barely been able to look me in the eye.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Tracey mumbled.

  “But we had this moment tonight where she wrapped her arms around me and I got the feeling she really needed me, ya know? Like she was holding back, but didn’t want to. Any idea what that was about?”

  She shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving that damned cat.

  “You’re lying. Why are you both lying to me? What is she trying to hide?”

  “You’re going to have to give her some time,” she said, gently. “Please don’t push her too hard right now, Jace. That’s the last thing she needs.”

  “So, what are you saying?” Now I was getting pissed. “That I should just roll over and give her whatever the hell she wants? Sell her the business? Let her walk out of my life?”

  “You really don’t have a choice. Even if you don’t want to buy her share of the bar someone else will. It’s a very profitable business.”

  “No one else is going to get their goddamn hands on that bar. It’s mine. And hers.” I rubbed my hand over my forehead. “Damn it, it’s ours. And I want it to go on being ours. I need her. I don’t know if I can do it without her.”

  She looked sympathetic when she said, “You’ll be just fine running it without her. You know that place like the back of your hand.”

  “That’s not the point. I don’t want to run it without her.”

  “But she said you’d offered to buy her share a dozen times.”

  “Sure, when I was hurt and pissed that she’d dumped me. When I saw her kissing that asshole-”

  “You know she didn’t kiss him, right?”

  My head snapped up. “What?”

  “You may have thought you saw them kissing, but what you saw was him kissing her. After you left, she told him she was only interested in him as a friend.”

  “Why?”

  She slapped her palm against her forehead. “Isn’t it obvious? She wasn’t over you. She didn’t want to drag someone else into the drama.”

  “What am I going to do?” I groaned, sinking back in the cushions. “I still love that girl so damn much. This is killing me.”

  “You love her?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Prove it. Give her what she’s asking for. Her freedom.”

  Chapter Eight

  Cory

  I tried pulling the blanket over my head when someone knocked on my door. I knew I should have moved to a security building. Then I wouldn’t have assholes bothering me when I was trying to wallow.

  I sat up straighter when I heard a key in the lock. “What-”

  Tracey shook her head at me. “You should have known when you gave this to me that I’d actually use it.”

  “That was supposed to be for emergencies,” I muttered, sinking beneath the heavy blanket.

  “This is an emergency,” she said, pushing my feet out of the way so she could sit at the end of the couch. “Jac
e came by to see me tonight. He has a lot of questions.”

  I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head. “Probably because I threw up in front of him tonight.”

  “He did ask if you were sick,” she confirmed. “But he also asked why you were suddenly so willing to sell him the business.”

  “Ugh. I should have known this wouldn’t be easy.”

  “How the hell do you expect it to be easy, dumbass?” She slapped my calf. “You’re pregnant with his baby.”

  “A baby he doesn’t want.”

  “I don’t care what you say. You have to tell him.”

  “I don’t have to do anything.” But I knew she was right. I wasn’t like that. I couldn’t keep him in the dark about something so epic. Even if he did hate me for being stupid enough to let it happen.

  “Don’t be a bitch, Cor. You know you do.”

  I rolled over on my back, bringing my legs up so my cold feet rested under her thighs. “How am I going to tell him? He’s going to hate me.” And living with that would be even harder than losing him, especially since I loved him even more now that I’d confirmed his baby was growing inside me.

  “He won’t hate you. One thing I’m sure of: that man loves you.”

  I linked my hands over my stomach. It was still flat, but it would only be a few months before I had that telltale bump. Jace would hate that. A constant reminder of a baby he’d never wanted. “He may have loved me. But he won’t when he finds out what I did.”

  She reached for the remote to mute the TV. “Would you stop? You’re acting like you did this on purpose. You didn’t. You took expired pills. Is it a bonehead move? Sure. But you’re probably not the first woman it’s happened to.”

  I glared at her. “If you’re trying to make me feel better it’s not working.”

  She sighed. “You want me to come to the doctor with you tomorrow?”

  I loved her for offering, but I had to get used to doing this stuff alone. “No, it’s okay. I already took three home tests, so it’s just a formality.”

  “Jace aside,” she said, smiling. “How do you feel about this? You’ve wanted to be a mom for a long time.”

  The reality was just starting to sink in since I’d taken the tests yesterday morning. I was going to be a mom. A single mom. “I didn’t plan to do it alone, but I can’t be sorry it happened.”

  “Hey,” Tracey said, patting my knee. “Don’t you worry about a thing. You have me and your family. Even if Jace doesn’t want to be a part of his or her life-”

  “I’m pretty sure that’s a given.” Which made me so sad. Sad for him. Sad for me. But most of all, sad for our baby. They’d grow up without knowing what a great guy their dad was. “I told him I had a couple of pregnancy scares while we were together and you should have seen how freaked out he got. I can’t imagine how he’ll react when he realizes this is the real deal.”

  “Maybe he’ll take it better than you think he will. Could be he’s lived without you long enough to know he’d make any sacrifice to be with you.”

  I stared at the silent TV screen, smiling when a diaper commercial came on. “A baby shouldn’t feel like a sacrifice, Trace. It’s a blessing.”

  “You don’t know. Maybe he’ll see it that way. You just have to give him a little time to get over the initial shock.”

  Fortunately he had nine months to get used to the idea. “Did he say if he plans to buy my half of the bar? I really don’t want to look for another buyer. It could take months to find someone Jace approves of.” And I didn’t want to be around him every day when I started to show. That wasn’t fair to either one of us.

  “No, but I have a feeling he’ll come around when he realizes you’re leaving no matter what.”

  “It’s not like I have a choice,” I said, rolling over on my side. “I can’t work ‘til all hours with a baby. Besides, I’ll need the cash to get us out of this crappy little apartment.”

  “Yeah, but you have money saved, right?”

  “Sure, but babies are expensive and real estate is unpredictable. I need to know I can take care of my baby without having to go to anyone else for help.”

  “Hey, you know I’m always here for you,” she said, tapping my leg. “So are your parents. And your brother. But I really don’t think you’re going to have to worry about that. Jace may be a lot of things, but a deadbeat isn’t one of them. He takes care of his responsibilities.”

  “But I don’t want him to see us that way,” I said, staring at the dingy white ceiling as tears burned my eyes. Pregnancy hormones were a bitch. And they were just starting. I couldn’t imagine what I had to look forward to. Not that I was complaining. No sacrifice would be too great to bring a healthy baby into the world.

  “As a responsibility?” she asked, looking confused. “An obligation? But this baby is his responsibility and he is obligated to take care of him or her.”

  “I know. But I want to do it on my own. Jace didn’t ask for this and it’s not fair to burden him with it. I knew how he felt about having a baby and-”

  “Screw that! He was in that room too, and if he was so adamant about not wanting a kid he should have kept it wrapped instead of relying solely on you to take care of the birth control.”

  I leaned forward, giving her a hug. Cause no matter how shitty I felt about myself she always managed to make me feel better.

  ***

  One day and my whole life had changed. I had a new job, an estimated due date, and an offer in on a little house in a ‘family-friendly’ neighborhood. The only thing left to take care of was the bar. My final tie to the man I loved. Well… except for the baby I was carrying. They would always be a reminder of him.

  I walked into the bar an hour before the staff was ready to start their shift and found Jace behind the bar taking inventory of the bottles.

  “Hey you,” I said, sliding on to a bar stool.

  “Hey yourself,” he said, turning to face me. “I didn’t expect to see you today. I thought I gave you strict orders to stay home and get some rest.”

  “I’ll have plenty of time to rest,” I said, looking around at what we’d built. “Just as soon as you give me a check for my half of this place.”

  “So you’re still determined to go through with the sale?” he asked, thrusting a hand into his hair. “I thought you’d have come to your senses by now.”

  “Already got the ball rolling,” I said, with a sad smile. “New job. New house. New life.”

  If only he knew. I told myself I’d wait until I’d passed the first trimester, when I was out of the danger zone. There was no sense freaking him out if something happened and I wasn’t able to carry the baby… I shut those thoughts down. I was going to do everything in my power to protect my little person. It was me and them against the world now.

  “I hate this you know.”

  “I know you do.”

  Jace was an Alpha male through and through. Always liked to be in control, had to call all the shots. Thought he knew what was best for everyone. Especially me. Taking care of me had become like his part-time job. That’s how I knew he’d be an amazing dad too, if only he were willing to give himself the chance. He had that protective instinct. The dad gene, my dad called it.

  “But this is the way it has to be.”

  He tossed the tablet down on the bar, scowling at it. “If there’s no way I can talk you out of it-”

  “There isn’t.”

  There was only one thing he could say that would change everything. I want this baby. But in my gut I knew I’d never hear those words leave his lips. Men like Jace didn’t change. When they had their minds made up they stuck to it, no matter the cost.

  “Fine,” he said, looking bitter. “I’ll have the check to you by next week.”

  “Thanks.” When he reached behind him to pour a drink, I grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes. “You don’t need that.”

  “You don’t know what the hell I need. If you did you wouldn’t be bailing on me.”


  “I’m leaving for your own good,” I said, gently. “And mine.” And our baby’s.

  “How can you say that?” he asked, pouring too much Jack into a crystal glass. “None of this is going to make our situation better. It’s going to make it worse. For me, at least. I’m going to go from being sad and frustrated to bitter and mother-fucking-miserable.” He held up the glass in a silent toast. “Here’s to me following in the old man’s footsteps.”

  “Don’t do that,” I said, grabbing his wrist. “Don’t act like you don’t have a choice. You always have a choice.” Just like I had a choice, not to let a self-destructive drunk be a part of my child’s life.

  “Easy for you to say,” he said, pouring another drink after he downed the first one. “You’re the one calling all the shots.”

  There was no point talking to him when he was in this mood. I slid off the barstool and told him I’d be back to collect my things another time.

  “So this is it?” he asked, staring at me in disbelief. “It’s really going to end like this?”

  If only it were that easy. I wasn’t sure there would ever be an end to us, not now. Even if he made some inept, half-assed attempt to be a father, for however long he could stand it, I knew he’d always be on my mind now. I’d look into my child’s face and see his looking back at me. His smile. Maybe his eyes. I shuddered at the thought. It would be haunting. And heart-breaking.

  “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Jace. We still have some unfinished business, you and I.” I drew back, tapping my hand on the solid surface of the bar. “But this isn’t the time to talk about it.”

  “When then?”

  I looked at the glass halfway to his lips. “When you realize the answer to all your problems isn’t at the bottom of that glass.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jace

  I invited Jude to the bar for a few drinks after he finished work, but after the way Cory looked at me the other day, the disgust written all over her face, I couldn’t bring myself to touch the shit. Jude joked when I ordered a soft drink, but I didn’t care. Cory’s opinion of me mattered more than anyone else’s and I didn’t want her to see me become the man my mother had left.