She harrumphs and slumps into the couch a bit more. “I know. I know.” She folds her arms over her chest and sighs. “It’s Bryan. I feel like a fool about it all. I don’t like getting all pissy over a boy, but, well, I love him. I thought a lot about it today.”
“And?” I draw out the word, prompting her to continue.
“I know he might not be sure about us, but I am, and I’m not going to sit back and let our relationship fade away.” A mischievous grin creeps across her beautiful face and I know she’s up to something.
“What have you got planned, Mel?” I ask, arching an eyebrow in her direction.
She practically bounces up and down on the couch in delight of her little plan. “I just booked my flight! I’m going to surprise him for New Year’s Eve.” Clapping her hands together like an excited five year old, a gigantic smile splits her face.
“Oh, Mel, that’s great. I hope it all works out for you two.” I mean those words more than anything. Mel has always been my biggest cheerleader, supporting me in everything I do. I just hope she can find as much happiness as I have.
My phone vibrates in my pocket pulling my attention away from our conversation.
With a swipe of the finger, I answer the call. “Hey, Reid. Hold on. Let me get upstairs.”
I get up from the couch and turn around to Mel. “I’m going to take this upstairs.” I wave over my shoulder as I walk away from her and she rolls her eyes at me and my need to talk to my boyfriend in private.
I close the door behind me and flop on my bed. “Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Much better now that I’m talking to you.” His voice makes my stomach do this crazy flip-flop thing. Even talking to him on the phone makes me all giddy and excited.
“So, I have some good news for you.” I dangle the words out there to bait him in.
“Oh, yeah. And what would that be?” God, the gruffness of his words is so freaking sexy.
“I got my cast off yesterday. So, do you know what that means?” I pause and let him think for a quick second, but before he can say anything, I try to make my words as sexy and flirty as possible. “That means that you can finally tie me up like you promised.”
The line goes silent.
A few moments later, I ask, “You still there, babe?” I know he’s still there; I can hear him breathing heavily.
He clears his throat. “Um, yeah. I’m here.” I hear him shift on whatever it is that he’s sitting on. “God, I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
A soft chuckle comes out as I say, “Yeah, you miss me or something?”
“Let’s just say that my hand and I are getting a little reacquainted, and just thinking about tying you to a bed is not helping my situation.” I hear him sigh.
“What’s wrong, I mean other than missing me of course?” There’s a playful tone to my words, but when I hear him take a deep breath before speaking, I get the distinct feeling that something is wrong.
“I spoke to my internship coordinator and they weren’t able to get me something in Elmira.” He sounds pissed.
My stomach drops at the thought that we’ll have to be separated for longer than this week. I know it sounds childish—lots of people spend much longer than just a few months away from one another.
“So what does that mean?” I wish my voice wasn’t shaking. I want to support him in whatever he chooses, but I can’t help but feel disappointed in this recent development.
“Move here with me, Maddy. Please.” His calm command catches me off guard.
“You know I can’t Reid. I just got the job and Momma’s here and I already withdrew from classes.” We can both hear the anxiety rising in my voice.
“You already withdrew?” He’s surprised. I guess I never told him that.
“Yes. Just the other day. When you told me you were going to move your internship, I filled out the paperwork right away. I’m pregnant, Reid, remember? I don’t belong on a college campus.” I’m so flustered I can’t even figure out how to explain it all to him.
“Unfucking believable. I said I would try to move it. I never said it was a guarantee.” Disgust and anger are starting to permeate his words. His tone changes and we start arguing over the whole thing. Quickly, we resort to ugly habits—raised voices, name calling. When some of the anger recedes and we both realize that we’re not going to get anywhere while we’re yelling at each other, I hear him take a deep breath.
Sighing into the phone, he says, “But you belong here, with me. Move here, please.” He’s begging, pleading with me, but I just can’t give in that easily.
“Baby, please. I want to live with you, please just give me some time to think things out. I can’t just up and leave everything that I’ve started here either.” I pause and try to rack my brain for possible options. “If you can’t move the internship and I can’t leave my job and my new school, what choices do we have left?” Maybe he can think of something that I’m not seeing.
He puffs out a deep breath. “Well, it means that I have two choices. Stay here until the end of May when the internship ends. Or, leave it and move to Elmira with you and find something entirely different.”
I know this internship is a huge opportunity for him and the fact that he is even considering giving it up to move closer to me speaks volumes for his love. But if he stays there, he’ll miss out on pretty much the entire pregnancy. I’m so torn about what to say to him. I know the consequences of forcing his decision one way or the other, so, rather than say anything to try and sway his choice, I just ask, as sweetly and calmly as I can in a vain attempt to hide my anxiety, “What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure, yet. Please believe me, Maddy. I want to be there with you. I really do, but it’s just that I have worked so hard to get this position and it means so much to me both personally and professionally. I don’t want to just up and abandon it without really giving some hard thought.” He sighs again and there’s a twinge of pain in my chest at feeling like we are going to be separated. “I really thought they would be able to place me somewhere else. I’m so sorry, Maddy.”
Neither one of us says anything right away. I sit in silence at the thought at our current situation. Scoffing at my initial reaction, I gather my thoughts and begin speaking. “It’s okay, Reid. Really, it’s fine. And no, I don’t mean ‘fine’ in that girl code that means ‘fine-but-only-if-you-ultimately-choose-what-I-want-you-to-choose’ way.”
That gets him to laugh a little.
“I mean fine in that I totally understand and you’re right. You have worked your incredibly fine ass off for this job and for this career. It’s only a two hour drive, so we can still spend the weekends together.” Now that I’ve rationalized it aloud, I even see the simplicity of it. Yeah, the weeks will be a bit boring and lonely, but I’ve made friends at work. I could finally put those mad crocheting skills that Aunt Maggie taught me to use.
“You’re amazing, Maddy. I still want to think about it a little, but I love that you’re behind me.” There’s true appreciation in his words. I think back to Momma’s words of advice—about how two people in love have to learn to support each other through the most difficult times. She is one smart woman.
“No, baby. I’m not behind you. I’m right next to you. I love you.” It’s cheesy, but I have to say it.
We talk about other minor details over the next two hours, each of us teasing the other about what we bought as Christmas gifts. I want to ask if he’s heard from his mother, but I know that if it’s something that he wants to share, he will.
When I can no longer keep my eyes open, we say goodnight and I long to feel his arms wrap around my body, his lips press against mine.
Lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim me, I get lost in the excitement of getting to see Reid tomorrow afternoon. Then I remember that I’ll also get the chance to see another sonogram of my baby tomorrow as well.
I fold my hands over my belly and, while it’s still mostly f
lat, I can feel it starting to round just slightly—softening here and there. I whisper softly, “Daddy will be back tomorrow.”
As I drift off to a peaceful slumber, visions of Reid and I caring for our baby color my dreams. Tomorrow is going to be a good day.
Chapter 14
Friday December 21, 2012
Thank God I’m working the front desk today. Taking calls and making appointments is keeping my mind, and my hands for that matter, occupied. Constantly having some kind of task to accomplish leaves no room for my mind to wander to other, more important things—like Reid and the baby.
As the office begins to clear out for lunch, I head into the staff break room so that I can start to gather my things. Kathy gave me the rest of the day off since it’s a slow day for appointments anyway. And, since the office is closed next week for Christmas, there wasn’t much of a reason to have me come back in.
When I return to the front office, I notice a small group of co-workers huddled together behind the partition. They’re staying out of view of the waiting room, chatting animatedly and ogling someone out there. Even I have to admit that the Fed-Ex delivery guy is pretty hot. I laugh at myself as I wonder what kind of ‘package’ the girls must be thinking about.
I sneak up behind them and tap Nikki on the shoulder. “What are you guys doing back here?” I’m whispering, but I have no clue why. Nikki is the youngest of the group. At twenty-five years old, she is the closest to me in age. She’s tall and lean, long brown hair that shines even in the dull fluorescent office lighting. Even I can admit that she’s beautiful.
She turns around to me with her forefinger pressed up against her lips indicating that I should keep my voice down. It’s pointless really because they’re giggling like a bunch of school girls. I can’t see what the hell they’re looking at, though; they’re all blocking my view. After checking the waiting room once more, Nikki turns back to me and wraps her arm around my shoulder to pull me to the front of the group. “We’re looking at him, Mr. Hottie McHot Pants out in the waiting room.”
It’s Reid. And Hottie McHot Pants doesn’t even come close to describing him. My insides clench and my heart thuds in my chest at the sight of him. He is so damn beautiful it’s impossible not to react to him. He’s wearing his signature casual-but-sexy-as-fuck attire—dark wash jeans that are tight in all the right places, a simple T-shirt that molds to the planes and ridges of his muscled arms and chest. His aviator sunglasses are tucked into the front of his shirt and he looks like he’s posing for a modeling advertisement. The real kicker, though, is the leather jacket. He looks like sex on a stick. Sex on a bad-boy stick and he’s all mine.
He’s sitting in one of the chairs, his left ankle propped up on his right knee. Thumbing through some magazine, he looks beyond disinterested and he doesn’t even realize the girls swooning over him. None of them know who he is. None of them know that he’s mine, so when Nikki breaks away from the group to go “introduce herself,” I let her. I want to see how this plays out.
They’re too far away to really hear anything, but as Nikki stands in front of Reid, he barely looks up at her. He shakes his head no and I see him scan the room and the reception area looking for me. God, I love him.
Defeated and slightly embarrassed, Nikki returns to us. We all giggle at her dejected face. “Not interested, huh?” I ask, curious to hear how the conversation went.
She huffs. “Whatever! He said he was waiting for someone. Who the hell meets someone at a dentist’s office?”
My lips twitch as I try to stifle my laughter. Plastering a look of confidence on my face, I say, “Hmm. Let me give it a try.” I know full well how it’s going to play out. I just want to see the look on their faces.
I strut out into the reception area with my bag slung over my shoulder. As soon as he sees me, he stands gracefully from his chair and strides over to me. Without saying a word, when we’re no more than a foot apart, I drop my bag to floor and reach up on my tippy toes. My arms wrap around his neck and my fingers tangle into his silky hair.
Our lips meet soft and sweet at first, but after a week of being separated, the heat consumes us quickly. My soft body pressing up against his hard muscles sends shivers down my spine and causes my flesh to pimple. When his full and sexy lips slant over mine and his tongue darts out to dance with mine, I remember that we have an audience.
I pull away from him. I’m sure my eyes are glazed with lust, and my voice is breathless and heavy—all I can manage is a soft “Hi.”
“Hey yourself, babe.” He kisses my forehead bends down to pick up my bag for me. “I hope you don’t greet everyone who walks in here like that.” He mocks playfully as I pull him over to Nikki and the other girls.
Their faces are wide and shocked, but I can’t hide the mischievous grin that curls the corners of my mouth. Standing in front of the girls with our fingers laced together, I introduce them to Reid. “Girls, this is Reid.” I eye him up and down just so I can drink him in once more, before adding, “My boyfriend.”
He smiles what I assume is his well-rehearsed and often-used sexy grin and says, “Hi ladies.” I can’t help but roll my eyes at their sighing and swooning. Don’t get me wrong, Reid is completely swoon-worthy, but come on, I’m standing right here. I don’t mind that he’s being playful with them, but enough is enough. I don’t want to be late for the appointment.
Nikki gives me the side-eye through all of this, but I know she’s playing with me. Draping his arm around my shoulder, he says to the girls, “Well, it was nice meeting you, but we have to get somewhere.” I look up at him as he winks down at me.
He pulls me towards the door and I glance over my shoulder at my friends, who still have rather stupefied looks on their faces, and wave goodbye. I can’t stifle the giggles that surface.
When we get to the parking lot, I don’t see the pick-up truck anywhere. Then I remember that it was Jack’s truck and getting a new car was on Reid’s to-do list for the week.
He walks us over to a newer, but not brand new, hunter green Jeep Cherokee. It’s a far cry from his muscle car—you know the one that was totaled in my accident.
He opens my door and walks around to his side. As he pulls out of the parking lot, he looks over at me. “So, what do you think? It’s nice, right?” He’s talking about the car and if I’m not mistaken, his chest puffs slightly with pride. He starts to pull out into traffic and I give him the directions to the doctor’s office. It’s no more than ten minutes and a few turns away.
Returning back to his question, after briefly inspecting the clean interior, I lean on my door and face him. “It’s really nice, babe. But I have to say, I didn’t expect this. I figured you would go and buy the first available racecar.” I arch an eyebrow at him. He thinks I don’t realize how much the statement “fast cars and fast women” used to apply to him. There are times that even I’m in awe of how much he’s changed in such a short span of time. If I hadn’t been there for each step of his transformation, I wouldn’t believe it myself. I know he’s changed—in my soul, I know it. But now, seeing this so un-Reid-like car, his changes seem even more real.
He runs his hands around the leather steering wheel and settles them at the bottom of it. He drives with one hand as he reaches for my hand with the other. Eyeing the backseat through the rear-view mirror, he squeezes my hand gently. “I guess I just figured this had a little more room. You know, for the baby and all.”
And just like that, my heart melts.
I squeeze his hand tightly and tears sting the back of my eyes at the sweetness of his actions. A vision comes to life in my head—me sitting in the back seat next to our baby who is securely tucked into his, or her, new car seat. I can see Reid driving as carefully as possible as he takes us home from the hospital. Our first car ride as a family.
I have no clue where home will be at that point, but I’m not worried about that anymore. I know that we’ll figure it all out when the time comes. There was a time when all that concer
ned me was where I belonged, but now, I know without an ounce of doubt, that I will always have a place, a purpose.
Thinking about our baby sparks another question to mind. “So, I don’t think they’ll be able to tell us for another few months, but how do you feel about finding out the gender of the baby?” I’m trying to bite back the anxiety of talking about the baby. Part of me really wants to know, but part of me couldn’t care less.
My question catches him off guard. I doubt he’s thought much about it. I mean he only really just came around to the idea of having a baby so I didn’t expect much of a reaction.
He clears his throat and murmurs, “Umm,” but he doesn’t say any actual words. He turns into the parking lot and kills the engine. Turning towards me, he clears his throat again. “I hadn’t really thought about it, Maddy. I mean, I guess as long as it’s healthy, it doesn’t really matter, right?” He still sounds pretty nervous about having a baby. I can’t blame him.
He looks so freaking adorable sitting across from me talking about our baby. “You’re right. It doesn’t matter, not that we have any control of it anyway. I just didn’t know if you had strong feelings about finding out the gender ahead of time.” He looks at me and his face prompts me to continue talking.
“I guess I’d rather not find out. We’ve both been through so much that it’ll be nice to be surprised.” I shrug my shoulders to make it seem like it really doesn’t matter to me. And it doesn’t; I know that meeting my baby for the first time will be the happiest moment of my life, but the more I think about it, the more I want to wait to find out.
He leans across the seat and kisses me sweetly. “That sounds perfect.” After one last kiss, we exit the car.
Sitting in the waiting room is an interesting experience, to say the least. There are a few other women in here with us in varying states of their pregnancies. When one woman stands, and I use the word ‘stand’ loosely—she has to rock back and forth on the chair a few times to catch some forward momentum in order to launch her gigantic belly up from the seat—Reid and I both look at her with a mixture of amazement and fear.
The Love Series Complete Box Set Page 38