"Ryley! I'm home!" Liam roars from the garage entrance.
Ryley rolls her eyes and smiles at me then her look turns to confusion when she sees my shocked expression.
I thought they were busy all day. Shit! Jack's going to be hurt that I didn't go see him first! Fuck!
"Hey, babe, in the kitchen," she yells out rocking the baby back and forth, eyeballing me strangely.
"Ryley, I didn't tell anyone I was coming up," I whisper frantically.
"What?!" her harsh whisper makes me laugh.
Fuck!
"No! It was all last minute. A surprise… for everyone!"
"Shit! Um… go. Hide in the pantry. I'll get him out of here." She shuffles me off to the pantry and closes the door as soon as I hear Liam walk into the room.
There's a lot of boots hitting her floor from what I can hear. Oh shit. That can only mean one thing.
"Hey, Ry," Jack's deep voice cuts into the silence.
Shit, shit, shit!
I have two options at this point; either stay in here and hash it out later, or pop out and surprise the shit out of everyone.
Of course, I opt for option two.
Checking to make sure there's no feet standing in front of the pantry door, I swing it open as fast as I can and jump out of the pantry. Three things happen all at the same time.
1. Liam screams like a small child, and I'm fairly certain he sharted because something starts to stink.
2. Ryley yells something, but it's drowned out by Liam's high pitched screams.
3. Jack, with all of his glorious muscles, slams the door right in my face.
"Fuck!" I scream grabbing my nose running to the sink.
When I see the blood start to mix with the water twirling down the drain, I immediately regret my decision.
"Shit," I curse.
"Oh my God, Jenny!" Jack bellows, his hands immediately on me. "Oh shit, baby. Oh my God, I'm so sorry. What the…. God, are you okay?" He's pulled my hair back and I hear Liam cracking up in the background.
"I'm fine. That was a stupid fucking mistake," I mumble.
Dammit, I hope this entire thing wasn't a stupid fucking mistake. I guess I didn't really think it through all that much. But I've always done what I wanted when I wanted it and not worried about pissing people off, so why start now?
"Dammit, baby. I'm so fucking sorry." He keeps apologizing but it's no one's fault but my own.
Who would've known he'd have a reaction like that?
I'm finding it hard not to laugh at this entire situation. Standing over the sink, Liam's wails keep ringing in my head, now the laughter coming from him and the attentiveness from Jack. It's all too much.
"Oh my God," I laugh standing up while holding a towel to my nose. "Are you fucking serious, Liam?!" I say as I notice him videotaping all of this.
Jack grunts and turns me towards him. "Baby, what the…. What are you doing here? Why didn't you call me?"
"I did. You didn't answer so I thought I'd stop in here first to talk to Ryley since someone spilled the beans before I was able to," I say glaring at Liam.
"Ha!" is all the response from him that I get.
"Right, but again. What are you doing here? Not that I'm not ecstatic, but it's the middle of the week, Jenny. Is everything okay?"
"Can I not just want to see my husband?" I ask grinning and hugging him then push my lips against his.
Liam groans, Ryley swoons, and Able starts to laugh.
"Go back to playing, Able. Nothing to see here," Liam says ushering him out of the room.
Little sneak.
Jack gives me a look and I sigh. Now or never, Bang.
"Fine. Let's sit. I have something to tell you all," I say walking towards the dining room table. Once the four of us are all at the table I throw it out there. "You guys are going to be seeing a lot more of me from now on," I start, grinning.
Liam whines but it ends abruptly when Ryley smacks him. Giggling, I keep going, watching Jack's face for a reaction. So far he still looks perplexed. I'll fix that.
"I closed shop yesterday. Lots of legal talk and building problems, and all kinds of shit I didn't want to deal with. It struck me I really didn't want to live in Tennessee anymore. My life is here." I smile looking at Jack's beaming face. "I couldn't take another day without you, babe," I say to him, then turn to Ryley. "And I know you're upset about the wedding but I'll make it up to you. I just want to be near my friends and family. I don't like the long distance thing anymore. LDR's suck."
"I don't either, but, Jenny…." he trails off then looks at me and cocks his head and grins.
"Dude, thumbs up!" Liam says from across the table.
It's kind of strange and dorky, but this is Liam we're talking about. Maybe it's his new thing.
Ryley laughs and Jack rolls his eyes at him then goes on. "You know what… I'm stoked. I'm beyond stoked. I mean… I can finally live with my damn wife!" He stands abruptly and the realization hits him. "I can finally live with you!" He grabs my hand and pulls me up. "Ryley, Liam, it's been awesome. We're leaving. Now." He growls and pulls me toward the door. "Bye, Able!" he calls out before yanking me outside and into his truck before I'm able to remind him of all my bags. "I need to get you home." He laughs loudly. "Home! Oh God, sweetheart, this is insane!" His hand hits the steering wheel and he's so happy it reminds me of our wedding night.
I know we're eventually going to need to talk about why I did what I did, but Jack has something else on his mind right now and I'm totally okay with that.
Sitting almost on top of him the entire drive home, by the time the truck stops I can't hold it back anymore.
"I stopped my pills," I blurt "My birth control. I stopped taking them."
My heart is racing, I'm scared he's going to be pissed, but when he turns to look at me I see no signs on anger.
"Really?" he whispers, eyes wide, grin spreading across his face into a full blown smile.
"I had to. I took a fertility test the other day. I'm crazy low, so I stopped birth control to hopefully spend a few months being careful, hell it could take up to a year in some cases, but I want my levels to be normal again when we decide to start a family."
Without words he pulls me on his lap and pushes his lips against mine.
"I love you, Jenny." His hands cup my face and he stares at me adoringly. "So much, sweetheart."
"I love you too, Mr. Bang," I say, still getting used to him taking my last name.
His hands slide up my dress and he moans when he realizes I'm not wearing underwear. Biting my lip as he kisses me, he slips two fingers inside me and I instinctively start to grind on his hand.
"I don't think I can wait to get your sweet ass inside, baby," he whispers onto my neck.
I take that as an invitation and reach down, struggling only slightly to undo his pants and set him free. Kissing him deeply, I lift up and slide onto him, immediately starting to pump and groan from the feeling of being so full.
"Fuck, baby," he growls thrusting his hips up to meet my movements.
It's not surprising, but it doesn't take me long.
"Fuck, Jack. Oh fuck, I'm gonna come," I whimper when I find that perfect rhythm between the two of us.
Dammit, he feels so good!
"Come, Jenny. Come with me," he whispers then latches onto my neck as we ride out our orgasms together.
Gasping for air, I rest my head on his shoulder until I feel him soften and slip out of me. Giggling, I lift off of him and he hands me a napkin from his glove box to clean up with. Smiling and kissing me, he can't keep his body off of mine.
Shit, at this rate we'll never make it in the house!
"So, how about that luggage?" He smiles and laughs. "I kind of forgot Cupcake too. We should probably head back and get her.
Three hours, two beers each, and one huge, epic battle of Apples to Apples (Liam and Ry are damn cheaters) and we're home for the night, ready to start living as husband and wife under one roof.
Home.
I've never been too happy to call a place home. I never felt welcome in my parents' house, and the condo I was living in down in Tennessee was just that. A condo. It was a place for me to stay when I wasn't working.
This is different. I now live here. I love his house, and I've always wanted a house like this, out in the middle of nowhere, but close enough to make it to the store in under thirty minutes. It's perfect. He's perfect. We're fucking perfect!
***
It's been a month since living up here. I've never lived with a man outside my parents' house, so of course there are going to be little tiffs about small details, but I almost look forward to those fights because it means amazing makeup sex. No, we're actually getting along beautifully for our circumstance.
Jack and I, along with the help of one of his contractors, started drawing up ideas for a new office. Liam and Ry are finally letting us watch the kids again after Ryley getting over the fact that I gave Able juice at midnight. I've made a few friends, but I can't remember their names until I see their faces. It's terrible, but all I want to do is stay in my 'Jack bubble'.
Sure, I want to work. I have to work, but I'm not going to rush into it. It took a week just for my belongings to get up here from Tennessee. It took another week to get his mother to agree to talk to me. It took three hours for her to stop crying, and when she did, a different person arose. A mom who was happy, not crying tears of anger anymore, but tears of joy for her son.
The fact that I saved her life bought me mom points, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that she actually misses her kids. Apparently Jack and Joanna haven't went over there since the night the video was taken. Jack's dad seems to have talked some sense into her so I'm glad things are finally starting to look up on that front. She'll never be sane, but at least she won't be as bad anymore. Hopefully.
I haven't heard from my family in the month that I've been here and I really don't care. It sounds terrible but I just want to be done with them. They've never been anything but negative towards me. Sure, I can thank them for making me have the drive to prove them wrong, but that's about it.
Oh, and for having sex that one time when they got pregnant with me. I guess I can be happy that I was born, or else I'd never have ended up with Jack.
***
It's a Wednesday afternoon and Ryley and I have the kids at the store. Who knew kids eat so much. I have to keep the house stocked for Able when they come over or else he pouts that my house isn't cool. I have to be the cool aunt. I will be! I'm his only aunt!
"Hey, go grab me some tampons, will ya? I freaking hate the 'after baby never ending blood river' that happens. I swear, these periods are worse now than they were before." Ryley sighs while rocking back and forth, trying to get Allie to go back to sleep in her carrier.
I walk over to the tampons and start to search.
And then it hits me.
I haven't had a period in over a month. Oh my God, I'm late! I'm fucking late!
"Ryley!" I scream, even though she's just at the end of the aisle. "I don't need these!"
Smiling at me like I'm crazy she raises her eyebrows and nods. "I know. I told you to get them for me. Not you, psycho."
"No, I mean… I don't need these. I won't need these. Oh my God, Ry!" I squeal and throw the box of tampons into her cart then turn and start perusing the pregnancy tests.
Lines? No, those can always go wrong. Digital. I need digital, and I need about four of them.
"Jenny?"
"Hang on," I whisper pulling out my phone to research the best kind of test to get.
One would think in my profession I'd know the difference of tests, but I take blood, not urine when looking into a pregnancy.
"Jenny, what the hell? Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ryley's starting to freak out and I'm certain her face might crack from the smile that won't stop growing.
"Yes, alright! Now, help me get the best one!" I whine looking at her.
Oh shit, he's going to be so fucking happy!
That's all I can think as Ryley and I check out and drive back to her house. I have to do this first. I want to know first.
Fuck, she's going to know first too.
Oh well. We'll never tell Jack. He will think I told him first.
Oh my God, how am I going to tell him?!
"Jenny, you okay in there?" Ryley knocks on the bathroom door as I finish peeing on my third stick.
The amount of water I had to down to pee on these is insane, but at least I have enough piss in me to last four tests.
"Be right out, mom," I say sarcastically, lining up the fourth test on the counter and washing my hands. Slipping out of the bathroom I hear my phone ringing and holler back at Ryley, "It takes up to five minutes, don't open that door!"
I run into the kitchen and grab my purse, seeing an unknown number calling.
"Hello?" I answer hesitantly.
"Jenny?" I hear and smile.
"Hey, Patricia, what's up?" I'm trying my hardest, but knowing that those sticks are processing right now have my entire body jittery and I feel like she's going to notice it in my voice.
"Hey! I'm calling about the Doctors Without Borders thing. You had said a few months back that you'd be interested. If that's still the case we have a placement for you that can start next month. It's in Liberia and they are in desperate need of OBs with midwife experience. I think you'd be amazing for it, Jenny. I know you're not currently practicing but as long as your license is up to date, we'd love to have you on board. What do you say?"
"Oh." Holy shit, right now? This is really happening right now? "Listen, can I call you back? Give me a day or so to think about it, okay?"
"Yeah, sounds good. Take the rest of the week. Just call me back by Friday because if you can't we're going to be hard pressed to find someone else this short of notice."
"Sounds perfect. I'll talk to you soon, Patricia," I respond cheerfully but quickly hang up.
Fuck.
"Come on, woman! Time's up!" Ryley barks from the hallway.
"Coming, mom," I whine like a teenager and she slaps my arm.
"You ready for this?" she says, hand on the doorknob.
No. I'm not ready. I feel like I'm going to vomit and shit at the same damn time. I feel like hurling on my best friend.
"Sure. Let's do this shit." I discreetly inhale a breath because I don't want Ry to know exactly how jittery I am at the moment.
We walk into the bathroom, she's clutched to my arm and as soon as her eyes hit the little digital screens… all fucking four of them… she starts to scream.
"I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNT!" her voice rings in my head as I stare at those four tiny screens.
Holy shit.
"You okay, Jenny?" Ryley's voice breaks into my thoughts.
The images of little Jack running around the house. The dog chasing him. The tears start to well up in my throat and I turn to her and smile.
"I'm so freaking perfect," I say a let them fall. "Oh my God, Ryley. It's... it's happening!"
"You know, I should've expected something like this from you," she says, her grin spreading across her face. "Ever since I can remember you've been Jenny Bang, the impulsive, stubborn girl who did what she wanted when she wanted it. I should've expected you to get hitched last minute in Vegas to a man you swore you'd never fuck more than once, then a month later find out you're having his baby and be completely over the moon about it. This shit fits you to a T."
She's smiling and I can't help but laugh at how true her statement is.
Now I just have to figure out how to tell Jack.
***
After another round of 'let's see just how many times Jack can get Jenny to orgasm', we're lying in bed when the phone call from Patricia comes to mind and I remember that I still need to tell him about it.
I still need to tell him about a lot.
"Hey, babe," I say rubbing his chest, playing with his hair gently.
Before
he's able to respond, his phone dings. Groaning, he tries to tell me to ignore it but I reach over him and flick the screen to show the text that just came through.
"What the?" I flip the screen a few ways, trying to figure out what the hell I'm looking at.
"What is that?" Jack asks turning the screen for him to see.
It's from Liam and it's what I think is his hip, naked hip? There's the V, possible... hair? Definitely a naked Liam hip with a tattoo of a thumb.
What the hell?
Jack grumbles something incoherently while reading the text.
Liam: Dude thumbs up.
Jack starts to laugh but I can't stop looking at that damn picture.
"He's got a V," I whisper, getting Jack's attention.
"Excuse me?"
"Liam. He has a V." I angle my head to try and make out where the picture ends when Jack snatches the phone away.
"What the hell, Jenny?"
"What?!"
"He has a V?" he boasts. "He has a V?! This matters why? I have a V!" He jumps up and slams his hands down toward his groin like a traffic controller directing a plane. "Here's a V! The only V you need to worry about. V... V!" he shouts still throwing his hands in the shape of a V pointing out his very sexy V.
I giggle, enjoying this insane show of masculinity. Let's see just how much I can push him.
"You know that text I sent you last week? The one about the ménage?" I grin and bite my lip, eyeing his V, and the package it so enticingly directs to.
"Stop right there. Don't even finish that sentence, woman. Don't." He points at me sternly and slowly gets into the bed eyeing me like he's waiting for an attack or something.
"I mean. It could be fun. With someone. You said girl, right?" My smile widens. I love this playful yet stern Jack.
"Well, Liam is a girl, but no." He glares at me. "You would really want to do that? What...." He glances around. "How would that work?" He quirks a curious eyebrow then looks at me.
"Well. When a man and a woman are together, there's multiple holes to be filled, and only one man doesn't have enough to fill every hole. When two men and a woman are together, there's enough things to—"
Bang: Challenge Accepted Page 27