by Amber Lynn
“Annabelle Jean Lake, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
Annie’s mouth fell open as she stared at the box. Nelson hadn’t expected an instant yes and tears of joy, but he had thought she’d give him an answer relatively quickly. As he sat there for what felt like five minutes, he wasn’t sure Annie’s brain was still working. There had been a quick inhale of breath before she’d gone mute, but nothing more. Her eyes seemed to look through him as she stared at him. None of the reactions he picked up boded well for him.
“I believe it’s customary for you to say yes or no. I know we skated around the fact that neither one of us saw us getting married, but I had plenty of time to think about it last night, and I couldn’t come up with a reason not to. Spending so much time with Dylan and Casey, I’ve had it in my mind for a while that it was time to start thinking seriously about finding someone to spend the rest of my life with, but I haven’t found anyone to fill that role.”
“Just because I’m having your baby, doesn’t mean I do.” It wasn’t the words Nelson wanted to hear, but at least it was a start.
“Why not? I’ve never seen any of your boyfriends, Annie, but I got to believe I at least measure up to them. I can provide everything you and the baby need. I really think we could make it work.”
Annie decided to stand and walk over to the door to the balcony of her apartment. Nelson wanted to tell her to get away from the window practically naked, but he bit his tongue. For the time being, he closed the ring box and put it back in his pocket.
He’d known going in there was a chance it would take more than one proposal to get her to say yes, and that notion seemed to be coming true. He figured he had a little more time to work on his pitch.
“I can provide everything the baby needs, too. I may not be able to match your salary, but I can buy diapers and clothes.”
Annie’s pride had always been something Nelson had to butt heads with. There was something about her, more than likely her stature, that made it so she had to prove to everyone she could face the world on her own.
“I wasn’t saying you couldn’t provide for the baby. I just wanted to make it clear that I wanted to.”
Annie turned around, and Nelson had a better idea about why she’d gotten up from the couch. A few stray tears fell down her face. He hadn’t meant to make her cry, and seeing her do so made him feel miserable inside.
“Don’t cry, Annie. You don’t have to give me an answer today. Just think about it for a while before coming to a conclusion.”
“I don’t have to think about it. As chivalrous as your proposal was, I’m going to have to turn you down.”
It was Nelson’s turn to be a little taken aback, with his breathing stopping for a couple of seconds as he tried to decide what to do next. It wasn’t so much her refusal, but the conviction behind it that made it seem like she wasn’t going to change her mind.
“Why? You only thought about it for a few minutes. I’m sure once the idea has a chance to grow on you, it won’t sound like such a bad idea.”
“There’s a chance that may be true, but since I’m currently seeing someone else, I think us getting married would be a mistake.”
As soon as Annie said the words, she turned back around to look out the window. The gesture almost made it seem like she considered the conversation over, but Nelson wasn’t going to let her off that easy. He’d stood up when she’d moved, but found his seat back on the couch as he tried to process the bombshell she’d just placed at his feet.
Chapter Four
Annie wanted to take the words back, but saying she had a boyfriend was better than telling Nelson she couldn’t live with a meaningless marriage, where only one of them was in love with the other. Because she was most definitely in love with him. She’d been speechless when she realized he’d actually gone out and bought a ring. The fact that the color of purple matched the color of her contacts led her to believe it wasn’t something he had sitting around his apartment.
“What do you mean you’re seeing someone?” There was clear disbelief in Nelson’s voice as he uttered the words. Annie didn’t blame him for that. Having never seen her with a boyfriend, it had to come as a surprise.
She’d known things weren’t going according to plan as soon as he started talking about changing baby diapers in the middle of the night. Her emotions had been all over the place from the moment Nelson had shown up at her door. She hadn’t had a chance to look in a mirror, but they probably looked like they went to the same stylist. He’d at least pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and surprisingly it wasn’t the same thing he’d worn the day before.
There was a small part of her that enjoyed the shock on his face when he saw what she was wearing. For a split second, it looked like he saw her as more than just the girl in pigtails he used to play with at recess. If she would’ve blinked, she wouldn’t have even noticed the bit of hunger, or maybe desire, in his eyes. It quickly seemed to transform into anger when he figured out anyone walking down the hall could see her.
“Is there something in the words ‘I have a boyfriend’ you don’t understand? You said you haven’t found anyone to settle down with, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t at least been looking.”
“How long have you been seeing him?” Annie didn’t have to see his expression to know he had the calculator in his head ready to try to figure out if he was really going to be a father.
Lying to him wasn’t easy, and after she’d already started crying, it was hard to keep the tears locked inside until after he left. Her heart was pounding in her chest, almost begging to be heard, but Annie had stopped listening to it long ago. She needed to focus on getting herself out of the hole she’d dug.
“Only a few weeks. It wasn’t something I sought out, but since it fell in my lap, I decided to see where it leads.”
“And where exactly do you see it leading?” Annie was startled when she felt Nelson’s breath on her neck as he spoke. He hadn’t made a sound as he moved closer. She should’ve been keeping her eyes on him, but she knew she couldn’t keep lying if she was forced to watch his reactions.
“It’s too early to tell, but I think we both know that the marriage you’re proposing is a little unrealistic. You may be fine with a temporary bit of celibacy, but I remember the notches in your headboard back home. There’s no way you’d make it years without picking someone up at a bar, and as I stated yesterday, that isn’t going to work for me.”
Nelson didn’t get the message that she’d moved away from the couch to get away from him, because his hands again found their way to her hips. Two days in a row he’d touched her affectionately, when they’d gone about twenty years without more than friendly hugs, and even those were rare.
“People have the tendency to eventually grow up, Annie. You’ve been in my bed, did you see any notches?”
At least he didn’t deny he’d been with handfuls of partners. She hadn’t witnessed a revolving door since she’d moved, but dads back home removed trellises to keep Nelson out.
“I can honestly say I wasn’t paying close enough attention. Why don’t we go ahead and change the subject. You were asking about doctor’s appointments earlier. The next appointment is in two weeks. I know training camp starts next week, but if you’re available the following Thursday, I’m told it’s the day we’ll be finding out the sex of the baby.”
She’d had a little more time to think about the appointments, and she still didn’t want him tagging along to all of them, but she wouldn’t deny him the chance to hear what the doctor had to say once he got a good look at the baby.
“Thank you, but I know you’re just throwing that in there to keep me from asking you about him. What’s his name?”
Annie’s inexperience in lying was close to showing. She stopped herself from asking who he was talking about. Technically, he could’ve been asking the doctor’s name, but she knew he was still focused on the boyfriend.
“I’d rather not say. Things are
new enough for me that I’d prefer you not scare him off.”
Nelson wrapped one of his arms around her stomach and pulled her back into his body. He wasn’t forceful, but he didn’t give her an option whether she wanted to move. Because of their height difference, her head only met the top of his chest. She was a little surprised his arms even made it down to her hips.
“Does he know you’re carrying my child?”
If Annie didn’t know him better, she would’ve sworn there was jealousy in his voice. What little there was probably had more to do with someone else knowing she was pregnant before him, than someone else calling her their girlfriend.
“Of course not. Until yesterday, my doctor and the nurses in his office were the only people who knew I was pregnant.” Annie didn’t think it was necessary to add herself in that list. “Now at least three other people know.”
“You’re not one for drama, Annie, so I don’t see a situation where you even considered trying to pass the baby off as someone else’s. Why in the world would you start dating someone after you knew you were pregnant?”
Her cause was hurt by the fact that he knew her a little too well. In reality, she had no desire to date someone else at all. Nelson was her first crush, her first kiss, her first everything.
“If I thought I could con another guy into believing the baby was his, I would’ve started looking as soon as I knew I was pregnant. I take offense to the fact that you let that idea cross your mind. As far as your question, I already told you that I didn’t go looking for a relationship.”
Annie attempted to give her a little room between them, but Nelson held her firmly. She felt the tenseness in his chest as he probably tried to figure out where his plan had gone wrong.
“There’s a chance things won’t work out, though. I happen to know a little bit about how a guy’s mind works, and you can’t count on them to do what you think they will. If you decide things aren’t going to work out, will you at least think about marrying me?”
He’d proven that guys didn’t always do what she expected, so she didn’t need him to divulge any secrets on the topic.
“How about I make you a deal?” Annie had already put her foot in her mouth, adding a second foot wasn’t going to make a difference. “If neither one of us is attached in two months, I’ll consider changing my answer.”
Hell could freeze over by then, and Nelson could actually develop feelings beyond the ones he already felt for the baby. Annie wasn’t holding her breath.
“I’d like it better if you’d let me try to sway your decision.” Nelson leaned down and kissed the side of her face as he spoke. There seemed to be a hidden meaning in his words, judging by the almost smoky quality his tone took on. It wasn’t one he used with Annie, so it confused her.
“I’m not saying I’d agree to that, but how exactly would you go about swaying things? You’ve already got down on one knee.”
Annie wasn’t sure what to make of the quick kiss. Her face felt warm where his lips had touched, but he’d straightened back up without doing anything else.
“Well, first I’d ask whether you and the man you won’t name claim to be exclusive, and if not, I’d suggest we try out a few dates ourselves. Rumor is there are times I can actually be charming.”
Annie scoffed at the thought. “Is your goal today to see how many times you can offend me? I hate to break it to you, but I’m not one of the floozies you pick up at the bar. On top of that, I’ve seen you operate. There’s no way I could trust a single action when I know you’ve got an endgame in sight. It may not be getting me back to your bedroom, but I’ve seen your moves, and they’re not going to work on me.”
All Annie could wonder was why in the world he couldn’t have offered to see where things went between them before the baby. She didn’t doubt she would’ve eventually seen her heart broken, but at least she could’ve said she tried.
Nelson didn’t immediately jump in to fill the brief silence, so Annie continued with her answer. “We’ve gone on four dates, so I can’t say exclusivity has been brought up, but I don’t think I’m equipped for shuffling two guys.” She still had to find one to shuffle, so that was going to take up most of her time.
“You’ve gone on four dates? This is going to come out all wrong, but I think I deserve to know whether you’re sleeping with this guy.”
Annie thought four was a small number, and had actually worried that Nelson wouldn’t think it was enough to make things serious. By the way his teeth were grinding together, it was clear it was more than enough for him.
“Not that I agree with your claim, but I haven’t had sex with him. If your question stems from whether or not it’s safe for the baby if I have sex, rest assured the doctor said little junior’s eyes won’t be poked out.”
The doctor had technically brought up the subject of having sex while pregnant, but Annie knew it was one that wouldn’t confront her, so she asked for the condensed version of the conversation.
“Is there any way you’d agree to making sure I don’t have to picture someone else poking at my baby?”
At first, Annie wasn’t sure what he was asking. In the back of her head, she knew, but it wasn’t computing where the neurons were firing.
“What exactly are you asking?”
Nelson finally loosened his hold and used his hands on her hips to spin Annie around. She’d been able to keep the tears at bay after the first slip, but she knew she had to look like a hot mess. She always turned an angry shade of red when she was on the verge of tears, and she hadn’t had a chance to even brush out her hair that morning.
“I’m asking you not to have sex until after the baby is born. I know it’s something I don’t deserve to have a say in, but it may help keep me a little sane while I wait for the two-month timeframe you’ve issued to pass.”
Keeping from laughing was hard. The chances of Annie having sex were so low that her widowed grandmother had a better chance of getting lucky.
“I don’t think you have to worry about me seducing someone into the bedroom. I think we’ve already gone over the fact that most people don’t think of me as a seductress.”
“I don’t buy that, but I don’t feel like opening up another argument. What did you have planned for today? It doesn’t look like you’re in a hurry to go somewhere, but it’s still early.”
Annie let him take her hand and lead her back to the couch. She’d never been someone with many plans, and that day wasn’t any different. She didn’t want Nelson hanging around all day, so she had to come up with something.
“I wanted to try out a prenatal yoga class this afternoon, and then I had early dinner plans before coming home and hitting the sack.”
As she sat down, she tried to put a little space between her and Nelson, but he made that difficult when he sat down and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Okay, I’ll let you get on with that, but I’d really like you to answer one more question.”
He didn’t immediately relay what that question was, so Annie had to prod him.
“I won’t promise anything, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
“I don’t know about that. Your reaction to me asking you to marry you was pretty painful.”
Annie wanted to ask who was the one hurt, because her heart broke in two when he tried to push the issue. Instead, she kept her feelings bottled up.
“I’m sure you’ll be over the hit to your ego by the end of the day. Just ask the question. You promised me I could get on with my day after I decided if I’d answer, and I think my shower is calling.”
“Okay, what happened that night, Annie? I won’t say I regret whatever happened, because I don’t ever want my child to think I didn’t want them, but it changed our friendship and I’m having trouble reconciling that.”
Annie hated that question more than any of the other ones he’d asked. He deserved to know, but if he thought things were different between them because of the baby, he was in for a surprise.
“Does it really make a difference? I’ve told you at least a dozen times that you didn’t force me into anything.”
“But that doesn’t explain what happened. Usually if I get that drunk, I pass out on the couch and wake up in the morning wondering how I got home. I don’t wake up in bed with my best friend.” He quickly ran his fingers through his hair, then settled his free hand on his thigh. There was a lost look on his face that hurt Annie, but it didn’t change her determination to keep her secrets.
It was obvious he’d spent a lot of time trying to put the pieces together. There were probably other times he’d woken up with someone without knowing what happened, but he was smart not to mention them.
“And this time you did. I know there are lasting effects from it, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, Nels. How many one-night stands have you had?”
It wasn’t a question she really wanted an answer to, but flipping things back on him was more than likely the quickest way to get on with her day.
“Twenty-five in the last six years. Is that what you want to hear?”
“No, that’s not what I want to hear, but it beats rehashing probably one of the most important nights in my life, which sadly the other person involved doesn’t remember.”
Annie had turned away as she spoke. The flippant way he’d answered irritated her. She knew what was coming next, and she didn’t want to look at him when part of the truth came out.
“By the way you’re acting, I’m guessing you’re not referring to the baby, so what in the world happened that night that was so important?” Nelson’s voice sounded patient, but he’d been waiting four months to hear the answer to the question he didn’t know he should ask.
“Not everyone has a way with the opposite sex like you do, Nelson. That night was the first time I had sex.” Speaking the words out loud didn’t make Annie feel any better, but part of the truth was finally out in the open. She wasn’t proud that she’d used his inebriated state to her advantage, but it was a once in a lifetime chance and she took it.