by ANDREA SMITH
Trey and I had drifted off into a peaceful slumber in each other's arms.
It was much later that we were both awakened by a ruckus coming from Gina and Tristan's room. I awoke first hearing the loud voices. I rose up looking at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly one a.m. Trey awakened right after I did.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked, groggily.
"I think maybe Tristan and Gina are arguing."
"Jesus Christ - what now?"
We lay there listening to hear what was taking place.
"I love you Tristan can't you see that?"
Gina was crying; her tone was pleading.
"How can I fucking believe anything you say Gina?"
Tristan was enraged. I had never thought that he had it in him to sound so angry.
"Because it is the truth, Tristan! Why are you letting Ian come between us?"
"Me?" he asked, his tone sounding incredulous.
"How can you possibly say it's me? My God Gina - Ian didn't come between you and me. No by God, he came between your fucking legs!"
"What the hell?" Trey said starting to get up out of bed.
"Trey, no. Stay out of this. It is between Gina and Tristan."
"What? What are you saying Tylar?"
"I'm just saying that whatever their issue is should stay between Tristan and Gina. We don't need to be involved."
"I'm thinking that you know exactly what the issue is. You are protecting Gina at the expense of my goddamn brother!"
Trey was shouting at me; he hadn't done that in a very long time.
"Trey it’s not like that at all. I'm not 'protecting' anyone. I don't want you or me to be involved in this."
"That's too fucking late Tylar," he spat. "If you or your fucking BFF or whatever it is that you two call each other have somehow conspired to hurt my brother then it damn well is my business."
"I would never conspire to hurt anyone Trey!" I sobbed. "How could you possibly think that?"
"Then for the love of God Tylar, tell me what you know. Tell me now."
I was sobbing by this time; I had completely shut out the argument that was still going on between Gina and Tristan. This had been a perfect night for me and Trey; it had turned into a nightmare in minutes.
I relented and told Trey the details of Gina's pregnancy. He was horrified that I had not told him sooner.
"You mean to tell me that you were going to sit by silently and let that bitch make a fool out of my brother?" "Trey for god sakes in all likelihood that baby is Tristan's. I encouraged Gina to be upfront with Tristan because I felt that he would understand. My God, her last time with Ian was before she was ever with Tristan."
"Oh, so that makes it alright? She had a fucking obligation to let Tristan know what had happened with her and Ian once she found out she was pregnant."
"Trey, I agree with you. Had I been in Gina's situation that is exactly what I would have done. That was not my decision to make though."
"I get that Tylar," he replied, "But let's face it. If anyone has any influence over Gina it is you. You could have persuaded or convinced her to talk to him."
"I don't roll that way and you know it Trey. I'm sorry but I believe to each his own. Gina was making her decisions long before she met me. I don't come into someone's life and suddenly take the wheel like that."
"Oh so now what are you saying? You think that I'm a 'Nazi' just like Gina says?"
I was totally getting pissed with the whole conversation. It had somehow morphed into a major fight between Trey and me on our magical night together. I suddenly felt like going into the bathroom and giving myself a high-pressured douche just in case we had conceived. I did not deserve to be at the receiving end of his anger.
"Well I guess if the swastika fits, counselor . . ."
Trey immediately threw the covers off of us and exited the bed with his pillow and a blanket.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"I'm going to sleep on the couch Tylar. I guess I don't know who you are anymore."
He barreled out of the room slamming the door behind him.
I buried my face into the pillow sobbing uncontrollably. From somewhere out in the apartment I heard another door slam. I was still sobbing when I felt someone climb up on the bed.
"Trey," I said turning my tear-stained face from the pillow.
"No girlfriend, it's me," Gina said whimpering.
She was all cried out I could tell.
"What the hell happened?" I asked her wiping my eyes.
"Oh shit Ty. It was awful. I got a call from Ian late this afternoon. Apparently someone at the club called him and told him that Tristan had told several of the workers that I was expecting and how thrilled he was by it. He gave them my tentative due date and of course one of them obviously still loyal to Ian decided to phone him and tell him the good news."
(Holy shit!)
"So Ian makes a mad dash to the club and decides to share with Tristan the details of our last interlude including date and time. I told you that it was just several days apart from when Tristan and I first made love."
I was horrified at the chain of events that had occurred this evening as a result.
"So anyway Tristan being the sweetie that he is gave me the benefit of the doubt. You know - he figures that Ian was still jealous and just trying to make trouble for us since he saw the little scene that Ian had made at the club a few weeks back so he blew it off."
I nodded waiting for Gina to continue.
"So anyway, Ian presents Tristan with a piece of mail that he had picked up from the condo that night he came by to collect his mail from me. It was postmarked the day before I had received it at the condo. It had not been opened and had Ian's name on it with our condo address. He told Tristan to open it. He said that he had no clue about the contents of what was inside but guaranteed Tristan that it would answer the question as to whether Tristan could be 100% positive that the baby I carried was his or not. You will never guess what was inside that envelope."
"What?" I asked practically screeching.
"It was a letter from the Fulton County Urologists Group where Ian had gone a couple of weeks prior to get his sperm tested for fertility."
"A couple of week prior?"
"Oh yeah," Gina said, "The bastard wouldn't do it for me when I nagged him to. Seems that Shelly wanted to know for sure whether he was sterile or not so she insisted he get tested and the son of a bitch did!"
"So what were the results?"
"The results were that Ian has a normal sperm count."
"Oh my God," I replied.
"Yep," she said, "So Tristan is all freaked out at me thinking that I purposely withheld this information about Ian hoping to trap him!"
"Damn it Gina," I hissed, "I told you that you should have told Tristan from the get!"
"Please Ty, no lectures!"
"So what happened at the end of your argument?" I asked. "By that time Trey and I were in the middle of our own because he accused me of covering for you."
"No shit?"
"Yeah, Gina no shit."
"Well Tristan told me that I have lied to him by omission and that he can't be with someone that he can't trust no matter how much he loves her. Then he left."
Gina started crying again.
"Don't cry Gina. Let's get Trey in here and explain everything to him. I know that he will understand once he hears your side of it."
"Trey's not here," she sobbed.
"What?"
"No…after he heard Tristan's side of the story the Hot Nazi ducked into the laundry room and got some street clothes on. They both left. I don't know where they went or if I will ever see my Tristan again," she sobbed.
I was reeling in disbelief. After the wonderful and magical evening that Trey and I had spent together how could he possibly have just walked out like that without telling me?
I was devastated and disappointed. I could understand if he wanted to console his brother; but why not
let me know he was going out? Why had he put me into the middle of this?
Gina was still sobbing which I knew was not good for her condition. I needed to make her my first priority.
"Gina, I am going to make you some herbal tea and then we are going to get you into bed to rest okay?"
"Okay," she whimpered, still sobbing.
She was so vulnerable which was not Gina. I knew now that she was truly in love with Tristan and a mess over all of this.
I made her some herbal tea which seemed to relax her. I helped her change into her jammies and tucked her into bed convincing her that Trey and Tristan would talk and everything would be put into perspective. I bet her that Tristan would be back in her bed by the time she awoke the next morning. I think I succeeded in putting her mind at ease.
I crawled back into my bed. The bed where just a couple of hours earlier Trey and I had made love like we never had before; where we had declared our love and commitment to each other over and over again.
I buried my face into Trey's pillow smelling his scent and feeling my own tears as they burned a path down my cheeks.
EPILOGUE
North Bay Hospital, July 31, 2013.
I was pacing back and forth in front of Gina's hospital bed. I had my Blackberry up to my ear talking to Gina's Aunt Becky. Gina's mother was supposed to be here but since Gina was two week's early her mother had to make last minute arrangements at her job in New Jersey in order to get away.
"She is still at four centimeters Becky," I said. "When is her mom planning on getting in here?"
Just then Gina screamed out in pain.
"I gotta go Becky. She is having another contraction."
I hurried over to Gina's side and began coaching her just like she had coached me over a year ago.
"That's it Gina," I said soothingly, "He-he-he, again, he-he-he, that's right. You are doing great."
"Fuck this shit Ty! I need some meds!"
"Gina you have had all of the meds that they can give you at the moment. You will get your epidural once you reach five centimeters which hopefully will be really, really soon."
"I know that I've been a pain in the ass today to you Ty," she said. "It's just that we weren't expecting little junior this soon, you know?"
"I know Gina. It's fine. I've been there remember?"
"Yeah, I know you have Ty. Could I please have some more ice chips? They really seem to help."
"Of course Gina," I replied, grabbing the cup. "I will be right back with your ice chips."
I left her room and went out to the hallway heading down to where the ice machine was located. I decided to phone Jean to check up on Preston. She answered the phone quickly.
"Hi Jean, it's me. How is my baby girl doing?"
"Well she is perfect as always. Do you want to talk to her?"
"Yes please. Put her on the phone."
"Mommy," I heard Preston's sweet voice over the phone.
"Hi Preston," I said. "Aunt Gina is getting ready to have her baby. Isn't that exciting?"
"Baabyy!" she squealed laughing.
"Are you being good for Jean?" I asked her.
She said something I was not able to make out but she finished with a giggle so it must all be good I thought.
Preston was delighted with feeling my blossoming tummy that held her baby brother or sister. She was constantly laying her head across my belly trying to hear the baby as she called it.
"Mommy loves you now please give the phone to Jean," I instructed.
"Bye Mommy."
"Bye sweet girl."
Jean got back on the phone.
"Don't worry about anything here Tylar," Jean assured me, "We are doing just fine. You stay with Gina and help her through this. I've got everything under control here. Just take care of yourself okay?"
"I will. Thanks Jean."
I got Gina's ice chips and hurried back to her room. She was likely to bitch at me for taking so long to get back. When I got there her nurse was examining her under the sheet tent.
She pushed back from Gina's bent legs, peeling off her Latex gloves and announced that she was at five centimeters.
"Did she say Lucky 5?" Gina asked.
"Yep, you are there."
"Thank God. Give me my fucking epidural now."
The nurse scurried away to do Gina's bidding. She was not what one would consider a model patient. But then, I never figured that she would have been.
"Did you bring my ice chips?" she demanded.
"Yes Gina, they are right here," I replied setting them on the tray table next to her hospital bed. She immediately grabbed a handful and started shoveling them into her mouth.
"Oh that is better," she breathed.
"Really?" I asked.
"Those ice chips never did that much for me."
"It's like they make my teeth hurt so much that I forget about the fucking pain between my legs," she gasped crunching on the ice.
That had to be a 'Ginaism'. That is what I had started calling her particular quotes and sayings that she seemed to always be coming up with. I got a damp washcloth and wiped her forehead with it.
"Ty," she said, "I just want to thank you for being here with me. Who else would come to my rescue like you have?"
"Really Gina? I know of one person that would."
"Who?"
"You," I laughed. "You have always been there for me girlfriend," I said imitating her New Jersey accent.
"Hey I called your Aunt Becky while I was out getting your ice chips. She said your mom is trying like crazy to rearrange her work schedule to fly down. She wasn't expecting an early arrival. No one was apparently," I laughed.
"That's me," she conceded, "Never a dull moment I guess."
"That is what makes you special Gina," I said to her, taking her hand.
"Listen to me. I want to tell you something that you told me awhile back. You are my best friend and you are like my sister. I am here for you always. Got it?"
"I got it girlfriend," she said smiling.
The nurse came in just then bringing the long needle that would administer Gina's epidural. I was about as relieved as Gina was that she was finally getting it. My one ear had gone slightly deaf with the screaming and cussing. The nurse gave her the shot and Gina relaxed back against her pillows.
I watched as she laid back and totally relaxed. Hopefully she would be able to dose off until it was time to push which shouldn't be all that far off. It seemed as if we had been going at this for hours.
I felt the baby kick inside of me. It felt like he or she was doing somersaults inside my belly. This baby was quite a bit more active than Preston had been in the womb. My due date was October 17th; Tess's due date was November 15th. I didn’t know the sex of this baby. I wanted to be surprised just as I had been with Preston.
I rubbed my rounded belly with the palm of my hand. This pregnancy had been so much different than my pregnancy with Preston. I had suffered bouts of morning sickness for months. The thought of sex had repulsed me. My only hope was that I delivered a boy. Somehow that would make it all worth it. I didn't want any more children after this baby. A girl and a boy would make this family complete. I hadn't shared my decision with Trey yet. I needed to get back to my plan for the future. The plan that had dissipated once I had become pregnant with Preston.
Just then Gina woke from her momentary doze. Something was wrong. I saw the look of alarm in her eyes. I immediately went closer to her bed.
The epidural should have kicked in; she should have been feeling no pain. She writhed in agony. It was then that I looked down and saw the blood stain spreading across her bottom sheet. Her body started convulsing. I pressed the buzzer for the nurse. I heard the screams then; they were coming from me not Gina.
"Somebody get down here freaking stat!"
Table of Contents
copyright
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER 3
/> CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
EPILOGUE