I know he has so much more to say, but doesn’t and I’m thankful. I look down to my phone while stuffing a half of slice in my mouth and see the screen is filled with Abby’s name. Fuck her.
“Damn, you’re huge, Brett.” I look up to Casey. “You could take Connor on.”
“Not even in his wildest dreams,” Connor growls.
I look down to my chest and flex my pecs, making the whole table roar.
“Let’s hit the bar across the street since I’m out,” Rex says.
“I’m in,” I agree. “I’ll pick up the tab.”
And here I go, blowing all my extra money fueled by uncontrollable emotions. I remain strong walking right by the table where Abby is not making any sort of eye contact, but on the way back I’m not so lucky.
“Brett?”
It comes out as a question and from a male voice. I look over to Jason getting to his feet.
“Man, it is you. I heard you were back in town. Nice to see you, man.” He reaches out his hand over the table.
I square up to the dickhead, and oh yeah, I’m huge compared to the weasel dick. I shake his hand, letting him know just how fucking strong I am. I’ll crush the fucker.
“Jason.” I nod.
“You remember Abby.” He points down to her.
“Abby.” I nod.
“Brett.” Another loud voice startles me.
It’s Abby’s mom who I never noticed was with the large group. She jumps from her chair and rushes over to hug me.
“Your mom told me you were back in town.”
I bite down on my bottom lip and growl when she backs away. Fighting back what I really want to tell her. Oh, you mean your sweet daughter didn’t tell you?
“Coming to the wedding next week, man? We’re making it official.” Jason holds up Abby’s hand showing me the wedding.
And my self-control evaporates. “Naw, I think I have to stick my dick in a meat grinder that night.”
I grab my package and grin down at Abby then walk away. I did exactly what that whole table thinks of me…I acted like an arrogant dick. I pass the waitress I flirted with earlier and slap her ass then bend down and whisper in her ear.
“Going across the street, come find me when you’re off.”
She giggles. “Is that a promise?”
“Yeah, baby, I have something I want to snort off that sweet pussy of yours.”
She trails her finger along my jaw. “Only if you share, Brett.”
Chapter 6
The bar is loud with pumping music and pussy everywhere, but no matter how much temptation there is, none of it intrigues me. The picture of sad Abby avoiding Jason’s touches, him dragging her hand up to showcase the huge rock on her finger, and then me acting like a raging asshole.
“They just walked in and it seems you have a lot to explain,” Connor hisses in my ear.
I look up to Abby, who is cuddled into the side of Jason. It doesn’t look like it’s by choice and that makes me happy.
“Fuck this. I’ll be right back.”
I burst out the front door, blow right past Abby making sure my shoulder brushes hers. I can’t wait to snort this line off a sweet pussy, I need it right fucking now. I throw my cellphone on the bench seat of my truck and dig around in my pocket.
“Brett.” I look back to Abby.
I ignore her, not wanting to see or hear her voice right now.
“Nice show in the restaurant, asshole.”
Again I ignore her.
Her hand lands on the top of my shoulder and struggles to get me to turn around. I finally give in and turn to her with the baggie of blow clutched in my hand.
“What?” I step back from her touch. “Oh, wait I know you’re going to marry the fucker and there’s our talk.”
“Brett, why are you so mean?”
“You make me mean, Abby. You fucking drive me crazy.” I sit back on the seat of my truck, still facing her. “I fucking love you and have to watch you marry dickhead. What do you expect of me?”
Her tears begin and I don’t stop.
“I want to be the man holding you and taking you out around town, and you don’t.” I let out a bitter laugh. “Funny fucking joke, eh?”
“It’s a nightmare,” she whispers.
“Bingo. So hit me with our talk. Be a fucking brave little girl this time and tell it to my face.”
She raises her head with more tears streaming down her face and sobs wracking her body. Here it comes. The final sucker punch that will inevitably break me.
“I’m pregnant.”
I raise my eyebrows and wait for the rest but nothing comes from her.
“Say something, Brett.”
I remain silent, digesting her words.
“It’s yours, asshole. I haven’t been with him in over two months. I wanted to talk to let you know I’m telling Jason tonight the wedding is off.” She shoves my chest. “I told my mom.”
“Marry him.”
I shut the door to my truck and speed out of the parking lot.
Chapter 7
“Get the fuck up.”
Someone kicks my leg. I fight to open my eyes or at least I think I’m opening my eyes.
“Pick him up.”
I recognize Connor’s voice, but can’t pick his face out from the sea of spinning faces above me. My body rises from the floor and moves on it’s own.
“Right on, man. I’m walking on water,” I slur out.
“Shut the fuck up, dipshit.”
The next thing I know my body is submerged into cold water. It sobers me up quicker than I wanted it to. When I finally gain ground, all the faces come into play. All the other men walk out and Connor sits on the counter.
“You’re a dumbfuck.”
“Learned from the best.” My words still sound like a long slur.
“Your mom is fucking bawling her eyes out thinking you are dead. Your dad is out of town and called us over. What in the hell gives?”
Leaning forward, I splash some cold water on my face and then scrub it with my palms.
“Abby’s pregnant.” I don’t make eye contact with him. “It’s mine.”
“Jesus, Brett.”
“I fucked up.”
“You fucking left her in a parking lot bawling her eyes out. I’d say you fucked up.”
“I’m not father material.” I slam my hands down. “What do I do?”
“You go for the girl you love, but Brett it may be too late.”
I look up to him. “What day is it?”
“It’s her fucking wedding day. She’s marrying Jason today.”
“Fuck.” I leap from the water.
“Your mom told me that her mom told her…Fuck, I sound like a gossiping old woman.” He shakes his head. “She’s afraid Abby had an abortion.”
“Out of my fucking way.” I push him to the side not afraid of his size.
“There’s my best friend.”
Chapter 8
I fucked everything up. I loosen the collar around my neck and undo the top button. My mom insisted I looked decent for the wedding. She also told me Abby’s mom wasn’t going to allow me around her if I showed up. She instructed me like she was my fucking baseball coach on how to enter the church and when.
The parking lot is packed with a shiny black limo waiting out front for the happy couple. If I have any luck left in this world, it will never carry them away. Abby has every right to tell me to kick rocks, but I’m going to fight for her with everything I have and beg on my knees for the woman I love.
The bench at the back of the seat is empty and I sneak into it. My palms sweat with nerves. Abby is gorgeous, simply stunning standing at the altar even with the wrong man. Her gown is tight fitting and flares at the bottom. I can’t help but to stare at her belly, wondering if she had an abortion.
I lick my lips until they’re raw listening to the pastor and have no clue if I’ve missed the part my mom instructed me on. When Abby begins her vows to dickhead, I can’t
handle sitting idle while the love of my life makes the biggest mistake of her life.
I stand on shaky legs and make it to the center of the aisle before I feel like vomiting. A few eyes stare at me, but the majority remain on the ceremony-taking place.
“I Abby…”
It’s time. I cut her off before she speaks another word.
“Abby.” My voice booms up to the altar and echoes in the chapel of the sacred church.
Her head whips to the side until she makes eye contact with me. The hurt on her face and clothing her features guts me.
“Don’t marry him.” I take a few more steps up the aisle. “Marry me.”
Abby begins to shake and voices raise out of control, but none of it stops me as I make my way to her until I’m only feet away. Jason’s best man is smart trying to hold him back from me. I’ll break that motherfucker’s jaw with one punch.
“I’m here. I want you forever. I’m so sorry.”
“Brett.” The single word finally escapes her.
“I’ll show you how sorry I am the rest of my fucking life.”
“Abby, what in the hell is going on?” Jason yells and kicks to get free.
“Stop.” Her mom is in the middle of the three of us. “Stop, she’s pregnant.”
The church falls silent with her last three words.
“You fucking whore.” Jason kicks one more time, connecting with Abby’s leg, sending her tumbling to the ground.
I don’t think before I react and leap on Jason. Abby’s mom moves out of the way and I beat the living shit out of him. My fists connect with his face until I’m covered in blood and can’t tell where my fist lands.
Someone finally pulls me off Jason and drags me out of the church. When my world quits spinning, it’s Connor’s face I’m staring in.
“You’re being arrested,” he whispers in my ear. “Stop fighting.”
Cold handcuffs click around my wrists and I’m pulled away.
“Brett.”
I turn around to see Abby at the steps of the church.
“I love you!” I holler.
Chapter 9
“Bail’s posted.”
After being released, I see Connor leaned on his truck with his arms crossed over his chest. We don’t talk on the way to the house and I’m silently grateful he doesn’t take me home. My mom is the last person I want to see right now.
Jason never got a punch in, but one of his groomsmen got some good ones in on my right eye. I look like shit when I get out of the shower at Connor’s and I feel even worse on the inside. He has a steak grilled for me and waiting on his shitty-ass dining room table.
“See you didn’t follow your mom’s instructions.”
I don’t respond and just eat my steak. Beer doesn’t even sound good right now, fuck food didn’t even sound good, but my blood sugar disagreed.
“She doesn’t want to see you and is threatening a restraining order. You need to give her time.”
I growl.
“You flipped her world upside down and Jason is being a dick.”
“Fuck this.” I blow from the table and begin to destroy myself the best way I know how to.
***
“Brett.”
“Abby.”
I kill the engine to the excavator to hear her.
“It’s time.”
“Oh God, Abby, please…”
“I need you, Brett.”
I hop from the excavator and sprint to my truck while still clutching the phone to my ear, listening to the pain streaming from her.
“Meet me at the hospital.” She ends the call.
I’ve been through eight months of sheer hell and now my knuckles quiver in fear. Abby hasn’t made shit easy on me, but why should she when our secret destroyed her life completely. I know the town’s eyes stare at me like trash that came in and diseased the entire community.
Jason has done nothing but fuel the fire by dragging Abby through the mud. And all she could do was clutch to the growing evidence. She let me go to every doctor appointment and spend some time with her around her parents. To say the encounters were awkward beyond anything else is an understatement.
Any time I’d bring the topic of us up she’d cut me down and tell me to shut the fuck up and I had to swallow my pride and do so. It’s been the roughest days of my life. I wave my hand to Dad and peel out of the site, he only nods knowing the day would come anytime.
By the time I race into the hospital everything becomes a blur and it takes me a second to realize it’s the tears streaming down my face blurring my vision. Jason steps in front of me when I reach the labor and delivery floor.
“Out,” he demands.
“Fuck off.” I push past him nearly knocking him to the ground.
“She doesn’t want you here.”
I’m no idiot and know she’s been talking to the fucker. It’s her guilt that’s weighing heavy on her. If she decides to go back to him after everything I’ve asked it will kill me. But that bastard will not raise my child. It’s a dick move, but fucking reality.
“Enough.”
We both look over to Abby’s mom. Her face guts me and I know something is bad, very bad.
“She wants to talk to both of you.” She struggles to wipe the worry from her brow. “They might have to take the baby by emergency C-section. She wants to get this over with and move on with her life. So, help me God if one of you assholes dare make a scene, I’ll kill you.”
Her words are brutal and to the point. I follow her into the room where Abby is writhing in pain. She doesn’t look up to either of us as we make our way in. I go to the furthest side of the bed making a statement that I will not be the one leaving. Whether she chooses Jason or me, it’s my baby and I won’t leave her or the baby. I swallow down my pride and need, remembering her mother’s words. She’s right, Abby doesn’t need any more stress right now.
I grab her hand and melt into her when she clutches. We make eye contact for a few brief moments and my tears roll like they never have before.
“I’m ending this now, once and for all.” She stares up to the ceiling. “Jason, I’ve told you sorry time after time and you’ve done nothing but degrade me. I get it and know I deserve it.”
“I’m sorry, too, Abby, I’ll change and raise this baby. We can move.”
“Shut up, Jason.” She rolls her head to look at him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t love you and can’t be with you.”
“Abby…” he starts.
“No, I don’t love you and will forever be sorry for what I’ve done. I should’ve called the wedding off the moment I realized I love Brett.” She squeezes my hand tighter, maintaining eye contact with Jason. I brush my thumb over the top of her hand letting her know I’ll be here forever for her, even if she doesn’t want me there.
“Please leave and move on.”
“Fucking bitch,” he whispers.
I let go of her hand and round the bed. I don’t miss her mom’s warnings. I grab him by the back of the neck and lead him as peacefully out of the room as I can. Once in the hall, I don’t speak but stare the fucker down.
“I’ll have my revenge.”
“Come near her, Jason, and I’ll kill you. Open your mouth one more time about her and I’ll kill you. Think about her and I’ll kill you. I don’t care about the consequences. You will not hurt Abby anymore.”
“Rich words coming from the man who fucking destroyed her.”
A few security guards appear from nowhere and escort Jason away. I don’t waste another moment before rushing into the room.
“Brett, you won’t hurt me anymore either.”
Her words strike me hard. She’s going to tell me to leave as well.
“I don’t deserve the Brett L.A. sent back to me. I deserve the one I love and if you can’t handle that then leave now.”
She winces between words and doesn’t let one tear fall. I rush to the bed and pull her into my arms trying to avoid getting tangled up in any of the
tubes and IVs.
“I’m here, Abby. I fucking love you so much. I’ll be your man every single second of the day.”
A monitor flat lines in the room, doctors, and nurses rush in pushing me out of the way. I try to follow them until a nurse puts her palm in my chest.
“Not allowed. Wait out here.”
“I have to…”
“It’s an emergency C-section. Sit.”
“Brett.” A hand comes down on my shoulder. “Come sit.”
My dad pulls me back to a chair in the hallway.
“It’s normal procedure. Sit and pray, son.”
It feels like hours float by while I pray like I’ve never prayed before. Tears and sobs wrack my body. I hold on to the very last threads of my composure to not hulk out on everybody around me.
“Brett.” I look up to a nurse in scrubs. “She’s in recovery and wants you.”
I stand to my feet and freeze. I don’t know what to do. My dad has his hand on my back walking me to the swinging door.
“She’s just waking up, but keeps screaming your name.”
“Is she okay?” I finally croak out.
“She’s doing well.”
“The baby.”
“They’re working on her.”
“Her?” I ask.
“Yes, she swallowed some fluids and is struggling a bit, but she’s in the best care possible.”
“Brett,” Abby screams trying to get from the bed.
I’m at her side and cradling her as much as I can without hurting her.
“I’m here, baby, I’m here.”
“They took her. Said she wasn’t breathing.”
“It’s okay, Abby,” I lie. I fucking lie to her.
Her hands claw into my arm and she cries. “Baby, settle down. She’s in the best hands.”
“I woke up at the end and heard them.”
“Abby. Calm down.” I hold her tight and begin praying with her.
Chapter 10
Abby’s cries seem to never stop and I have no damn clue what to do or how to soothe her. I race around the house trying to find something to do, but there’s nothing. Her heart is breaking and I can’t help her. It’s the hardest thing a man has to go through.
Revealed: A Hype PR and Eye Candy Bookstore Anthology Page 6