That One Day (That One #1.5)
Page 33
I take both book and plate from her and set them on the floor. Then I grab her hand and pull her up.
“What are you doing, Ben?”
I quickly check all the treehouse windows to make sure the safety bars I installed are in place and then lead her out onto the balcony.
“We’re going to talk.”
I close the door so we don’t wake Archer.
She gives me a wary look before turning her gaze to the ground. I still catch her eyes swimming with tears and her lip quivering.
“Babe, what’s going on? You’ve been weird all week.”
I stroke her arms, waiting for an answer. I already have a suspicion, had it since about mid-week when she started stealing the food off my plate after finishing everything on hers. But I don’t want to push her, although I don’t understand why she’d be upset.
“Babe?”
She exhales a shaky sigh.
“It’s all my fault, Ben.”
Jesus, maybe my suspicion was wrong after all. “What’s your fault?” I try to keep my voice calm and not betray my sudden anxiety.
“You know how I said I wasn’t in the fertile part of my cycle yet? When we…” She sniffles. “…celebrated my graduation.”
My shoulders relax again, her words confirming my earlier thoughts. “Yeah.”
She looks up at me, her eyes big and she’s blinking nervously. “Well, apparently I was wrong. I’m late.”
She slips her hand into her dress pocket and pulls out a pregnancy test, holding it up in front of my face.
I stare at the pink plus sign in wonder, unable to say anything at first. She seems to mistake my silence for unhappiness. “I’m sorry, Ben. I kept you from getting another condom. I know it’s soon and—”
Not letting her finish, I kiss her—excitement fueling my passion. At first she’s hesitant, but then she kisses me back, the tension leaving her body.
When we break the kiss, I take the test out of her hand, staring at it. The smile on my face is so big, it starts to hurt.
“You’re sure?” I look up from the test and into her face.
“Ninety-nine point nine percent.” She bites her lip, still visibly worried about my reaction.
“Babe, stop worrying. This is awesome. This is fucking amazing.” I swallow hard, trying to keep my emotions at bay.
“You’re not mad?”
“Mad? Babe, remember, I was there, too. You didn’t force me to fuck you bare,” I joke. “And I’m fucking happy—like shout it from the rooftops happy.”
Now she beams up at me, her face lit up by a smile. “I know it’s stupid, but I’m excited.”
“Nothing stupid about it.” I place my hands on her stomach. I can’t fucking wait to feel our baby move. “It’s great news, babe. But next time, don’t mope around, just tell me instead.”
Narrowing her eyes at me, she asks, “Next time? How many kids are you planning to have?”
“Babe, so far we haven’t planned any of them. They have a mind of their own.”
She laughs, the rest of her earlier worry dissipating. I can see the moment she lets the excitement take over. Her eyes start to sparkle and she gets giddy.
“We need to tell the others. And make a doctor appointment. And think of names.”
“Babe, we have nine months.” I try to keep her from bouncing up and down. Next thing I know she has her arms thrown around my neck and wraps her legs around my hips, nearly knocking me off balance and starts kissing my jaw.
Despite her excitement and happiness, I feel the need to tell her something. Something I feel she needs to know. “And this time, you won’t have to do it alone. I’ll be there for every single thing. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
She leans back to look in my eyes. “Good. But you better buckle up for the ride, cowboy.”
We’re interrupted by noises from the treehouse. She unwraps her legs and puts them on the ground. “Time to tell Archer he’ll be a big brother soon.”
We walk back in and find Archer standing up looking at us through the mosquito net. Frankie goes over and I follow right behind as she takes him in her arms.
“Guess what, baby boy?” she coos. “You’re gonna have a little sister or a little brother. How do you like that?”
Snuggling Archer, she pulls me close so we are all hugging. Archer immediately grabs for my pendant, half leaning on me.
“You two and now this baby—I have everything I need.” I kiss Frankie’s temple and then Archer’s head.
“You’re all we need, too, Ben.” She leans her head against my shoulder and somehow I know everything will work out.
This. Us. It’s meant to be.
One day flipped my life on its head and brought a shitstorm of pain and hurt.
But it was also that one day that got me to this place. A place with Frankie and Archer at my side and a baby on the way.
A place I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world.
THE END
Playlist
I live and breathe music, despite the lack of any musical talent. The melody of a song together with the voice of the singer and the lyrics have an unparalleled power to touch my heart and to move me deeply. It’s no surprise that music is a big part of my writing process. Here’s a list of songs that have influenced That One Day.
Songs mentioned in the book:
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers
“Voices” by Disturbed
“Broken Home” by Papa Roach
“Getting Away With Murder” by Papa Roach
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Kenny Rogers
“Just Killing Time” by Black Label Society
“All Summer Long” by Kid Rock
“Father and Son” by Cat Stevens
“She Hates Me” by Puddle of Mudd
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Black Label Society
“Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down
“Someday” by Nickelback
“Panther Dance” by THePETEBOX
“Just Let Me” by Season To Attack
“Decompression Period” by Papa Roach
“Down With The Sickness” by Disturbed
“I Need You” by Mass Undergoe
“Happy” by Pharrell Williams
“Sweet Dreams” by Marilyn Manson
“Sex On Fire” by Kings Of Leon
“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
Additional songs that I listened to while writing:
“In This River” by Black Label Society
“Angel Of Mercy” by Black Label Society
“Scars” by Black Label Society
“Spoke In The Wheel” by Black Label Society
“I Never Dreamed” by Black Label Society
“Broken” by Seether feat. Amy Lee
“Fear” by Disturbed
“Walk” by Pantera
“Where We End Up” by Season To Attack
“Sick Of It” by Skillet
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Matt Anderson
“Just For” by Nickelback
“One Thing” by Finger Eleven
“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins
One song perfectly describes Frankie and Ben’s struggles. I got goosebumps when I first heard it. If That One Day would ever be made into a movie, this would be the theme song I would choose:
“Little Do You Know” by Alex & Sierra
You can check out the playlist on Spotify.
(https://play.spotify.com/user/authorjosiewright/playlist/1Wkz7AUdoBZ0Mnsq3vYpYU)
Acknowledgements
Writing a book can be very solitary, but I was lucky to be surrounded by people who showered me with love, support, and friendship.
My husband – Thank you for being the amazing man and husband you are. You make it possible for me to write loving and caring heroes who love deeply because I experience it with you every day. You are my hero. Thank you for loving and supporting me. And thank you for not run
ning away screaming when I emerge from my writing cave looking like a madwoman.
My parents – Everything I am and everything I have I owe to you. No matter what, you’re always there and support me. I’m lucky to have you. I love you—always. And damn, I’m thankful you’re nothing like Frankie’s parents.
Anja – I love you not only for your editing, but also because you are always there for me. You manage to bring me back down to earth during yet another writing-related frenzy. At least one of us keeps her cool. Thank you for being a great friend and for having a big heart. Love you to pirates.
Lory – When it clicks, it clicks. And we sure as hell clicked. Just the way kindred spirits do. You enrich my life so much with your friendship. I feel truly blessed. And damn, you have some serious editing skills. Thank you for everything. Love you.
Cynthia – You and your friendship are so important to me. Thank you for always being there, for giving advice, and making me laugh. I’m lucky to call you my friend and soul sister. Love you.
D. Hurt II – Thank you for being my friend and inspiration. And for giving me food for thought, never letting me take the lazy route. If there is anyone who can make the world a better place, it’s you. Love you.
Nicola – We’re two crazy peas in one insane pod. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. Your friendship means the world to me and your support with both—book and personal stuff—is everything to me. Love you.
Kari – You’re just like your covers: beautiful inside and out. I’m so thankful for your friendship. You are one of the kindest people I know. Thank you for being in my life. Love you, girl.
Matthias Matting – Without your patience and helpfulness, I would have never published a book. A thousand thanks.
Zakk Wylde – Though Zakk Wylde will never see this, the acknowledgements feel incomplete without a mention. It was Zakk and Black Label Society who I listened to the most while writing. The music helped set the perfect tone for Ben’s inner turmoil and pain. Thank you for your beautiful songs.
Tanya – I love working with you and adore your personality. It makes work so much more fun when working with someone who has the same sense of humor and a similar attitude. Thank you so much for all you do.
Give Me Books – Thank you for the amazing work you do and for bearing with me, while I was running around like a headless chicken.
My author friends: Nash, Lauren, Shelby, Carian, Vi, Tonya, Heather – You ladies are gifts sent straight from heaven. Your friendship, support, and encouragement are one of the things that keep me going on the nights when real life gets in the way and writing doesn’t flow. I cherish your friendship and the fact you’re willing to help out a newbie, sharing your wisdom and experiences. Love you, ladies.
My betas: Sophie, Erin, Kelly, Selena, Cynthia, Amanda – Good betas are few and far in between. Even more so ones you can call friends. I’m lucky like that. Thank you for your input and your honesty. You’ve been a crucial part to making this book what it is now. Love you bunches.
Bloggers – You are what makes the indie world go round. Your dedication to help and promote authors and to share your love for the written word is nothing short of astounding. I’ve got nothing but respect for you. Thank you.
Readers – You blow me away and bring me to tears. The love you’ve shown me and That One Night, as well as the fact you are reading this now, makes me speechless. And that’s unheard of. It’s a humbling experience when someone takes the time to read your work. Something that cost me countless sleepless nights, blood (papercuts really hurt), sweat, and tears. Hearing that readers love what I wrote, makes my heart soar. Thank you for picking up my book. For giving hours out of your day to let me tell you a story. Words can’t express how much this means to me. Feel free to hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads. And let me know what you think—good or bad.
Josie
About The Author
Josie Wright has always been a bookworm, spending every free moment with her nose buried in a book. While others were out partying, she spent her evenings with Heathcliff, Sydney Carton, or Snape. Romance, fantasy, thrillers—you name it, she’s read it.
Thanks to the Kindle, she finally arrived in the 21st century and discovered the Indie literature world. Josie has been lost to it ever since.
With her love for the written word and her promiscuous feelings for countless book boyfriends, the next logical step was to start writing.
The voices in her head and her imaginary friends wanted out to play and so she wrote her debut novel That One Night, that was released in June, 2015. The good news is, there are more voices and imaginary friends where Ben and Frankie came from.
Josie is a financial expert by day and a writing junkie by night. The rest of the time, she's a bit of a hippie, a bit of a goth, and many things in between. Josie loves to spend time with her husband when she can tear herself away from her book boyfriends. She loves video games, movies, good food, and even better music. She's addicted to chips, long baths, and shoes. Oh, and books, of course. Definitely books.
Other Books by Josie
That One Night
More to come…