He didn’t use protection.
Not that it matters really, but he’s always so careful.
He feathers kisses across my throat and looks up at me lazily. “I don’t think I said it before, but good morning.”
I laugh in spite of my thoughts, “It has definitely been a good morning.”
We spend the rest of the day walking around town and letting Louisa spoil us with her cooking. I can’t think of a time where I’ve had more fun.
I wake up Monday morning, wrapped in two hundred pounds of alpha male, and ready to enjoy our last day here.
I sit up just enough to see the clock, it’s almost nine o’clock. I slide back down onto the pillow and smile to myself.
Best vacation ever.
I feel him stir behind me and his hand seeks out my bump before he relaxes. I cover his hand with mine.
Today is the day.
No more secrets. Come what may—I’m going to tell him. I just need to be brave.
“Mornin’ baby, did you sleep well?” He murmurs the words into my hair and I love that it gives me shivers.
I roll to face him, cupping his face in my hands. “I’m sleeping better than I knew was possible, thanks to you.”
His beard tickles my face as he presses his lips to mine, “Care to join me in the shower?”
I grin, “Might this invitation have anything to do with what is pressed up against my hip right now?”
I move my hand down and he tries to stifle a groan. I’m sure Louisa will enjoy sleeping in a quiet house again. As if reading my thoughts, David tilts my chin up, “Farmer’s market—said she’d be there until ten thirty—said we needed more alone time last night.”
“Having trouble with your words, baby?” I work my hand a little faster and his head falls back. I like watching the reactions I can draw out of him. It makes me feel powerful to have this control over him.
“Beth…don’t stop.”
His phone starts buzzing on the nightstand and I stop. He barely gets the words out this time, “Don’t. Stop. Please.”
I can tell he’s close, so I block out the sound of his cellphone vibrating and send him over the edge, his fists have the sheets in a death grip.
The vibrating starts back up again when he goes to start the shower.
“David? It’s ringing again. Do you want me to—?”
He storms out of the bathroom, “If this is one of my guys, he’s gonna wish he would’ve listened to me when I said not to bother me.”
He looks at the screen and answers, “Hello? This is he... That was fast…How do I get that? No, I’m out of town for another day…Could you fax it? Yeah? Let me get you the number…”
He walks out of the bedroom and over to the upstairs office. I take a minute to relieve my bladder while waiting for him to come back. I check the water temperature in the shower and find it’s just now lukewarm, so I brush my teeth and check out my reflection.
I’ve got dark circles from the mascara under my eyes and my hair is hopeless, but I’ve never been happier. I jump in fright when I see David’s reflection in the mirror. He looks as if his phone call didn’t end well.
“You okay?”
He nods and wraps his arms around me, “Shower with me?”
“Of course, let me just grab some clothes to wear after.”
He turns me around until I’m facing him and kisses me fiercely. He kisses me like he’s never going to get the opportunity to do it again before breaking free and stepping into the shower.
I walk out of the bathroom and grab a sundress when I hear the fax machine down the hall. I know I shouldn’t pry, but I want to see whatever it is that’s made him so upset. Hopefully, it’s not the job he just worked so hard to get.
I walk silently down the carpeted hallway and into the office. There are three papers sitting on the machine and I snatch them up before I can change my mind.
My eyes skim over it and I discover why he kissed me like he did just mere seconds ago. He was kissing me goodbye.
The alleged father, DAVID GREENE, cannot be excluded as the biological father of the fetus as they share genetic markers. Using the above system, the probability of paternity is 99.99%...based upon the samples submitted from the mother, JESSICA DAVIS, and the DNA extracted from the population of fetal cells.
Presence of Y chromosome—indicates that fetus is male
They’re having a son.
I suck air into my lungs, my vision blurring. I’m about three seconds away from a panic attack.
I need to leave
I can’t stay here
I stifle a sob and begin hurriedly packing my things. It doesn’t matter that I pictured this happening a thousand times, I never imagined that it would hurt this badly.
I’m under the showerhead for about ten minutes when I realize she hasn’t joined me yet. To be fair, I would’ve noticed a hell of a lot sooner had I not just gotten the phone call I did.
The lab had a rush on the orders, so they wanted to let me know as soon as possible. I feel like the world I just built this weekend is about to implode.
Two kids…
The thought makes me feel sick. I’m going to subject Beth to being around Jess indefinitely. She’ll be in our lives for birthdays and holidays every fucking year from here on out.
I slam my fist into the tile in frustration. It’s so unfair—when Beth and I were so close to reconciliation. I feel like this weekend with her was a glimpse into what our lives could’ve been like and now that’s been snatched out from under us.
I get out and wrap a towel around my waist. I’m going to have to sit her down and tell her. I just pray that she stays put. Hell, who am I kidding? She’s going to bolt the first chance she gets.
“Beth?”
I look around the bedroom—empty.
“Baby? Where are you?”
I walk down the hall and see the papers from the fax machine, lying on the desk, and I know that she’s gone.
I walk back into the bedroom and see that her purse and suitcase are gone as well.
“Fuck!” I roar at the empty room.
“David? What’s wrong?” My mom comes running up the stairs. Looks like she came home early.
I sink down onto the side of the bed, my head in my hands. “She’s gone. She’s gone and it’s my fucking fault!”
I hand her the papers and she reads over them quickly before making a sound of protest, “No—Oh my God—David!” I halfway expect her to hit me upside the head like she did when I screwed up as a kid. She surprises me with a rough hug, her tears falling onto my head.
She lets me go long enough to wipe her streaming eyes, “Where is she, David? Where’s Beth?”
I stare at a blank spot on the wall in front of me, “I don’t know. Was my truck here when you got back?”
She goes over to the window and looks out, “Your truck is still here.”
My cell phone starts vibrating again and it takes me a second to locate it on the dresser.
Lauren.
I put the phone on speaker.
“Laur—where is she? Is she okay?” I’m practically shouting the words.
Her voice sounds distressed, “Dave, she’s in a cab on her way to the airport in Houston. I’m trying to get her on a flight home. What happened? She didn’t make any sense when she called.”
I sigh and fight back tears, “She left, Laur. They faxed over the paternity test results and the baby’s mine. I’m having a son with Jess.”
I can hear Lauren repeating everything to someone in the background, probably Mike. “Lauren, is that Mike?”
She comes back on the line, “Yeah, David—he brought me breakfast at work. I need you to listen to me. Elizabeth is pregnant and—”
I interrupt her, “I know she is. That’s why it makes this so much worse!”
She goes silent, then quietly asks, “She told you?”
I shake my head, “I think she was getting close to telling me, but I figured it out on
my own a few days ago.”
Lauren says something else to Mike. “Dave, I don’t know if Elizabeth told you, but we ran into Jess at a doctor’s appointment last Monday. It was the same day that she took the paternity test—I overheard her talking with a nurse and something sounded off. I just have a gut feeling that Jess tampered with those test results, but I’m going to need some time to prove it.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes, my mom’s hand squeezing mine tightly. “How do you suggest I do that? We’re supposed to go before the judge next week. I’m pretty sure she won’t call off the divorce now.”
Mike says something to Lauren, but I can’t make it out. Lauren laughs, “That’s it! David, Mike just found something that could be your saving grace. You’re going to need to get your ass back here and file a motion with the court for an emergency hearing—”
I stop her, “You want me to rush back to town and push up my divorce? How is that going to help?”
“David—listen to me. In the state of Texas, if a woman is pregnant, the judge cannot grant a divorce. All you have to do is request a pregnancy test in the hearing. That will give me the time I need to get proof. Okay?”
My fist comes up to my mouth, I’m doing my damnedest to hold these emotions in check, “Lauren, I think you just gave me my Christmas gift early. Thank you so much!”
She laughs, “Don’t thank me yet, I’ve still got to prove that Jess tampered with the paternity test. Also, Elizabeth could still file for divorce, but the baby would have to be born before they would allow it.”
“You worry about the test and I’ll take care of Beth’s desire to leave. Don’t book any flights—I’m going to get her.”
We hang up and I look over at my mom, who is a blubbering mess. “Mom—I’m gonna have to cut this visit short, but as soon as this gets sorted, I’m bringing my wife back here.”
She blinks away tears, “How did you know she was pregnant?”
I pause, “You knew?”
She sniffles and nods, “I suspected she might be when you had to take her to the hospital a month or so ago. I knew she was when I saw that sweet little baby belly and the way she just had this glow about her.”
I nod, “I knew when I finally saw her stomach and I called her doctor’s office to verify. I had a hunch she’d have me as an authorized party on the account—turns out that hunch paid off.”
She pats me on the back and pulls me into a hug, “Go get her, David. And don’t ever let her go.”
I give her a quick kiss on the cheek.
I was getting my wife back—if I had to drag her kicking and screaming from that airport.
Do you know how much a taxi from Beaumont to Houston costs? A little over two hundred dollars and one emergency credit card later, I’m sitting in the airport waiting on Lauren to find me a flight.
Me:
Any luck? I’m here.
Lauren:
Well, there are a lot of people flying here today.
I’ll keep trying.
Me:
Okay.
I tear up again and that familiar tightening in my chest becomes more noticeable. I already scared the poor cab driver with my hysterical sobbing, I really don’t want to lose control in a crowded airport. They might not let me on a flight.
I lean over and hug my knees, focusing on the patterned tiles.
Deep breaths
In and out
I give up and pull some medication from my purse—I can’t even remember the last time I needed it. I’m about to pop one when I read the label: Consult with a physician if you are pregnant or nursing.
I sigh, putting everything back in my purse. Guess it’s back to knee hugging and deep breathing.
I close my eyes and try to visualize something peaceful, but all I can think of is David.
When I open them again, there are a pair of familiar work boots standing directly in front of me.
I look up and there he is. It’s as if I conjured him with my mind. “What are you doing here?”
He kneels down, “Did you really think I’d leave you behind, Beth?”
I bite my lip as my eyes well up again, looking anywhere but at him when I answer. “I don’t know. I figured after you got the results, you’d be leaving soon. I couldn’t bear the thought of you with her, so I ran. It’s the only thing I seem to be good at doing!”
“What about growing our baby in the middle of absolute chaos? You seem to be doing a phenomenal job there.”
My head jolts up, “You know? Did Lauren or your mom tell you?”
He laughs, “Baby, you’ve thrown up more in the last month than in the entire time I’ve known you, you’re more emotional, and you have the sexiest baby bump I’ve ever seen—I put all the pieces together this weekend.”
My mouth is dry, “You-you’re not mad?”
He reaches out and rests his hands on my knees, “No, I wish you would’ve told me when I ran into you at that doctor’s appointment back in August, but I get why you didn’t. None of that matters anymore, because you’re mine forever now.”
“What about Jess? And the results?”
He gives me a sad smile, “I don’t know, Beth. Lauren seems to think it might be fraudulent based on a conversation she overheard between Jess and a nurse.”
I put my head back down in despair, “Forgery? David, it seems like a longshot. How is Lauren planning on proving this?”
He spins his wedding band around his finger, focusing on the floor, instead of me. “I don’t know—I don’t have a fucking clue how any of this works out!”
I glance around to make sure no one’s heard him. The last thing I need is to end up on a “no-fly list.”
I cock my head toward the sliding doors. “Let’s discuss this outside, please.”
He grabs my suitcase, “Let’s discuss it in the truck, while we drive back home.”
I shake my head, “Oh no you don’t. I need to wrap my mind around all of this, David. I don’t know if I can stomach sharing special events with Jess for the rest of our lives.”
He grabs my hands, “You told me you were calling off the divorce. Are you telling me you’ve changed your mind?”
I focus on the arrivals/departures board in front of me, “I-I don’t know. I said that before—before we knew for sure it was yours.”
He laughs sardonically, “So, what was all that the other night then? More lies? Jesus Beth, can’t you be honest with me about anything?”
I’m about to lay into him when a family of four walks past. Instead, I walk away from him and out into the humidity that is Houston.
David follows me, “Beth, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I get that you’re under a lot of stress and I’m not making this any easier on you. I just wanted you to choose a life with me, regardless of the test results, but that’s not fair to you.”
I suck in a ragged breath, I’m not sure if it’s the humidity or panic attack that’s causing me to feel like I’m breathing underwater. “David, I want a life with you—this weekend has been the best reminder of why we should be together. On the other hand, knowing that I would have to share you with Jess—who seems hell-bent on sticking her claws into you—it feels impossible. That, and I’m worried about what diseases you picked up while knocking her up.” It’s a cheap shot and I regret the words almost instantly.
He grabs onto my wrists so hard that I cry out in pain, “I have never been with anyone, but you without protection. Did I fuck up? Yes! Am I going to have to live the rest of my life knowing what I did to you? Yes!”
He growls the words through clenched teeth before letting me go abruptly and walking away. I think he’s going to leave until he stops and leans his head against the building.
He’s trying to keep himself in check.
I want to stay where I’m at and pout, but I know I’ve hurt him just as much as he’s hurt me. I walk over to where he’s standing, ignoring the curious looks of those around me. “David, I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I wish there was some sort of guarantee you could give me that you’re not the father.”
He hastily wipes at his eyes and turns around to face me. I made David Greene cry?
“I can’t give you that, baby. You’re gonna have to choose me as is.”
I swallow hard, a million thoughts racing through my head. I tune them out and finally answer him with my heart, “You, as is, is a hell of a lot better than not having you at all.”
I’d wanted a fairy tale my entire life, but when given the chance, I’d take a harsh reality with no secrets over a night of dress up any day.
He holds his fist up to his bottom lip, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I quit trying to reign in my emotions and let my tears flow freely, “I’m saying I want you to be my husband—” I run a hand along my baby bump, “—and the father to this little person, regardless of what that paternity test shows. I have to trust you on this…and I’m slowly learning to do just that.”
David wraps me up in his big arms, showering my face with kisses, “I love you so much Elizabeth Marie Greene, and I will do everything in my power to prove it to you for the rest of our lives.”
I slept most of the ride home, David’s hand resting on my head. Whenever he stopped for gas, he would wake me for a bathroom break and to buy snacks—he seemed to think I constantly required food—something I wasn’t correcting at the moment.
We arrive back to our house after dark and as we unpack, I finally ask the question that’s been on my mind since we left the airport. “David, what would you have done if I would’ve refused to come with you?”
He places some clothes in the dresser and turns back to face me, “I would’ve thrown you over my shoulder and carried you out. I told you, you’re mine forever.”
I smile, “Yes, but what if I wasn’t willing to call off the divorce?”
He laughs, “Beth, I would’ve done the same thing. Lauren and Mike gave me some interesting news this morning.”
I give him a “go on” look, “I would’ve filed a motion for an emergency hearing, where I would’ve requested a pregnancy test,” seeing my confusion, he continues, “Apparently in the great state of Texas, a judge cannot grant a divorce when the woman is pregnant. So, looks like you’re stuck with me.” His confidence wavers a bit toward the end and he actually seems unsure of himself.
Forsaking All Others (From This Day Forward Book 2) Page 15