Acting On Temptation (Temptations)

by Donaldson, SM

  He kisses me on the mouth hard and full of need, “Marry me Anna.”

  My mouth drops open, but before I can say anything my Father comes in.

  “Daddy.”

  He walks to me and pulls me in this great big hug.

  We begin talking about what the doctor has told me about Gabby, well everything but the big secret. I tell him what we’ve heard about Linc and about Marshall.

  He looks over to me, “Your Mother will be here tomorrow.”

  I snarl looking at him, “Why? We don’t want her here.”

  He looks at me, “Anna she’s your mother.”

  I look back at him, “No, not anymore.”

  ***

  As the night progresses on, we get news that Linc is out of surgery and expected to have a full recovery. I send Dad across the street to the hotel to get some sleep, he’s been on the road so many hours. I did the same with Daria and Cade once Linc was out of the woods, I sent them too. Which they have some serious tension between the two of them. I’m wondering if Daria told him about her dad. Oh well I don’t have time for that. I sent Russ to sit with his family, his parents need to go home and get some rest. I still can’t believe he asked me to marry him, right here just out of the blue. I’m so glad dad walked in and we haven’t had the opportunity to talk about this again because…I don’t know what I would say. I want to marry Russ, in my heart I know that, but someday not right now.

  “What you got on your mind there little sister? You look like you’re doing your bio homework.”

  My head pops up, “Gabby! Oh God I’m so glad to see you awake.”

  She grabs my hand, “Anna what about Linc and Marshall?”

  I have to tell her everything…I have to. “Ahem, well Linc had several broken bones and some internal bleeding. He’s out of surgery and doing great, they expect a full recovery.” I hang my head, “Marshall was gone before they got to the hospital, they had to wait until they were here to pronounce it but he was gone at the scene from the sounds of things.”

  She’s crying and sobbing for a good twenty minutes. “Gabby I need you to look at me, I need to tell you something and I need you to stay calm.”

  She nods, “Anna, what else is there?”

  “Well, the doctor told Russ and I something that we didn’t know and I’m thinking you didn’t know it either.”

  She’s getting frustrated, “What Anna spit it out?”

  I tuck my head down, “You’re almost eleven and a half weeks pregnant.”

  “But, we…Oh My God…Holy crap…Anna I didn’t know…Oh My God…Anna…Oh My God.” She looks like she’s about to hyperventilate.

  “Gabby I need for you to calm down, okay? Now the doctor said everything with the baby is great, just wonderful. Russ and I are the only people who know. I instructed the doctor not to say anything because you guys didn’t even know. So none of the family know about the baby. Just me, you and Russ, they are talking about putting you and Linc in a room together tomorrow, so I figure you can tell him then. Dad is staying across the street, so are Cade and Daria, I think Russ’s parents got a couple of rooms over there for everyone to freshen up in. But when you’re ready to tell Linc let me know and I’ll try to sway everyone to give you guys a moment.”

  She nods, “I think I’m going to go back to sleep. Wow a baby.”

  I nod with tears in my eyes, “Yep a baby. I’m going to be an Aunt, just please don’t ever scare me like that again.” She nods and smiles as she doses back off.

  Chapter 34

  Russ

  Anna just texted me that she told Gabby about Linc, Uncle Marshall and the baby when she woke up and that she took all the news okay. I sent my parents to get some rest and I sent Rand and Vivy to take Aunt Mary to get some sleep or at least to one of the rooms across the road. Now the doctors have decided to move Linc and Gabby to a room together.

  After about twenty minutes of shuffling everything around we finally have them in a room together. I look at Anna, “Do we need to step out?”

  Anna shakes her head and whispers to me, “No Gabby wants us here so he has someone once we tell him. How has he been since he learned about Marshall?”

  I shrug, “He’s been quiet, but worried about Gabby.”

  Linc looks over at Gabby, “Baby I’m so glad you’re okay, I don’t know what I would’ve done had I lost you and Dad both.”

  She smiles and is attempting to get out of bed and go over to his, “I’m fine. But I have something we need to talk about.”

  He looks at her and smiles the best he can, “Okay.”

  She makes it to his bedside and sits on the edge of his bed. After kissing him like crazy for a couple of minutes, I move to stand in front of the door to make sure no one barges in.

  She takes his hand, “Linc.” That’s all she gets out before she’s crying.

  Linc looks at her, “Baby what’s wrong are you okay?”

  She nods and looks up at him blinking through tears, “We’re gonna have a baby.”

  His mouth drops open, “What?”

  She shakes her head, “I don’t know, they said I’m eleven and half weeks pretty much. The only thing I can think of is when I got sick a few months ago maybe I threw up my pill I don’t know. Are you okay with this? I mean, this is no way near when I wanted to have kids in my life, but I kinda feel okay about it.”

  He nods blinking back tears and smiles, “Yes a baby with you is a wonderful thing.”

  They give each other a deep passion filled kiss that if I knew they were both in working order I’d have to leave the room because I’d know where it was going. For the next twenty minutes, while we are still alone we rehash everything that happened yesterday, even when the doctor assumed we knew Gabby was pregnant.

  Linc looks over at me, “Ha, I bet you two about shit your pants.”

  I roll my eyes, “Yeah asshole, because that’s all we were worried about.”

  Anna laughs, “Seriously, I almost fell out in the floor. Then the doctor asked me did I think you guys knew and I was like ‘ah no’, I think she’d have told me.”

  I nod, “We just wanted to make sure that no one else found out until you guys were ready to tell them. I mean Aunt Mary I think she’d see it as a blessing on top of all this tragedy, but I can’t be sure.”

  They both nod and Anna looks at Gabby, “By the way, Dad said Mom is coming today.”

  Gabby rolls her eyes, “Great. Well since I’m almost through my first tri-mester and didn’t even know it and we’ve survived a car crash, I’ll tell them when everyone is here today. If that’s okay with you Linc?”

  He nods, “Yeah, that way we aren’t having to repeat everything over and over. I just wish…my…”

  She strokes his head, “I know baby, I do too. But look at it this way, he or she will have an awesome guardian angel looking out for them.”

  He nods, “Yeah I know. Um Anna can you go ahead and get everyone to come on over so we can tell them? Then I think I’m gonna take a nap for a while.”

  Anna smiles, “Yes, I can.”

  Gabby gets back in her bed and I walk over and sit down on the edge of Linc’s, “So what’s up Pops?”

  Linc jabs my arm with what force he has, “Whatever man.”

  “Look cousin, I had so many emotions run through me yesterday I think I aged ten years. So if you and your woman here could refrain from doing that to me again I’d appreciate it. I mean I’m too pretty for worry lines.”

  I accomplish my goal because Linc starts laughing.

  I laugh and look at Gabby, “So am I going to be a cousin or an uncle to this kid, I’m kinda confused as to how this will work.”

  They both start laughing; the door opens and in come Cade and Daria.

  Cade looks at Linc, “Hey asshole, I told you to look out for my girl, she’s all cut up and banged up. But then hell you look like shit too.”

  We all share a few laughs, trying to keep the conversation uplifting because I know Linc is so
upset about losing his Dad in all of this. I also can’t help but notice there is definitely a tension between Daria and Cade. I’ll have to find out about that later.

  I look at Linc and Gabby, “So how long will you guys have to be in here?”

  Gabby looks at me, “Well, the doctor said I could go home tomorrow, Linc the end of the week because of the internal bleeds. They just want to keep a closer eye on him.”

  I nod, “Alright. That sounds good, are you guys just gonna stay with Aunt Mary?”

  Gabby nods, “Yeah, with everything going on we think it would be best.”

  Chapter 35Anna

  Little by little our family has all trickled in here even my Mother. Finally Linc clears his throat, “Okay can I get everyone’s attention.”

  Russ stands up, “Hey! Linc has something to say.”

  I help Gabby move over to Linc’s bed. Linc looks at her and smiles, then he looks back at everyone else. “Well in the mist of everything that happened yesterday, Gabby and I found out that she’s pregnant. Don’t worry the baby is fine, healthy and a big surprise to us.”

  The room erupts with cheers and squeals. Mary runs over to them hugging the life out of both of them. My Dad is beaming ear to ear along with everyone else except my Mom. Why did I figure she would act any different?

  There are all the normal questions ‘how far along’, ‘how did the doctor tell you’, then the story of Russ and I accidentally finding out.

  Mary has tears running down her face, “Well, I think this baby is God’s way of helping me keep my sanity through all of this.”

  Everyone nods, my Dad goes over and hugs Gabby, “Wow I’m going to be a grandpa. Wow.”

  Gabby smiles and nods, “Yeah, are you okay with that?”

  He strokes her hair, “Gabby some of the best things in life have no explanation at all.”

  The hug tightly and I notice my Mother sneering. Finally she speaks after Linc’s sisters and Russ’s parents have left the room. “Gabriella really you think this is so wonderful? Do you have any idea what you are getting yourself into? What about school, you are going to lose your scholarship because pregnant girls really don’t run to well? Did you even think about the consequences of your actions?”

  My Dad goes to say something, but Gabby beats him to it, “Did you think about the consequences of your actions before you started fucking someone besides Dad? How do you feel about becoming a new Mom and Grandma all at the same time? As far as school we’ll figure it out.”

  Everyone in the room becomes deathly silent, I can see Linc is getting upset.

  “Come on Mom out the door, what’s the old adage if you can’t say something nice.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that Anna. You’ll probably be knocked up just like your slutty sister over there soon.”

  I don’t know where it came from but before I knew what I was doing I slapped the crap out of my Mother, “Get out! No one and I mean no one talks about my sister that way. You are a horrible person.” I push her out into the hall. “Get out of here before you make anymore of a scene. Oh and you’re a fine one to talk about being a slut, when you are carrying someone else’s kid.”

  My mom scours at me, “No unlike your stupid sister, I had my problem taken care of. Neither John nor myself wanted another baby to raise at our age.”

  This is the first time I’ve heard the man’s name, “John as in your boss John?”

  “Yes my boss.”

  I’m about to hit her again, but I’m trying to restrain myself, “Get out of here and don’t come back. I never…and I mean never care to see you again. Stay away from Gabby too; she doesn’t need your negativity around. I’ve never stood up to you like she has. I let you treat me as your puppet in high school. Well not anymore. You are a self-centered bitch who I refuse to be around. I should’ve stood up to you a long time ago. Now get out.”

  She storms down the hall and I turn around to see Russ and my Dad standing there. Both of them take me up and hug me. I look up to my Dad, “Don’t let her come to anything for us again. I don’t ever want to see her. I don’t care if she did give birth to us.” My Dad nods that he understands.

  Daria walks out of the hospital room, “Anna you wanna go grab some coffee? They said you haven’t left this room?”

  I nod, “Yeah lets go.”

  When we get downstairs to the coffee shop I look over at her, “So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Cade or is it going to be top secret?”

  She looks at me with tears brimming in her eyes, “We decided that once we get back to school we are taking a break. Neither of us are moving out of the house, but Cade is going to talk to Russ about staying in his room.”

  “What brought all of this on?”

  She takes a sip of her coffee, “My real Dad came to visit at Christmas. Before I’d had a chance to tell Cade about him or any of the other stuff. So he was upset. He felt like I’d lied to him. He wanted to know the answers to a bunch of questions like why I use my step-father’s last name. When I told him I couldn’t share all of that with him, that it was too much right now. He said it was like I didn’t trust him and he couldn’t be in a relationship with someone who didn’t trust him.”

  “What?”

  She shakes her head, “I tried to explain that a lot of it was painful memories that I didn’t want to share or burden him with. He just couldn’t understand, so he was about to leave and then your phone call came.”

  I shake my head, “Oh my gosh, well maybe with some time he’ll start to understand.”

  She shakes her head wiping tears from her face, “No, he said until I’m ready to share my complete past he can’t be with me.”

  “That asshole. I love Cade but why does he have to be so cut and dry about things?”

  Shaking her head, “I don’t know but I don’t want to talk about it anymore, I just can’t, it breaks me every time. So you’re going to be an Aunt huh?”

  I nod, “Yep sometime at the end of June first of July I guess.” With that we walk back to Gabby’s room.

  Chapter 36

  Russ

  After Daria and Anna come back in the room I ask Cade to go with me to grab a Coke or something. Once we get out in the hall I look at him, “Okay are you going to tell me what is going on with you and Daria? She’s been crying, you looked all pissed and crabby.”

  He sighs, “You remember how I told you I thought she was hiding something. Well she was, hell she still is and she won’t talk to me about it. So we are taking a break, I can’t be with someone who keeps secrets from me. I was going to ask you anyway if I can move into your room at the house since you stay with Anna most of the time anyway.”

  I nod, “Yeah sure man, I really hope you guys get things worked out though.”

  He nods and keeps walking to the nearest drink machine.

  “Cade man, Are you sure I mean really sure that it is important enough to split up over?”

  He nods, “Yeah, man when you’ve been with someone close to two years and you find out they aren’t who they say they are. That the last name they use isn’t really their last name and that they have a real dad that you knew nothing about. Yeah until she wants to come completely clean to me, I can’t be with her. I’m also pissed with Anna.”

  “Why are you pissed with Anna?”

  “Because apparently she knew about part of this shit and didn’t tell me.”

  I drop my eyes, “She did?”

  “Yeah, I told you those two were hiding something after their “meeting” with Skylar. Well Daria told me that Anna was the only person who knew that she had another Dad and that she doesn’t use her real last name. But hell I think that’s really all Anna knows too.”

  I grab his shoulder, “Man I understand why you’re upset, but if she keeps it this hidden it must be important. Daria doesn’t strike me as the type to do this shit just to screw with people’s heads. Did she give you a reason why she wouldn’t share?”

  “Sh
e said that it was still too painful and that she’d came to college to start over.”

  I nod, “Well, I still think you shouldn’t rush into anything. Give her some time. This can’t be easy for her, I mean if she’s trying to start over and using a different name…it must be some pretty serious shit.”

  He shakes his head, “Yeah, well being in a relationship that’s committed like ours was, you are supposed to be able to trust your partner with everything…I’m beginning to think she doesn’t trust me with anything.”

  I pat him on the shoulder knowing that there isn’t much more I can say. We walk back to Linc and Gabby’s hospital room. Once we are back inside Anna and Gabby fill them in on the events that happened at home. Daria and Anna talk about wedding stuff with Gabby. It looks like they’ll be getting married sooner than expected because Linc and Gabby both want to be married when the baby comes. Wow when the baby comes...

  “Russ. Russ. Do you hear me?”

  I look at Anna, “Huh I’m sorry, I spaced out a little.”

  She nods, “Yeah, I was saying why don’t we go across the street to the hotel and get some rest and a shower. Daria is going to stay here until the family gets back and Cade is going to get Gabby some Waffle House.”

  I laugh, “Waffle House really Gab?”

  She looks at me like I just said the craziest thing on earth, “What? Now I understand why I haven’t been able to get enough to eat lately and why I’ve gained so much damn weight. I’m tired of this nasty ass hospital food; I want some good greasy food. I want some damn hash browns.”

  Linc looks over at her, “Baby you have not gained weight.”

  She looks at him, “Linc I couldn’t hardly button my pants and my boobs are spilling out of my bra. I’ve gained weight.”

  He shakes his head, “Baby you won’t ever hear me complain about your boobs getting bigger.”