by Nikki Vale
“Yes, I did. Thank you.” She seems a little more uptight and formal than her usual self. I follow her into the apartment, noting the sway of her hips as she walks. I could have sworn Evie and Granny Mabel said they were concerned about her losing a lot of weight, but by the looks of it, her hips are even wider than I remember. Not that I’m complaining.
“Have a seat,” she says, indicating the couch. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thanks. What the hell is going on? Why are you acting so strange?”
“Nothing. I’m just a little nervous.”
“Can’t we just have a seat and talk then?”
“Yeah, in a minute. I’m expecting someone else?”
Someone else? What the hell’s going on here? Before I get the chance to ask her, there’s a knock at the door. I wait patiently as she answers, greeting another man at the door. He steps into the room, and I recognize him immediately.
“Jake Sandoval, long time no see.”
“Trevor Woods. Hey man, what are you doing here?” Jake looks as surprised to see me as I am to see him.
“You two know each other?” Megan asks in surprise.
“Jake was the freshman quarterback in high school, when I was the varsity captain,” I inform her.
“Of course,” she says sarcastically. “How else could this possibly go?”
“What’s that?” Jake asks in confusion. Megan shakes her head.
“Nothing, it’s nothing. Could you both just take a seat so I can get this over with?”
Jake and I look at each other in confusion as we take a seat on opposite ends of her purple couch. It seems like forever before Megan begins to speak. And then I’m finding myself wishing she wouldn’t.
“I’m pregnant.”
Sucker punch to the chest.
“Why are you telling me this?” Jake asks in confusion.
“I don’t know who the father is,” Megan explains.
“Whoa! Hold up right there. Unless you’re an elephant, you can immediately eliminate me as a possibility.” Jake tells her. He’s on his feet now, pacing, and running his fingers through his brown hair.
“What do you mean, Jake?” Megan questions him, her face having gone quite pale. I’m watching this shit unfold, like I’m a ghost, having an out-of-body experience.
“What I mean is, you and I haven’t had sex in over a year. The last time we even came close, you were drunk, and you wouldn’t stop crying and calling me Trevor. I don’t get down like that, so I put you to bed, and I slept on the couch.” Jake stops his pacing and looks at Megan.
“Oh thank God,” she sighs and falls into her recliner.
“I’m gonna split so you two can work this thing out,” he says, pointing at Megan and me. Then he’s out the door before Megan can even get out of her seat.
I don’t know what to think of this whole situation. I’m waiting for Megan to turn to me and tell me I’m the father. Instead, she turns to me and says, “I’ve thought long and hard about you and me. By the time I came to my senses and realized how much I care about you, I found out I was pregnant.”
“I don’t understand. Didn’t you bring me here to tell me I’m the other possible father of your child?” I ask. Finding myself finally able to move again, I get up from my seat and walk to the kitchen. Megan follows me and grabs a glass from the cabinet.
“How could you be? We haven’t had sex in six months.” Her hands are shaking as she pours herself a glass of juice. I can’t tell if she’s angry or nervous.
“So whose baby do you think you’re carrying, Megan?” I ask. I’m standing behind her, my mouth next to her ear, as I slip my hands around her waist. She shudders.
“Oliver’s,” she replies, her voice barely a whisper.
“Who’s Oliver?”
“The man from the club.” Her body is shaking against mine. I’m pretty sure she’s crying, so I turn her around in my arms. My suspicions are confirmed. Slowly wiping away her tears with my thumbs, I wait patiently for her to open her eyes and look at me. The look in her eyes when she finally looks at me hurts my heart.
“Trevor, I’m so sorry.” Her words sound more like a plea than an apology.
“I don’t know whether I should be more upset at the fact that you really were trying to have sex with that guy, Oliver. Or the fact that you don’t know when it’s me inside of you, grabbing your ass, and taking you against the wall, as you call out my name.”
I can see the moment my words sink in. Megan is suddenly crying and sobbing uncontrollably. Her words are almost unintelligible as she tries to speak.
“You... It…was…you,” she cries, grasping onto me, pulling at my shirt like she wants to hug me and hurt me all at once. I pull her into my shoulder, stroking her hair and calming her.
“I watched you grab that, Taye Diggs wannabe, by the shirt, and pull him to the back of the club. At that point, wild horses couldn’t keep me from following you. By the time I got to the costume closet, you had disappeared inside, and ‘lover boy,’ was waiting patiently outside the door.” I feel Megan start to lift her head, but I settle her back into me. “Don’t worry about him. Hunter and Brayden stopped me before I could get my hands on the guy. Needless to say, he left without much of a fight, and it was me that you pulled into that closet with you. But if you didn’t know it was me,” I pause and look down into her face. “Why were you calling out my name?”
“Because. I wanted it to be you.”
Her confession only takes a little bit of sting out of the entire situation. Megan really was going to sleep with that guy at the club! Yeah, she says she wanted it to be me, but she really thought it was some other dude. My hold on her starts to slip a little.
“Are you upset?’
Hell yeah, I’m upset. I’m pissed!
“Just give me some space and some time to think, okay?”
“Okay.”
**********
I could really use some advice right now. It’s times like these that I wish men were more like women. Sharing such intimate details about your relationship just seems like such a violation of privacy to the other person involved. But on the other hand, suggestions about what the hell to do in a situation like this, would be more than welcomed and greatly appreciated.
In the end, there was only one person I could think to turn to.
“Hey, Evie. Thanks for coming,” I greet her as she walks in Granny Mabel’s front door.
“Of course, anything for you. Where’s Granny?”
Evelyn’s still in her work clothes. Her baby bump is barely even noticeable, even at five months pregnant. Megan’s only two months behind her. I wonder when she’ll begin to show.
“Megan’s pregnant.” Evie freezes in the middle of hanging up her sweater on the coat rack by the door.
“Come again?”
“Megan’s pregnant,” I repeat. This time, I see the wheels in her head start to turn, and she’s trying to figure out if the baby could be mine.
“Is the baby yours?” Her voice and the look on her face tells me that she’s praying it is.
“What if it isn’t?”
“But is it?” she demands, quickly losing patience.
“Bear with me, Evie. Pretend that we’re not talking about your brother and your best friend in this scenario. If a co-worker came to you with this dilemma what would your advice be to him.”
“First and foremost, I’d need to know if he loves her?”
“Yes.”
Evie smiles at me. “Good. Does she love him?”
“I’m not sure,” I tell her. I feel stupid admitting that.
“Let’s say she does. She just has a harder time accepting her feelings. I would tell my friend to fight for love. Blood doesn’t make the baby his. Loving and caring for the child will make it his. If he truly loves the mother, then he will love any child born from her.” She looks at me and adds “We’re not talking about cheating here are we?”
That’s the question of the century, i
sn’t it? Megan didn’t cheat because it was actually me that she slept with. It’s her intent that’s got me all messed up.
“You and Megan broke up before Christmas. So whose baby is it?”
Evie’s right. Sort of. Megan and I were never officially a couple so we couldn’t break up. You can’t cheat on someone you were never dating in the first place. Megan has always been upfront and honest with me, even if it was something I didn’t want to hear.
“Thanks, baby sis. I knew I could count on you for some sound advice.”
“Always,” she replies. “So…?”
“What?”
Evie rubs her belly and wriggles her eyebrows at me.
“Oh, that. I guess you were right. Megan and I can name our own baby, Trevor.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Megan
I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I made the plan to tell Trevor and Jake I was pregnant at the same time. I thought for sure Jake, and I had slept together. I guess I didn’t give him enough credit for being the gentleman that he is.
Trevor’s pissed and he has every right to be. How did I not know it was him making love to me that night at the club? I remember thinking it sounded like him and felt like him. I kept denying the proof, even though my body and mind were telling me the truth.
It’s been two days since everything went to hell in a hand basket and I haven’t heard from Trevor. Although, Jake called to check up on me. Odd that I never noticed what a nice guy he is. Even odder still, is that it doesn’t matter one iota, it’s still Trevor that I miss.
I hear my phone buzz with a text. Picking it up off my coffee table I see Trevor’s name and my heart starts to stutter. Had this been a few short months ago I wouldn’t have been so eager to hear from him. It would have been me pulling the strings, trying to call the shots. It’s amazing how life changes you, allows you to grow.
Trevor: Would you like to have dinner with me?
Me: When?
Trevor: Tonight. 5 o’clock. I’ll pick you up.
I’m so relieved, yet so scared at the same time. These pregnancy hormones have me on the emotional roller coaster from hell. Just because Trevor wants to take me to dinner doesn’t mean all is forgiven.
It’s already three o’clock. I only have two hours to get ready. Jumping up from the couch I race to my closet, searching for something to wear. It’s Saturday, and I’m just lounging around in sweat pants and a t-shirt. Seeing as how I didn’t bother to ask Trevor where he’s taking me for dinner, I have no clue what to wear. I become absolutely frantic when I hear a knock at the door.
Racing over to the front door, I use the peephole – for once – and see Gina on my doorstep. Thank you, Jesus.
“You’re the answer to my prayer,” I say flinging the door open. “Why are you knocking instead of using your key?”
“Because I don’t live here anymore,” Gina says, stepping inside.
“I know, but you’re always welcome,” I tell her as I head back to my room. A glance over my shoulder lets me know she’s following.
“What’s the emergency?” she asks, surveying the mound of clothes on my bed.
“I have a date, and I have no idea what to wear.”
“Since when does the great Megan Kane have no clue what to wear? And since when do you get this nervous about a date? And another thing, when did you start dating?”
I suddenly stop what I’m doing and stand stock still. It’s been a long time since Gina, and I have really talked. Since she moved out, she’s been wrapped up in Brayden, and I haven’t told her anything about what’s going on with me.
“The long and short of it is, I have feelings for Trevor, he’s taking me out on a date tonight, and I’m pregnant with his baby. Now can you help me find something to wear before I burst into hormonal pregnancy tears?”
Gina makes her way to my closet in a daze and picks out a knee-length, midnight blue, spaghetti-strapped dress and my favorite pair of hot pink stilettos. This looks like something I would pick for myself, not something that Gina would pick for me.
“What is this?” I ask her.
“What? It’s exactly your style,” she says confused.
“If I wanted my style I would have picked it myself. I wanted your style.”
“Why? Trevor obviously love your style not mine, or he would have fallen in love with me not you,” she tells me. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to change the woman he fell in love with.”
“Why do you keep saying that?” I demand.
“Saying what? That he loves you? It’s obvious that he does. What other man would put up with your special brand of crazy?” Gina suddenly looks shocked at herself for saying such things. “I’m sorry, Megan, I didn’t mean that. You’re not crazy.”
“The hell I’m not,” I tell her. We look at each other in silence for a moment and then burst out laughing. “Hey, it’s my ‘special brand of crazy’ that keeps you guys on your toes.”
I hang the dress Gina picked out upon the door. She’s absolutely right, this is an ensemble I would have chosen for myself. I’m not so sure about Trevor being in love with me, but he seems to like me just the way I am, so why change it? Suddenly remembering the fact that Gina just popped up on my doorstep out of nowhere, I turn my attention to her.
“What brings you here tonight?” I ask her.
“Brayden. He proposed.”
“What? When? Let me see the ring!” Gina looks surprised at my reaction.
“There is no ring. I told him I had think about it,” she tells me.
“Why? What happened? Did he do something to you? I’ll kill him. I said I would.” I say, shaking my fist in the air.
‘Yeah, he told me about that,” she says laughing. “He didn’t do anything to me, I’m just scared.”
Before I can respond, there’s a knock at the door.
“Crap! That’s Trevor,” I screech.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault, I took up all your time. You go shower and get ready while I keep Trevor distracted. Go, I mean it.”
Smiling, I press a quick kiss to her cheek and dash into the bathroom.
**********
Two weeks later
Today’s the big day. Evie and Hunter are getting married.
There was a small snafu a week and a half ago when Evelyn couldn’t get her wedding dress on during the fitting, but the seamstress was quick on her toes and suggested adding a corset to the back of the dress to allow room for Evie’s small baby bump.
Lucky for me, I’m still small enough to fit, even if a little snugly, into my hideous bridesmaid's dress. When I say hideous, I'm not facetious, I mean absolutely fugly,− yes, that’s spelled correctly − bridesmaid dress. Gina and I look like avocados, and I mean the light green insides after you’ve cut off the skin.
The venue is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m not saying that because it was my first choice – even though it was. It’s in an outdoor setting, a botanical garden, really. The weather is perfect – a mild eighty-two degrees. And Evie looks absolutely stunning – even if Gina and I don’t.
“Stop pulling at your dress,” Gina admonishes me. “There’s nothing that can help it.”
Did she just say what I think she did? I catch Gina’s grimace in the mirror as she looks at her own dress, and start giggling. Gina can’t help herself as she begins to giggle with me.
“What’s so funny you two?” Evie asks, stepping out from behind the room divider.
“Oh, my word! You’re gorgeous.” Gina gushes. I’m less surprised because I saw her earlier when I helped her get the dress on, but she does look breathtaking.
Evie grabs both of our hands and tears spring into her eyes as she looks at us.
“You two are like sisters to me, and I’m so glad you’re here to share this moment with me.”
I’m fanning my eyes to keep from crying and smearing my makeup. I look at Gina, and she’s doing the same.
“You oughta be begging their
forgiveness for making them wear those atrocious dresses. What color is that anyway, nuclear-waste green?” Granny Mabel says, cackling at her own joke.
“It’s not that bad,” Gina quickly interjects.
“It is that bad,” Evie replies, laughing. “I’m sorry you guys, I have no idea what I was thinking when I picked out those dresses.
“All that matters is that you look beautiful,” I tell her, meaning every word.
“Are you ready for me to walk you down the aisle,” Trevor asks, taking my breath away as he steps into the room. His tall, muscular frame is ensconced in a light-weight, three piece suit. I’ve never seen him look more handsome. He spares me a wink and a smile, before offering an arm to his sister.
We can hear the crowd outside hush, as the music begins to play. I walk down the aisle first, solo because Trevor is playing the part of best man and giving away the bride. As I start my shuffle down the long carpet, I reminisce on the past two weeks of mine and Trevor’s courtship – that’s what he called it. A chance to start over and take it slow like normal people would have from the outset.
Taking my place at the front of the crowd, I watch with pride and admiration as the man I call mine – yes mine. Looks lovingly at his sister as he walks her down the aisle to give her away to the man she’s always loved and who has always loved her. Tearing my eyes away from Trevor, I see Hunter standing at the altar, trembling with anticipation, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“You’re so unbelievably beautiful,” I hear Hunter whisper to Evelyn when she final reaches his side. She reaches up and touches the side of his face, and the dam breaks. Tears fall unchecked down his cheeks.
“Don’t cry daddy,” McKinley calls out, running to him. There isn’t a dry eye in the place as Hunter scoops McKinley into one arm, taking Evie’s hand with the other, as they exchange their vows.
The rest is a blur, literally. I couldn’t see through the tears in my eyes – I’ll have to watch the video later. But right now, it’s almost time for the toast from the best man and the maid of honor. Trevor’s sitting next to me. He’s been holding my hand and rubbing my back since we were seated. I tried not to eat too much, which wasn’t very hard since the thought of giving my toast has made me so nervous that I’m sick to my stomach.