Vindicated

by eliza_000

  “Oh,” Karly said. He felt the weight of her eyes on him, full of questions he didn’t want to answer. “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

  “It wasn’t my secret to share.” The heavy tone of the conversation made him shift in the seat. He clamored desperately for something to lighten the mood. “Besides, I’m a little bit scared of her. I think she might be the devil.”

  They shared a laugh. The warmth of camaraderie filled the empty hole inside him and chased away the numbness from the previous night. Her hand rested on the seat between them, inches from his. A simple glide along the leather would bring them together. His fingers twitched. Then he remembered she wasn’t his to touch. He cast a glance in her direction and found her watching him with an unreadable expression. They both looked quickly away.

  “I see that dude got you home okay. What’s his name? Josh? I didn’t realize you were seeing each other. He seems like a nice guy. Although I always thought he might be gay.” Where the hell did that come from? He cringed inside, wishing he could suck the statement back inside and pretend it never happened.

  “He’s not gay. He’s heteroflexible,” she replied with a slight smile. Randy didn’t return the smile. A small furrow wrinkled her fair brow. “What about it?”

  “I saw the way he had his tongue down your throat.” The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle as jealousy returned. The memory of the pretty boy with his hands and lips all over her pissed him off all over again. He was being unreasonable, and he knew it but couldn’t stop it. “I guess it surprised me, is all.”

  Chapter 18

  Karly turned to gape at Randy, who’d apparently lost his mind. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She cocked her head and stared at him, thoughts warring between amusement, surprise, and irritation. Was he jealous? To stir the pot, she decided to add a little flavor to the situation and see where it went. “He’s very hot, don’t you think?” Randy glowered. A second, less amusing thought entered her head, followed by the quick flush of anger. He could have heard the campus rumors about her and, by the tone of his voice, believed them.

  “I wouldn’t know,” Randy said, his voice rough. “But apparently you think he is.” He shifted away from her. “Or was that just a random hook up?”

  Anger flared her nostrils. She sucked in a deep breath and prepared to unload on him. “I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I don’t shag random guys, especially while I’m working. I know you and I hooked up last summer, but it’s not something I make a habit of. And if you think for one minute that I’m—.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Randy raised both hands from the steering wheel for a split second. “Calm down. It’s not my business.”

  “You’re right. It’s not your business.” Her fingernails cut into the palms of her hands as she clenched her fists. How dare he judge her? “And he’s ten times better than someone like Amber Patrick.”

  “I already told you, I’m not fucking Amber.” His voice rose to match hers.

  “Not now, maybe,” she snapped, feeling completely unreasonable and unable to stop. He took his eyes from the road long enough to glare at her. She bit her lower lip, determined to remain quiet.

  “Sorry I brought it up,” he replied tersely.

  The remainder of the drive to the hospital teemed with tense silence. Once they arrived, Randy held the hospital entrance door open for her and said nothing. The scent of antiseptic and illness hit her with full force, bringing back memories best left forgotten. He seemed intent on leaving her in his wake, striding down the hallway on long legs, causing her to trot beside him, heels clicking on the linoleum.

  They found Jack in the lounge, staring into the coffee vending machine as if it were hiding the secrets to the universe. His dark hair, usually in a state of orchestrated disarray, stood out in frantic spikes. Randy cleared his throat. Jack whirled around to face them, a look of utter panic on his face. Once he recognized them, the strained lines around his eyes relaxed, and he smiled.

  "Dude, the last thing you need is a cup of coffee. You're jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs." Randy clapped Jack on the shoulder and squeezed while Karly hung back, still steaming from the drive.

  "I know, but I'm losing my freaking mind out here." Jack scrubbed over his face with both hands then swept them through his hair, explaining the traumatized hairstyle. "You got any smokes?"

  Randy dug into the breast pocket of his shirt and came out with a crumpled soft pack of Camel menthols. He pressed it into Jack's hand. "What are you doing out here, anyway? Shouldn't you be in there?"

  "The nurse threw me out. Said I made Chelsea's blood pressure shoot through the roof every time I opened my mouth."

  "Is something wrong? Where's Ally?” Karly took the cigarettes from Jack's hand and shoved them back into Randy's pocket with a meaningful glare. “This is a no-smoking facility. You don't want to get thrown out, do you?"

  Jack grimaced. "Chelsea wanted Ally in the room with her. I haven't seen or heard from anyone since she went in there."

  "I'll go see if I can find out what’s happening," Karly said. She needed a minute to collect her thoughts and rein in the flood of emotions evoked by the hospital. Emma had been born in this same unit, a few rooms down the hall from Chelsea. The events of the day might have blurred with time, but the euphoria of holding the tiny bundle and counting ten perfect fingers and toes would never fade. Neither would the memories of the pain that followed.

  Chapter 19

  Ally held a bundle of blankets in her arms, clutched protectively to her chest. She turned to face the nursery window with a huge, beaming smile, still flushed with adrenalin. "Look! Isn't she beautiful?" Ally tilted the bundle to reveal a small, reddened face peering at them through the folds of the blanket. To Randy, it looked more like an angry gnome than a baby, but he nodded politely and smiled for Jack's sake then moved away to the window, where he felt less obtrusive.

  Fresh snow blanketed the courtyard below the window, tinged with the golden tones of the mid-morning sun. The day Caleb had been born, he’d sat in the same courtyard, and again when his mother had died three days later. Those days had been a mixture of excitement and heartbreak as one life ended and another began. He passed a hand across his eyes at the remembrance, as if he could wipe away the sting of loss.

  "And she has a gorgeous head of hair," said one of the nurses. She tugged the tiny knit cap from the baby's head to reveal a thicket of fine red curls.

  A collective gasp drew Randy’s attention back to the present. Three pairs of questioning eyes trained on him. Confused, he lowered a hand to check his fly and, finding everything in order down there, coughed to cover his self-consciousness.

  "Is there maybe something you need to tell us?" Ally asked in her usual forthright manner.

  "Uh, what?" He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the darkened window and his deep auburn hair. “Don’t look at me. I can't believe you’d even think that." He shot an accusing look at Jack.

  Jack shrugged and raised an eyebrow but smiled. Randy exhaled a sigh of relief. He might have a truckload of flaws, but shagging his friend's ex-wife wasn't one of them. He’d leave that kind of behavior to Mitch.

  "Is that normal?" Jack asked the nurse. "Or will it maybe change color later?"

  "It might lighten up a little. But it's going to be either red or blond," the nurse replied, oblivious to the turmoil. "Look how fair she is. And she's going to have pretty blue eyes too."

  Randy felt Jack stiffen beside him. The nurse reclaimed the baby and whisked it away. Any questions about the baby's paternity took on a new slant at this unexpected revelation. Jack's hair was a rich chocolate brown, due in part to his Italian and Greek heritage; Chelsea's hair was the deep blue-black of a raven's wing.

  "Jack, are you alright?" Ally’s green eyes filled with concern. When he didn't respond, she turned to Randy. "Why don't you guys go downstairs and get something to eat? I think he's in shock."

 
; "Did Chelsea say anything about this?" Karly asked Ally when the guys were safely out of earshot. They were still standing in front of the nursery, watching the tiny babies through the glass.

  "She hasn’t said a word. Completely mute," Ally said. "She just burst into tears. And she didn't want to hold the baby or anything. I think she's having some kind of breakdown." With an exhausted sigh, she collapsed in a nearby chair and groaned. "The doctor says it's not uncommon, especially with someone who has her kind of issues. Post-partum depression and all that."

  "I bet she's depressed." Karly snorted. "She was banking on Jack being the dad. Her whole world collapsed."

  "I know. Jack's super pissed about it. Especially after the hell she's put us through. I guess the paternity test will settle everything. The results won't be back for a while though." Dark circles smudged beneath Ally's green eyes. She stretched and groaned.

  "You look wiped. Do you need anything?"

  "Sleep," Ally replied with a tired smile.

  "This whole situation is so screwed up," Karly said, shaking her head. "I mean, this deal with Chelsea and Jack. You're more of a woman than I'll ever be. I don't know how you do it."

  "Simple. I do it for Jack," Ally said with a shrug. "Just wait until you find someone you love and then you'll understand. You'll move heaven and earth to make them happy.”

  Karly shook her head, unconvinced. No guy was worth so much pain and heartache. "Umm, I'll take your word for it."

  “So, you came here with Randy? What’s up with that?” Ally tried and failed to hold back a small smirk, as if she was personally responsible.

  “Nothing is up with that,” Karly retorted. “He saw me at the bus stop and offered me a ride.”

  “Well, that was nice of him,” Ally said. She quirked an elegant eyebrow. “He’s very hot, don’t you think?”

  “Ally, don’t do it.” Karly pointed a finger at her friend in warning. “I am not going there, and neither are you.”

  “Never say never,” Ally replied.

  “He thinks I shagged Josh last night,” she huffed out with renewed irritation. “As if. As if!” She snorted, fiddling with the edges of her coat. “Like it’s any of his business. And I told him so, too.”

  “Sounds like he’s jealous,” Ally said. “I saw the way he looks at you when you’re not looking. Randy doesn’t give much away, but it was written all over his face.”

  ***

  "Maybe you should punch something," Randy suggested. Jack paced the sidewalk in the courtyard, his booted feet making no noise on the snow.

  “Are you volunteering?” Jack stopped long enough to glare at him.

  “Well, if it’ll make you feel better, take your best shot.” Randy sniffed and rolled his head from side to side while bouncing on the balls of his feet. He took a big breath and thumped his chest with a fist. “Go ahead. Show me what you got.”

  Jack’s glare morphed into a grin, and he shook his head. “I should. Just to wipe that cocky smirk off your face. Would serve you right.”

  “Better men than you have tried.” Randy returned Jack’s grin.

  “Go ahead and say it. You know you want to.”

  “What? That I told you so?” Randy shook his head and sobered. “Dude, I wouldn’t do that.”

  "I’m such an idiot," Jack said. "And to think I almost lost Ally over it."

  Randy took a seat on the bench, while Jack continued to wear a trench into the snow-covered sidewalk. A rush of sympathy for his longtime friend brought unfamiliar tightness to his chest.

  “You did the right thing, man. You stood by Chelsea. Ally respects you more because of it. As I see it, it’s a win-win.” Randy pulled the cigarette pack from his pocket and tossed it to Jack, who returned a grin of appreciation. “You’re a free man, my brother. No more Chelsea in your life. That’s got to feel good.”

  Jack grinned and the tension in his shoulders eased. “Fuck if you aren’t right. I’m going to get so shitfaced tonight. You in?”

  Randy shook his head. “I think I’m going to take your advice and cut back for awhile. Get my head back in the game.”

  “Pilar still giving you shit?”

  “Every damn day. I went to pick up Caleb and no one was home. The place was locked up tight.” His jaw tightened at the memory. “The harder I try, the more she denies me.”

  “Yeah. She’s got it in for you, that’s for sure. Ain’t nobody can piss off a woman like you can.” Jack guffawed and slapped Randy on the back.

  Randy glared at him in return. “You don’t have to seem so thrilled about it. Do I need to point out that you’re the one at the hospital for the birth of a child who isn’t even his?”

  “Fair point, Mr. Mackenzie,” Jack said, considering.

  They fell into companionable silence for a few moments, sharing their cigarettes in the quiet of the snowy courtyard, shoulder to shoulder on the bench. It reminded him of their youth, stealing cigarettes from Jack’s dad, and smoking them behind the garage.

  “What’s Karly have to say about this deal with Mitch and Pilar? You ever ask her?” Jack broke the silence first.

  “No, she hasn’t mentioned them, and I hate to bring it up. I might say something I shouldn’t. And it’s not her fault her brother’s a douche.” The collar of his shirt seemed to get tighter. He tugged at it and cleared his throat. Jack gave him a long, appraising stare.

  “Are you tapping that yet?” Jack asked.

  “Uh, no.” Randy gave Jack a playful shove on the shoulder. “And if I was, I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you about it.” He steeled himself for the good-natured ribbing sure to follow and was surprised to see Jack’s face sober.

  “I like Karly. She’s a nice person. You guys have a lot in common.” Jack took one last drag off his cigarette and flicked it into a nearby snow bank. “We’d better get back inside before the girls come looking for us.”

  Chapter 20

  Silence filled the trip back to Karly’s apartment. Randy’s gaze never wavered from the road, and she never spoke. He walked to the door with her and stood beside her with his hands jammed into his pockets, while she searched her purse for the key to let them in the building. The deep furrow in his brow suggested he had something to say.

  “What?” she asked after a moment. “What is it?”

  “Nothing. I just…” His discomfort was beginning to make her uncomfortable as well. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about the Josh comment. Hell, I’m the last person with the right to judge you. And if you like the guy, then…”

  The sincerity in his words erased the tension between them. Relief flooded through her, cleansing away a weight she hadn’t known she carried until that moment. Randy stared down at her from his considerable height, rugged and handsome in his customary gray hoodie and brown leather jacket. Their eyes met. She smiled at him, and his lips twitched into an answering grin.

  “Would you maybe want to hang out tonight? Watch a movie or something?” He shifted in his stance on the steps as if nervous, the movement stirring up the scent of soap and fabric softener.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” Caught off guard by his invitation, she floundered for an answer. The cadence of her heart increased. Was this a date? No, of course not. They were friends, nothing else. The minute she started reading more into his actions, the minute she opened herself up for heartbreak.

  He stared at her, head cocked to one side, waiting. After the visit to the hospital, a plethora of unresolved emotions swirled in her head. Her chest ached with longing for Emma. She needed to see her, touch her, and know she was okay. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with her thoughts and wallow in misery.

  “I could pick up something for us to eat. Pizza or whatever you want,” he said, his tone hopeful. A light breeze ruffled his hair and reminded her it was too cold to be standing outside. She shivered and tightened her coat around her.

  “Are you bribing me with food?”

  His solemn expression eased. “Isn’t
it obvious?”

  Chapter 21

  With a huge bowl of popcorn between them, they settled in to watch a movie. Randy sat at one end of the couch, long legs stretched beneath the coffee table, while she curled up at the opposite end. After a heated debate on the merits of action thrillers versus gory horror, they compromised on a romantic comedy starring a famous former athlete and a stunningly beautiful actress.

  “Do you think they’re doing each other in real life?” Randy asked abruptly about halfway through the movie. “They’d have to be pretty good actors to fake sex like that.”

  “No. She’s married,” Karly replied between mouthfuls of popcorn.

  “That doesn’t mean anything.” Randy kept his eyes glued to the television. The undercurrent of feeling in his tone reminded her of the terrible thing her brother had done to him.

  “Not everyone cheats,” she said. “Some people believe marriage is sacred.”

  “Humph,” he snorted. “And what do you think?”

  “I think what Mitch and Pilar did to you was wrong,” she said then sucked in a horrified breath and held it, waiting for his reaction. To her surprise, he laughed heartily at the antics on the TV screen before answering.

  “No offense, but your brother’s a douche,” he said. “And I blame myself as much as him or Pilar. It took me awhile to realize it but hanging onto that kind of resentment doesn’t help anyone.” After a few seconds of silence, he stood and went to the refrigerator for another beer, speaking as he walked away. “In a way, I think Mitch did me a solid.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” she asked.

  “Because she didn’t love me,” he said as he returned to the couch and sank into the cushions. “Not really. She might think she did, but she always had one foot out the door. She was looking for someone better the moment after we met.” The bluntness of his statement struck a chord inside her. He certainly didn’t sound like his heart was broken. She bit her lower lip and tried to ignore the way her own heart skipped a bit at the idea.