My phone pings with a text.
CLAY: Your sister told me your state board is tomorrow. I’d wish you good luck, but I know you’re going to rock it.
I can’t bring myself to text him back. Even just a simple Thanks. I need to move on past him and past what I thought we had. He’s not available.
Suddenly, my pizza isn’t so appealing. After throwing it in the fridge, I grab my notes and go to my room to study for tomorrow.
~*~*~
My sister had demanded that I come over tonight and have dinner with them and my mom to celebrate my test results.
I’m really not in the mood. I’ve felt like shit since I took my test. I’m pretty sure I just made myself sick with worry. The morning I got there for my test, I freaked out, started crying and threw up.
It was like I realized that one test would determine the rest of my life. I knew if I didn’t pass it, everything I’ve done for the past five years would be for nothing.
Luckily, here I am pulling up in front of my sister’s place to celebrate the fact that even though I thought I bombed it, I passed with flying colors.
I knock on the front door and Sly’s silly ass opens it, grinning. “It’s the graduate.”
“Can you stop calling me that?” I say as I enter the room.
“Come on, they’re in the backyard. I need to get back before your sister burns the shit on the grill.” He pats my shoulder. “You know I love your sister, but she can’t grill for shit.”
I laugh as we go through the back door. “Surprise!”
Looking around the backyard, I see everyone. Krista and Lincoln come running up to me. “Sapwize!”
I laugh at them and bend down to hug them. “Thanks, guys.”
Slick comes up and hugs me. “Congrats, Jade.” He blushes as he speaks. In my mind I still see that little boy I babysat. He’s grown so much since then. I see him being quite the heart throb in a few years.
Messing up his hair, I smile. “Thanks, bud.”
My sister appears in front of me. “I wanted to celebrate your accomplishment. You rock. I also knew that you wouldn’t let me if I gave you a say in it. So-.” She motions around her backyard at the people. “I decided to surprise you.”
She’s right, I wouldn’t go along with this if she’d asked. I really don’t feel like facing any of these people. They know everything I’ve done. I’m sure I look like the biggest fucking idiot.
I see Sly by the grill. “Hey, um, is there any liquor at this party?”
He shakes his head. “Yeah, go check the cabinet in the kitchen.”
“Thanks.”
I make my way into the kitchen and fill a cup with ice. Opening the cabinet, I find a bottle of vodka. Not my normal, but it’ll work. As I shut the cabinet, I come face to face with a very smug looking Gia.
“So I guess we both have something to celebrate, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Gibbs and I having a baby, living together, and you finally getting to move on with your life. You know, now that you’re finished with school,” she says with this huge smile that if she wasn’t pregnant, I’d knock off her face.
Opening the bottle of vodka, I start to pour it on my ice. “Thanks,” I bite out.
She grins. “Thanks, Jade.” She looks around. “I really appreciate you being so sweet about all of this and stepping away like Gibbs asked you. I know you and him hooking up while we were separated had to confuse things, but now we’re back together and we just want what’s best for our child.”
She spins and practically bounces out of the kitchen. Did he really fucking tell her that? That he asked me to step aside? Fuck him.
I go to take a drink out of my cup, but suddenly I don’t want it. The back door flies open with Huck running through the house. “What’s going on?” I say, dropping the cup in the sink.
He turns back to me. “I’m grabbing the car. Kara just passed out.”
I go running to the backyard, seeing Sly carrying her around the house to the car. I take off out the door running to Mom. “Mom?”
She shakes her head, crying. Elaine looks to me. “She’s worried that everything that’s been going on with Kara is pointing to the fact that she could be diabetic like her. Eve never had diabetes until she got pregnant with you.”
“Come on, Mom, we’ll follow them to the hospital.”
Elaine smiles. “I’ll take your mom. You stay here and enjoy the party.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m not really in the mood to party. I’ll just be worried about Kara.”
She nods. “Okay. I understand. I’ll take Krista home with Marco and me.”
I smile back to her. “Thanks, Elaine.”
Once I make it around the house with Mom, Clay is standing beside my car. “Do you need me to drive?”
“Uh, no. I’m fine. We’ve got this. I’m sure the guys could use some help cleaning up.” I look back as I open my door. “Thanks for coming or whatever.”
As I pull away, he just stands there with a confused look on his face.
Once we get to the hospital, I make my way through the emergency room. Thank God for a hospital badge. Once Mom and I get back to where my sister is, I see Sly. “Hey, how is she?”
He nods. “Dr. Jennings is checking her now. He said that he thinks she could be having trouble with her sugar. When he looked over her blood work from the last few appointments, Dr. Coleman had been worried as well.”
I shake my head. “Who is Dr. Jennings?”
Sly smiles. “He’s the new guy in Dr. Coleman’s practice. He’s a nice guy, I like him, even if he’s young. He’d just started when she was pregnant with Krista.” I guess being locked away in the pharmacy I really don’t see many of the doctors’ faces. Come to think of it, I think I have seen that name before.
About that time, the door to the room opens. “Okay, Sly, she’s dehydrated and needs some rest so I’m admitting her for overnight at least. We have to get her sugar under control. I’m upset that she didn’t talk with you about it after her last appointment with Dr. Coleman.”
Sly nods. “I am, too, so I will be going to every appointment from now on.”
I look to Sly. “Elaine took Krista with her. I can grab my stuff and stay with Kara tonight since I have to be here so early tomorrow anyway.”
“Nah. You take Eve home. Get a good night’s rest and come see her in the morning when you get here. I’m sure you’ll be able to give her an ear full before she checks out.”
I laugh. “Okay.”
Dr. Jennings smiles at me. “So you work here?”
“Yes. I’m one of the part-time pharmacists.”
“Wow. I didn’t know they kept pretty women like you locked up down there.”
I laugh. “Yep, but don’t worry, once I’m behind the locked door I turn into a total nerd.”
He sticks his hand out. “Nice to meet you. I’m Gavin, maybe I’ll see you around.”
I nod. “Maybe. Thanks for keeping an eye on my sister.”
He starts walking. “No problem.”
I think he was flirting with me. Yep, I may be out of practice, but he was flirting with me. I’m right, I have to move on with my life and he’d be a good first step.
CHAPTER 13
GIBBS
I saw Gia in the kitchen talking to Jade and there is no damn telling what she said. If Jade’s reaction when I got to her car was any indicator, it pissed her off.
Gia clutching my arm right now is pissing me off. I tug my arm away. She crosses her arms and walks off, pouting like a damn child. She knows how I feel about her. I’ve made it clear to everyone that she’s living in my house so that I can help with her pregnancy and the baby. I have no romantic interest in her. I should have went by Huck’s old adage and double bagged it. I might not be in this mess right now. Not that I don’t want to care for my child, but I really wish it was with anyone but her. Her brothers all took the news a lot better than I thought t
hey would. Mox was kinda pissed for a few days, but Huck talked to him. Sly was just pissed he was left in the dark about what was going on and that apparently everyone else knew.
Huck steps up to me as we clean up from the non-party. “So has she talked to you yet?”
I look up. “Who?”
“Jade.”
I shrug. “No, I’ve tried. I even offered to drive her and Eve to the hospital, but she just blew me off.”
“When is Gia’s first appointment?”
I shrug. “She keeps moving it because of her school schedule. I’m hoping soon. I’d like to find out exactly how far along she is and make sure everything is okay.”
Huck shakes his head like there is something on his mind but doesn’t want to say.
“What’s on your mind, Huck?”
He looks over at Gia. “Nothing, man. Just wish this wasn’t all going down like this. You guys go ahead and go. I’ve got this.”
“You sure?”
He waves me off. “Yeah, man.”
Once we’re in my truck, she’s messing around on her phone. “When is your appointment?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ll have to look. I’ve had to reschedule it so much I’ve lost track.” She cuts her eyes at me. “Why?”
I glance at her like she’s stupid. Which she is. “Um, because I want to go.”
“I don’t need you to go with me. I’m an adult, I can go to the doctor by myself,” she says defensively.
“Well, most of the time when someone is having your kid, you get to go to the doctor with them.”
She spins toward me. “Well, you’ve made it perfectly clear that we aren’t most people having a baby.”
“No, we’re not, but it’s my right to be there and check on my kid.”
“Fine. Whatever.” She turns and stares out the window of the truck.
The closer we get to home, I start to feel bad. I know I’m just as much to blame in this situation as she is. I’m taking it all out on her and I shouldn’t. Once we get out at my house, I stop her. “Look, I’m sorry. I just want to be a part of all of it.”
She shrugs. “Yeah, I get it.”
I shake my head, not even caring that I haven’t eaten tonight. I’m just going to bed.
I reach down, feeling Jade’s thick, pouty lips around my cock. “Mmm. Shit, Firecracker. That’s soo good.”
I know if Jade’s here, I’m dreaming. I feel her climbing up my body, but suddenly something doesn’t feel familiar.
My eyes snap open to see Gia trying to straddle my cock. “What the fuck are you doing?”
She sighs. “I just thought…maybe we could…”
“No. Not happening.” I slide her off of my lap and switch the lamp on so I can see her face.
“What’s the big deal? It’s not like I can get pregnant again.”
“The big deal is I don’t want to.”
She points to my dick that’s standing at attention. “That says different.”
“Yeah, well, that was thanks to your mouth. I was thinking of someone else. I’m not going to let you get this confused as to what our relationship is. I’m here for my kid. I promised your brothers that I wouldn’t let this confuse you. We aren’t in a relationship, I made that clear when I agreed to let you move in here.”
She jumps up off the bed. “Fuck you, Gibbs, and fuck my brothers. You’re all fucking assholes and I hate every god damn one of you.” I hear her slamming her door as she gets down the hallway to her room.
Well, all of that killed the erection I had going. Thank God, if I keep jacking off, I swear my dick is going to have calluses. I get up and close my bedroom door and lock it. It’s sad when I have to lock my damn room in my house, just so I can get some fucking sleep.
Lying there, I think about how I should’ve never started anything with her. It all seemed so simple to start with. We were looking for the same thing, someone to kill time with.
It’s Jade I want to be with, it’s her I care about and want to have a future with. I wish it was her I was having a kid with.
CHAPTER 14
JADE
“It’s the beautiful Jade Chambers. Would you like some coffee this morning?”
I look up to see Dr. Gavin Jennings. He’s managed to figure out my schedule in the past two weeks and bring me coffee almost every morning I work. Not in a stalker kind of way, but a sweet way.
“Yes. Thank you.” I place my hand on the counter. “You know, you are quickly becoming one of my favorite people.”
He laughs. “Well that’s good to know. It makes this next question I have to ask a lot easier to ask.”
“Okay, you’re worrying me now,” I say with a small laugh, taking a sip of my coffee.
“Well, we have the hospital gala this Friday night. Would you do me the honor of being my date?”
I smile. I’m about to turn him down when I see Lucille out of the corner of my eye nodding. “Um. Sure. As long as we won’t get in trouble or anything.”
He laughs. “No, we won’t get into trouble.”
I shake my head. “Okay. Um. What should I wear?”
“It’s just cocktail attire,” he says casually.
I nod, smiling. “Well, it’s the least I can do since you’ve done so great providing me with coffee. Good coffee at that, not even the crap they serve in the break room.”
“You only deserve the best.”
I shake my head. “Sorry, I have to get into the back and start getting everyone’s meds ready.”
He nods. “Oh, by the way, how is your sister?”
“She’s doing a lot better. Sly is watching her like a hawk.” I laugh.
He nods. “I can totally see that.” He waves as he starts to walk away. “You have a good day.” He points to Lucille. “You behave yourself, Lucille.”
She waves him off.
She winks at me. “So you’re talking to our own little version of Dr. McDreamy.”
I laugh. “You’re crazy, Lucille. He is a nice guy. We met the night Kara came in.”
She shakes her head. “Honey, he’s more than nice. I’m still upset things didn’t work out for you and the fighter. He seems sad and miserable now.” She takes a drink from her bottle of water. “Boy don’t ever hardly crack a smile now, much less joke with any of us during our classes at the gym.”
I shrug. “It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it now,” I finish as I open the door to the pharmacy.
After a long day of medicating people, I call my sister. “Hey, little sister. To what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?”
I laugh. “You know, you certainly are more chipper now that your sugar isn’t out of control.”
“Har har har. You’re almost as funny as Sly.”
“Anyway, I was wondering if you’re busy this afternoon. I need to pick up a cocktail dress for the hospital gala that’s this Friday night.”
“Oooh, that sounds like fun. Do you care if the girls come with? We’re supposed to be having dinner this afternoon so you could join us.”
Fuck, is Gia going to be there?
“Don’t worry, Gia isn’t going to be there. It’ll just be me, Sloan, Chels and Liz.”
“Oh um, okay. I’ll text you when I get off.”
“So who’s your date for this gala?”
“Dr. Jennings asked me this morning,” I say with a smile. She knows he’s been bringing me coffee since she was admitted that night. It’s just been innocent flirting until this.
“Oooh. That’s great. I’m excited.” Jeez, her pregnancy hormones must be kicking in again because she sounds like a damn teenager on the phone.
“Okay well, I’ll text you,” I say again, trying to convey the message that I need to hang up.
“Okay,” she says cheerfully. “I’ll call the girls.”
“Okay.” I laugh as I hang up.
~*~*~
“I think you’ll look awesome in that damn green,” Chelsea says.
“I like t
he black, but I tend to lean toward dark colors,” Sloan says nonchalantly.
Liz steps up to me. “No, this fucking blue is going to be awesome.”
I take the dresses in my hand to the dressing room. A black, a dark green, a turquoise and a deep cobalt blue. Once inside, I start slipping on the first dress. Damn, my boobs look fucking huge in this dress. My boobs aren’t small by any means, but in this dress they look ginormous.
I step out in the green. “Here’s the green. I don’t like how my boobs look like a buffet in this one.”
They laugh at my candidness.
I step back in the dressing room and slide into the black halter neck dress. I can’t manage the zipper. “Kara, can you come zip me up?”
She slips in the curtain. “Damn, Jadie boo. It’s like your tits have exploded.” Once she gets it zipped, we both laugh. I look like I’m stuffed in a sausage casing.
An hour later, I’ve picked the cobalt blue dress that Liz liked. It’s simple yet classy, and the neckline doesn’t make me feel like a two dollar hooker with these damn boobs. I’ve gotten lazy since I finished with classes. I need to slack off on the coffee and junk food.
~*~*~
Gavin is supposed to be here in like thirty minutes. I’m digging through my bathroom closet for my silver earrings when I knock the box of tampons off the shelf.
Reaching down to gather them up, I see that I only have five left. I need to put them on my list for the store. Then it hits me. I haven’t had a period since a month or so before I got out of school. Shit. This is not good. Running to my room, I grab my calendar. I went out with Clay a little over five weeks ago.
But then I was super stressed and sick over my state board. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve skipped a period because my body was so fucking stressed or even because of the pills I take. I’ve been cramping this week and my lower back has been killing me so that’s probably what it is. I’m probably about to start.
Pushing that to the back of my mind, I find the earrings I was in search of. I hear my doorbell chime.
Gaining Gibbs (Marco's MMA Boys #4) Page 6