“Mine too,” I agreed, fighting to keep my eyes away from his crotch. He really looked good in those things. Damn good.
Max picked up his towel off the floor and tossed it into the dirty laundry hamper. “I thought for sure a fist fight with dad was coming. Maybe even a cat fight too.”
I laughed at Max’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Why do you suppose they didn’t go apeshit?” I asked.
Max shrugged. “Not sure. I have a feeling this isn’t the last we’re going to hear of it, though. But I’m glad they’re playing it cool . . . for now. I’ve got enough on my plate with the marines to worry about.”
“Oh yeah. What are you going to do about that? Do you still have to talk to your superior?”
Max nodded and walked over to the bed and sat down at my foot. My temperature rose several notches in response and my pulse began pounding against my neck. “I have an appointment set. I just hope I can get out of this.”
“I’m sorry that I’ve caused so much trouble for you,” I said. “I wish I could take everything back.”
“Nikki,” Max interrupted me, placing a hand on my leg. “Quit apologizing. I told you I forgive you, alright? There is no point in rehashing how sorry you are, or how you didn’t mean to do whatever. Whatever happens, I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry about it. I feel like this was all meant to be, just maybe a little premature.”
I stared at him, feeling volts of electricity shooting up my leg from his touch. “Okay,” I said after a moment, filled with a warm feeling inside at Max’s words.
“In a way, I’m happy you did what you did.”
I needed a crane to pick my jaw up off the bed. “What?” I breathed in disbelief.
He looked away, turning his gaze on the bedroom window. “It forced me to look at my life and what I was doing. You know I love the military, always have, my dad instilled that in me. But when I think about it, I was reenlisting for the wrong reasons.”
“What reasons were those?” I asked.
Max turned his gaze back on me and I shivered. “I thought about it long and hard and I now realize that I was just scared.”
Max scared? He was like the most fearless guy I knew. “Scared of what?”
“Us,” Max replied, surprising me. “I was scared of us, Nikki. I knew that our relationship was something that was forbidden and I feared that we would never be able to have a real future because of it. I was also afraid that I would fall hopelessly in love with you, something that I saw as a sign of weakness. I thought I would avoid it all.”
I sat there for a long time, digesting this information.
I can’t believe it, I thought. This whole time, Max has only wanted to leave again because he was scared at the possibility of us being together.
“And have you?” I asked quietly.
“Have I what?”
“Fallen hopelessly in love with me?”
Max grinned. “I have.”
A feeling of warmth flowed through my chest and a smile came over my face. Max’s admission made me incredibly happy.
Suddenly, Max jumped up, his hands on the waistband of his boxers, and struck a manly pose that had my nether regions pulsating again. “Now that that is out of the way, come give me a kiss before I send you off to bed. If you stay, we both know what’s going to happen. We don’t need to break your mother’s rule on the first night.”
Chapter 19
“I was able to get out of my commitment,” Max announced to me the next afternoon while I was out in the garden planting a few seeds. The day was bright and sunny, the sky a beautiful azure blue. A soft breeze continuously swept through the area, tickling my skin and carrying the smell of the earth.
Since the revelation of my pregnancy, Mom seemed to be in a daze, unable to do the daily chores that she did every day with relish. So when she asked me to help her out in the garden, I jumped at the chance.
After all, I wanted to stay on her good side before she turned into a fire-breathing demon, intent on making me pay for my sins and make my life a living hell.
Crouched down in the dirt, I squinted and looked up at Max, who was dressed in gray sweats and a red shirt. He looked extra hot as usual and it was hard not to stare at his customary bulge that always seemed to scream to get my attention no matter what he was wearing.
“That’s wonderful Max!” I rejoiced as I set aside my tools, genuinely relieved. The fact that Max was able to get out of potential trouble with the marines made me feel a little less shitty about the problems I’d caused. “How’d you manage that?”
“I explained the situation. Told them I’d knocked up an old girlfriend up and she needed me to stay to help take care of her because she had no family.”
I gaped. “Max!”
Chuckling, Max grinned. “What? You wouldn’t have wanted me to say my stepsister, would you? I had to tell them something a little less scandalous. Anyway, my commander did ask if I could just send some of my monthly pay back home to support you, but I told him I didn’t want to be an absent father.”
“And he accepted that?”
Max nodded. “My MOS was overcrowded already apparently. He didn’t really like it, but he agreed since the paperwork wasn’t filed into the system yet.”
“Well I’m glad.”
“So am I.” Max nodded at me in the dirt. “Why the hell are you out here planting daisies?”
“Mom wanted me to help her out. She’s been in a daze since last night. I figured I’d better do whatever she asks so she doesn’t go flip mode.”
“True.” Max squinted up at the sky. “Now the last thing I need to take care of is how I’m going to support the both of us and the baby.”
I rose up to my feet, careful to keep my eyes off his crotch area, and clapped my hands together to dislodge dirt. “Don’t you have money saved up from the money that they gave you?”
Max looked at me. “I do, but with no job, it won’t last long when we have to get our own place.”
I stared. “Get our own place?”
“Yeah.” Max gestured at the house. “Do you actually think they want us staying here? You practically have given up college for now and I’m giving up my stint in the service. I’m sure neither of them are too happy about that. Plus it’ll be weird for us anyway.”
I bit my lower lip, thinking. What Max was saying did make sense. I really didn’t want to be that couple that depended on their parents for financial support.
Besides, I thought, they might disown us when they come to their senses anyway.
“Well, it shouldn’t be that hard for you to find a job.”
Max snorted. “For you, maybe, since you have a college education, but not for me. All I hear about is how hard it is out there for vets. I mean I could flip burgers, but that’s not going to support anything.”
A feeling of dread washed over me. “And if you don’t find one?”
Max next words made me feel even worse. “I don’t know. I don’t even know if they’d take me back.”
* * *
Max and I were in the kitchen talking, discussing what to do about dinner. Mom was locked up in her room and was refusing to come out, so the two of us had decided that we’d try to cook dinner for our parents, though I’m sure the last thing they wanted to do was sit down and eat with us or see our guilty faces.
We’d just decided on making stir-fry when Jerry walked in from work. He paused when he came into the kitchen, looking over the both of us before turning his gaze on Max.
“Can I speak with you son?” he asked, his tone firm.
Uh oh. Trouble.
Max glanced at me and set down the bag of frozen broccoli he’d just taken out of the freezer. “Sure. What’s up?”
Jerry nodded back behind him at the hallway. “In my office.”
The two men left the room together and I tried to focus on making the stir-fry by myself. I lasted less than a minute before I threw the meat down on the counter and made my way to Jerry’s office to eavesdro
p.
At the end of the hallway, I crept up to the door and pressed my ear against the door. Jerry and Max were engaged in heated conversation, their voices were muffled, but I could still make out what they are saying.
“I think you’re making a terrible mistake,” Jerry was saying. “A really stupid one.”
“Yeah?” asked Max, his voice hostile. “And what do you expect me to do? Just abandon Nikki?”
“No.”
“Then what are you saying?” Max cut in sharply. “You’ve always taught me to be responsible.”
“Just stop for a second and let me finish. I’m just trying to look out for what’s best for you.”
There was a pause and then I heard Max blow out a resigned breath.
“Okay. Go.”
“At first, I was shocked to find out what’s really been going on, then I got really angry. Now after having a full twenty-four hours to think about it, I see that you two are determined about this. I’ll do what I can to help.”
“Help? What kind of help?” I could hear the suspicion in Max’s voice.
“Hear me out before you go getting all defensive. Now, your stepmother and I think you should go through with your commitment to the Marines. While you’re away, we’ll help take care of her and the baby and be her support system. We realize that there is nothing we can do if you both intend on keeping the child, but be there for the both of you. This way, you can still fulfill your obligations to the service.”
“Thanks, Dad, I’m really grateful that you guys are taking this so well, all things considered, but my obligation is here with Nikki. Just think, I wouldn’t be back until well after the baby was born. I’d miss the first steps and everything. And there is always that chance I’ll never come back . . .”
“I know, son, and that’s a terrible thing, but you two didn’t plan for this. When unexpected things happen, sometimes you have to make sacrifices.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“Considering your lack of education, there will be nothing worse than not being able to provide for your baby, a minimum wage job isn’t enough. What kind of life is that to live, committing you and Nikki to a life of poverty?”
There was a long silence and I suspected Max was at a loss for words.
“Go back into the service,” Jerry urged. “Let them fund your schooling, get a degree in something that you enjoy, and then you’ll be able to take care of Nikki and the baby without it being a hardship.”
Tell him no, Max.
But when Max responded, my heart fell.
“I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 20
“Are you sure you want to have the baby?” my mother asked as she flew through an intersection.
We were driving to the store to get groceries for dinner later that evening. It was several days since I’d revealed the truth and this was the first time my mom broached the subject with me.
“Absolutely sure,” I replied nervously. Talking about the baby with her felt strange. After all, the father was her stepson. “There is no doubt in my mind.”
She shook her head and sighed as she turned a corner. “Alright Nikki, I just hope you aren’t getting in over your head. You seem so sure of everything.”
“I know, mom, and I understand your worry. Believe me, I do, but that doesn’t mean that Max and I can’t make it work.”
“He’s your stepbrother, Nikki,” my mom said.
The tone of my mother’s voice made me feel like if she was reminding me of the fact of Max and I being step-siblings, instead of accusing me. “You can’t help who you love,” I replied.
“I guess that’s true,” she agreed, surprising me. “But sometimes, who we love isn’t necessarily the ones that we are made to spend the rest of our lives with.”
“So you’re saying that just because Max is my stepbrother our relationship will never last?”
She slowed down to a stop at a red light and glanced over at me. Gently, she reached out and stroked the side of my face. “I just want you to be happy, baby. If Max does that for you, then I’m for it, stepbrother or not.”
“This, being with Max, will make me happy,” I said, swallowing back the lump in my throat. “It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time.”
Mom’s eyes were sad as she studied me. “What will you do when other people find out that Max is the father?”
I shrugged. Max and I had already discussed the possibilities and had ultimately decided it was none of anyone’s business. “Does it matter? Max and I are not related. Our relationship is perfectly legal, even if other people don’t see it that way. Anyone outside the family wouldn’t even know anyway.”
“And are you sure Max feels the same way? Everything isn’t going to be roses forever, you know? Long term relationships are hard work and you two are just starting up. You might end up regretting this immensely.”
Not having a ready response, I didn’t reply.
The light turned green and my mother continued up the street. “A lot of work and responsibility comes with having a baby. I can tell you didn’t really think this through, and that’s one of the reasons why I can’t get too mad at you. I was young once and I remember how it was to be so impulsive and I wasn’t much older when I had you. Look, Nikki, you’re a smart girl, a straight A student, and I have high hopes for you.”
I held in a sigh. My mother meant well, but it was frustrating. She pulled into the parking lot and quickly found a parking space. Turning off the engine, she turned to look at me. “Just be absolutely sure and I’ll be there for you.”
I returned her gaze, noticing the love in her eyes before replying, “I am sure and thank you, Mom.”
* * *
Max came into the kitchen the next day looking like the hot solider he was. Trendy sunglasses adorned his face and he looked to be in high spirits, a wide grin on his face.
Since eavesdropping on his conversation with Jerry, I’d been avoiding him because I was upset that he would even consider leaving me again after all we’d been through.
“How’d things go today?” my mom asked while she diced onions without looking up. Next to her, I was spreading mayo on bread slices.
Max looked at me, grinning. “Good.”
Mom stopped her dicing and looked at him. “That’s all? Just good?”
Max nodded and raised his glasses off his eyes, resting them on his head. “Yeah.”
She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say more, but she didn’t. Suddenly, it felt like there was so much tension in the room that I could choke on it. A loud buzz cut through the silence a moment later.
Mom smacked her palm against her forehead. “Oh Nikki, can you get the clothes out of the dryer? I totally forgot about them.”
Eager to get away from the awkward tension in the room, I was only happy to oblige. “Sure thing.”
I set the knife I’d been using to smooth the mayo on the bread down on the counter and went to the laundry room.
As I began digging clothes out of the dryer, I heard a step behind me. I whirled around. Max was leaning in the doorway, staring at me.
“What’s wrong, Nikki?”
“What do you mean what’s wrong?”
“Don’t play that game with me. You’ve been avoiding me.”
I sighed and set down some shorts on top of the dryer. “It’s just that everything feels so weird now with them knowing about us. The thing that really disturbs me is how they’re acting like they’re okay with what’s going on when they’re really not. It’s just odd.”
“I think I know what you need.”
My pulse began to pound in my throat. “What?”
“To get out of here, get some fresh air.” He nodded at the dryer. “You got a bathing suit in there?”
“No, why?”
Max grinned. “Cause we’re going to the beach.”
Chapter 21
It was the perfect day for a swim. A blazing sun, clear blue skies with zephyr breezes that m
ade your skin tingle. So swim we did, stopping only to sunbathe before jumping back in the sparkling ocean.
After we’d had our fill, Max and I spent most of the day walking along the boardwalk, enjoying all the sights and people.
Max had been right. I did need to get out of the house and get some fresh air, relieve some stress. But the thing I was most excited about was being out in public with him as a normal couple. No one knew who we were and we didn’t look any different than any other boyfriend and girlfriend walking along the beach.
Max, dressed in swimming trunks and nothing else, his chiseled body proudly on display, was getting quite a lot of stares from the girls around us. I wasn’t jealous, though, because he seemed to only have eyes for me.
As the day wore on, we enjoyed lunch at a hot dog stand and blue and pink slushie cones. Later that evening, we watched street performers perform their tricks and walked in a few bars. I kept Max from having too many shots, I didn’t want him to get sloppy drunk like I knew he was prone to do, and I avoided them all together.
Before departing, we stopped to walk on the beach one last time. It was now late into the night, the moon out and the stars twinkling overhead. A cool breeze swept through the beach, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin as the waves crashed gently onto the sandy shore.
“So I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” said Max as we walked, hand-in-hand.
I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow in question.
“What would you have done if I left anyway?”
I brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face. “I don’t know, I didn’t stop to think about that. I was just so desperate.”
Max stopped us right at the edge of the water where the sand became muddy. “You really wanted me to stay, huh?”
I nodded.
Max pulled me in close. “Well, I’m glad everything worked out the way it did. It’s forced me to admit how much I love you.”
Homecoming: A Secret Baby Romance Page 7