Thick: A Stepbrother Romance

by L. M. Roberts

  When she returned carrying the pints of ice cream and two spoons my spirits lifted a little. If there was one thing that could make me feel somewhat better, it was junk food. I didn’t care if I gained one hundred pounds. The food is what kept me from murdering several people a day.

  Before too long I started to get sleepy. Having not been able to sleep well since I got back, I jumped on the offer to get at least a few hours. Seeing Alex to the door she promised if I needed her that she was only a call away. I already knew that she would be there, but it made me feel better when she voiced it to me. I turned off all the lights and settled into bed, hoping that for just one night the dreams would stay at bay.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I whined, sitting down at the table.

  “Oh hush, you’ll like it.” She said dancing back and forth next to the table.

  Alex had been on my back for weeks now to come out and enjoy life with her, but until now I didn’t take her up on it. God, I was so stupid. I was still nursing my broken heart and here I was in a club with Alex patrolling for men. I didn’t want to tell her there would be a fat chance in hell for me to pick up a guy, but that was the truth.

  However, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She literally chased me around the apartment with a cup of water threatening to drench me if I didn’t go. More than once I told her no, but then she would go around chasing me with that damn cup again. It was a little hilarious seeing her trip and fall all over the place, drenching herself more than she was getting on me.

  So I took pity on her and decided to come out. It felt wrong to be out on the town when I was still healing from heartbreak, like I was cheating it in some way. I knew that was crazy. That I was not cheating on him, but I couldn’t help the way I felt. I should be pissed at the way he treated me. At the time I had been. But the more time I spent away from him and from our home, I found I felt the opposite. Empty, emotionless, dead.

  The more we set there, the more I tried to get into the spirit. I’d watched Alex scamper off with a new guy each time she went to dance. Some had asked me if I wanted to, but I just couldn’t. Rather than dancing I decided to nurse a margarita the whole night. I’ve been feeling queasy for a good number of days, and I didn’t want to drink too much of the margarita. Instead of this being a good time out, it would turn into me running to the bathroom.

  When I couldn’t handle anymore, I told Alex I was leaving. Like the good friend that she is, she left the guy she was currently dancing with and came home, at least she got his number first. After catching a cab and getting back to the house, I found that nothing was knocking out this sickness.

  I’d tried ginger ale and crackers, nausea medicine, and just laying down in a dark room with a cold cloth on my head. Nothing. If anything it’s seemed like I was getting worse. Alex stayed with me through the entire night. She was constantly walking up and down the hallway like an old momma hen. Coming in to check on me, seeing if I needed anything. Hell, she sometimes came in just to watch me while I laid in bed.

  Her actions were warranted of course. In all the time that she had known me. She’d never seen me sick. Hell the last time that I had been sick was in college, and that was when I first started. I always made a point to take care of myself. It didn’t matter if it was fifteen degrees outside, you would see me outside in jogging clothes getting my work out on.

  Instead of eating all the wrong foods, I was on a low carb diet, staying away from sweets as much as possible. Every now and then I would offer myself a treat. Such as ice cream or deserts, something like that. But it was rarely ever did I not take care of myself, which was what made me think of being at home during my mother’s wedding.

  That could very well be the reason right there. I hadn’t been used to eating all different types of food all the time, not caring if it was high in carbs or anything like that. That must be why I was paying the piper now. My body was trying to work overtime to get rid of the toxins I had built up.

  I groaned. A second later Alex was in the room. “You needing anything?”

  I shook my head. “No, but I think I know what’s going on.”

  “What?”

  I chuckled. “My body is paying me back for not taking care of her back at home. You know I usually don’t eat like that, normally. I bet that’s what all this is. I built up toxins and now I’m sick.”

  She cocked her head, seeming to weigh what I said. “You know, I bet that is what this is about. Maybe you need to go to the doctor and get one of those five day cleansing packets. It could get your system back up and running.”

  I laid there for a minute. She was probably right. I just needed a good cleanse and then I would be good as new. There were some people that didn’t think changing a mere eating habit would rock your world, but I could tell them different. Not only had it knock me on my ass; it had made me sicker than a dog.

  “I think I’m going to go to the doctor tomorrow.” I said on a sigh.

  “I think that’s best. But I have to work in the morning, so I’ll be jetting now,” she said with an air kiss.

  I didn’t get up to let her out of the apartment. I was sure that she would lock the door on her way out. I lay there trying my best not to empty the contents of my stomach. I sipped at my ginger ale, smiling when I started to feel the queasiness drift away. Pulling the covers up to my neck, I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

  “Ms. James,” Dr. Stevens greeted when he stepped into the room.

  After tossing and turning all night last night I was in complete bitch mode from having my blood drawn today. The only thing I wanted when I came in was some cleansing tablets. Was that too much to ask for? But after learning that it was now protocol, I reluctantly went with it. In all honesty I wanted to get out of this cold ass room more than I did the tablets.

  “Hello,” I greeted.

  He stood there looking over his paperwork for a few more minutes, then held up his finger when he stepped back outside. I screwed my face up in confusion. If there was something else causing my sickness, something worse than needing a cleansing, I needed to know. There was no use in beating around the bush on something like this. For all I know I could need a colonoscopy.

  There was a knock at the door just before Dr. Stevens and the nurse from earlier came through. She was standing there with a look of nervousness in her eyes. “Ms. James, we found some rather distinct information from the blood test,” Dr. Stevens stated.

  Fear raced through me at the look on his face. My blood turned to ice in my veins, heart beginning to pick up its pace. At this rate I’d pass the fuck out before they told me anything. I was never one to wait for information. Especially if that information pertained to my health.

  “Come out with it already. Do I have cancer? Please God let it be anything else besides that.” I mumbled, the panic beginning to be too much.

  “No, it’s not that…But your body is going to be changing…Ms. James, your umm…you’re pregnant.” The doctor finally made eye contact with me.

  I chuckled. “Say what? Because it sounds like you said I was pregnant.”

  The nurse spoke up, “Yes Claire. That’s exactly what he said. Your HCG levels are concurrent with being a month and a half pregnant.”

  My mouth opened in shock. What the fuck was all this? Was someone playing a prank on me? I bet its Alex trying to freak me out or something, because there is no way this can be happening right now. I couldn’t be pregnant. You would have to have sex without a…fuck me…

  The last few times that Brad and I were together everything had been so fast that he never wore a condom and stupid me, didn’t remind him to. What the hell was I going to do? I couldn’t do this. What the fuck was I going to tell our parents?

  “Did Alex put you all up to this? She’s a prankster like that, I’m sure she did this to freak me out.” I rushed out, panic completely overtaking me.

  They both shook their heads, a stoic mask on their fa
ce. There was no laughter in their eyes. That was when I knew they were telling the truth. I was fucking pregnant with Brad’s child. Never ask if something could get any worse, because somehow it always comes back to bite you in the ass. Always.

  I was now alone, pregnant, and didn’t know what the fuck I was going to do. Life had officially fucked me over once again. Cruel bitch.

  Leaving the doctor’s office, I was in a complete daze. There were so many thoughts going through my mind. The main one being how was I going to tell my family. The first question they would ask I knew it would be ‘who was the father.’ That was something that I didn’t need to go into right now. Nothing, would come out right.

  I thought that we had skipped out on telling our parents that we had been together. But it seemed that I would have to come out of the closet now, whether I wanted to or not. People say that things happen for a reason. I would so love to know the reason of this. Not only would I be carrying my Stepbrother’s child, but said Stepbrother was with another woman because she said she was pregnant with his child also. I’m sorry but my life has officially turned into some Jerry Springer shit.

  The only thing we were missing was actually being on the show. I chuckled at the thought. The thought of Cherish and myself heavily pregnant cat scratching it out, fucking priceless.

  Now that I knew it wasn’t my stomach at all, but a baby that was causing my problems. I felt a little better. I was going to take it one day at a time, never biting more off than I could chew. I had no doubt that the knowledge of my child would come out in due time. But that was the great thing about it being my child. I could choose when, and where the information came out.

  I was petrified when they told me that I was with child. But the more I sat and thought about it, the more excited I became. I still had no idea what I was going to do, but that wouldn’t stop me from being excited about a little blessing. I still wasn’t over the hurt that Brad caused, but at least I came out of that fucked up relationship with something. His child.

  I made my way home, the sun shone a little brighter in my future. I felt tremendously better after the nausea medicine that they gave me at the office. Until now I hadn’t realized I’d gotten the prescription filled while I was there. I must have been more out of it then I thought I was.

  It had taken most of the day to get me worked in at the doctor’s office, then even more time doing the blood work. It was almost time for Alex to get off work, and I was going to have some interesting news for her when she got here. I knew that she would come over here afterwards that’s just how she was. She was freaked out that I was sick, even if she didn’t show it. I knew that my sickness was getting in the way of her being with Bo, her new boyfriend, but that’s why I loved her. She never let anything get between us, not even a man.

  I sipped from a glass of water just as my front door opened. I still had the paperwork from the doctor’s office so that’s the way I was going to break the news. I heard her steps echoing throughout the apartment getting closer toward me. I stood and waited for her to walk in, trying to hide the small smile that was creeping on my lips.

  “Claire, you here?” She called out seconds before seeing me.

  “Yup, right here.” I replied.

  We sat down at the table, staring at each other. I knew she was trying to see if I would break first. But no such luck. I was going to be iron clad with this information until she broke and asked me first. That was how she worked. She would be able to tell within the first few minutes if I was going to break or not. When she sighed, I knew I had her.

  “What did the doctor say?” She looked down at the table and began fiddling with a part that was cracked.

  I feigned sadness, tucking my bottom lip between my teeth. “You don’t want to know, trust me.”

  The tears gathered in her eyes when she took my hands in hers. “Claire, we will get you the best doctors. I’m sure that it will be ok, just give it some time.”

  Fuck. I couldn’t do it anymore. Her face was absolutely ripping me apart. “Yeah, it will be taken care of, in about seven and a half months.”

  Her brows furrowed as she sat back in the chair, releasing my hands. “Seven and a half months. You have the time set pretty locked down don’t ya.”

  I giggled. “Yeah I guess you could say that.”

  She was shocked by my light mood. “How can you be giggly at a time like this? You’re confusing the shit out of me. Spill it, Claire.”

  I got up and started pacing the kitchen, seemingly deep in thought. “Well you have to promise to always be by my side. That you will never let me go through this alone. There’s going to be a lot of doctor’s visits, checkups, screenings, all of that. Promise me first.”

  “Claire, fucking out with it already,” she scolded giving me the evil eye.

  I stopped pacing, looking her in the eye. “I’m pregnant,” I whispered.

  She sat in absolute shock trying to take in my news. Hell, I’d been the same way. I even asked if she was the one that put them up to this. However, that hadn’t been the case. I watched as she began putting everything together. All the information from the doctors about how many months I tested to be, to the multiple of doctor visits in the future. When she pieced it together, it showed. I should say her complete unadulterated happiness showed.

  “No fucking way?” She asked, still unbelieving.

  I nodded. “Yes, I am about a month and a half. I need some advice about what I should do. You’re the first person that I told. In honest, you’re probably going to be the only one I tell.”

  “But why?”

  “No one else will get it the way you do. You knew he and I were in love, you won’t dispute it.”

  She chuckled. “You have to tell your mom, Claire. You just have too. A girl in this situation no matter who they have by their side, will need their mother.”

  If only it were that easy. If she found out then Brad would find out. I didn’t want him finding out, at least not yet. I wanted to be greedy and keep the baby all to myself for a little while. However, I knew that sooner or later I would have to give in a tell them. I just didn’t know when would be such a good time. They were just now starting to get used to the idea of Cherish having Brad’s baby, or so I guessed.

  I didn’t necessarily keep up with Brad, but my mother did fill me in on what was going on. So I did know a little something. But I guess Alex was right, I would need my mother. Since she’s been in this state before, she would have the best advice. I told Alex my thoughts, and she agreed, but told me not to do it tonight. But to make sure that I had a good night of sleep so nothing would be fogging my brain. So I took her advice and we sat down, watching a little television, and let the night wind down that way. Thoughts were still plaguing me, but now I had some direction.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I can’t believe I let her talk me into this. The thought of calling my mom wasn’t bad at all, but doing it, however, terrified the fuck out of me. What the hell was I going to say to her? ‘Yo, mom, I got a bun in the oven. Oh, and its Brad’s.’ Yeah that wasn’t going to frigging work. She’d kill me through the damn phone.

  “Just do it already. Damn, you’d think you were going to the electric chair instead of calling your mom,” Alex joked.

  How right she was, and she didn’t even know it. My mother would personally tell me to come visit her just so she could murder me. Have you ever saw where those people just snap at the flip of a switch, murdering hundreds of people. Yeah, that would be my mom. I could lie and tell her it was Brett’s but then she would figure it out anyway. That’s how my mom was, she was like a fucking drug dog, and she could sniff a lie out of anything.

  “Oh, how little you know.” I sighed, reaching for the phone. “My mother would make the electric chair the best alternate out of the two.”

  “She can’t be that bad,” she scoffed.

  I turned wide eyes on her. “You have no idea. My mother is the epitome of a crazy bitch.”


  Rolling her eyes she waved to the phone. “Then just get it over with and hang up. Even if she was going to kill you, she couldn’t over the phone.”

  “You seriously underestimate my mother’s ability.” I chuckled, dialing the number.

  I put my finger to my lips when the ringing started. I hated Alex for making me do this. But today was her only day off this week and she wanted to be here for moral support. I could understand that, because I would do the same thing for her. However, the one thing I couldn’t understand was why she was laughing at me.

  “I’ll throat punch you if you don’t cut it out,” I scolded.

  She stuck her tongue out at me and continued to laugh. Well I could always count on her being the life of the party. While I was over here having a heart attack, she was over there laughing so hard she was turning red. I so couldn’t wait until I got to pay her back for this. Payback will be such a bitch. I glared at her, just as mom picked up the phone.

  “Hey sweetie,” she greeted, happiness very evident in her tone.

  Fuck. I was about to ruin her day, she was going to fucking murder me for sure.

  I breathed deeply. “Hey mom, how are you doing?”

  “I’m doing great.” She exhaled into the phone.

  “That’s awesome. How’s married life?”

  That got her going. She squealed happily into the phone, causing my ears to ring from the pitch. “Oh, it’s so wonderful. Henry is so great. He is the best husband any woman could ask for. He’s been even happier now a days though”

  I knew that I couldn’t put it off anymore. I had to tell her and get it over with. There was no way that I could play around the bush anymore. I steeled my resolve, swallowing the lump that was slowly growing in my throat and I just went for it.

  “Mom, there’s something I need to tell you?” I said that the same time she said. “Claire, I have wonderful news.”

  I figured my news could wait a bit longer, so I let her tell her news first. “I know you don’t like her, but Cherish is five and a half months pregnant. With a baby boy I told you, or at least I think I did. Anyway, guess what her and Brad are naming the little tyke? Shawn Dewayne Titan. Isn’t that so cute, there’s going to be three generations of Titan men now. That’s not even the best part. She wants me to be in the delivery room with her and Brad when she delivers. I’m so excited. My first grandbaby.” Her complete happiness making me inwardly gag.