“No, it wasn’t. I’ll throw them out and burn them if you want.” I will if she wants me to.
“Throwing them out is good enough. Buying new sheets would be a great idea.”
“I’ll throw every single sheet I have out and buy a closet full of new ones, ten thousand thread count in every color of your choosing.”
“I don’t think they make ten thousand thread count sheets.” From her profile, I can see the smile on her face.
“If it will make you stay here with me we’ll find them. If they don’t have any they’re going to start making them.”
“You don’t have to go to those lengths to make me come over.”
“I don’t want you to come over.”
She turns her head and looks hurt. “I thought—”
“I want you to stay. Move in with me.”
Hurt turns to shock. “I can’t do that.” She turns around in my arms and faces me.
“Why not? Give me one good reason.”
“I have an apartment, Ava’s my roommate. I’m pregnant with your baby.”
“You do realize you didn’t make a case for yourself.”
“Nick, things are bad enough with my family. I don’t know what’s going to happen when they find out I’m pregnant and then add living with you to it. I’m afraid to think about it.”
“We’re not going to talk about them, this is about us. What’s right for me, you, and our baby. I don’t care what they think.”
“I know you don’t. I know I shouldn’t care either, but I do. I can’t help it. They’re still my family.”
I skim the back of my finger over her lips. “Do you feel that? I did. I’ve never felt that with any other woman but you. I know you’ve never felt that with another man.”
I point to her stomach. “That’s what created this baby along with the love we have for each other. Don’t you think we owe it to ourselves and this baby to try to be together as its parents, to show it our love as a family? At least give it a chance to come from a happy home with two loving parents rather than a broken home right out the gate. Is that the start you want for our child? I know I want to try to give my child everything I didn’t have in my family, which would be two stable loving parents who are committed to each other. Nothing is guaranteed but at least we can try.” Her eyes are fixed on me intently as she goes over my words.
Isn’t this ironic, Kate said almost the same thing to me after the lab called to confirm I was the father of the baby. Sometimes things come back around and you’re on the other side of what someone else was feeling. “What do you say, can we try?” She’s uncertain. She’s not sure what she should do. I don’t want her to make a hasty decision, the wrong decision. I’m going to relieve some of her tension and give her time. I made some valid points with what I had to say.
“Sleep on it and let me know when you’re ready.”
She pushes her hair behind her ears and puts her forehead against my chest. “Okay.”
We’re silent for a while before she says, “Not that it should matter and I know you didn’t ask but I’m telling you anyway, but it’s about Matt.” I hold my breath not moving a muscle waiting for her to say whatever it is she’s about to say. “I didn’t sleep with him, we didn’t have sex.”
Sheer relief washes over me. I wasn’t sure what she was going to say; I thought she was going to tell me she still wanted to see him. Knowing Cat, if she’s with me what she has with Matt is over, thank fucking God.
I put my arms around her back and pull her closer. I close my eyes and think about the truly amazing future we could have together.
Lying next to me on her back sleeping soundly, I watch the steady rise and fall of her chest. She moves her hand and the sheet slides down under her breasts. I gently place my hand over her stomach, I like doing this. I wasn’t able to do this when Kate was pregnant, I didn’t want to in the beginning. The further along she was in her pregnancy the more I wanted to, though. I’m getting a second chance after screwing things up the first time.
I feel Cat stir then moan and put her arm over her face to block out the light in the room. I smile at the tempting arousing picture she makes next to me.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m nauseated. I’ll be fine.”
“You need me to get you anything?”
“I would feel better if you stopped nudging me in the side with your hard-on.”
“Sorry about that. Nothing I can do with you lying naked on your back beside me.”
“Control yourself, please.”
“I usually can, except when you’re near me. I lose all control, you’re in control of it now.
“All you have to do is put your clothes on or take them off.” I fist the sheet in my hand and pull it down lower to her navel. “I wish you would stop throwing yourself at me, Cat.”
“You wish.” She tugs the sheet back up over her breasts moaning. “This is a cruel joke. I’m nauseated and horny at the same time. If this bed moves I’m going to toss up everything in my stomach.”
“I’ll go make you some tea and toast and bring it in for you.”
“Thanks, but you don’t need to bring it in. I’m going to the bathroom, if I can peel myself off the bed.”
I kiss the underside of her arm and her stomach saying, “Try not to make Mommy so sick.” I turn my head to her seeing a faint smile. Getting up, I put my pants on and head to the kitchen a happy man.
Cat
The last time my head saw the inside of a toilet bowl for this long I was drunk. I had to run out of the shower with soap on me. I flush the toilet and drag myself off the floor; putting my hands on the sink, I lean against it with my head down. I wash my mouth to get rid of the taste that’s making me sick again. I threw up everything I ate, this is the second time I’ve thrown up and I hope it’s the last, this is awful, I’m wet from the shower and I’m sweating. It felt like someone was trying to yank the pit of my stomach out with a dyson vacuum. Putting the toothbrush down I turn around, trying to cover myself with my hands when the door opens.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
I nod my head to let him know I am and he takes the towel, holding it out in front of me. His gaze moves to my hands, which are covering myself from him. One side of his lip turns up and he wraps the towel around me. “It’s a little late for that, I’ve seen all there is to see and I like it all.”
“Habit.”
“That’s a habit we’re going to break, immediately.” He holds the towel together around my back. “Rough morning?”
“Yes.”
“This happens every morning?”
“Sometimes, I’m hoping it’s the last morning it happens.”
“I came in to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine. For now. I’m going to finish taking a shower. Sorry about the floor, I’ll clean it.”
“No, you won’t. I’ll take care of it when you’re finished taking your shower.”
I try to say no but he won’t hear it. He gives me a stern look.
“Don’t argue with me. You’re not getting down on your hands and knees to clean. There’s only one reason you should be on your hands and knees in front of me and it has nothing to do with cleaning.”
“Shut up and get out.” I smile. He lets the towel go and steps back. It falls to my feet, my lips purse together, and I give him the “really” look. He gives me a devilish handsome smile and shrugs his shoulders.
“I like the view.”
I shake my head and turn around. He might as well get the full view. I hear his grunt of approval as I step in the shower.
“It keeps getting better every time I see it.”
I smile and hear him close the door when he leaves. He can make me smile when I feel like crap. I love that. I feel good when I’m with him even when he gets on my nerves and I’m upset. I think I’ve made up my mind. I hope it’s the right decision for us both.
After we eat breakfast I give him his ans
wer: I want to try living together. He’s so happy he throws me in the air and spins me around in his arms. I almost throw up again. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. You would think he won a ten-million-dollar prize, as he likes to say.
We spend the rest of the day relaxing around the house. My morning sickness is off and on the whole day. I almost throw up again but Nick gets me a glass of seltzer water and I manage to keep the little I ate down. He’s attentive to my every need. I don’t have to get up for anything all day. It felt nice knowing he wanted to do these things for me even though I was perfectly fine to do them myself. When I took a nap he worked and after I woke up he sat with me. He said he was making up for the days he couldn’t be with me when I came out of the hospital. He made sure he could work from home this weekend to be with me.
Sunday afternoon he finishes working and tells me the rest of the day is all mine. We sit on the couch under a big blanket, light rain hitting the ceiling-to-floor, wall-to-wall windows in the living room. He’s sitting up on one end of the couch with his phone and I’m on the other end watching a show, my feet on his legs. He looks up from his phone saying,
“Let’s go over to Ava’s and get some of your stuff. I can have the rest sent over here tomorrow afternoon.”
I sit up, turning to him. “I can’t do that, I can’t move all my things out of our apartment and have her come back to all my things gone. That’s just wrong. How foul would that be?”
“You don’t live there anymore, you live here with me. All you have to do is call her and tell her you’re moving in with me. She’ll be happy for us.”
“She’ll want to know why I’m moving out. What am I going to tell her?”
“The truth. You’re pregnant, we’re seeing each other, you’re moving in with me.”
“I can’t give her news like that over the phone when she’s in another state. I owe her more than that, she gave me a place to stay when I didn’t know where to go.”
“You had a place to stay right here, but you chose not to.”
I tilt my head to the side, squinting my eyes at him. “You know I couldn’t do that. I need to tell her I’m pregnant face to face. I don’t know how she’s going to take it.” I sit back, placing my hand on my stomach. I’m doing that more and more these days when I talk about the baby. I guess it’s a thing you involuntarily do when you’re pregnant. “I think she’s going to be happy for us.”
“She better be. You’re not telling her or anyone else by yourself, I’ll be with you when you tell everyone, you hear me?”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea when it comes time to tell my family. I don’t need any more bloodshed because of us.”
“I better be there with you because if they touch one hair on your head, one mark, I don’t care who it is they’re going to slap a pair of silver bracelets on me by the time I’m finished. You’ll have to bail me out.”
This is not going to be good. From the look in his eyes I know he means every word he says and he’s dead serious especially when it comes to Jay. I better let this one go and figure out a way to tell them without him being there. It looks like if they say the wrong thing he’s going to attack.
He leans forward, his hand on my leg under the cover. “I’m serious, Cat, don’t go over there without me.”
“I promise I won’t.”
His sits back and starts swiping his fingers across his phone again and I watch, taking in his features. Amazing eyes that always get to me, they’re so beautiful. I still can’t determine what shade they truly are after all these years. Full firm lips that stir all kinds of feelings in me. Ruggedly handsome and sensual, I care deeply for this man. Always have. He is charming and witty when he wants to be. He also has an intense side that can be unnerving. Those eyes that can be so warm and loving when he kisses me can be cold and hard as stone, freezing you in time when his anger is turned on. I would like to think things are going to be easy from here on out…I know they’re not. I hope this love can withstand it all.
The next two weeks before Ava came back to New York were interesting and new. I’ve never lived with a guy before and it’s taking some getting used to. Staying a few days and living as a couple are two different things. Nick likes to do things a certain way and we don’t always see eye to eye but we’ve managed to compromise, although our morning routine needs work. Him shutting off my alarm and not waking me up is not cool. Waking up to his hands roaming my body in the morning, I don’t mind at all. The best is the occasional morning wakeup call with his mouth between my legs, it puts a smile on my face every time, and it temporarily erases morning sickness, bonus. Who needs an alarm, best wakeup call ever! Definitely have to repay the favor before I look down and can’t see my knees.
The kids at school are starting to get curious, they keep asking me if I’m sick because I’m going to the bathroom a lot, my bottle of seltzer water never leaves my side. Kids are intuitive; they notice things adults don’t notice unless you’re a nosy busybody who needs a man. The perfect example is one of the teachers at my school. She gets on my nerves, she’s watching me like a hawk and keeps dropping snide little remarks about unwed mothers and our society today. I want to tell her to shut the hell up and mind her own business. Nick keeps telling me to ignore her. It doesn’t matter what an old busybody whose legs probably creek open like a rusty steel door that needs premium grade lubrication says. I choked on my seltzer water, I laughed so hard. It only reminds me I have to start telling people I’m pregnant. I wish it could stay like this longer, only me and Nick knowing but I’m preparing for the fallout when the shit hits the fan.
Cat
Ava will be home tomorrow—her flight comes in Sunday afternoon at twelve forty-eight. Nick and I are going to meet her at her apartment and hopefully break the good news to her.
I’m excited and nervous when I see Ava, we throw our hands around each other and jump up and down in the middle of the living room. The first thing I notice about her is her hair; she dyed it back to its natural color—black. She looks better than when she left, if that’s possible. I must look like a bedraggled cat from having my head stuffed in a toilet bowl all morning. I’ve lost a little weight from all the throwing up and not being able to eat a full meal.
I put on a pair of blue jeans and a button down shirt today. Nick told me I looked great, I had the pregnant glow; the glow he saw was perspiration from all the energy it took out of me hurling up the little breakfast I ate. He’s in my soon-to-be old room but Ava doesn’t know he’s here with me, she doesn’t even know we’re back together. I didn’t want to be grilled over the phone. She’s like her cousin; one question would only lead to another, and she wouldn’t let anything go, it’s the Nancy Drew in her.
She’s speaking with a light southern drawl nonstop as if we didn’t talk two days ago. “Honey, I’m happy to see you and the state of New York. I mean, I love being back home in Nashville but Mama was driving me nuts. She wouldn’t stop complaining about my hair being strawberry blond. I finally caved in and went back to my natural color. I don’t know what got into her, she wanted to bond. I love shopping as much as the next gal but how much time can I spend with my mama. I practically had to gnaw my arm off to hang out with my friends. She really needs to divorce my daddy and get herself a man. I couldn’t leave her quote, ‘high and dry’ like I planned to last week because I skipped out on her early the last time I visited, of course she wouldn’t let me forget it.”
When she stops talking long enough to breathe properly, she frowns, steps back, and looks at me. “I know I look about as good as I feel but do I look that bad?” I bite the inside of my lower lip and brush the palm of my hand against my thigh. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
She pokes her lips out and scrutinizes me for another minute. “Did you lose weight?”
“A little.”
“Is this because of Nick?” She frowns.
“Yes and no.” I’m getting nervous to the point of becoming nauseated.
I know she’s going to bombard me with questions. My door opens and Nick comes out just when I need him.
Ava’s eyebrows shoot up over her hairline, she turns her head and mouths to me, “What is he doing here?”
I shrug my shoulders and give her a nervous smile. She saunters over to him in her wedge boots, skintight jeans, and waist-high leather jacket to give him a hug. Tossing her thick jet-black hair over her shoulder, she gives him a beaming smile. “What are you doing here, Nick?”
“I came to welcome my favorite cousin home.”
She turns her head back and forth between Nick and me. “What the hell is going on? What did I miss?”
She watches Nick walk over to stand next to me. He interlocks our fingers together and points to a chair next to the couch. “Sit down we’ll tell you.”
“You’re a ‘we’? You’re a couple? I’m happy if you got back together.”
We sit on the couch and Nick puts his hand on the back while I lean against him with my hands in my lap. “Good, you’ll be happy,” he says.
I press my lips together and try to push away the butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I take a deep breath and decide where to begin.
“Cat, if you’re together say it already. I’ll be happy for you, I don’t know why y’all are keeping me in suspense.”
“We’re together for real this time.”
She lets out a howl. “Woo, thank God.” She smiles and looks at the ceiling. “Y’all acting like y’all had something bad to tell me.”
I look at Nick from the corner of my eye. He gives me a reassuring smile and nods toward Ava, signaling me to go ahead and tell her the rest. I turn my eyes back to Ava and blurt it out in one breath, “I’m moving out, I’m going to live with Nick.”
“What? Why? Because you’re together? I’ haven’t been gone that long…don’t you think you’re moving a little fast?”
“Yes and no.”
In frustration, she glares at me. “Why do you keep saying that?”
“I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.” I sit still and wait for her reaction. Nothing, she doesn’t move, she’s in some kind of shock. “Ava? Are you okay? Did you hear what I said?”
Imperfections Come To Light (The Imperfection Series Book 2) Page 8