Invisible Crown

by T. A. Hardenbrook

  “No, you can’t put it there! You know it’s in there then, and where is the guarantee that you won’t slip in there while I’m all laid up and look at it? Just find a place, Tiny, but don’t tell Reid where you are putting it.” Tears started to line the brim of my eyelashes as the thoughts in my head were swirling around.

  “Time for some more medication,” Reid mumbled as he nodded at Tiny and disappeared behind me.

  “I don’t need any more drugs!” I screamed out as the tears started to gush from my eyes. Why am I falling apart over a dress? This is completely irrational and stupid.

  “Here.” Holding out his closed hand, Reid deposited the two white pills in my open palm.

  “I don’t need these.”

  “Molly, you’ve gone off the deep end over a dress. This is coming from a woman who hates wearing dresses, and begged to elope in Vegas so you could wear skinny jeans and flats. Just take the drugs and lay down. I promise Tiny will hide the dress and I’ll stay downstairs with you the entire time you are sleeping.” Offering me an open water bottle, Reid gestured for me to take it with a meek smile.

  Sniffling back the snot clogging up my nostrils, I tossed the pills into my mouth and gabbed the water bottle. Taking a quick swig, I wiped the tears with the back of my hand and sunk lower into the couch.

  “Good?” Reid asked tentatively.

  My head nodded before my mouth had a chance to answer his question. There was so much to do before the wedding, and I was lying on the damn couch waiting for the drugs to claim me once again.

  The heaviness of my lids started to make its presence known on my eyes, as I carefully arranged the pillows around my arm and stretched out on the couch. The beep of Reid’s cell phone chimed in the background, but slumber had already started to pull me under. It was probably Danielle anyhow.

  Chapter 17

  There was no coming back from a hole that large.

  I could hear Reid arguing in the kitchen, but the grogginess from the drugs kept his voice muffled. I knew from his tone that whoever he was speaking to probably wasn’t having the greatest of days, since his hushed tone continued to increase in volume.

  “I don’t give a fuck if she is in labor right now; I’m not leaving Molly Anne. Either she closes those legs and holds the thing in, or it makes its debut and we get the DNA test done immediately.”

  Licking my lips, my mouth screamed for a drink of water, but moving from the couch didn’t appeal to my body.

  “It’s not happening, Steph. It’s not even my damn kid, anyhow, and soon everyone is going to know it.”

  Shifting my weight, my foot kicked the glass coffee table at the end of the couch.

  “Shit,” I muttered quietly. Hopefully, Reid was too involved in the conversation to hear the noise coming from the living room.

  “I’ve got to go, Stephanie. Molly is awake and she doesn’t need to hear this crap right now.” I could hear him setting the phone on the counter, and counted the steps to myself as he walked into the living room. “Molly Anne, you awake?”

  “Yeah,” I said sheepishly. I knew what was happening from the one sided comments made by Reid. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that uber bitch had gone into labor. In my mind, I had been playing out how this day would happen, but I didn’t imagine being drugged with a broken arm, passed out on a couch. I honestly thought we would get a call in the middle of the night, and Reid would tell her to piss off. Then, in the morning, Stephanie would call with the DNA results, and we would celebrate the poor bastard child’s missing father spot on her birth certificate over a nice breakfast. I knew he didn’t want to be there anymore than I wanted to be trapped on the damn couch.

  Reid flopped down in the armchair next to the couch and rubbed his face vigorously. I knew the whole situation was wearing him thin, and if it were any other man I would have been gravely concerned for their well being. But, I knew Reid. He was a man that would move mountains if they happened to be standing in his way. He let no one push him around, or call the shots on how his life was going to turn out. Sure, he was a complete ass to most people around him, and had more mood swings than a preteen girl obsessing on her crush, but always came out ahead of all the issues.

  I was the one exception to his life. That one spark that sent him in another direction, one wrapped in complete chaos and utter joy.

  “I’m guessing she went into labor?” Breaking the silence, I offered a reassuring smile and turned my body slightly, giving me a better view of him in the chair.

  “Yeah, Stephanie said her water broke earlier this evening.”

  “Reid, I’m fine if you want to go.” Those words stung every single part of my body as they departed my lips, but I knew it was something that needed to be said. I had to trust in my faith that Reid was one hundred percent that this wasn’t his kid.

  “It’s not the fact that I want to be there, Molly Anne. I know this isn’t my child. We had sex twice and both times I made sure to wear a condom, and one that I had brought with me. Complete lapse of judgment when I lost you and having the PR department dangling the simplicity of us being together made me take the bait. It was a stupid PR move that went horribly wrong, and it trapped you in the messed up story line.” The emotion in Reid’s voice completely broke my heart. I knew the whole thing was chewing him up inside, but I never thought it was to that extent.

  “I love you. You are my future, and currently not very mobile. Why would I leave the one person that I’m destined to spend the rest of my life with to go sit in a hospital waiting room for good public relations? My entire life is here in this house. Why should I leave for someone else?” Reid shot up from the chair and started to pace back and forth. I knew his words were sincere and that the child meant nothing to him, but I also knew what something like this was doing to his image. Even though it would be announced that he wasn’t the father of Cassy’s baby, being a complete no show didn’t look good for his image.

  “Seriously, Reid. I understand the hesitation to leave me, but I’m okay. I’ve got pain killers in my system, I’m propped up on this couch, and I’m sure Tiny can refill my water glass if I really need it. Just go make an appearance, smooth things over with Stephanie and the PR team, then come home to me. I know the truth to the story, and soon the entire world will, too.” I didn’t want him to leave, but I knew it was something that needed to be done.

  “Molly Anne, this is wrong on so many levels.”

  “Yep, you’re right. At least I can get some sort of satisfaction that it probably hurts like hell, and forcing a baby’s head out of her hoo-haa means the tramp will be looser than a stripper on dollar lap dance nights.” Smiling, I propped myself up on my good elbow and flashed him a little smirk. No one was going to want the bitch after they found out she didn’t have a clue who the mysterious baby daddy was. “Just hurry home and bring me a cheeseburger. That sounds freaking delicious.”

  Reid laughed as he came over and placed a passionate kiss to my lips. Chills rocked through my body, instantly sending heat to my lower region. “We have to stop,” I mumbled between kisses.

  Reid grumbled, but reluctantly pulled away. “I won’t be gone for more than an hour.”

  Smiling, I fell back into the couch and wiggled around until I found an acceptable place to bed down. Luckily, the pain meds were still kicking around in my system, and the television remote was within reach. Reid being gone for an hour was totally doable.

  “Water, cell phone, and a cheeseburger when I get back, right?” Reid placed the water bottle and cellphone on the end table near my head.

  “Thanks, babe. But, I’m seriously okay, so quit stalling.” The battle inside Reid’s head was evident on his face. I knew he was still chewing himself out for needing to go, but everything inside that head of his told him to stay put. “Go.”

  “Alright, alright. I’ll drive myself and have Tiny come and keep you company. One hour, I promise.” Running his hand through his hair, Reid gazed out the window into the
darkness. Clasping his hands behind his head, he flashed me a forced smile then wrinkled his nose. “I’m going.”

  “Okay……so go.” I laughed. My ass would be right here waiting for him when he got back. I might be a couple episodes in on some trash television program, but still in the same position that he left me in. I could hear his feet shuffle on the hardwood floor, and the keys jingle as he lifted them off the hook on the wall.

  “Tiny, I’m heading out of here.” Without waiting for an answer, I heard his shoes slap down the hallway and the garage door open and shut quickly.

  Leaning over, I grabbed the remote and let out a snort. Of course she would go into labor today. At least it wasn’t on our wedding day.

  “He gone?” Tiny asked from behind the couch.

  “Yeah, finally.”

  Tiny wandered around the couch and sat down on the chair. “There’s a big battle going on in that man’s head.” Nodding my head, I totally agreed with Tiny’s comment. “But, honestly, Molly, I have never seen that man so sure of himself than when he is with you. You alone are the reason he isn’t a complete dick anymore. I was seriously going to beat some sense into that man if you two didn’t get back together. He was the moodiest little shit.”

  “He still is.” Both of us laughed for a few seconds, before turning our attention to the TV. The madness was almost over, and all I had to do was survive the three weeks until the wedding. After that, it was sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and Pina Colada’s until I was in a drunken stupor. Sure, I might have to wear a garbage bag around my arm, but I could worry about that issue when we touched down in paradise.

  Twenty days and counting.

  ***

  It was the garage door slamming shut that woke me from my sleep. Yawning, I stretched and repositioned my arm on the pillows. Looking over at the chair, I noticed Tiny was no longer sitting next to me, and a blanket had been thrown over my body.

  “What time is it?” I said out loud, grabbing my cell off the end table. “Four-thirty in the morning?” Pushing myself up slightly from the couch, I peered up over the back, half expecting to see Reid in the kitchen. “Reid?” I called out in the darkness.

  “Sorry, Molly. It’s just me,” came Tiny’s voice from down the hallway.

  “Reid not home?” I questioned while bringing myself up into a sitting position. He said he was only going to be an hour, and that was a little after eight last night. Swiping my phone on, I checkd my messages and saw that the only ones received were from Danielle complaining about being late yesterday before the whole accident.

  “I got a text from him an hour or two ago, saying he was going to be there longer, and then asked how you were doing. I’m sorry for waking you, but Reid said I needed to bring you another pill so you wouldn’t wake up sore in the morning.” Tiny offered the tiny white pills to me over the back of the couch. He tried to avoid eye contact with me, but it didn’t work very well. I could see it in his eyes; he was worried about what was happening at the hospital.

  “I wonder why he didn’t text me.” Tossing the pills back, I leaned forward to grab the water bottle. Struggling with the cap, I finally managed to twist the damn thing off with my teeth.

  “I would have helped you,” Tiny commented while taking up a spot on the counter stools.

  “It’s okay, Tiny. I’m not exactly sure how fast this birthing process is, but I didn’t really believe he would have been home in an hour.” That was a blatant lie on my part, but letting someone else see the hurt riddled up inside me wasn’t an option at the moment. I couldn’t show any weakness to the situation, no matter how much it killed me on the inside.

  “Are you hungry? I’m not the best cook, but I’m sure I could find something in the fridge that I can’t screw up.”

  “I’m good, but thank you.” Bringing my arm closer to my body, I gently lifted it up and placed it gingerly on my lap. This cast thing was really going to be an issue the next couple weeks.

  “Want some company?”

  “I’m okay, Tiny.” Carefully I moved the blanket off my lap and slowly tried to stand up. I really needed to pee, and sleeping on the couch was comfortable, but Reid’s bed was calling my name upstairs.

  “Let me help you,” Tiny blurted out while rushing around the couch to offer me an arm.

  “I have a broken arm, Tiny; not completely crippled.” I laughed. Even though I knew I could manage walking through the house on my own, it was nice to have an extra pair of hands close by just in case. “But, I do have to pee, and unless you really want to get real familiar with my nibbly bits, you can just wait outside the bathroom door.”

  “I love you, Molly, and really would do just about anything for you……but…..bodily fluids are just not my thing.” Both of us got a good chuckle as we shuffled down to the bathroom in the hallway. Breaking away from his arm, I used my good hand to switch on the light and stepped inside the large bathroom. The room was bigger than my apartment bedroom, and I was almost sad to be leaving that quaint little place in the next few weeks. Passing by the mirror, I cringed after catching a glance of myself in the mirror. My hair was half curly, half sticking straight out. The mascara that I had been wearing yesterday was smeared under my eyes, and my skin was an ashy color of grey that didn’t look the least bit healthy. “Gross,” I grumbled while trudging over to the toilet. Luckily, even though two men lived in this house, they always managed to put the seat back down every time.

  Sitting down to pee was like that awkward motion the day after a massive work out. Now, I’d only ever made that mistake once when I joined my sister years ago for some Jazzercise class, or something along those lines. But, I could barely squat to sit on the throne, for like, a week after. For some reason, having my arm out of commission had me wondering what the hell happened to my legs during surgery. The lower half of my body screamed bloody murder as I bent at the waist, trying to keep my upper body as still as possible.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Jeff Gordon!” I yelped. Breathing heavily, I scowled at the thought of getting off this thing and bending over to retrieve me pants.

  “Molly? You okay?” Tiny’s voice came through the solid wooden door.

  “Yep, just debating how I’m going to pull up my damn pants.” I could hear Tiny’s laughter out in the hallway, and it only pissed me off further. Flushing the toilet, I braced myself on the tile wall and managed to stand without toppling over.

  Closing my eyes, I realized bending over wasn’t going to happen. “Tiny, I need help.” Completely defeated, I hung my head in shame as I heard the door open slowly.

  “Um…..” Tiny rambled as he stuck his head inside the bathroom door.

  “I can’t pull my pants up. Just don’t look at my hooter, please.” You would think I would learn to wear underwear all the time after the incident the first time I met Reid, but it only worked like forty percent of the time.

  Tiny stepped into the bathroom, and never broke eye contact with me. Reaching down, he grabbed the hem of my yoga pants, and swiftly tugged them up. “Good?”

  “Yep. Completely embarrassed and really wanting to go hide in the damn closet, but at least my pants aren’t hanging around my ankles.”

  “Hey, pulling up your pants is pretty tame considering what I’ve done for Reid back in the day. Remind me to tell you the story about the leftover fireworks back in two thousand and eight.” Tiny let out a chuckle and shook his head in amusement.

  Knowing those boys, I could only image what they were like early on in their career. They were damn lucky to have survived this long.

  Tiny walked with me up the stairs and made sure I got into bed okay.

  “I’m not going to set the alarm, since who knows when Reid is going to magically show up. Goodnight, Molly…..or I guess I should say good morning.” Tiny gave me a wink and flicked off the light switch. Closing the door tightly, I carefully arranged myself in bed and quickly fell back asleep. The drugs were absolutely marvelous for my sleeping issues. One little pill an
d my world was perfect. I wonder3e if this was how men who pop Viagra feel………….sheer bliss.

  Chapter 18

  You better put away your cockholster.

  I had gotten used to the lack of feeling with the pain killers, but waking up to my entire arm numb from my shoulder down wasn’t the best way to start the morning.

  “Ahhh!” I shouted loudly, carefully rolling over while wiggling my shoulder back and forth.

  Finally, the prickly feeling started to emerge at the top of my shoulder blade, slowly making its way down the rest of my arm until it reached the encasement of my cast. It was also then when I realized Reid wasn’t lying next to me either. Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I swiped my thumb across the screen. I had no text messages, no calls from the guys or the office, and it was already a little past noon. If the sunshine hadn’t been pouring through the windows, I could have sworn the apocalypse had begun, and everyone was either dead or part of the whole rapture thing.

  Rolling to the edge of the bed, I felt a little more comfortable with my arm, but still pulled it tightly to my chest as I rose to stand. Wandering over to the door, I paused before opening it, listening for any sign of life in the large house.

  “Where in the hell is Reid?” I muttered, pulling open the door and heading for the stairs.

  “Hello?” I called out once I reached the bottom. It was eerily quiet in the house, almost too quiet for my liking. “Reid? Tiny?”

  “Hey slut-muffin,” Danielle’s voice popped up over the couch in the living room.

  “What are you doing here?” Giving her a puzzled look, I scanned the counter top for a note, but was left with nothing.

  “Reid called and asked if I would come relieve Tiny, and luckily, I still love your broken ass even if you didn’t show up for your fitting on time.” Danielle sat up and draped her upper body over the back of the couch. “Besides, you’ll need help trying on that dress, and the only other person that needs to see you naked is Reid, and then it would totally defeat keeping the dress a secret.”