by Evan Grace
I swear I think she comes again as I plant myself to the root, coming hard. Gwen wraps her body around mine and the only sound to be heard is our panting breaths. Once I’ve regained my composure, I pull out. “I’ll be right back.” I kiss her right between her breasts.
After I get rid of the condom, I wash my hands, and then head back to the bedroom, not surprised at all to find her asleep. I pull her to me until she’s half draped over my body. I reach down, grabbing the blanket and throwing it over us. Thankfully my aversion to blankets has faded.
It isn’t long until I slip into a deep, peaceful slumber, feeling happier than I’ve ever felt.
Twenty-Four
Gwen
Maverick’s working and I’m waiting for my dad to pick me up to take me to get my car. I know that this is probably so he can check on me—make sure I’m doing okay. Little does he know that I’m carrying his first grandchild. Of course, I can’t tell him yet because I haven’t told Maverick yet.
Things have shifted between us since he told me the other day that he loved me. He’s always touchy-feely with me, but there is a sweetness about it now. I try to imagine him showing our child that sweetness, but the scared part of me thinks he’s not going to want this… us.
I spot Dad’s truck pulling up in front of the house and grab my purse, locking the front door behind me. Dad smiles as I climb in his truck.
“There’s my girl.”
I lean across the cab and kiss his cheek.
“You’re as beautiful as your mom.”
“Thanks Dad. Mom is kind of a babe.”
We reach the body shop and I follow him inside. “Chief Malone, good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, Charlie. What do we owe you?”
“Insurance covered all but the deductible. Follow me and I’ll take you to your car.” We follow him toward a door that leads to the parking lot. My car is parked just outside the garage. The passenger side looks great and the tires have obviously been replaced.
“This looks great, Charlie.” I smile at him over the roof of the car.
He smiles back. “I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart.”
Much to my dad’s chagrin, I pay the deductible, but to be honest he gave us a discount, and it wasn’t that much. Once that’s all done, he hands me my keys and I sign the paper.
Dad walks me back to my car. “Your mom requests you and Maverick come over for dinner the next night he’s off.”
I nod. “Yeah okay. That’d be great.”
“Is he treating you good?” He crosses his arms over his broad chest—my protector.
“Yes, Dad. I love him, you know, and he loves me.” I smile, placing a hand on my stomach and quickly realizing what I did, I move it down. Thankfully, he doesn’t notice.
“Fuck,” he mutters. “I’m not ready for this.”
I wrap my arms around him. “You’ll always be my number one fella.”
He kisses my forehead. “Call your mom, set up dinner.”
“I will, I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby girl.” I watch him get into his truck and then drive away.
I climb into my car and head toward CVS to pick up my prenatal vitamins. I head inside and the prescription isn’t quite ready yet so I head over to the makeup counter because what girl doesn’t love looking at makeup?
“Gwen Malone, please come to the pharmacy.”
I head toward the back and stop at the counter. “I’m Gwen Malone.” She nods and grabs the white bag.
“That’ll be thirty-five dollars and thirty-six cents.” Jesus, that’s a lot of money for a vitamin. “Have you taken this prenatal vitamin before?”
“Um… no. I haven’t.”
“Take it with food in the morning, that is best unless you’re having morning sickness,” she tells me and then hands me the white bag.
I take it and head toward the front of the store. In the checkout line, I spot Tawney and exit the store quickly. Hopefully she didn’t see me.
Once I get back to the house, I take a pill with my lunch and then hide the bottle in the back of the drawer he gave me in the bathroom. I don’t think he’d go looking for them.
I must tell him, and soon.
Lips touch my neck, and I roll over to find Maverick sliding into bed. “Hey baby,” I whisper. “Did you have a good night?”
“It was long. I’m wiped out.”
I turn in his arms and wrap mine around his waist. He kisses me and then his breathing evens out and I know he’s out. I follow right behind him.
In the morning I wake up before Maverick, so I slide out of bed, sneak into the bathroom, grab a vitamin, and quickly take it. I start coffee for him and then mix up some pancake batter.
While the skillet warms up, I let Butch out and let him do his business while I fill his food and water bowls. He comes back in a few minutes later, gets a drink and then lays at my feet while I cook pancakes.
Once they’re done, I plate some and add butter and syrup. I grab the plate and carry it into the bedroom. I crawl onto the bed and wave the plate under his nose. His eyes flutter open and he smiles at me.
“What’s this?” I love how rough his voice is when he first gets up.
I shrug. “I just wanted to make you breakfast in bed.”
Maverick pushes to a sitting position. He takes the plate from me and cuts off a hunk and shovels it into his mouth. He moans around the bite. I watch him cut another bite and then he holds it out to me.
I wrap my lips around the tines and let the warm, buttery, syrupy goodness explode on my tongue. He takes another bite, smiling at me around the bite.
“They’re good, aren’t they? I love a good pancake.” I fall to my side on the mattress and cover my face. “That sounded dorky.”
The sound of the plate being set down echoes in the room before I feel Maverick crawl over me, caging me in. I uncover my eyes and look up at him. He smiles down at me. “Totally dorky.” He bends down and kisses my lips. I can taste the sugary sweetness.
He wraps his arms around me and rolls us to our sides and we’re lying diagonally across the bed. I lay my head on his chest and we lie in a comfortable silence. “My parents want us to come over for dinner your next night off. Are you okay with that?”
“Of course. I like your parents and I only catch your dad giving me the stink eye occasionally now.”
I laugh, reaching up and rubbing my thumb against his bottom lip. It’s got a little bit of syrup on it and I make a big show of sucking it into my mouth.
“Ohh… you’re such a naughty girl,” he whispers.
Before he can even kiss me, the doorbell rings. “Are you expecting someone?” I ask.
Maverick shakes his head. “Nope, but I’ll be right back.” He climbs out of bed and grabs a pair of cut-off sweats. After putting them on, he disappears. I grab his plate off the end table and step out into the hall.
He’s shutting the door with a big vase of flowers in his hands. “What’s that?”
“I’d like to take credit for these, but they’re addressed to both of us.” Maverick carries them into the kitchen, pulls the plastic wrap off, and then grabs the card. He reads the card, and then just stares at it.
The vibe he’s giving off worries me. “What’s it say?”
“Are you pregnant?”
I take the card and my stomach turns violently as I read the words.
Maverick and Gwen,
Congratulations on the pregnancy. I’m sure you’ll make wonderful parents.
Tawney.
“Gwen? Are you pregnant?” He doesn’t move toward me, he just stands there staring at me.
I nod.
“When were you going to tell me?”
“I-I was w-waiting for the right time to tell you.”
I watch in horror as he picks up the vase of flowers and launches it at the wall. The glass shatters, water runs down the wall, and the flowers drop heavily to the floor.
“The right time? How
long have you known?”
“I realized when I c-called the office about getting on birth control that m-my period was late. I’m almost eight weeks.”
He turns his back on me, saying nothing, and my heart shatters.
Twenty-Five
Maverick
If she’s eight weeks along, then that means she got pregnant when we had sex in the van after our accident. Fuck, did I even use a condom? I can’t remember. I’m not fit to be someone’s father. I can’t do this, I can’t.
“Please say something, Maverick.” Her voice is thick.
I don’t turn to look at her because if I do, I’ll want to pull her into my arms and that can’t happen. She’s better off without me—her family will rally around her and be there for her and her baby.
“I think you need to go, Gwen. I’m not father material and you’re better off doing this alone.” The words taste like acid on my tongue.
I feel her get close to me. “You d-don’t mean that. T-This is our baby.”
“No, it’s your baby.” Every bone in my body tells me to pull her into my arms and tell her we’ll figure it out, but instead, I keep my back to her—even as she begins to cry.
“Maverick, if I leave, I’m not coming back. Can you really stand there and tell me that you won’t acknowledge me or our child if we see you out? This isn’t a very big town. What if I start dating and he wants to raise our baby as his own?”
The sick feeling comes back, but I ignore it.
Gwen doesn’t say anything and then finally she sighs. “Goodbye Maverick.”
I grab Butch by his collar and take him outside so I can clean up the glass without him stepping on it and cutting his paws. I sit on the deck steps and wait until I hear her car start. A few minutes later I head inside, leaving Butch outside.
After sweeping up the glass and picking up the flowers. I let Butch back in, and he runs right to the front door, whining. In my bedroom, I find the closet door open, her clothes, gone. Her dresser drawers are empty, and when I investigate the bathroom, I see her toiletries gone.
In the living room, I flop down on the couch. Butch comes over to me and sits by my feet. He stares at me and whines.
“I know, boy. I know.”
“What the fuck, dude.” I fall off the sofa as Troy steps inside my house. “You’re fucking wasted, brother.”
I called out sick to work and proceeded to drink myself into a blind stupor.
“I fucked up, man.” I grab the bottle of vodka that is lying on its side next to the sofa and twist the cap off. “Drink?”
He shakes his head. I tip the bottle back and drink it down.
Troy takes it from me. “I think you’re done. Now tell me, what did you fuck up?”
“Gwen’s pregnant. It happened when we were trapped in the van.” I scratch Butch’s head because he’s down in the dumps too.
He sits down on the opposite end of the sofa. “A baby? That’s crazy. That still doesn’t tell me what you fucked up. You love her, a baby is a good thing, right?”
I shake my head. “I told her to leave, that I’m not father material.” I bury my face in my hands. “I’m a fucking mess,” I slur.
“Yeah, brother. Let’s get you in bed.” Troy somehow gets me up and helps me stagger toward my bedroom. I collapse on my bed and grab Gwen’s pillow, bringing it to my nose and inhale her scent.
“I’ll take care of Butch and sleep on the sofa in case you need me,” I hear Troy say before I pass out.
It’s been two days since I learned that Gwen is pregnant with my baby. I’ve had to stop myself multiple times from calling her. My head is all fucked up, but I’ve had to push that all to the back of my mind while I work. I don’t need anything affecting how I do my job.
Being at work has been just what I needed to keep my mind off her. Chief Malone hasn’t said anything to me, so either he doesn’t know what happened or he’s just waiting for the right time to annihilate me.
Today I’m off work early, so I decide to head to McGregor’s for a beer. Plus, I honestly can’t stand being in my own home without Gwen in it. The moment I step inside, I take a seat at the bar. I order my beer and stare blindly at the TV while I drink it.
“Hey, handsome.” I turn to find Tawney sitting down next to me. “Aren’t you going to tell me thank you for the flowers?”
“Go away,” I mutter and then take a drink of my beer.
“Oh, come on. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”
I look at her and roll my eyes. “You were trying to start shit, you know it.”
“How could I start shit…” Tawney’s eyes widen. “You didn’t know.”
“Go to hell.” I get up from my stool and walk toward the exit.
She follows me to the door,” I swear I meant no harm. I was just trying to do something nice, I swear.”
I ignore her and pick up the pace, but she doesn’t stop—I finally snap.
I turn around. “Leave me the fuck alone. Stay away from me, stay away from Gwen, and stay away from my baby. Don’t think I don’t know you were the one responsible for her car. Do me a favor and pretend you don’t know me.” Luckily, she doesn’t follow me outside because that would piss me off. I don’t trust her at all, and as far as I’m concerned, she did it hoping to cause problems—that’s exactly what she did.
Twenty-Six
Gwen
It’s been a week since Maverick told me to leave. I’ve yet to tell my parents what happened. I also haven’t told them I’m pregnant. They’ll figure it out soon enough though because I had morning sickness for the first time yesterday morning.
They have no idea why I’m home and not with him, and honestly, I don’t want to talk about it because when I do, I cry. Shit, most nights I cry myself to sleep. During the day, I’ve done some job hunting.
Aunt Sidney offered me a job at Modern Family Magazine. I’d basically be a glorified receptionist/gopher, but it would give me the flexibility I’d need for my travels, but honestly, I think my days of globetrotting are over. At least for now they are. Maybe the baby and I will take trips together and I’ll show him or her the world.
I rub my hand over my still flat stomach and tears leak from my eyes. I’ve never hated someone the way I hate Tawney for ruining everything. If I could’ve eased him into it, Maverick might’ve handled it differently—or maybe he’s just an asshole.
I sit up on the side of the bed, breathing slowly as a wave of nausea hits me. On quick feet, I bolt for the bathroom, vomiting twice. The bathroom door opens, and I find Mom standing in the doorway.
She squats down next to me. “How far along are you?” Mom asks gently while running a hand over my hair.
“About eight weeks.”
“The accident?”
I nod.
“He doesn’t want to be involved?”
I start to cry, and she pulls me into her arms right there on the bathroom floor. After the tears stop, I push myself up, shaking my head. “H-He said he was in l-love with me.”
Mom stands up and then helps me do the same. “Brush your teeth and I’ll meet you in your bedroom.” She disappears and I do as she says.
When I step into my bedroom, I find Mom sitting on the side of the bed. I take a seat next to her.
She grabs my hand, bringing it to her lips. “My baby’s having a baby.” Mom wraps her arm around my shoulders and hugs me into her side.
“Will you be with me when I tell Dad?” I hang my head. “He’s going to hate me.”
“Oh baby, no, never. Your dad loves you so much. He may be shocked at first, but he’ll love being a grandpa—just as much as I’m going to love being a grandma. Yes, I would’ve liked this to happen for you when you had a more stable job, but this baby is already loved, and will be loved by a lot of people. You will not be alone in this.”
I begin to cry again.
She makes me lie down. “I’ll bring you some crackers and a bottle of water. When I stop at the store later, I�
��ll grab you some ginger ale. It’ll help your stomach. My morning sickness was worse with your brother, go figure.” Mom winks, making me laugh.
“Thank you.”
Mom stops in the doorway. “For what, baby?”
“For everything. You supported me when I wanted to travel, and you’re supporting me now. I just… thank you, and I love you.”
She blows me a kiss and then disappears, returning a few minutes later and sets the crackers and water on my nightstand. “If you want to tell Daddy tonight, I can make Taylor and Grant disappear.”
I nod. “Okay, it’s probably best to just get it over with.”
“I’ll see you later. I love you, my beautiful girl.”
Once she leaves, I close my eyes and fall into a fitful sleep.
Once Dad’s home, I’m a bundle of nerves. I help Mom with dinner to keep busy so I don’t think about the conversation that’s about to happen. Dad’s going to have questions, and since I’ve been home, Dad’s tried asking me about Maverick, but I dodge his questions.
Taylor and Grant went out with some mutual friends so it’s just the three of us. When dinner is done, the three of us sit at the dining room table. I’m sitting on Dad’s right and Mom on his left. He gives me a small smile.
“He looks like shit.”
I know the he he’s talking about, and I want to say that I don’t care, but I still do—I can’t shut off my love for him. Keeping my eyes on my plate, I mutter, “So.”
“I wish you’d tell me what happened. Your uncles and me can take care of him. You know they’d help me hide his body.” Dad sets his fork down. “Gwen, what happened?”