by Lauren Wood
“Fair warning though,” Joshua announced, holding up his hands. “If you hurt her or do wrong by her in any way, we will kill you.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I smirked. “Thank you guys. But one more thing before I start packing. You’re giving me your blessing about Jada. What about us? Are we cool again?”
Lucas narrowed his eyes. “I may need a little time, but…Yeah. Eventually we’ll be okay.” He walked over to hug me. “Jeez, dude. Make sure you clean up and have a shower before you see Jada though.”
Joshua waved his hand in front of his nose, teasing me. But he also pulled me in for a hug.
I was shocked, but more excited than I had been in a long time. I had my two buddies back in my life, and soon I would have Jada back too, I hoped. Not only that, but we were going to have a baby together. I had never wanted to get back home faster. And once I got there, I planned to never leave again for anything longer than a vacation.
20
Jada
I hadn’t heard from any of my siblings, not even Camille. Which was nerve-racking because I was certain Victoria probably told them I was pregnant. To make matters worse, I had an interview scheduled with a couple who met on the Heartstring app.
Frank and Valerie. Two long-time singles who finally took the plunge and signed up on our dating app. They went on one date and hit it off instantly. It was hard to see them in all of their mushy excitement for the happiness they had found in each other. I watched them embrace and hold hands, kiss and gush about one another.
Jack and I never even had a chance to feel that way. I was blindsided by his interest in me in the first place, and when the shock wore off, all that was left was a constant anxiety about where things were going. That’s when I wasn’t trying to convince myself he meant nothing to me and that I’d be better off trying to find some other random guy to sleep with.
I forced a smile for Valerie and Frank anyway and made it through the interview. But I had to hide away in my apartment afterwards for a good cry. Once I finally pulled myself together, I found myself staring down my reflection in the mirror.
I didn’t recognize myself anymore. So much had changed, well beyond my new clothes and haircut. I needed to know myself again, to settle back into my own life.
I took out my contacts and put my old glasses back on. I slipped back into one of my old frumpy pairs of overalls and put my hair back in a headband. The old meek, bashful, nervous book nerd Jada was back. The sight was comforting and upsetting all at once.
Another thing that had taken a back seat in my new life was my book club. I hadn’t been attending meetings regularly since that first time I skipped for Jack. I checked the time and rushed out the door. If I hurried, I could catch everyone over at Jane’s.
I started getting worked up on the cab ride over. To the point that when I finally arrived, I burst through the door in a mad and frenzied state. The ladies were gathered in Jane’s parlor, books and drinks in hand. They stopped and looked up to me in shock.
“Give me a drink,” I blurted. Magda immediately jumped up to do just that. “Dammit. No, wait. Nevermind. I can’t drink.”
They groaned with an air of Of course Jada can’t drink. She never drinks.
“Not because I don’t want to,” I defended. “I just—I have so much to tell all of you.”
They ushered me in with hugs, each of them telling me how much they had missed me. I had missed them too. I really, really had. I sunk down onto the couch and accepted a glass of water instead. But damn, did a martini ever sound good.
I broke down and told them everything. About how I hated the way people saw me and my decision to change my life, inspired by the books we read. I told them about Jack and me losing my virginity. I told them about Isabella and all the drama and what led to Jack ending things. Finally, I told them the big news. I was pregnant, and he was gone.
“That’s a romance novel just waiting to be written,” Jane noted when I finished.
“No kidding,” Lucy chimed with wide eyes. “Can I write your story, Jada?”
“Have at it. With my new promotion, I’m not going to have time to write a book.”
“So you’re taking the promotion?” Magda asked.
I nodded. “I’m angry about how it came to be, but I still want it. Besides, my career is the only thing that’s stayed remotely the same through all of this. Or rather, it’s the only thing that’s actually improved.”
A knock came to the door, stealing Jane away. I kept commiserating with the others until they both stopped and stared at the doorway with wide eyes. I slowly turned and gasped at who was standing there.
Jack.
“What are you doing here?” I leaped to my feet and raced over to him. His eyes dropped to my stomach and a warm smile spread across his face. “You heard?”
“I heard,” he nodded. “You’re pregnant? And the baby is…”
“It’s your baby,” I confirmed. “I was going to tell you, but you were gone before I could work myself up to it.”
I felt the eyes of the whole book club burning into us as we stood there, both speechless. But our eyes were full of so much emotion as we faced one another.
“I don’t expect anything from you,” I assured him. “I know neither of us asked for this, or planned on it. There was a lot we didn’t ask for. But…here we are. And I’ve decided now is as good a time as any to become a mother, which is something I’ve always wanted. I’ll understand if you don’t want to—Wait a second. I thought Lucas said you were gone. He told me you left town and that you weren’t coming back. That you had turned down his offer and wouldn’t even work for Heartstring again.”
He took my hands into his. “I’m back. And I’m staying this time. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not so sure where I stand with Heartstring just yet. It was more important to me to find out where I stood with you first.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What do you mean?”
He guided both of our hands across my belly. “I’m glad you’re ready to be a mother. Will you—Do you see me being in this with you? Can we raise this baby together?”
“I didn’t know if you’d want to. I didn’t even know if you’d still live in this city.”
“Now you know. I’m here, and I very much want to. With you.”
My face lit up with a smile as happy tears welled up in my eyes. “With me as in…co-parents? Or…”
“Co-parents. Friends. Lovers. Boyfriend and girlfriend. And then maybe one day…who knows. I want it all. I want a future with you. I want us to be a family.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I still hadn’t even fully wrapped my head around the fact that he was standing right there in front of me. As I was letting it all sink in, Jack dropped his face to mine for a kiss. I wanted to melt away in him, but I stepped back just before our lips could touch.
“Wait. What about my brothers? I thought they ran you out of town. That they didn’t approve of us being together.”
We were both painfully aware of the book club ladies still staring at us from the parlor, listening to every word we were saying. But the moment was too important to stop just for them.
“I talked to them,” he replied. “In fact, they came and found me to tell me you’re pregnant. They gave us their blessing.”
I was flooded with happiness as one worry after another melted away. I stood on my toes to crane my neck up to Jack. Our lips finally met again. One smooth roll of his tongue across mine and I knew without a doubt that somehow everything had worked out exactly as it was supposed to. This was the first man I ever slept with, and the only man I wanted to sleep with for the rest of my life.
I heard Jane, Lucy, and Magda all swoon behind us, but soon they slipped away along with everything else. All that was left in the world was me, Jack, and our baby. And that kiss…which was the most delicious kiss he had stolen from my lips so far.
His eyes glinted at mine as he pulled back and ran his palm along the
side of my face. I leaned into it, slowly blinking. I felt like I was dripping down to the floor in a puddle, so warm and relieved inside.
“I love you,” he whispered.
My heart soared and everything felt right. Better than right, it felt perfect.
“I love you too.”
He kissed me again, only this time the book club ladies burst into applause for us. I could hear them cheering us on and toasting their drinks to one another.
When we finally pulled away, I became suddenly and painfully aware of how I looked. I forgot that I had changed back into my old clothes and put my glasses back on.
“Wait,” I blurted, growing self-conscious. “You mean, you still like me like this?”
“Like what?” his brow furrowed. “Pregnant?”
“No,” I blushed. “You never noticed me until I started dressing differently. I wore contacts and makeup and waxed everything. I didn’t think you’d have any interest in me if I looked like this. If I looked like me.”
He smiled and considered it for a moment. “Sometimes things have to shine a little brighter than usual to snap us out of it and get our attention. Doesn’t make the thing any less beautiful once you’re slowing down to really look at it for the first time. I may have been too stupid to see what’s been right under my nose since high school. But whatever you did to get my attention in the first place has nothing to do with why I plan on staying with you for as long as you’ll have me.”
“Good answer,” Magda commented from the next room.
“And you’re not worried about being tied down? You won’t be free anymore like you’re used to. I know how important that is to you.”
“I have no problem being tied down if it’s for the right reason.” He bent down to kiss me again. “And you, Jada Meadows, are the perfect reason for me.”
The ladies erupted into applause again as he dipped me back, popping my leg out for the most perfect fairytale ending kiss. But this wasn’t some fairytale or book. This was my real life.
Epilogue
I tapped my fingers on the edge of the chair, reading through my latest romance novel. I reached for the cocktail on the side table and took a sip. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to worry about. I could slip away into my fantasy world for as long as I wanted. It was heaven.
I had a new kind of ease about me. Over a year ago, I set out on a mission to change my life. And I had done just that. When I returned home, I had a job I loved waiting for me. My siblings noticed me and appreciated me at work. Everyone noticed me now. Disappearing off into the background like a piece of furniture was a thing of the past. And sometimes, when I showed up to a meeting or got a little too tipsy at book club…no one thought twice about it.
I had outgrown my own stereotype, and it felt good. When I read about the heroines in my books now, it wasn’t just a fantasy world anymore. Because I put myself out on a limb more often than not. It was scary, but the most amazing things usually came out of it. I wasn’t just admiring them from afar anymore. I felt like I had actually walked in their shoes.
My big rimmed hat shielded my eyes from the bright sun that was blistering hot as it reflected off the white sandy beach. Big ocean waves were crashing down on the shore in front of me. It was a hot day, but thankfully I had my cocktail and a big umbrella to keep me cool. Plus a new bikini to show off my post-baby body, which was looking pretty damn good, if I did say so myself.
Jack caught my eye over the pages of my book. I watched him for a moment as his tanned shirtless body splashed around in the water. Those rippling muscles of him were glistening wet in the sunlight as he smoothed his hands across his hair, slicking it back into disheveled perfection. My eyes traveled down to the V at his hips—an arrow pointing straight to one of my many favorite things about him. Later, I would unwrap those swim trunks like a present for the treasure he kept hidden away in there, just for me.
The sight of him got me even more hot and bothered than my book. I slammed it shut and tossed it aside, hopping up to go running out to him. He heard me coming and swept me up in his arms, carrying me out into the perfect temp water to cool me down even more. He was my real life hero, and way better than any guy I had ever read about. Simply because he was real…and all mine. Him being a great father and equally as great between the sheets certainly helped too.
It was our first vacation together since the baby had been born. Actually, it was our first vacation together ever. But Jack insisted it was the first of many. He had spent years traveling the world, never fully realizing that what he wanted most of all was someone to share it all with. Falling in love didn’t have to mean being tied down all the time. We were going to travel and explore the world together.
One day we would bring our beautiful baby boy, Nathan, along with us. When he was older. But for now, we were enjoying having the time to ourselves. It was an important honeymoon phase that we missed out on in the beginning.
“Five more days in this paradise,” Jack commented, looking out across the beautiful sparkling water.
“Are you sad about going back?”
“I won’t be when the time comes. I miss our boy already. And you know I can never stay away from work for too long.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring any work with you,” I teased. His face went blank, and I playfully smacked his chest. “You did, didn’t you!?” I gasped. “You scoundrel. I knew you were hiding something from me.”
“Only for nights when I’ve used you all up in bed and you’re asleep before me.”
“Challenge accepted,” I grinned. “I’ll just have to use you all up right back so you’ll actually take some time off. You’ll be too tired to work by the time I’m through with you.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring any work with you,” he shot back. “You’re the big shot executive vice president at your family’s company now.” I smiled widely, giving myself away. “You did bring a few things with you, didn’t you? I knew I found the perfect woman for me.”
We laughed and walked along the beach through the sunset. It was just like a scene out of a movie, or one of my books. The weather on the beach was perfect, and so was the man I got to share it with.
Jack seemed quiet and distracted as we got close to the hotel again. I started off to go inside, but he caught my hand and pulled me back.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes, there’s just one thing I needed to discuss with you.”
“Okay,” I waited, growing serious. The concern on his face was making me anxious.
He was quiet and still for a moment, but then he dropped down onto one knee. I gasped and threw my hands over my face, wondering if I thought was happening was really happening.
“Jack,” I whispered in shock.
“Jada Meadows,” he smiled up at me, pulling a ring out of his pocket. “A year and a half ago, I spotted an old friend of mine in the lobby at work. She suddenly looked so different. Like a diamond in the rough I had been missing out on my whole life. It felt like I was seeing you for the first time. And since then, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know every part of you. Outside…and inside.” He winked suggestively, making me laugh. “I know I was your first. You were my first for a lot of things too. But I don’t want to just be your first. I want to be your last. Will you marry me?”
“Yes!” I shrieked, eagerly waving my hand out for him to put the ring on.
“Yes? Just like that? You don’t need to think about it?”
“You want to give me a chance to change my mind?” I teased with my hand on my hip.
“Not a chance in hell.”
He slid the ring on my finger and kissed me in the sunset. We started talking about our plans immediately as we made our way back to our room.
“I would have asked you sooner,” he said, holding my hand. “But I wanted to wait until after the baby was born. So you could really go all out and have the wedding of your dreams without worrying about anything.”
“This was perfect timing,” I said with a dreamy sigh. “Oh! And Izzy can be one of my bridesmaids! She’ll love that.”
“You still have a lot to learn about my sister,” he quipped. “She’ll agree to being a bridesmaid then take over as wedding planner. Hell, with the way our mother raised her, she was practically born to be an event planner.”
“You think we can afford something your sister would plan?” I raised a brow, remembering her expensive, lavish tastes. Another gift inherited from their mother.
“Anything you want, babe. The sky’s the limit.”
Isabella and I remained friends and continued growing close. I made an effort to assure her I had no intention of stealing her brother away from her. We could all be a family, together. She was enjoying being an aunt. It gave her something to do and a new way to spend her time and energy. She had been bored and lonely for a while, so it was perfect for her. And if I did let her plan the wedding, she’d at least give us less trouble about any of their precious inheritance money going towards the bill.
She was still painfully single though. It was crazy to think someone like me would find the perfect guy, have his baby, and get engaged, while someone like her struggled to find love. It seemed backwards to me, but I wasn’t complaining. I just wanted her to find happiness too. Heartstring had done little to help. I made a note to myself to make more of an effort in finding someone for her when we got back from our trip.
When we got back to our room, we showered and decided to sit out on the balcony for a while, watching the stars shine over the ocean at night.
“It’s funny,” Jack said. “I used to go on trips when we first got together, and I’d spend the whole time thinking about you. Now here you are, with my engagement ring on your finger.”
I flashed a devilish grin. “I used to think about you while I was laying in my bed, drifting off in terribly dirty fantasies about you.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he smirked, pulling me over to his chair to straddle him. “Tell me more. Then what happened?”