I look up to him and bring my palm to his face, pushing him to face me. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t imagine not having both parents.” He smiles, bringing his hand up to my face and running his thumb across my cheek.
“You need to stop looking at me like that, or I will kiss you again.”
I’m looking him deep into his eyes and I’m almost certain that I at least want to try it. “Kiss me; I want you to kiss me.” I whisper. With that, he pulls my face down to his and kisses me; I kiss him back, running my tongue over his until his hand comes up, and he wraps his fingers around the back of my neck. He stops, and begins pulling away from me. “Yeah, we should probably stop.” I blush instantly and look down to the water.
“No, hey,” he reaches for my face, “Not because I want to, but because I don’t want to push anything.”
I smile at him. “I didn’t know men like you still exist.”
He laughs, getting back on to his feet and helping me up. “Maybe just not where you were looking.” He is right; I never have found the real sweet guys attractive. Maybe I should have, and then maybe I wouldn’t be knocked up right now.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” I ask him, hoping he will say that he is working.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he replies, kissing me on the forehead and leaving. I get into bed, and after thinking over a lot of things, I realise one thing’s for sure; I miss and love Blake like crazy, and there is absolutely no way that I can use Knox as a rebound for my hurt.
The next morning I wake up feeling like shit; I know I need to end whatever is going on between Knox and I before one of us gets hurt. I’m walking into the house when I hear the phone ringing, catching it just in time. “Hello, Abrahams residence,” I say in a chirpy tone, because that is how you are supposed to answer the phone in this dysfunctional household.
“Vicky?” I hear Blake’s voice on the other side of the phone; and just as I’m about to put it down, he continues, “Vicky, stop! Do not fucking hang up on me.” I keep the phone to my ear, but don’t say anything. “Alaina got kidnapped; we are in New Zealand right now, but I thought I would let you know that she’s okay.” I suck in a breath.
“What? Oh my god, BLAKE! Oh fuck!” I’m starting to panic, clutching the phone in my hand when Knox walks in.
“You alright darling?” he asks, coming up next to me and kissing me on the forehead. I hear Blake growl down the phone, “Vicky, that better be one of your fucking brothers.” His accusations make my panicking stop as I walk out of the room.
“Well, no it’s not. His name is Knox and he’s the hired help for a few weeks.” I don’t care; what can he do from all the way from New Zealand? And he has made it very clear that we can see other people. The line goes deathly quiet for a second. “Are you fucking him?”
I look at the phone in my hand with a disgusted look. “Pardon? No, as a matter of fact I’m not,” I smile at myself briefly before continuing, “But when I do ‘fuck him’, it will be none of your business, because remember Blake? You were the one that set down the ‘open relationship’ rules, but know this; I have kissed him a couple times, good fucking thing I’m not in a relationship, huh.” Shit, I didn’t really mean to tell him about the kisses. The voice that comes down the phone chills me to the bone. “I will fucking kill him Vicky, so I hope that kiss was worth it,” then the line goes dead. I hang up the phone, walk back into the kitchen and look over to Knox.
“Yeah, I’ll be okay; just some drama back home is all.” He nods his head before going back outside to finish what he was doing. I run out to follow him. “Can I speak to you quickly?”
He turns around, the sun beaming directly behind him.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks. I start to fidget with my fingers; I have never cared about how I might hurt people’s feelings before, because those people were not Knox Bowden.
“I can’t do this to you, it’s not fair. I’m in love with the father of my baby, and it wouldn’t be fair to you if I strung you along. You deserve so much better.” I slump down onto the steps on the porch; he walks over, sitting down beside me.
“I can wait for you, Vicky. I will wait for you.”
I shake my head. “Please don’t, please don’t wait for me. Blake is my happily ever after, even if I’m not his.” A tear drops from my eye; I wipe it away quickly and he pulls me in under his arm, kissing my head.
“You’re so fucking special, Vicky. I’m sure he knows that, you would have to be a fucking imbecile not to.”
I laugh at his comment. “Thank you Knox, for everything; for showing me that there are still decent people out in this world.” He kisses my head again, before standing and going back to work. When I walk back into the kitchen, my Dad walks in too, pulling open the fridge and getting a bottled water out. He looks towards me.
“Vick, try to be nice to Beverly. I know you don’t like her, but she rides my ass if you don’t play nice.” I scrunch up my face at my dad’s choice of words.
“Ew Dad, that’s gross. I need to talk to you, preferably with Mom, Dominic and Jake in the room, too?” After taking a swig of his water, he nods his head. “Ok, we can set them up on the speaker in my office. Everything okay?” Holy fuck, this man has no idea how not okay I am right now. I smile, “Yes, perfect. I’ll meet you in there in fifteen.” Forgetting that it is probably some ungodly time in Paris, where my Mom currently lives.
Fifteen minutes later, I walk into my Dad’s office and sit on the seat next to Dominic. I can’t stop jiggling my legs, I am that nervous. I look over to Dom, and see that he’s sitting there scratching his hand over his mouth, with a serious look on his face. I know he will be worried about how this is going to go down; and just as I begin to second-guess my support system, he wraps his arm around my back, pulling me under his arm. Thank god for brothers. My Dad looks between Dominic and me, before settling on Dom.
“You already know?” he asks, and Dominic nods his head. My dad picks up his phone and dials my Mom and my brother Jake, both picking up at the same time.
“Sup Pops, what can I do for you?” You can hear girls in the background. I roll my eyes because that has never changed; the man uses his good looks as a weapon. Dad sighs.
“Jacob? Dominic and Vicky are here too; and your mother is also on the line, so get yourself somewhere that is far away from your flavour of the week.” I hear Jake open and close a door, before my mom speak.
“Jefferson? What is going on? Put my daughter on the phone.”
“I’m right here Mom, everything is fine.”
She breathes out loudly, “Oh good, how are you darling? Why are you at the ranch? How is everything back there?” I laugh, because my mother has an opinion on almost everything.
“I’m okay Mom, you will know why I am here in a second; and the ranch is good, Dad hired a really, really hot worker the other day, oh Mom he’s just—”
“VICKY! Cut the shit, what’s going on?” That was Jake.
“Okay, the reason why I called this family meeting was to tell you all something. Before you all start freaking out, I have thought everything through, and please don’t kill me.” I take a deep breath and close my eyes. “I’m pregnant.” I blow out the breath that I have been holding in, while I take in a lot of different things that are happening; the first thing is the swearing coming from Jacob’s end, no surprise there. The second thing is the disappointed look on my father’s face. Well, he can talk. The third thing is the complete silence coming from my Mom’s end. “Put my daughter on the phone, just me and her.” She finally says. My Dad, who still hasn’t said a word, picks up the phone and hands it to me.
“Hey Mom.”
“Hey baby, how are you feeling?” This is new; my Mom and I have always been close, but I thought that she of all people would have lost her shit at me over this.
“I’m feeling okay, I have a bit of morning sickness but it will pass.”
She giggles down the phone, “Much like me; I suffered horribly when
I was pregnant with you, the boys, not so much. Who is the father?” I clear my throat, taking a glance at my Dad.
“Um, his name is Blake. He owns a few different businesses, he doesn’t know I am pregnant yet, and he is part of a motorcycle club.” I squeeze my eyes closed, expecting her to start screaming; but she doesn’t.
“Okay, and are you two an item?” She is being so chill about this; it’s weird.
“No, we had a summer… thing. It sort of carried on once I got back to West Beach, but we have a lot of issues, and will never work out.”
She exhales loudly. “Alright, I am obviously not overly happy with this news; I am far too young to be a grandma, but I will come around, okay?” A tear escapes my eye.
“Okay Mom, thank you.”
“Pass me to your father now, honey.” I give the phone back to my Dad, and glance down to the other phone that has Jacob on it.
“I am not answering his question. Dom? Please?” He rolls his eyes before snatching up the phone. “Cut it Jake, leave her alone.” Their arguing dies out as I look up at my Dad, who is standing there with his hands in his pockets.
“Dad? Say something.” He sits down in front of me in his big business, flashy chair.
“I am in no way happy about this, but like your Mother, I will support you. You are just going to have to give me some time, too.” I nod my head up and down. I didn’t realise how much my Father’s opinion mattered to me, until I saw the look that was in his eyes.
“How far along are you now?” he asks. I breathe out and touch my belly.
“I am around 6 months.” Dominic brings his face down to my tummy.
“I think it’s time for your Mommy to tell your Daddy about you, what you think little one?” I laugh at my brother’s soft side coming out towards his little niece or nephew. At least if things turn to shit with Blake, I have my family.
We need to talk
After saying goodbye to my family, and a heartfelt goodbye to Knox, I begin to make my way back home. I decide to turn on my phone for the first time since I got here, getting assaulted by texts from Blake:
Blake: I’ll be there soon, don’t go anywhere.
Blake: Vicky? Fuck sake answer your phone.
Blake: Please answer your phone baby, I need to talk to you Vicky. Fuck sake.
Blake: fuck it then. Don’t say I didn’t try.
“Shit.” I sigh, pulling the gas nozzle out of my car and putting the lid back on. My phone starts ringing again in my pocket. I glance down, expecting to see Blake, but it’s not; it’s my annoying brother.
“What do you want, Jake?” I ask, getting back into my car to have this conversation, because no doubt, it will include yelling.
“I don’t understand it, and at the moment I don’t like it, but I will grow to love it. Fuck, Vicky, why couldn’t you just put your nose into your books?”
I roll my eyes. “I did, but stuff happens on spring break.”
He breathes out loudly. “I’m going to come and see you when you have the baby.”
“Okay, I would like that. I love you.”
He chuckles down the phone. “Yeah, I love you too, precious.”
Hanging up the phone, I feel much better. If only things with Blake weren’t as complicated.
~*~
After a long, seven-hour drive, I am home and unpacking all my stuff. I get in the shower, wash my body, get out and dry off, before getting straight into bed.
The morning sun attacks my eyes, because I forgot to shut my curtains last night. Moaning, I get up and get dressed into some casual clothes, noticing how big my bump is. It really a “bump” now, shit. I begin to make my way around campus, letting my teachers know that I will be studying online for the rest of the year. The majority of them were polite about my obvious bump, except for my science teacher; I don’t take it to heart though, I can’t fucking stand her. Once I get home, I send a text to Blake; I don’t know where he is right now but I hope he gets it.
Me: We need to talk. Come over when you are back.
I throw my phone back down and cuddle up on the couch, watching cartoons.
Blake
Walking into my house, I drop all my shit in the front door and go to my room. I got a text from my fucked up ex, saying that she wants to talk to me. Why this bitch won’t just let me go, I do not know. After having a shower, I throw some clothes on and head back out the door to go sort this shit out with Corrin.
Pulling up to her apartment, I shut off my bike and walk to the door. After two knocks, she opens it and lets me in. I make it clear that I have no time for her shit.
“What’s this about, Corrin? I just got back in the country and you are the last person I want to see.” She laughs while making her way into the kitchen.
“That’s not very polite Blake, especially to someone that could end you and your little girlfriend with one little phone call to the feds; and I mean the ones that aren’t working under your little whore of a police officer.” She chuckles while pouring a drink. I narrow my eyes at her. “What makes you think I won’t just kill you, here and now?” I ask, walking over to her and snatching her drink out of her hands. She tilts her head up to me with a smirk.
“Because Blake, because you would never get away with it.”
I laugh at her confidence. “Don’t be too sure of that, pumpkin. You mention Vicky’s name again; and I’ll put a bullet so far up your tight little ass, your brains will be painted on these fucking walls in a way that even Leonardo Da Vinci would be jealous of,” I answer calmly.
I see her gulp and her face drops for a few seconds, before returning to the bullshit look she is pulling now. She looks back to me, “You know Blake; you’re not the only one that knows people.” I grab onto her throat and push her up against the wall.
“I don’t give a fuck who you know Corrin; you so much as breathe my girls’ name again, and I’ll be back here with a shovel and a nine. Are we understood?” She doesn’t answer me, as she turns purple. I squeeze her neck harder. “I said; are we fucking understood?” She nods her head up and down, tapping on my hand to release her; I squeeze an inch harder before releasing her back to the floor. She coughs while holding onto her neck. I start walking out the door before I hear her voice, “You will pay for this Blake, you just wait.” I wish I could call her bluff, but I know she is crazy. I also know that from this point onwards; until I sort out whom Corrin is using to bring me and my club down, Vicky has to stay away from it. We cannot be together under any circumstances, no matter how much I am in love with this girl. And I fucking love her. And need her, as if I need air to breathe. However, as the saying goes; the bad guys never get a happy ending.
After getting through my door, I think over what has happened between Vicky and me. I can’t fucking believe she kissed some other fucker, but I understand it. Popping open a beer, I see I have a text sent to my phone from an unknown number:
Unknown: There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
I throw my phone back onto the bed, wondering why the hell I am getting cryptic fucking texts at this hour. I look outside, and notice a car parked outside my window. Picking my phone back up, I dial Corrin.
“Is this you? Do you think I’m fucking joking when I say that I will end you?”
She goes quiet. “I don’t care Blake, if I can’t have you, no one can.”
I laugh. “What the fuck, Corrin? You’re acting crazy. We ended ages ago, and you knew that there was never going to be anymore of ‘us’.”
I hear her sob down the phone. “You loved me once Blake, I was your everything at one point, why can’t we try again? It’s because of her, isn’t it? She’s why you don’t want me!”
I exhale loudly. “No Corrin, I didn’t love you. I may have though that I loved you; but now that I know what real love feels like, I know that what we had wasn’t love. I love Vicky so much that it consumes me; so stay the fuck out of my way, or I will bury you.” I hang up
the phone. A part of me feels bad for her. Corrin had a rough upbringing, and she was in the system until she was 18. However, you cannot keep making excuses for people; she is a shallow, ruthless bitch, and that is all.
Vicky
The next morning I wake up in the same position I was in when I fell asleep, with my back aching in pain from being on the sofa. I get up and get myself sorted; just as I am about to start calling around for apartments, the door swings open and Alaina comes walking in with bruises and a black eye.
“LAIN! OH MY GOD!” I run over to her, taking her into a hug.
She smiles, and rubs my bump. “Vicky! This is your decision?”
I place my hand over hers. “It is, Lain. I want this baby, our baby. Only thing is, I don't know how I’m going to break it to him.”
She laughs while taking off her jacket. “Well, you had better do it soon, because we’re all back and he's on a mission to track you down.” Fuck! Shit! I drop my eyes to the floor as the realisation sinks in. “I know,” I sigh. Then anger takes over my body when I remember what exactly has happened. “I can't fucking believe it Alaina, you could have died! Tell me everything, right now.” After that phone call from Blake, all I have been thinking about is her; she is going to put me in an early grave with the worry she causes me. It’s probably a good thing that I never had any younger siblings.
“First, I need wine and pizza,” she replies.
I narrow my eyes at her, following her around the room. “Pizza? You hate pizza.”
“When you've had to go through not being, you would love all kinds of food, too.” I pull two glasses out of the cupboard, one wine glass, and the other a normal, boring glass— for me. Thirty minutes later pizza boy shows up with the goods, and we settle into the couch eating and laughing, just like old times. “So, talk!”