Jackson:How you doin’?
Me:Fine, you?
No response.
Jackson:How you doin’?
Me:Okay… you?
No response.
It’s like he needs to know I’m doing okay. But if that’s the case, why can’t he just come over and talk to me?
I’m fucking lonely.
Even though I hate that I’m going out where people I know might see me, I’m so excited to be leaving the house.
“Hello?” I hear my front door creak open, and I quickly throw on one of the shirts from the pile. It’s the loosest one, but still doesn’t come close to covering my baby bump in the slightest. Of course, all of my summer tanks are skintight, and now that I’ve gained weight, it shows off every curve. This black tank top, paired with black shorts can hopefully conceal the few pounds I’ve gained these past couple months.
“Yeah.” I grab a hoodie and throw it over my arm—just in case—and leave my room.
“Are you—holy shit. Look at that little baby bump!” Pure joy covers Rose’s face when her eyes zone in on my baby bump. “I didn’t know you were showing like this! It’s socute!” She starts walking over from the front door with her arms extended like she’s going to rub her hands all over my stomach.
I turn to the side and block my stomach with my forearm. “Don’t. Please.” Rose stops in her tracks and her face falls. “Let’s just go, okay?” I plead.
I’m getting that feeling in my head that I’ve been having lately anytime I think about the baby. It’s like some niggling stop sign starts blaring in the back of my head. Something in my brain is trying to tell me something, but before I know what thatsomethingis, I block it out and change course.
Just like now.
Rose frowns and opens her mouth like she’s going to say something, then stops. “Okay, come on.” She opens the front door and I follow out behind her.
Well, shit. Now I feel bad.
I hop into the passenger seat of Rose’s car and turn to her. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been a wreck all morning. I’m feeling a little… self-conscious or whatever you want to call it now that I’m showing. Maybe embarrassed. I don’t know, but when you started fawning all over my stomach, I just couldn’t take it. So, yeah. Sorry if I was a bitch.”
“Yeah, you were kind of a bitch. But I’m used to it by now.” Rose says, a slow smile filling her cheeks.
I push her in the arm. “Shut up, asshole. Come on, let’s go.”
Rose turns the key over when a hulking figure comes into view. There stands Jackson in grey sweatpants and no shirt.I swear the fucker isn’t wearing any underwear. His pants are hanging so low around his lips it makes my mouth go dry. His abs are all on display and it makes me turned on even when I have no desire to be turned on by this asshole.
A confused crease shows up between his eyes. He bends down, and his muscles flex along his shoulders and back as he knocks on my window.
I look at Rose, and all she does is lift her eyebrows at me.
“Ugh.” I roll down my window and frown at the man in front of me. “What?”
“Where you goin’?” He murmurs.
“To the clinic.”
He staring at my noticeable bump, but his eyes fly to mine as he growls, “The clinic? What the fuck, Cara? You said you weren’t going to get an abortion.” My eyebrows shoot up in confusion until realization hits.
“I’m not going to get a fucking abortion. I have a doctor appointment. You know… to check on the baby.” My cheeks turn bright red.
He stands there and stares at me for a few minutes. Thinking. Contemplating. Then he says, “Hold on. Stay here.”
He jogs inside Easton’s house, which just confuses me even further.