Chapter Thirty Four
Elaine & Robbert
I almost tripped. If it wasn’t for Cal’s quick catch when he wrapped his hands around my waist I would’ve fallen. The shop was pitch black but once the door clicked behind us and the little bell rang, the lights were quickly turned on and everyone jumped out and yelled “surprise!”
By everyone I mean, Val, Ava, Bailey, Ben-Ben, and Marshall, surprisingly.
“Happy baby shower?”
Ava announced with a question mark. Like she didn’t know if that was appropriate or not.
“I almost punched you.”
I chuckled as I pulled her into a hug.
“It would’ve been worth it.”
She smiled.
I walked deeper into the decorated Barn—they went out of their way to have balloons hanged up and food on the table and drinks. Of course essentially I was paying for all of it but it was the thought that counted.
“Did you guys close down the Barn early for this?” I asked.
“That’s your concern?”
Val sent me a long look.
My brows furrowed. “It’s a valid point.”
Callum dragged a long sigh then caught my hand in his—the action was done so smoothly I didn’t realize I was following him until he pulled out a chair for me. I smiled and slowly sat down.
I looked up at him to say a thank you but I got lost in his eyes, the navy blue sweatshirt went well with his blue eyes. And his hair was fluffy, like he hadn’t fixed it since I messed with him.
The kiss came back to mind and I could feel my heart fall all the way down…In between my legs.
That was some kiss.
It was passionate and demanding. I could feel everything he felt through just one kiss. It was nothing I’d felt before.
Now I definitely couldn’t ignore what was happening between us anymore. Not after that kiss.
“You alright, sweetheart?”
Cal asked as he leaned closer to me.
I swallowed, feeling him take a seat next to me. I nodded, trying not to think about the kiss too much.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“The kiss?”
I replied with furrowed brows.
Why would he bring up the kiss right now?
“The what?”
He chuckled. “No, the baby shower.”
Why did I bring up the kiss?
“It’s lovely,”
I replied, wishing I could sink in this chair and right through my expensive floor.
I froze when Cal’s lips brushed against my ear, then his smooth voice followed. “I can’t stop thinking about you either.”
The contrast between my thought and his was noticeable.
He can’t stop thinking about me.
I can’t stop thinking about the kiss.
And maybe him.
Just a little bit.
But I just couldn’t stop thinking, for the record.
I glanced at him over my shoulder. “There goes your jealous girlfriend,”
I whispered as my eyes sliced to Amber who walked in a couple seconds ago.
He placed his hand on my thigh under the table, and my breath hitched, caught in my throat.
I coughed, then reached for the glass of water in front of me to take a sip.
“I’m starting to think you’re the jealous one,”
he whispered in my ear. I quickly swallowed, trying not to cough up the water because he was clearly trying to kill me.
“Congratulations!”
Amber said in a fake cheery tone as she handed me a tiny gift bag.
“Thank you!”
I matched her fake tone.
“The gifts are on the table over there.”
Callum pointed at the table of gifts across the room. His tone was clipped short and anyone who had working eyes could clearly see his hand on my thigh under the table.
We talked almost at the same time so Amber looked a bit rattled, she pulled the gift away before I could take it from her.
“O-okay.”
She chuckled nervously.
Cal squeezed my thigh.
“Thank you,”
I repeated again, watching her turn in the direction of the table away from us.
Now she didn’t have any reason to approach us, all she could do was glare at us from afar. And if looks could kill, I’d be dead already.
“I’m all yours, Juliette.”
Cal kissed my cheek.
I smiled.
Not too long after, I started opening the gifts. Apparently, I was late to my own party so we were moving right on time, I was just a little behind since I was late.
I knew everyone in here, and I didn’t know many people in Beaufort, but the gift table made it look like half of the town dropped by. Everyone must’ve brought more than two gifts at least.
My heart swelled with love.
“Start with mine!”
Ben-Ben shouted, grabbing his gift from the table to bring to me. I nodded and grabbed his gift. I opened the bag and pulled out two shark onesies. A blue one and a white one.
“He can wear it to watch Baby Shark.”
I nodded with a smile. “Thank you, Ben-Ben.”
“I have another gift!”
he said as he grabbed a big, gift-wrapped box and brought it over to the table.
Cal gently caressed my thigh as I smiled.
“Oh my god, thank you so much!”
I laughed, looking at the size of the box. When he placed it on the table, it blocked everyone out. I had to stand up to open it.
“You went all out Ben-Ben.”
I smiled at him as I stood up.
He smiled back, clearly excited to see my reaction for this gift.
Before my fingers could touch the gift wrap, the little bell above the door rang and a couple walked through the doors.
A very wealthy couple.
Her heels clicked on my floor, definitely more expensive than my floors. Her long black coat covered her outfit, but I saw through the impressive jewels that this woman was beyond above class. Her dark brown hair was bone straight, and her dark makeup brought out her face. And her husband, well the man clearly attached at her hips looked like an accessory. Plain suit and tie. Though I’m sure it was expensive, she took the whole cake.
“Oh honey, I’m sorry we got here so late,”
she said in a very calm manner.
She handed her husband the gift bag in her hand then took off her coat.
I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me, so I just stared. I stared until her white dress was revealed. Padded shoulders, shiny buttons that looked like diamonds, the dress fit her well.
“When’d you get here, Mom?”
Cal’s voice boomed.
She sighed, and it was elegant.
I wished I could’ve kept the shocked look on my face elegantly but I’m sure my jaw was probably on the floor right now. Just like everyone else’s.
In fact, I wasn’t not sure I heard the music always played in there.
Even Spotify was silenced.
“Last night. Your dad and I came for the baby shower.”
She held the coat and looked around, but I didn’t have a coat hanger, so I glared at Val.
“Get the coat,”
I mouthed to him.
That slow-witted idiot tilted his head at me with a confused look.
I made a signal with my hand and eyes, Cal’s mom looked at me and I quickly smiled.
“Hi, I’m Juliette Rhodes.”
I kept smiling.
Val finally realized what I was trying to tell him and stepped in front of them. “I’ll take that for you,”
he whispered and sent me a sympathetic look.
“I know, honey, I’ve been so excited to meet you!”
She laughed as she walked closer in front of the table, her husband followed.
“Wait,”
Cal said, “you guys knew?”
“No thanks to you,”
his dad said as he glared at him. “We just found out last night. Ardley told us.”
The lady grabbed the gift bag from her husband who sent daggers at Callum.
“I’m Elaine Oakes, and this is my husband Robbert Oakes,”
she smiled, “congratulations, dear.” She handed me the gift.
Cal pulled Ben-Ben’s giant gift from the table, and I smiled taking Elaine’s gift bag.
“Thank you,”
I whispered, “and it’s nice to meet you.”
“Please, call me Laine,”
she chuckled as she clasp her hand together, “when I heard I was having a grand—”
“GRAND OPENING!”
I shouted, “yeah I just had the grand opening!” I chuckled nervously, cutting her off before she uttered the word “grandchild”. I glanced at Callum over my shoulder for some help. His parents looked at me like I was crazy.
Nobody but us four knew about the baby situation, well, except for Val, but I didn’t want anyone to know that I was pregnant with Ardley’s baby—not with Amber in the room, the whole town would know. With her vendetta against me, she’d be blabbing everything she knew about me to the whole town as long as it made me look bad. Then I would spend the rest of my life explaining that I was inseminated to have his baby and paid, which would make me look so bad—then I’d be slut-shamed into wearing a scarlet A on my chest because I publicly flirted with his brother as well.
“Can I talk to you guys for a second?”
Cal walked around the table and pulled his parents to the back for a chat. Hopefully to explain everything and beg them not to say anything.
I plopped down in my seat with relief. I think what just happened here brought back my dizziness. It felt like they just pulled the needles out of my arm.
I fixed my cardigan over my shoulder when Val came to the table. Everyone was whispering, but the music was back, so that was a good sign.
“It feels like they’re going to hand you an envelope of money and ask you to leave both Ardley and Cal alone,”
Val said as he sat in Cal’s chair.
I smiled as I shook my head. “I’d definitely take the money if I wasn’t pregnant.”
He chuckled.
I closed my eyes and imagined the horrible truth. What if what I had with Cal—no, what if what Cal feels for me was just a fluke. What if he was just a really nice person who couldn’t resist helping someone in need, and I became something for him to fix or pass his time—his entertainment? What if that was the case?
I already knew Ardley and his parents would tolerate me because I was still pregnant with their cargo. Their blood. I’d be disposable to them the second the baby came out—but what if it was like that for Callum too.
“Cal will never let you go, you know that right?”
Val said quietly.
“What?”
I whispered, my eyes still closed.
“If you took the money and ran, I think he’d spend the rest of his life chasing after you.”
I opened my eyes and instantly locked eyes with Cal as he and his parents started walking back. Cal looked pissed and stressed, but the second he saw me his eyes softened. I turned to look at Val, but he was already gone. I looked back at Cal.
“You okay?”
I mouthed to him.
He nodded with a half-smile, “you?”
I nodded back as I quickly stood up.
“So sorry, Juliette,”
Laine smiled, “congratulations on your opening as well, had I known about you sooner I would’ve sent flowers.”
I looked at Cal with a smile. “Cal took care of that.”
Laine looked at Cal then slowly looked back at me. “I see.”.
Amber dragged herself into our little bubble, and Cal sneaked away from his parents’ side and stood next to me behind the table. He placed his hand on the small part of my back and rubbed it. “Sit down, sweetheart.”
I plopped down as I bit my lips, too nervous to hear what Amber had to say.
“Laine!”
She smiled brightly like they’d been friends for a long time.
Laine pulled back like she was allergic to Amber, “It’s Elaine, sweetie,”
she said through a gracious smile.
My brows shot up and I shared a look with Ava across the room. It looked like we both wanted to laugh. I turned my head around and Cal shielded me as I quietly laughed, just to get it out of my system.
“Go back to your seat, Juliette is opening the gifts,”
Laine said as she walked in front of my table again.
“Here you are, dear,”
she smiled, “from Rob and I.”
Her husband nodded, but he didn’t smile.
Laine’s blue eyes resembled Callum’s but Callum seemed the most similar to his father. And it didn’t seem like they got along very well.
“Thank you!”
I smiled as I opened the gift bag.
My eyes widened as my lips parted open as I looked at the Zeitgeist baby carrier.
I wasn’t the only one shocked, everyone else gasped. Well Ava and Amber gasped, the boys were clueless.
Laine clapped. “It’s a new edition! We were going to have it custom made but Ardley—”
she cleared her throat, “Ardley said you haven’t picked out a name yet. We hope that it’s okay that it’s not customized,” she said with a pout.
Now I was looking at them like they were crazy.
“I will happily have the baby’s name customized once you’ve picked a name, and I could help—give you a few suggestions if you’d like.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“There’s another box in the bag,” Rob said.
They finally sat down next to my table once Ava grabbed them two chairs.
I looked inside of the surprisingly deep bag and pulled out another box. I looked at them with a pressured smile because what else could they possibly give this baby? I slowly opened the box and gasped.
A pair of baby Hermes sandals.
Laine squealed. “It’s one of a kind, we had it made for us!”
My mouth dropped open in horror. This looked absolutely crazy. I looked at Cal and he looked just as freaked out as me. None of this is normal, they’re supposed to be Cal’s parents at a stranger’s baby shower. Some might say they’re really generous when it comes to gifting, but some might add two and two together and figure out that this baby was another Oakes.
“I don’t know what to say. . .?”
I said in horror.
“Oh, don’t be shy, dear, this was nothing.”
Wow. That changes the whole situation, doesn’t it? And it makes me feel so much better!
I scratched my head and leaned towards Cal. “How do we end this?”
“The baby shower?”
I nodded.
“Fake labor.”
I sighed. “I think everyone would still follow me if I did that.”
“You’re right, act like you’re in pain and I’ll take care of the rest.”
I didn’t want to fake any pain near my stomach because that would cause everyone to freak out and the situation would get much more complicated and there would be no escape.
I held my head. “Ah,”
I whispered as I squeezed my eyes shut, “my head hurts,” I said, dramatically leaning towards Cal.
Her heels clicked and footsteps followed. “Is everything alright Dear?”
Her voice rang out.
“She’ll be fine, she’s just gotta get home,”
Cal said as he helped me up.
“Thank you for the baby shower, truly, and for all the gifts. It was very kind of you guys to do, I just feel a bit frail right now, would you mind locking up Ava?”
She hugged me. “No, not at all, get some rest.”
I nodded, “thank you. Thank you Ben-Ben, Bailey, and Marshall for making it. And, of course, you, Val.”
I smiled at him.
“Thank you, Rob and Laine,”
I said as I reached the door.
Laine placed a hand on my arm, dainty rings on her fingers and her nails were a classic nude color. “We’re having a little dinner tomorrow night, nothing big, we would love to have you there with us, Ardley will be there… and so would Cal,” she said.
I smiled. “I’ll think about it.”
She nodded. “Of course, get some rest.”
“Thank you for getting me out of there,”
I mumbled.
He shook his head as he locked the door behind him, “my parents are very…”
“Extra?”
I finished for him.
“Out of touch with reality, but yeah, extra?”
I sighed as I took off my red boots, happy to know that my bed was just down the hallway.
“Did you help them with the—”
“Yeah,”
he quickly answered, “that other morning when you were gone super early, I helped Ava plan and buy everything,” he said as he took off his boots.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Can I show you my gift before you go to bed?”
My brows furrowed. I hadn’t even thought of it. I didn’t even realize he didn’t get the baby anything at the party. Laine took the cake. Hers was a really tough act to follow.
“Yeah,”
I mumbled.
Callum grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hall, we walked past his door, my door. We reached a room I hadn’t been through before. Callum turned to look at me with a smile before he opened the door.
“This is my gift to you.”
I gasped as I walked in the room. It was a baby room. A decorated baby room. A built crib, a rocking chair, a mini colorful jungle gym on the floor, colorful ABCD mats, a mini dresser, nightlights. I looked around in awe, practically twirling in the room
A baby room. In. His. House.
For. Me.
I clasped my hand over my mouth as I gasped, spotting the Junama stroller, it was a nice glossy, shiny black. The stroller looked like an egg, or half of a moon. It looked like the new edition collection, more expensive looking than all the other ones and the prices started at thousands. Last time I saw someone with this stroller they told me it was just about twenty-thousand dollars.
Does madness run in this family?
I turned to look at Cal with a hand on my hip, “you got me a twenty-thousand-dollar stroller?”
He took a step further into the room and looked at the stroller like it was another mundane piece of furniture. “I actually got a discount on it, it was really cheap. It’s reversible, easy to adjust and detachable,”
he said as he detached the stroller and it became a car seat.
“See?”
“You’re crazy,”
I said as I dragged my hand through my hair and walked out of the room.
He was right behind me. “Do you like it?”
“Twenty-thousand dollars Callum.”
He stopped in his tracks. “Too cheap?”
“Goodnight Callum.”
I walked into my room.