FORTY-ONE
Madelyn
Keeping a pregnancy a secret is a major pain in the ass.
I’ve been hiding my pregnancy from my friends and family for a month now and it’s getting increasingly difficult. I’m sick all the time. I guess I’m one of those lucky women who have really terrible morning sickness. Dr. Khaskia offered me a prescription for nausea medication that’s safe to use during pregnancy, but it’s something I don’t want to risk. Jax found these little ginger hard candies that help a little bit, so I’m constantly popping them in my mouth. Even the smallest amount of relief is welcome.
The worst part of keeping this secret is having to lie to my best friend constantly. It makes me feel like a horrible person, though I’m sure she’ll understand when I do finally break the news.
It’s Halloween, and tonight, Blackwood Brewhouse is hosting its annual Halloween party. Holden and Jaxson came up with the brilliant idea to partner with The Sweet Spot and serve sweet treats infused with alcohol at this year’s party. Hails and I have spent the last week coming up with recipes and testing them.
It’s been hard as hell to come up with excuses to avoid tasting any of the recipes without arousing suspicion. I tried to think of creative ways to fake it, but even then, I wouldn’t be able to offer an honest opinion. I finally convinced Hailee to have the guys come in and taste everything since we were making the treats for their bar. They were happy to be guinea pigs for our creations and even brought my sisters in for the fun.
I’m almost to my second trimester, so it’s probably safe to let our friends and family know, but I’d really like to wait and surprise them on Thanksgiving.
I’m dead on my feet today. It’s been a long week between the extra work at the bakery, running around town shopping for costumes with Hailee, and the late nights helping her deal with the drama Drake’s ex-girlfriend is stirring up. I’m freaking exhausted.
Part of me wishes I could stay in tonight because curling up in bed sounds ridiculously amazing right now. I can’t do that, though. Tonight is important to Jaxson and I want to be by his side. This party will also be a last hoorah of sorts, since I’ll likely start showing in the next few weeks. Despite feeling like shit, I want to go out and have a good time.
Jax didn’t want me driving tonight, so I spend the afternoon getting ready early so I can ride to the bar with him. I really should have thought about the heels when choosing this devil costume. My feet are gonna be screaming before the night is over. When I finish getting ready, I find Jax in the kitchen putting together a bag of snacks for me. There are very few foods that don’t make me sick right now, so the fact that he’s thought about it and is preparing food so I don’t get hungry tonight is incredibly sweet.
I stand, watching him with tears in my eyes. I’m fanning my face with my hand to try to stop the tears from falling when Jaxson turns around.
“You okay over there, baby?” he asks, doing a piss poor job of hiding his amusement.
“Fine. My stupid hormones are broken. Everything makes me cry.”
He laughs at my fake little pout, so I level him with a glare until he stops what he’s doing and moves in front of me. Hands gripping my hips, he tugs me toward him, kissing the tip of my nose.
“You’re adorable when you pretend to be mad at me, baby.”
I growl, which only makes him laugh harder.
“I’m diggin’ this costume. You make a Satan look sexy as fuck.”
It’s his turn to growl when he reaches around me, grabbing two handfuls of ass.
“Not sure I want to take you out in public in this skimpy little dress you’re wearing.”
“Not sure you have much of a choice, handsome.”
I lean in for a quick kiss before turning on my heel and walking to the front door. I may put a little extra swing in my hips, just to tease him a bit.
“Grab those snacks and let’s go. We’re gonna be late.”
I hear his chuckle as I walk out the door.
The bar is already packed by the time we get there. Jax parks out back and we make our way through the short hallways to get to the front. Jax escorts me to the reserved table and heads to the bar to get to work.
I chat with the waitresses whenever they walk by, sipping on a virgin cocktail while I wait for Hailee to show up. She’s the angel to my devil and I can’t wait to see how fabulous she looks in her costume. I know she and Drake are trying to work through some shit today, so I have no idea when she’s going to be here. I was gonna text her and ask, but I don’t want to interrupt.
Watching the bar so I can catch Jaxson’s attention for another drink, something on the other side of the room steals my attention. When I realize that I really am seeing Drake’s supposedly pregnant ex-girlfriend downing shots like they’re water, I suddenly don’t give a shit what I interrupt. Grabbing my phone, I find her number and tap the call button.
Hailee answers and I tell them exactly what this stupid chick is doing. Drake asks me to stall her if she tries to leave, but from the looks of her little fan club, she has no plans to leave anytime soon. He also asks me to tell Jax he’s sorry for the shit that’s about to go down. Laughing, I tell them I’ll see them soon and hang up.
I’m still laughing when Jax comes to the table with another drink for me.
“What’s funny?” he asks.
I point a finger in Angie’s direction, and he looks just in time to see her down another shot.
He mutters a long string of expletives and scrubs his hand down his face.
Looking back at me, he asks, “You already called Drake?”
“You know I did.”
“Fuck. Guess I’ll go meet him at the back door.”
He kisses my forehead and walks away, muttering something about the police.
I intentionally skip the apology. Drake doesn’t need to apologize for shit.
I can’t wait to see her finally be put in her place. When all this drama started, I already knew Angie wasn’t pregnant. Faking a pregnancy to try to get your man back is disgusting. It’s a big middle finger to all the women in the world who actually struggle to conceive. Angie deserves whatever is coming to her tonight.
Two hours later, the excitement from the drama has died down. I took pleasure in watching my husband and brother escort that bitch from the bar. It takes an extremely fucked up individual to do the shit she did.
The guys all disappear for a little bit, so Hailee and I sit and chat while we check out the entertainment. I thought Holden decided to hire a band this year, but apparently, I’m wrong. There have been different people up on that small stage all night. Luckily, most of them can actually sing. The guys up there now are pretty damn good. The song they’re singing is familiar, but I can’t think of the name. I focus on the lyrics, hoping to figure out what it is so I can listen to it later.
“Mads…”
“What?” I ask, looking away from the stage.
Hailee lifts a brow and nods toward my drink. “Something you wanna tell me?”
Fuck.
This drink didn’t come from Jaxson, so I know it has alcohol in it. I was hoping she wouldn’t notice that I’m not drinking it.
I bite my bottom lip, debating on whether or not I should just tell her, but quickly deciding against it.
“Not tonight, okay?” I say, hoping she’ll let it go.
She opens her mouth but doesn’t get a word out because Drake’s voice comes through the speakers.
Thank you, Drake. I owe you a drink.
He apologizes to the crowd for the drama, then goes into the sweetest little speech about Hailee. My girl has hearts in her eyes. Drake is perfect for Hailee and she’s exactly what he needs. I fucking love the two of them together.
As soon as I realize what’s happening, and a fucking One Direction song starts playing, my eyes widen in shock. Drake can’t stand boy bands. He’s got it bad for this girl. My shock rolls right into laughter when Jaxson and Holden join Drake on stage, followed closely by Noah and Gabriel.
Surprisingly, the Brewhouse Boys aren’t too bad. When I see the attention they’re getting from the ladies in the crowd, I carefully make my way to the front. The only woman allowed to be a groupie for Jaxson is me. When Drake pulls Hailee on stage, Jax doesn’t hesitate to do the same with me. Drake’s finally getting his girl. Jax just wants me away from the hyped-up crowd.
We move to the side of the stage and I can’t resist the urge to tease him.
“Maybe you should close the bar and start up a boy band. You can be The Brewhouse Boys. I’ll even follow you around on tour and be your favorite groupie.”
He gives me a stern look and pops me on my ass.
Turning our attention to the stage, we watch as Drake scoops Hailee up and carries her away. We take our time going back to the table, content to give them a few minutes alone. When we get there, I clear my throat. “Excuse me, lovebirds. If you can stop sucking each other’s faces for a minute…”
Hailee reaches out and pinches my side.
“Ouch! Bitch!” I fight to keep the smile off my face. “I just wanted to congratulate your man on his incredible performance.”
“You better get your girl, man.” Drake says, as I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my middle.
Jax pulls me back against him and tells Drake to be nice.
We chat for a few more minutes until Drake and Hailee decide to head out.
It’s getting late, and the bar will be closing soon.
I slide back into the booth, slip off my heels and tuck my feet underneath me. I watch Jax and the guys move around the bar with ease.
I don’t know when, or how, I managed to drift off, but the next thing I know, Jaxson is cradling me in his arms as he walks toward the back door.
“C’mon, baby. Let’s get you home.”