Adam
Finally. He’s home. And yes, I’m totally becoming that guy just waiting for his man to get home and no I do not care at all.
Zach walks through the door and I immediately light up as I climb off the bed and walk over to him, grasping his face and welcoming him home with a passionate kiss. My hands roam over him and we get lost in it before his hands move to my chest, “I need to tell you something.”
I pull back, hearing the worry in his tone instantly, “What’s the matter?”
“Um nothing?” His voice pitches high and I don’t know if I should laugh or be worried.
“What did you do?” I go on instinct and can’t fight the grin.
“I may have invited Chloe to dinner tonight?” He says it like a question and this time I do laugh, but it’s almost a disturbed sound.
“Chloe? Your ex girlfriend Chloe? The one that hates you and has made your life hell for years? That one?”
He steps back from me slightly, but his thumbs hook in my belt loops. “She had every right to hate me.” I open my mouth to argue with him, but he just lifts one of his hands, placing two fingers over my mouth to silence me. “She did and she needs a friend.”
He lowers his hand again and puts his thumb back through my belt loop. “A friend.
“She grew up like me, Adam. Her mom is a single mom trying to make it and is hardly ever home. She takes care of her little sister. She needs a friend.”
I think I just fell even more in love with him.
I brush a hand over his cheek and then lean in and kiss him softly, “You’re incredible.”
He looks surprised by that as he pulls back, “No. I’m not. She just looked so lost and alone and she’s having a baby all on her own.”
“She’s what?” I gape at him and he looks horrified.
“Oh shit. I shouldn’t have said that. I mean, she didn’t tell me to keep it quiet, but still. Damn it.”
“She’s pregnant.”
He nods his head, “Yeah.”
I don’t like Chloe, I mean how could I after the way she treated Zach, but I still don’t want her to suffer in any way. “Is she keeping it?”
He nods his head and then pulls me over to the bed, where we sit side by side but he holds my hand in his. “Yeah. She seems oddly at peace with that decision. I think she’s already in love.”
“Huh.” Is all I can really say and he leans his head on my shoulder.
I send my mom a text to let her know we might have an extra person for dinner, and we do our homework before I see headlights approach the camper.
My heart is thundering in my chest hoping like hell she doesn’t go crazy on us and light the camper on fire or something, but when Zach lets her into the small camper I’m greeted with an honest to God smile from her.
“Chloe.” I nod my head in greeting.
“Hi, Adam.” She stands by the door waving at me but looks kind of meek and small with an oversized hoodie on that goes down to her knees.
“Come in. Sit.” Zach motions toward the bed and we both take the kitchen table booth. She sits down and eyes us warily.
“Um, mom said dinner will be done soon.” She wasn’t thrilled about such a late dinner, but when I explained to her that she had to wait for her mom to get home, mom softened a bit.
“You didn’t have to invite me to dinner.” She says, playing with the hem of her sweatshirt and damn it, I feel sorry for her. Her eyes lift and they land on me, shiny and full of sorrow, “I’m sorry for being so awful. I just….”
“I was awful to you.” Zach cuts in and I want to argue, but I don’t.
“No.” Chloe does instead. “You were good to me, Zach. Really good. You made me feel safe and wanted for so long. I was so upset when you broke up with me because I thought you were my one chance to be happy.”
Zach looks distraught and without thinking I reach out and grab his hand to squeeze it. Chloe’s eyes dart to our hands, but instead of pulling away from me, Zach only tightens the hold.
“Chloe I couldn’t be that for you because I’m gay.” He meets her eyes and I watch as Chloe’s gaze goes to complete shock.
“You’re…” Her eyes widen more, but she doesn’t look like she’s about to lash out. “Gay.” She says it quietly and then it’s like something clicks inside of her and her eyes move to me. “You two are together.”
We both nod even though it wasn’t a question. But it surprises me when she smiles at that and then shakes her head.
“That makes sense.” She looks at Zach, smile still in place, “You never looked at me like you looked at him.”
Zach looks a little bashful now, but he just squeezes my hand again. “I’ve been so in love with him since I can remember. I’m so sorry, Chloe. If I could have loved you like that, I think I would have. It had nothing to do with you.”
She smiles and I swear she looks at peace. Then I notice she’s rubbing her belly fondly and Zach and I share a look as she speaks, “I think… I get that now. The unconditional love thing. I have no idea if this baby will love me, but I know that I love him.”
“Him?” Zach asks and she nods, not seeming to care if I know about her pregnancy or not.
“Yeah.” She looks over at us, “You two are the first people to know. I was so scared, but I went to the clinic and they helped me out a ton. They helped me with insurance and appointments. I’ve gone to all of them.”
“You haven’t told your mom?” Zach asks.
“No. Not yet. I know she would have tried to talk me into an abortion and I didn’t want her to. I wanted time to save up some money in case she kicks me out and I’ve been working at the diner.”
We both nod and my heart breaks for her. It’s not fair that there are so many shitty parents out in the world. I know I got lucky with mine. They might not be perfect, but I still I’ve always known deep down they’d have my back.
“Your mom won’t kick you out.” Zach says with certainty. “She loves you.”
Chloe offers him a sad smile, “I’m not so sure, but I’m going to do this on my own if I have to. I won’t put it on her anyway.”
“What about the father?” I ask and Zach cringes.
I have no idea what that’s about but Chloe rolls her eyes at him. “Oh my God do not start.” She looks over at me, “He goes to Big Bend.”
My jaw drops and my eyes widen, “You’re having a Bear’s baby?”
She throws up her hands and then laughs, “You’re both idiots.”
That makes us both grin though. Zach shakes his head in mock disappointment, “You could have had a Panther baby and you choose a Bear.”
She tosses a pillow at him and he laughs. He walks over to the bed and wraps an arm around her and all I feel is total awe when it comes to my boyfriend. “We’re here for you. Bear Baby and all.”
She playfully shoves him but she lets him hug her. “Why though? Honestly, Zach. I was so awful to you.”
“Because you deserve better and it’s not your fault that you were born in this town where women are made to believe they need to find a man.” I answer and I have both of their attention. “You’re strong Chloe. And you don’t need anyone else to make it, but we’ll be there for you. Okay?”
Her eyes are watery as they meet mine. “Thank you.” She looks at Zach, “Both of you. I’ll never stop regretting how I treated you.”
“You both need to forgive yourselves I say before Zach can say just how badly he treated her becasue the truth is, they’ve both made mistakes, but who the hell doesn’t when they’re young?
They smile and he hugs her to his side. “I’m starving and I’m not even eating for two.” Zach says as he stands and holds a hand out for her.
She takes it. “Yeah, feed me.”
We all laugh and head out of the camper, walking toward the house when Zach says, “So which Bear was it?”
She groans and covers her face with one hand, “I only know his first name. Dallas something.”
I scrunch my nose trying to think, but I don’t know a Dallas. I avoid the Big Bend Bears as much as I can. “You going to tell him?” I ask.
She shakes her head, “I don’t know. It was a drunken mistake. It wasn’t sweet or romantic. We were both drunk out of our minds, barely introduced before we wound up fucking against a tree in the dark night.”
“He nothing wrong with tree fucking.” Zach says and I cock my head at him, he barks out a startled laugh. “That didn’t come out right.”
She shoves him and calls him an idiot before we finish the walk to my mom’s house.
It’s so damn weird how life turns out because I’m pretty sure Chloe is our friend now and all I feel is protective over her too.