Chapter Thirteen #2
The moment he walked into that bar and Larissa kissed him, it was a slap to the face, a kick in the gut, because she’d kissed him.
She had made him face the reality of what he was feeling, which is why he was at the bakery that fucking day.
He’d spotted Andrew stepping into the bakery, and he’d seen the intention on that fucker’s face.
He had known they were getting closer, and he just couldn’t stand it.
He didn’t want either of them getting closer.
There was no way of knowing what would happen next, but Andrew had sealed his fate, which meant he didn’t have to. Protecting Larissa came naturally to him. He could never handle the thought of anything bad happening to her. She was his world.
And it was as he stood there, that he faced the reality of it. He’d been in love with Larissa for what already felt like a lifetime. It was his little secret.
“Thank you and enjoy,” Larissa said, pulling him out of his thoughts.
The reality check like a slap to the face.
Larissa turned toward the back where he was standing. He hadn’t even attempted to hide that he was here. The moment she saw him, everything changed. She stopped smiling and just looked around the bakery.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.
She carried a tray on her hip.
“I know,” Big Dick said.
Larissa looked like she was going to say something else, but she stopped and instead began to fill up her tray, getting it ready to fill the main counter.
“You changed your number,” he said.
“Yes, I did.”
“Look, I get that you hate me and you have every right to hate me.”
She was tense, with her back to him.
“But we’re going to have a baby together.”
She spun toward him. “You think I don’t know that?”
He saw the pain in her eyes.
“Larissa, I—”
“I had a plan. Well, it wasn’t much of a plan, but it was something I thought was feasible.
I figured I would find a man, fall in love.
I did that. I found a man, and I fell in love, and I figured with time it would become a relationship that didn’t involve lying to our friends.
That was one of the first mistakes I made.
Then, when the time was right, we would get married and have babies.
I’d be in such a strong emotional, correct environment for when the baby came, that I would never doubt my actions. ”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m pregnant and do you know what hurts?” she asked.
“Larissa—”
“I don’t even know if I’m happy about it.
” The tears fell down her cheeks. “What kind of mother does that make me? I’m pregnant, and what if she or he can sense that I’m not happy about this?
That I regret being in this state because it was something I promised myself I would never be.
I’m worse than my own mother, because at least she didn’t make me grow up hating myself with her constant rejection. ”
“You’re going to be an amazing mother,” he said.
This was hard. This fucking killed him. It would be easier to turn away and run. But he forced himself to stand there and look at the woman he loved more than anything in this world, as she broke apart. As she shattered because of that fucking bet that meant nothing.
He had more than broken her heart, he’d completely shattered her whole being. Big Dick didn’t care if she pushed him away. He had to hold her.
He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, refusing to let go, even as she struggled, sobbed, and completely broke down in his arms.
After a short time, she stopped fighting him, and he just held her. The shop actually stayed empty long enough for him to hold her.
He knew they had a long way to go. He had a lot to prove to her, but he wasn’t going to back down. He had to win this battle.
Living without her was not an option.
****
Larissa opened the door to find Hailey on her doorstep, complete with a large bag, and she held her hand up with a bottle.
“So, I come with my makeup case and nonalcoholic wine. It does say it is fine for pregnant women, so I figure it was like an invention for pregnant women to drink at the holidays and stuff like that.”
“You did not have to do that,” Larissa said.
“You looked so sad today, and I just wanted to come and cheer you up. Trust me, you already know having makeup on is a lot of fun, and it will help you relax. You just have to throw yourself into the process.”
Larissa stepped back and allowed Hailey to enter.
In the last few weeks, she had been around Hailey’s Beauty Parlor a lot.
Rather than head home once she closed up the bakery, she went to see Hailey.
She found watching makeup application, relaxing.
Also, she just couldn’t help filling the shelves.
Harlow still worked for Hailey, but with how heavily pregnant she was, and the fact she got tired, she went home early.
“Your dad said he was away for a few days on a trip and asked if I wanted to come around and see you. Of course, I said yes.”
“You didn’t have to,” she said, hating the thought of anyone doing something they didn’t want to do.
“But I wanted to, and besides, eating takeout with you is much better than eating takeout all alone. Not to make you feel sorry for me or anything, but I do spend a lot of time on my own. Just so you know. All alone. Little old me, all alone.”
She started to pout, and Larissa burst out laughing.
“You’re right, eating takeout with a friend is better than eating it alone. What do you want to order?”
“I’ve already got it ordered. Lots of pizza. I think that sounds good, doesn’t it?”
Larissa’s stomach chose that moment to grumble. “You’re right. It does sound good.”
“Great. Do you want to make the hot chocolates and I will get these bad boys set up? Just so you know, to cheer us both up, I went for luxury as well.” Hailey gave her a wink.
She couldn’t help but chuckle, then she made her way into the kitchen.
She and Hailey loved hot chocolate. It was one of the few things they agreed on.
She put the milk on to reach a quick boil, and then located the few remaining chocolate bombs she had.
Once the cups were ready, she poured the hot milk over them and took the bottle of whipped cream into the main living room.
Hailey had already set up the room, putting down a large sheet for them to sit on. Brushes adorned the table, and she saw the large case that was open, showing off all the different makeup.
“Wow,” Larissa said.
“Yeah, there is a lot here, but I thought it would be a lot of fun to just learn what shades you are, and practice, that kind of thing.”
Larissa lowered herself down. It wasn’t difficult yet, but she already saw her body changing.
Her stomach was thickening, which is why she was back into her dresses.
Her jeans were just too tight and uncomfortable around the waist. She had no choice but to wear the dresses now.
Her dad had recommended she get some new pants, if that was what she wanted to wear.
New clothes were expensive, and although she was working once again, she knew a baby cost a fortune.
She may as well just wear the clothes she already had, and stop being so stubborn.
The doorbell rang. “Ah, that’s the pizza.”
Larissa let her answer, taking a long sip of hot chocolate, which was exactly what she needed. Minutes later, Hailey came back into the room, and before they started on the makeup, they had a few slices of pizza.
Larissa didn’t realize how hungry she was until she started to eat. After three slices, she had to stop and give her body a chance to actually be full.
“So, let’s cleanse and wash the face,” Hailey said.
She had already set up a washing station, and Larissa couldn’t help but laugh as they washed each other’s faces. The plan was for Hailey to show her each stage, and Larissa to do the same for Hailey, building it up the same way.
Larissa was not accustomed to makeup, so each step was new to her.
Hailey had done it once for her before, but she hadn’t been paying too much attention to the process.
With their faces cleansed, toned, and moisturized, it came time for the foundation check.
Hailey swiped three shades on her cheek and chin, finding one that was more neutral-leaning.
Once she blended in the foundation, it was Larissa’s turn to find Hailey’s shade. She did, after six swatches of different shades, three on each cheek.
“So, how are you holding up?” Hailey said, as Larissa used a brush and a beauty sponge to blend in the foundation. She might have used a little too much, but she kept blending because that was what Hailey had told her to do.
“I’m ... handling it.”
“You are?”
“I don’t know. To be honest, I feel like a terrible person. What woman wishes she wasn’t pregnant, or regrets the way she got pregnant?”
“Take everything out that happened. Big Dick and the bet, and everything else, and think about your baby. Not that it’s Big Dick’s baby, but the fact that it’s your baby, what do you feel then?”
“Terrified.”
Hailey laughed. “Of course you’re going to feel terrified. You’ve got another life inside you. Imagine everything is perfect. You love Big Dick and he loves you, what does it make you feel knowing you’re pregnant?”
Larissa stopped blending and looked toward her friend. “I’m happy. I’m really happy.”
“See, you have nothing to be afraid of.”
“But the moment I put the reality on everything, it ... changes.”
“Does it really? It’s still Big Dick’s baby, and if you were going to have anyone’s baby, whose would you want it to be? That guy Andrew you were seeing?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Anyone else in town?” Hailey asked.
Larissa shook her head. “No.”
“So, you’re having the baby of a man you wanted,” Hailey said. “I’m not saying it’s not ideal with the way everything is. It’s not perfect, that I grant you. But it’s better than nothing, right?”
Larissa opened her mouth and closed it. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I am right.”
Larissa smiled and put her hand on her stomach. “I’m going to have a baby.”
“Damn right you are, and you’re going to love it as well.”
They started to laugh, stopped putting makeup on, and ate some more pizza. It tasted so good. Better than good.
They started talking about their lives. Larissa asked her about her family, and she learned Hailey had to deal with a lot of rejection.
Even when she had gotten shot, her family hadn’t come to visit her in the hospital.
They considered it a huge disappointment that she would even open a beauty shop and offer to use her skills on others.
“What about you? You were not always working for Ava, were you? Weren’t you a cleaner?”
“Yeah, Smokey gave me a job working at the clubhouse, cleaning. I had to work every day, because they made a lot of messes. Before that, I worked at the local library.”
“You did?”
“Yep, but that changed.”
“Okay, there is a story there, right?” Hailey asked.
Larissa smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I did love my job there. Not as much as I love baking and working for Ava, but I do love books. What I didn’t want to do was sleep with the man running the place, to keep my job.”
“What?”
“Yep. Funds to the library had been reduced and Mr. Wilcox told me the job would be mine, all I had to do was have sex with him, until he got bored.” Larissa shook her head.
“I said my work ethic should be enough. Guess what, I got fired the following day, and I’m guessing the one that did sleep with him got the job. ”
“Wow,” Hailey said. “You really do have an eventful life, don’t you?”
“I didn’t think it was, but yeah, propositioned, used to win a bet, and pregnant with the guy’s baby that I also happen to love. Very eventful.”
“My family hated me, and actually wished for me to fail. I fell for a guy who thought I was in some way connected with an evil MC that was their enemy. I got shot.”
Larissa gasped. “Me too. I got shot.”
They raised their glasses of nonalcoholic wine, clinked them, and took a drink.