25
Penny
“So, what’s in the bag?” I ask Molly as she sits beside me on Beckett’s burgundy corduroy sectional, her legs tucked underneath her.
I’ve been dying to know what’s inside the oversized brown paper bag she strolled in here with since the moment she arrived, but she said it was a surprise and I’ve been impatiently waiting ever since. Now that I’ve finished my coffee, and Evie’s officially running later, I’m done with that.
She grins from ear to ear. “A present.”
“And you’ve waited this long to give it to me?” I practically scream. “Gimme!”
She shakes her head. “I told Evie I’d wait until she got here.”
I scoff. “I’m pregnant, and injured, and you’re going to deny me my present?”
“You’re incredibly dramatic.”
“And you’re a tease! Give. Me. My. Present.”
“Fine, fine.” She rolls her eyes, stands, and collects the paper bag from beside the recliner. “You ready?” she asks, shoving her hand inside.
I sit up a little straighter, nod and hold out my hands. “Gimme.”
“Ta-da!” she exclaims, holding my present up in front of her.
She looks back and forth between me and the pair of brown shoes in her hand several times, waiting for a response.
“What in the fuck are those?” I ask, dropping my hands right back down.
“Crocs,” she replies, looking down at them and then back at me. Obviously, I know what they bloody well are. I just don’t understand why she’s holding them out for me as if they’re a present. “They’re comfortable and I’m sick of you limping around like a wounded animal because you refuse to accept that your feet are swollen, and your shoes don’t fit,” she adds, grinning at me the whole time.
“I’m limping around because I pulled a muscle in my groin!” I don’t mean to snap at her, but my feet and their growth are a sensitive topic.
She shakes her head and takes a step forward, offering me the shoes. “No, you’re limping around because your shoes are a size too small.”
She’s not wrong. This morning, I only just managed to squeeze into the brand-new black slides currently cutting off the circulation to my feet, because at only twenty-three-weeks pregnant, my feet have already grown half a fucking shoe size.
Beckett did warn me a few weeks back that some women’s feet do indeed grow during pregnancy, but I didn’t believe him until I looked it up myself. Turns out he was right, and while it is sweet that his newest obsession is attempting to read every book written about children, parenting and pregnancy, his need to constantly flex his newfound knowledge irritates me.
“Whatever! Fine, my shoes are a little small, but seriously, this is your solution to that problem? Fucking Crocs?” I grimace as I take another look at them dangling from her fingers. “They’re hideous. You realise that, right? And they’re brown …”
She shrugs at me once again, and I watch in horror as places the shoes on the coffee table. “They’re not brown , they’re latte , and you can’t tell me that isn’t adorable. Plus, we haven’t even decorated them yet.” She then proceeds to pull a handful of colourful plastic charms from the paper bag that just keeps on giving.
“No,” I say, shaking my head as she grins at me. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, don’t be a party pooper,” she scolds as she rummages through the bag once again. “Look, I’ve got some too.” She pulls another pair of shoes out and places them next to mine. “And Evie will be here in a second with hers, and we’re going to deck them all out together.”
“Why?” I ask, sounding as disgusted as I feel.
“Because we love you and your little feet, and we knew you wouldn’t wear them unless we did too.”
I open my mouth to protest further, but before I can, the sound of the front door opening and Evie announcing her arrival cuts me off. In a matter of seconds, she’s skipping her way into the lounge room to join us wearing a hot pink active wear set and a pair of matching Crocs.
“Let’s do this! I found more Jibbitz at the store, and you’re going to love them!” she says to Molly, before coming over, kissing me on the cheek, and then doing the same to her.
Once the two of them have said their hellos and giggled about the selection of charms they’ve compiled, including several plant, baking, and coffee themed ones, they turn to me and grin.
“C’mon, Pen. Come and try your new kicks on. I swear they’re super comfy and you’re going to look adorable!” Evie says.
Jesus, this is really happening. They’re going to make me wear them, aren’t they?
Begrudgingly, I let Evie help me off the couch and walk across to where Molly has placed my new footwear on the floor. I slip off one of my size-too-small black slides and push my foot into the Croc.
Stunned, I stand there, and I stare down at my new shoe.
How in the fuck…
“See,” Evie says. “They’re good, right?”
They are so comfortable I may never wear another pair of shoes in my life. They have these little spikes on the soles that massage your feet…
“They’re okay,” I mumble, and while that is the understatement of the century, I will never, ever , admit it.
Instead, I feign indifference and allow my girls to decorate my new favourite pair of shoes with far too much enthusiasm and way too many Jibbitz.
Half an hour later, we’ve stopped fussing with our Crocs, and I’m sipping on my second decaf coffee of the day after filling the girls in on what’s been happening around here.
“Okay, but how do you accidentally kiss someone?” Molly asks from beside me on the couch.
“Yeah,” Evie says from my other side. “Did you like… fall?”
“Well, technically he kissed me-”
“Penny!” Molly scolds.
“I don’t know how I did it,” I reply, throwing my hands in the air. “I just know that I did, and now, I don’t know what to do, ‘cos he hasn’t said anything about it even though he fusses around after me like a mother hen twenty-four-seven.”
Molly snorts, and I narrow my eyes at her. “It’s not funny! The only reason he agreed to go into work today is because he knew you’d be here within five minutes of him leaving the damn house!”
She shrugs. “Maybe not funny ha-ha, but…”
“There’s more.”
“Oh, god.” Evie chuckles and relaxes further back into the couch cushions. “Of course there is. Well, go on, then. Lay it on us. What did you do?”
“So… before I hurt myself…”
“Yes?” they both say at the same time.
“Beckett may have walked in on me…” I pause, trying to think how to word our encounter . “Scratching my own itch.”
“Nooooo!” Evie groans, her smile as wide as her eyes.
“Yep.”
“What did you do?” Molly asks, slapping a hand over her mouth.
Wincing, I whisper, “I may have just kept going, and let him watch from the end of the bed.”
They’re both silent for a moment, clearly shocked by my confession, and then Evie bursts into a fit of laughter. “Oh. My. God,” she manages to get out between laboured breaths. “That’s amazing! Jesus. I can’t!”
Molly cackles along with her. “Was that an accident as well?”
Evie snorts, and I glare at them. “Feel free to accidentally let the door hit you on your way out.”
“Oh, stop it,” Molly chuckles, waving off my comment. “You know we’re just teasing.”
I groan. “I need help here. I’m in crisis! I don’t know why this is happening!”
Molly huffs. “Pen. Seriously. C’mon.”
“C’mon, what ?”
“You still have feelings for him, clearly . Just admit it. It’s not a crime. I know you’re pissed, but you obviously miss him, and that’s why this is happening.”
You know what else I miss?
Not having the image of him watching his ex-fiancé finger fuck herself in front of him burnt into my brain.
That was fun.
Before I get a chance to respond, the sound of keys jingling at the front door interrupts the conversation, and we all fall silent. I don’t bother looking toward the door as it opens, because I know it’s him. Speak of the devil, and all.
My heart flutters, and I shake my head at my own stupidity.
I shouldn’t be excited that he’s home, but I am…
What I’m not excited about is what I find on his feet when he rounds the couch to stand in front of me.
“No,” I say. “You’re not serious!”
He is not only wearing a pair of black crocs which look ridiculous given the size of them, but he’s also added several charms, including one that just says ‘daddy.’
“What?” he asks as I look up at him, clearly trying not to laugh. “They’re comfortable, and Molly said-”
“Molly said what?” I ask, looking over at her as she begins to laugh.
The traitor.
“She said you’d be resistant, so we all got them in solidarity. Honestly, I kind of dig them.”
“Oh, you dig them, do you, daddy ?” I ask, eyes narrowed at the man who impregnated me with the child currently kicking at my bladder.
“Hmmm. I like it when you call me that.” I scowl at him as he winks at me, and it does nothing but encourage him further. “Aw, c’mon, Love,” he coos. “You look adorable in your little crocs and your stretchy pants. Don’t get all pissy about us just trying to look as good as you.”
“Jesus, man,” Evie says. “Don’t mention the stretchy pants! You’ll anger it.”
I shoot her a glare that’s returned with a grin, and Beckett snorts at her comment as I begin pulling myself off the couch, but before I can get to my feet, he’s there, helping. I try to ignore the tingles that shoot through my body from his touch, but it’s pretty damn hard when everything inside me is screaming THAT’S YOUR BABY DADDY.
I need to put space between us, because this is too easy. The laughing and teasing and touching, and… kissing. So, as quickly as I can, I dart around him and walk my ass to the bathroom.
You kissed him, because you still have feelings for him. Just admit it. It’s not a crime.
Ugh.
“If it helps,” Beckett calls out as I close the door, his voice echoing down the hall. “Ryan got some, too!”