Chapter 28 Krista
KRISTA
“Men suck,” I said, popping a Fannie May into my mouth and sucking on the sweet, chocolatey goodness as I hung upside down from the couch.
“They suck in all the best ways,” Claire grinned.
“You’re disgusting.”
I was near the bottom of my box, and desperately wished I had ten more to fill the pit in my stomach.
“I’d be forced to tell you that you being there would only put us all in more danger, which you’d get pissed at me for,” I repeated his words in a low, mocking voice. Snorting, I shook my head. “Men are such idiots.”
“Especially when they’re trying to protect you,” Kate chimed in, peeling her orange.
I rolled my head until I was looking at her sideways. “I think you misunderstand the point of eating our troubles away with bad food. Oranges are good.”
She sighed, leaning her head back against the chair as she stared up at the ceiling. “I’m pregnant. Again.”
Sitting upright, I spun and stared at her in shock. “Aren’t you a little old to be pregnant?”
Her eyes smiled at me. “Thank you. Nothing says you’re beautiful like another woman calling you old.”
“No, I just meant—why?”
“Perimenopause can actually set off a surge of hormones. Guess who that didn’t work out so well for.”
“But…perimenopause? Don’t you have to be like—”
“Mid forties,” she said, popping another orange slice into her mouth. “That’s usually around the time it starts. Lucky me,” she grinned. “And my prize is another baby.”
“Isn’t that risky?” Claire asked.
“What’s risky is the fact that your possibility of having twins increases significantly.”
“Does Knight know?” she asked.
“Are you kidding?” Kate snorted. “I only just found out. I give it another day or two before he puts it together. Then, I’ll be shackled to his side for all eternity. He’ll rant and rail against me, telling me to have an abortion, just like he did the last time.”
“Why would you have an abortion?” I asked, feeling that was a slight overreaction to having a kid in your forties.
“Because two kids ago, I nearly bled out and died from complications. With the last pregnancy, he told me to get rid of it. Then again, he was nearly out of his mind. He hadn’t been sleeping or eating, so he was practically delusional. But he meant every word of it.”
She sighed, popping another orange slice in her mouth. “Which is why I know this pregnancy is going to be even more stressful. I’m pretty sure he’s going to demand I give up my practice.”
Wow. I couldn’t believe it. A baby in your forties. That was… “Insane,” I whispered.
“Yes, he is.”
That wasn’t at all what I meant, but I didn’t tell her that. I couldn’t imagine having a kid in my forties. I wanted to be done with all that by the time my thirties were over. Not that pregnancy was looking too promising at the moment.
I had a fake marriage, fake husband, fake relationship…It wasn’t like my life was exactly going in the right direction. But having a kid that late in life meant everything would be later. High school, college, marriage…all of those things would be pushed back.
“It’ll be fine,” she sighed. “He’ll be a little crazy, but he was crazy when I married him, so it’s not like it’s a shock to me.”
Still…what if I were pregnant? Would Rob act all insane? Wasn’t pregnancy supposed to be a good time for both people? How could a woman enjoy it when her husband was acting all crazy?
I popped another chocolate in my mouth and reminded myself that Rob and I weren’t really a thing. Protective or not, he didn’t really want to stay married to me.
An incessant buzzing filled the room, but when I looked around for the noise, I noticed all the ladies were staring at me.
“What?”
“It’s the phone Knight gave you. Are you going to answer it?”
There was only one person it could be, and answering was definitely not an option. I was pissed at him.
“Nope.” I scoured the box for another chocolate, only to come up empty. “Dammit.”
Sighing, I tossed the box aside, not caring when the little wrappings scattered across the floor. What did I care? I was a single-married woman, sad, lonely, and depressed. Well, at the moment. By tomorrow, I would be fine.
But the buzzing didn’t stop. Rolling my eyes, I tossed the phone to Claire. “You answer it.”
“Uh…”
“I’m not answering it,” I said, determined to hold out. “If he wants to talk to anyone, he can talk to you.”
Pressing the button, she tentatively held the phone to her ear. “Yes?”
After a moment of frowning, she tossed me the phone with wide eyes. “It’s your mother,” she mouthed.
Oh, shit. I forgot I called her from this number. “He-hello?”
“You never got back to me with Rob’s mother’s number. How am I supposed to plan a wedding shower when I can’t contact his mother?”
“Hello to you, too.”
“I was up all night—” A fit of coughing overtook her, but she cleared her throat and moved on. “We can’t wait forever on this. I would like to meet his family before I’m old and buried in the ground.”
“Mom, you have to understand, we’re not staying together.”
“I still have my wedding dress. We made some alterations for Bailey, but we could fix it up the way you like it. Now, I know you’re technically already married, but a small ceremony with the whole town would help this all wash over.”
“A small ceremony with the town,” I repeated. “Meaning, everyone in town.”
“Do you want to decide who to cut?”
“Mom—”
The phone buzzed again, and when I pulled it away from my ear and looked at the number, I prayed that meant it was Rob. Talking with him was preferable to my mother. I wasn’t sure how many more ways I could explain that I wasn’t staying married.
“Oh, that’s the hubby on the other line. Gotta go!”
“Get his mother’s—”
I switched over, cutting off my mom. I’d hear about it later, but that was fine. As long as I didn’t have to continue to have this conversation now.
“Useless Wives Club. This is Krista speaking.”
“You’re not useless,” Rob muttered. “You totally misunderstood what I was saying.”
“Oh, you mean the part where you told me that I was a nuisance and would be in the way?”
“That’s not what I—”
“Or was it the part where you mansplained to me how I just didn’t understand how dangerous your job was?”
“Krista—”
“I especially liked the part where you basically told me to go back to my room and play with my dolls. That was really awesome.”
He sighed over the phone. “I never said for you to go play with your dolls.”
“Really? Because I could have sworn that’s what it felt like.”
Claire snorted into her wine across from me.
“Look, I’m sorry that I was so mean about it. I never intended for it to come out so harsh, but I didn’t want to drag you into more danger.”
“Right,” I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “It had nothing to do with you exerting your authority over me.”
“It really didn’t,” he insisted. Lowering his voice, he continued. “Look, you have to understand, things are dangerous, and if you came along…I couldn’t risk putting you in danger. How would that help?”
“Well, I don’t recall ever telling you I wanted to come along.”
“I—”
He stopped and silence descended around me. I sat, examining my nails as I waited for him to work that little tidbit out. It was so precious how stupid men were sometimes.
“Wait, you didn’t want to come with me?”
“I didn’t say that either.”
“But you just said—”
“I’m aware of what I just said. The question is, when will you figure it out?”
“Figure what out?” he snapped. “Christ, women are so fucking complicated!”
“Better watch that mouth around my mother. She’ll wash your mouth out with soap for taking the Lord’s name in vain.”
“Look, the point is, I was just trying to keep you safe. You’re my wife and Parker’s little sister—”
“Oh! I see! So, this was about keeping yourself safe.”
“What?”
“I’m Parker’s little sister, and you couldn’t possibly put me in danger because he might kick your ass again.”
“You’re putting words in my mouth.”
“It’s what I do best,” I smirked. “Now, was there a reason for this call other than for you to grovel about how stupidly you behaved?”
When he sighed heavily, I knew it was something big. He was stalling, which meant it was either really bad or he had no desire to tell me what was really going on.
“I, um…I would like you to come out here.”
Frowning, I shook my head, sure I had heard him wrong. “You’d like me to what?”
Claire sat up, motioning for me to put it on speakerphone. I did as she requested, setting the phone on the table.
“I would like you to come out here.”
Claire sat up straighter, frowning at the phone.
“And why do you want that?”
“Because…I could use your help with something.”
Claire sprang forward, hitting mute on the phone. “He’s in trouble.”
“And needs my help?” I said, quirking an eyebrow at her.
“Trust me. He’s groveling, and these men don’t grovel unless absolutely necessary. He needs you.”
“I’d have to agree,” Kate said, now eating chocolates from Claire’s box.
I looked at her accusingly.
“What? Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I don’t eat chocolate.”
“Krista? Are you going to say anything?” Rob called out from the phone.
Scrambling forward, I hit the mute button again. “Sorry, I was just shocked by the absurdity of your request.”
“Look, I know I was wrong, but I really would like you to come out here.”
“For what possible reason? I have no way of helping you, as you already pointed out to me.”
Groaning, he snapped at me. “Are you gonna help me or not?”
“Gee, I’m not sure. After all, is it really safe for the little woman to go anywhere without her man’s permission? I mean, think of all the danger that could be involved. I might be better off, safe here in my tower.”
“Krista,” he growled, getting pissed off.
But I didn’t care. The man had it coming, and I really didn’t give a shit if I was annoying him or not.
“Rob,” I answered back. “As you said, I’m really not trained for this sort of thing.”
“But—”