46. Winnie
Dr. A said if I started cramping again I should take it easy. Well, there’s nothing easier than lying on the couch and watching your boyfriend and Mom play checkers, with soft Christmas music on in the background.
Reese smiles at me and rubs a hand over my belly. I do my best not to wince, but it hurts. Like period pains but worse. Is this how birth is going to be? Is it worse? Man, I should have thought about these things before we had sex without a condom. They warn you about pregnancy in sex-ed, but no one warns you about how scary it actually is when you are pregnant.
The timer in the kitchen goes off, and Mom bounces up. Ready to get dinner from the oven. I want to offer to help, but I can’t. Reese does, however, and she shuts him down immediately.
He leans over and pulls my shirt up enough to expose my stomach. Warmth spreads across my abdomen as he places his hands across my belly, and honestly, it feels amazing.
I let out a long sigh. “That feels good.”
Reese leans down and kisses just below my belly button. “Hi, baby. It’s Dad.” He glances up at me. “Once again, your mom looks beautiful.”
I smile and thread my fingers through his hair.
“It’s almost Christmas, and we are hanging out with your grandma. You’re not even here yet and you still have presents under the tree.”
Mom insisted on buying us our first baby gifts, but not only did she buy the first, she bought the first through the fifth. This little girl is going to be spoiled rotten.
“She is going to love you so much. Not as much as me or your mom, but close.”
My eyes drift closed, and Reese presses another kiss to my stomach and continues his one-sided conversation.
A flash goes off behind my closed lids, and I peek an eye open. Mom stands in front of us with tears in her eyes and Dad’s Polaroid camera in her hands. The photo prints out, and she waves it before looking. Big tears fall down her cheeks, and I smile. She really is going to love this baby so much. I know not many people are so lucky to have a mom who would be as supportive as mine, and I’m so thankful.
She passes us the photo of Reese kissing my stomach, and my heart skips a beat as my eyes burn with tears. When I look at Reese, he is dragging his hand under his eyes as well.
Pregnancy might be hard, but it’s so worth it.
Someone gently moving my legs startles me from a peaceful sleep. Assuming it’s Reese, I reach a hand down and grip his arm.
“Before you do something we’ll both regret. You should know I’m not Reese.”
My eyes fly open, finding Elijah sitting under my feet, a weary smile on his face. I sit up too quickly, and my head spins.
“You’re home.”
“Don’t seem too excited about it.”
Mom and Reese stand in the doorway to the living room. Mom looks pleased, but Reese is obviously on edge.
“I am, sorry. I’m just not feeling well.”
“What’s wrong?” Reese and Elijah ask at the same time, then cringe.
This room couldn’t possibly be any more awkward than it is right now. You could cut the tension with a spoon. Elijah and Reese share not quite a glare, but something similar.
“Just tired, I guess.” I shrug. The pain in my stomach has mostly gone away, so I’m not really lying.
Elijah lowers his eyes. “I’m sorry, Win.”
Well, I can honestly say I never expected those words from my brother’s mouth. In all the years I’ve been alive, not once have I ever heard him apologize. To be fair, I don’t usually either when it comes to him. We have our fights, and then we move on. I think we both knew our last fight wasn’t one we could just move on from, though.
“Me too.”
He flicks a look my way and frowns. “Why?”
“Because I lied to you. Repeatedly. I should have just told you from the beginning.”
“It’s not like I made you feel comfortable enough to tell me.”
True. “But still.”
He curves his head toward Reese. “I’m sorry to you too. For everything.”
Whatever that everything is seems pretty heavy, more than what I’m aware of. I’ve still not been able to get Reese to tell me what happened that night he showed up bruised and bloody.
Reese walks forward and sticks a hand out for Elijah. “I’m sorry for not being there. I should have tried harder.”
Elijah slaps his hand away and, to my utter shock, stands and hugs Reese. Mom cries softly across the room, but I can’t manage to do anything but stare. Even Reese is surprised, but he quickly recovers by hugging him back. They slap each other’s backs in such a man way, harder than I think necessary, but what do I know?
“Brothers?” Reese mutters.
Elijah sighs, but he nods his head. “Brothers.”
“Guess this is that big thing, eh?”
Elijah narrows his gaze, confused as I am, but he rolls his eyes a second later, seemingly catching on to what Reese is getting at. “Don’t even think this is the same thing as a birthday present.”
Reese grins. “And Christmas, don’t forget.”
While I’m still confused on what they are talking about, I butt in, no longer wanting to feel left out. “So, are we one big happy family again?”
Elijah rolls his eyes, grabs my wrist, and tugs me from the couch. A sharp pain shoots throughout my body, but he’s squeezing me before I can say anything.
“If we are family, you two would be in prison.”
I giggle into my brother’s chest. “Yeah, yeah.” I shove him off. “You reek like smoke. I thought you quit.”
“You smoke?” Mom’s voice carries through the house. “Elijah Anthony Lewis, I raised you better than that.”
“You’re such a pain in my ass,” he grumbles before stalking toward the kitchen, probably to soothe our mother.
Reese slides behind me and wraps his arms around my body. A shiver darts down my spine as he kisses my neck. “We are a big happy family.”
He places a hand over my stomach, and I relax into his chest.
“Your mom told me I need to invite my mom to dinner. She should be home any minute, so I’m going to head that way so I’m there when she gets home.”
Another pain shoots through my body, and the urge to pee hits me out of nowhere.
“Okay,” I say quickly and pull from his arms. “I have to pee!”
His chuckle echoes from behind me. When I get to the bathroom, I rip my pants down and gasp at the sight of blood. Not a little, either. A lot. My legs are covered in it.
“Reese!” Please still be here.
“He left. What do you need?”
“Elijah, get Mom,” I order, but he doesn’t move. “Now!”
The bathroom door flies open, and his eyes fill with horror. “What the fuck is wrong?”
More pain. More blood. My knees give out, but Elijah catches me.
“Mom,” he shouts while carrying me through the house. “What the fuck, Winnie, why are you bleeding?”
Mom rounds the corner and gasps. “Oh, Winnie.”
Tears roll down my cheeks, and I know from Mom’s face this isn’t “normal” bleeding.
“Put me down,” I beg, as my stomach turns.
Elijah lays me on the rug in the living room but doesn’t leave my side. He’s panicking, ripping his hand through his dark hair as he looks over my body for a reason I would be bleeding this much.
I can’t manage to open my mouth and tell him, though.
Mom rushes in and drops to my other side. “The ambulance is on the way, Winnie. Okay?”
But it already feels too late. I know this isn’t normal. I can feel it deep down that something is wrong.
“Someone fucking—” Elijah cuts off as he reaches for something on the table next to him. His hands shake as he holds up the photo, so many emotions covering his face. He falls back, further away from me, and in a harsh tone says, “You’re fucking pregnant?”
“Elijah,” Mom hisses.
“Are you?” he demands, eyeing me with so much disgust.
I turn my head away and close my eyes. The pain and nausea are getting worse.
I hope.