Chapter 4 #2
“You’re no fun.” She pouts at me. “I’ve been awake for well over an hour now, listening to you snore away.” She laughs, and it chimes around the room, making me smile in turn. She fidgets with her blanket as she says, “You didn’t have to stay with me, you know, but I’m glad you did.”
I go to respond to her, but the nurse bustles through the door. “Good morning, sleepy heads. You get to go home today, lovely, well, as long as your stats are good.” She busies herself around Lacey, scribbling on her chart as she goes, then before we know it, she’s out the door.
After we pack away our things, the nurse officially hands Lacey her discharge papers. With my hand to the small of her back, we’re walking out of the hospital and over to my truck. I help her in and shut the door. Getting in my truck, I buckle up and look over to Lacey.
“You ready to go home?”
She nods and gives me a soft smile before putting her head on the window and staring out of it.
We make it back to her place in silence. I struggle for words as I park the car, so I get out, then run around the car and help her down. I grab her bags, and we walk to her townhouse, the silence persisting. I’m not ready to leave her alone yet, so I follow her inside.
Her door opens straight into her living room.
At the far end of the room is the open-plan kitchen, and to the right of us, a door leads to her bedroom and the bathroom.
I can practically see the cogs turning in her head and the panic set in, so I put my hands on her shoulders, and she breathes in deeply.
I lean down. “Go take a bath. I’ll put all this away and make something to eat. Okay?” She nods but doesn’t say anything as walks off towards her room.
I set to work cleaning the place up and putting her things away.
Opening the fridge, I pinch the bridge of my nose; this woman is going to be the death of me.
She has some curdled milk, a tomato, and a rock-solid piece of cheese in there.
Grabbing my phone, I fire off a quick message to my brothers.
Me
Guys, SOS. Lacey has no food in, she’s in the bath, so is anyone free to go grab some things for me please?
Arch
I can! I’m at the supermarche as we speak!
Arch
Wait! Is there anything she can’t have?
Me
Yeah, no deli meats, raw things stuff that she doesn’t eat anyway
Arch
Roger that, over and out
I laughed at his response. He is always so happy and carefree, a lot like Lacey. I used to wonder if they would hit it off, but they’re more like brother and sister.
I get to work tidying up the place and notice how chaotic everything is. Lacey has always been that way; her brain works too fast for everything else to catch up, meaning she’s always in a state of chaos. I'm just finishing washing the dishes when the doorbell sounds.
Opening the door, I see Archie standing there with bags in his hands. He takes one look at me, and his mouth opens, but I shake my head, cutting him off. “Don’t say a word.”
He looks like he’s about to burst but manages to keep quiet for exactly two seconds before he blurts out, “Wasn’t going to say anything, Cole. I happen to think pink marigolds are extremely manly.” Then he’s doubling over laughing like the child he is.
Why am I cursed with idiotic brothers?.
“Give me the bags, Arch.” I hold my hands out and he gives them to me. He starts looking over my shoulder for Lacey. “She’s still in the bath. I’ll tell her you said hello, but she’s tired.”
He starts to argue, but I close the door, shouting through it, “Bye, Arch.” Even through the closed door, I can hear him mumble something on the other side.
Taking off my pink marigolds, I start making a creamy pasta dish, one of Lacey’s favourites. Like a bloodhound, she follows the smell and finds her way into the kitchen area.
“Mm, that smells delicious, Cole. Is that the chicken and chorizo dish you made last time you were here?”
“It sure is.”
That sound she just made? That sound isn’t going to help me at all.
“Great, I’ll make us some drinks.” She grabs the glasses from the cupboard and throws in some ice.
I watch her work as she makes us both a drink, so at ease with me, and let my mind wander for a moment on what it would be like if I were the man beside her, making her meals, holding her hair back when she gets morning sickness, cuddling into her of a night, and telling her how cherished she is?
Then it hits me that she’s carrying another man’s child. Does she want him in her life? Does he know? Will they make a go of it?
I decide now is as good a time as any to find out, even if I am petrified of her answer. “Lace?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you going to tell me who the baby's father is?”
Silence.
When I think I’ve lost my hearing, I hear a sob.
“Oh, C-Cole. I don’t know w-who it is. I don’t r…
I don’t remember his name.” She covers her face with her hands as sobs wrack her body, pasta forgotten.
I wrap my arms around her and wait for her to finish.
When she peels away from me, her tears snake their way down her red cheeks, and she doesn't look me in the eye.
“I-it wasn’t long after you and Gabby had started going out, and I felt so lonely. I went out with Hayleigh one night, and you know how much she can drink. Well, I tried to keep up but failed miserably…”
“You weren’t taken advantage of, were you?” My vision darkens at the thought, but she quickly shakes her head.
“No! God, no, nothing like that. I just met someone. I can’t even remember his name.
I might’ve been inebriated, but I specifically remember using protection, and there hasn’t been anyone else since.
” She looks down at her lap, wringing her hands.
“I bet you must think I’m such a slut.” She laughs, but it's humourless.
“Lacey, don’t you fucking dare call yourself that again.
You are not a slut. You had one night of consensual sex that resulted in a pregnancy.
That doesn’t make you anything other than a future mother, if that’s who you want to be, and whatever you decide from here on out, know that I am here and I am not going anywhere, okay?
” She nods ever so slightly, and I can tell she’s getting lost in her head, so I change tactics.
“Enough heavy talk, put on a film while I plate our food.”
I stand up and walk into the kitchen, trying and willing to calm down the jealous beast sitting inside of me right now. I wish I could find that lucky bastard who put his hands all over her and break every single one of his fucking fingers. He got to touch her. I can never touch her that way.
After we eat our food, we sit on the couch together, like we always do.
She cuddles into me, again, nothing different to usual, and I wrap my arm around her.
Only this feels different; it feels like I want to tell her how I think about her, and how I want more.
Her soft snores sound, and instead of throwing caution to the wind, I gather her in my arms and carry her to her room.
Tucking her in bed, I do something I've never done before: I drop a kiss on her head.
I lock up her front door with my spare key and will myself to go home, wishing she were mine and that the baby was too.