“Me?” she asks, dropping her fork. It makes a loud clink, causing the menace in question to perk up, one ear flopping over while the other stands straight. “You want me to stay here while you’re gone? Like, overnight?”
“Yeah,” I reply with a shrug, attempting to downplay the situation. I understand how crazy it sounds, but I also can’t think of a better option. Plus, it’ll be kind of cool to know that she’s in my space when I’m not. Maybe that makes me a creep, but I don’t give a fuck. “He really likes you, and you might be the only person alive that can keep him under control. It beats having some stranger at my house, rifling through my underwear drawer while I’m working.”
She huffs a laugh, her emerald eyes rolling playfully. “I’ma stranger. How can you be sure I won’t do that? What if I’m some crazy boxer bandit that gets off on stealing dirty laundry?”
I can’t hold back the cocky smirk that tugs at my mouth. “Whatever you’re into, babe. As long as Boner gets fed, my undies are your undies.” She pins me with a serious expression, but I don’t miss the smile she stifles by shoving another bite of pancake into her mouth. She’s so fucking cute that I can barely stand it. Ihave toconvince her.
“Come on, Finley,” I plead. “It’s a mutually beneficial situation. You’ll get paid what the daycare normally charges, and I’ll know that my dude is safe with someone I trust. It’s not a bad gig.” Sweeping an arm infront of me, I really sell the place. “There’s a theatre room with super comfy couches, the guest bathroom has a rainfall shower, and I’ll keep the pantry stocked with whatever you want. I’d highlight the hot tub, but you can’t use that right now.” I remember my sister being pissed when she found out about that particular restriction during her first pregnancy, especially since she was headed to her honeymoon in the mountains.
“Please?” I say with a pout, gesturing to Boner, who sits quietly beside her. “You’re really going to say no to that face? What kind of monster are y?—”
“Okay, fiiiiiine,” she relents, drawing out the word. I try to keep my excitement on the inside, but it’s not easy. Not only will the girl of my dreams be staying in my house while I’m on road trips, but I don’t have to worry about finding another place to board my little hellion. Not to mention, this will take some stress off her when it comes to money. Maybe she’ll get a chance to relax while she’s here, instead of being on her feet nonstop like she was at the club. I have no idea how she even did it up until this point, but I can’t say it isn’t a relief to know that she’s not putting her health at risk.
“Thank you,” I reply with a cheesy grin. “You’re really doing me a favor here. As far as pay, how does fifteen-hundred sound? It’s a little bit more than the last daycare charged, but I understand how inconvenient it is to leave home and stay at my place for weekends at a time.”
Shock paints her expression, eyes widening as her jaw goes slack. “Fifteen hundreddollars? Is that per month, or for the whole season?”
I can’t stop the laugh that bursts from my chest. So, maybe it’s a lot more than the other places charged, but who cares? Being fired blindsided her, and the stress of searching for something else on such short notice isn’t good for her or the baby. “Per week.”
Her brows shoot up for a quick second before her shoulders drop, relief evident in her posture. It’s the most content she’s looked since I picked her up, and it makes my stomach do happy flips. And they only get more intense when a bright smile lights up her beautiful face.
“When do I start?”
FIVE
FINLEY
“Just go out thereand tell them,” I mumble to my reflection before yanking a thick hoodie over my head. It’s been two days since I was let go from my job, and I need to face my roommates. I’m sure the rumor mill has been working overtime, and they’ve already heard whatever details Blaine decided to make public, but I have yet to come face-to-face with either of them. At least I’ll be able to pay my rent now, thanks to the perfect timing of Theo needing a dog sitter.
I pull at the fabric of my shirt, making sure my bump is hidden. I swear, it grew overnight, which I guess is to be expected when you have an entire human being living inside you. I don’t really even know why I’m trying to conceal it, since they already know. Habit, I suppose.
Making my way to the kitchen, my mouth immediately waters when the smell of coffee hits my nose. It’s a welcome reaction, since up until a few weeks ago, everything that wasn’t the scent of fresh air made mewant to puke. Even the anti-nausea meds I was prescribed only worked for a short time before I was ready to high-five the toilet bowl.
First-trimester nausea: zero stars. Do not recommend.
“Good morning,” I say in greeting as I enter the room. Phoebe peeks over the mug she has poised in front of her mouth, eyes lowering to my midsection before taking a sip. It’s subtle but lets me know that she’s aware of my situation. Nerves grip at my throat, the choking feeling causing me to pull at my collar. “Where’s Cee?”
“Shower,” she replies. I nod, quietly walking to the coffee maker, because I’m only going to tell the story once. I’ll get it out, let them know I have something else lined up, and move on with my day. It’s going to be fine. People have babies all the time.
I busy myself by pouring a cup of coffee, then grab a blueberry muffin from the counter. By the time I’m settled at the table, Cecilia is entering the room with her hair wrapped in a towel. She looks exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes indicating that she went out after last night’s shift. I thought I heard someone stumble in around four this morning, but I was too wiped out to get up and see for myself.
“So,” I croak, setting my breakfast down and lowering into a chair across from where they both sit. “I’m not sure if you heard, but Blaine let me go the other day. I’m…” I hesitate, taking a deep breath and blowing it out through pursed lips. “I’m pregnant.”
They look at each other, exchanging one of their secret glances, before turning their attention back to me.It only ramps up my nerves, because while I’ve always felt like an outsider looking into their friendship, it’s never been more apparent than it is now.
“We heard,” Cecilia says, not a hint of emotion behind her eyes. “Everyone at the club is saying you hooked up with Eric Moss, but he’s telling people that you’re just trying to pin the baby on him because he has money. Is he really the dad?”
Wow. What a bunch of fucking assholes.
I figured my coworkers would be talking amongst themselves, coming up with their own stories about my pregnancy, but I never expected Eric to get involved. I swore to him that I hadn’t been with anyone else, and I never asked him for a dime. All I wanted was for my baby to have the relationship with their father that I never did. It wasn’t easy growing up without knowing where I came from. I yearned for that connection, which is why I was so set on making sure Eric was a part of everything. I didn’t expect a relationship or anything beyond co-parenting. But the fact that he’s sticking to histhe baby isn’t minebit is really upsetting. He was right there the night the condom broke. He saw it with his own two eyes yet refuses to believe that I’m carrying his child.
I raise my chin, mustering up every ounce of confidence I have left, which admittedly isn’t much right now. I’ve already felt far too much shame over the fact that I got pregnant by someone who’s not only a Club Tilt patron but who also dismissed us. I’m an adult with every right to start a family, and as much as Eric’s reaction sucks, I did nothing to warrant it. So, fuck him andanyone else who wants to bring their negativity into what should be a happy time for me.
“It doesn’t matter,” I reply, changing the subject quickly because, even though I want to, I refuse to badmouth my child’s father. “I know having a baby around isn’t ideal for either of you, but I promise it won’t interfere with your personal lives. I’ve already lined up another job, so I’ll have my portion of the rent to you after the weekend, with a late fee for the inconvenience.” The position with Theo is temporary, but it gives me time to figure out a long-term solution. They don’t need to know any of that, though.
Phoebe’s brows pull in, her skin turning a strange shade of gray as she stares blankly. “Ummm,” she stammers, “we kind of figured you wouldn’t want to stay here anymore, since we aren’t exactly quiet. We sort of already rented out your room because we were afraid that we’d be stuck paying the difference when you left.”
“Youwhat?” I rush out, louder than I mean to, butwhat the actual fuck? I’ve lived with these women for almost a year and a half. I’ve cut it close with my rent a few times, but I’ve never been late, and I’ve always paid in full. We haven’t talked at all since I was fired, so why would they take it upon themselves to make this decision? Was I planning on staying here forever? No. But I certainly don’t have enough money to move right now.
