Bittersweet, page 14
“Oh don’t you fucking dare. Just save it, Tyler.” She sat down, staring blankly ahead. It had been weeks since he’d touched her. Could Tyler have been dumb enough to cheat on her, and could she forgive him if he had? She was starting to believe Sam’s theory more and more, secretly wishing the problems would all just go away. She didn’t need this shit. In fact, she would have preferred not knowing at all.
“Why are you crying?”
Was she?
She didn’t answer and drilled into him again. “Tell me something. Is there anything going on with Alex? Because if you’re as smart as I think you are, you’d tell me right now if you are sleeping with her.”
“I can’t believe you’re asking me this. Have I given you reason to doubt me?” He traced the bottom of her jaw and lifted her chin with his index finger and thumb so they were looking into each other’s eyes.
“That’s not an answer,” she yelled. “I hate thinking this way. I love you, Tyler, but I can’t help but notice how awkward it was having her here. You work a lot of late hours, and she happens to work with you. Were you even going to mention to me that you were working together again? We don’t have sex anymore, and we argue all the time. Half of the time, it doesn’t make sense why you stay away like you do, and it makes me wonder. When I was in the hospital and you brought her up, you became defensive. I could tell that you were keeping something from me, but I let it go. This time I want an answer.”
“Of course not, Jenna. There, you have my answer. Now about me not touching you…” He sat on the couch and pulled her onto his lap to straddle him. His lips moved across her throat, and his voice beside her ear became hoarse. “Well, I am now.”
His hand traveled to her nape to draw her closer, and his tongue stroked in and out of her mouth while swirling against hers. Before she knew it, her shirt was off and her bra unhooked. Tyler was a pro at undressing, both her and himself. As soon as they were naked, he wasted no time and slid right inside her in one smooth stroke.
The anger seemed to drive her, and her actions were more aggressive than usual as she thrust to meet his demands. Disappointingly, his climax came immediately. He pumped slowly after his seed had spilled into her heated core and began to stroke her. “Come for me,” he whispered. “I want to feel you pulse.”
She arched her hips forward, clasping his broad shoulders. “Yes,” she moaned as she rushed through her own release. “Yesss.”
***
“Mrs. Baker is my mother-in-law. Please, call me Jenna, I insist.”
“All right, Jenna. Well, the good news is that I know exactly what’s wrong. Or maybe what’s right, depending on how you look at it. I’m afraid your earlier symptoms may stay with you for a while. How are you feeling today?”
“What are you implying?” Jenna was getting frustrated with her physician. This was her health, not some silly game, and she didn’t appreciate being left in the dark any longer. “Is there something wrong?”
“I hope not.” He took a deep breath. “Congratulations are in order Mrs.—Jenna. You’re expecting.”
Out of instinct, Jenna wrapped her arms around her midsection. “Pregnant,” she whispered in shock. “Seriously?”
Although they’d discussed, briefly, having another child months before, she wasn’t sure how Tyler would react to the news now that he was back to ignoring her again. They’d made love a week ago, if you could call it that. He came too fast, and she was left disappointed and wishing it could have lasted longer.
Alone with her thoughts, she sighed loudly and prayed they would make it through everything okay.
***
It was the night of Jayden’s recital and time had run out. Her parents paced the living room while Jenna watched the minute hand inch closer to the deadline.
“Should we assume that Tyler will meet us there?” her dad asked sympathetically. He knew how important this night was to Jayden and could probably see the heartbreak in her eyes.
Jenna nodded and knelt down to Jayden’s level. She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to comfort him. “Don’t worry, Jayden. I’m sure Dad will be there. He said he would, and it’s still not too late.”
Jayden silently nodded, and his disappointment was evident when ran to hug his grandfather’s legs and hid his face.
She’d tried Tyler’s office and cell several times after they’d arrived. Jayden’s class was one of the last to perform, but Tyler still wasn’t there. The empty chair beside her was distracting, and her mother kept looking at her in sympathy. She tried to smile and hated feeling as though they pitied her.
When the time came for Jayden’s class to perform, her son was priceless, while Jenna was too emotional. She laughed so hard that she cried as Jayden’s voice carried through the whole gymnasium. Was he singing or yelling? He was so cute.
“You were amazing, Jayden, and we have it all on tape,” she told him after with a hug. “We’ll show Dad later, and I’m sure he’s sorry that he missed out, baby.”
Later at home she replayed the recital over and over again. Her parents retired to the guest room shortly after Jayden drifted off to sleep while she waited for Tyler to return. It had been an emotional night. An hour or so later, Jenna paused the DVD player and rubbed her eyes, feeling tired herself.
She walked out of the doctor’s office with a smile and rubbed her visibly pregnant stomach. She had the strangest craving for ice cream and pickles. As she got into the car, a bag appeared right out of thin air with exactly what she wanted inside. Before driving off, she stuck her hand in the jar to grab a pickle and dipped it in the tub of chocolate ice cream with satisfaction.
In an instant, she was home and could see Tyler’s car in the driveway. She smiled at the surprise of having him home during the middle of the day.
The house seemed empty, so she started walking around to look for him. Just as she was about to call out his name, she heard noises upstairs and went to investigate.
The door to their bedroom was open a crack and she couldn’t see clearly through it, so she pushed it open, only to find him with Alex again.
God, she was so stupid. Her instincts had told her something was going on. He’d lied and she was too angry this time to cry. “Get out!”
Alex just smirked at her as she shouted.
“Jenna, I can explain.” Tyler rushed forward and grabbed for her, but she pushed him away and walked out of the room as fast as she could. It was either that or knock someone out, and she couldn’t risk the harm to her unborn child.
She ran down the stairs but tripped over her feet when he caught up to her and landed face-first on the bottom step.
Tyler rushed to her aid as she cried out in pain, but she kept pushing him away, disgusted with herself and him. She made it outside only to collapse on the front lawn. She couldn’t walk anymore.
Alex watched from a window upstairs. Her face lit up with a smile as she looked down at Jenna and Tyler. Then Tyler’s worried face hovered over her as he whispered, “I am so sorry.”
She woke up with a gasp and bolted upright to caress her stomach.
“Looks like I missed an amazing recital.” Tyler was sitting at the end of the couch and looked away from the TV toward her.
“You did.”
He moved closer, but she inched away. “Jenna, I had every intention of being there. It’s just—”
“I’m not in the mood to argue tonight. My parents are in the spare room, and I’m tired of it.” She sighed before covering her face. She was exhausted from all of the stress, period. “You picked your priorities, Tyler, and now we all have to deal with the consequences.”
He picked up flowers from the coffee table and tried to hand them to her, but she didn’t want them. If that was his apology, he could keep it. She wasn’t joking when she’d said she was tired. He literally drained her sometimes, making her numb to his advances, and it only got worse the longer it carried on.
“I am so sorry,” he whispered, and she shivered as she thought about her recent dream. “I screwed up. What else do you want me to say?”
“What else?” She looked away to wipe away a tear and didn’t bother to answer the stupid question. “I agree. You are sorry, Tyler, but there’s a little boy upstairs who needs that apology more than I do. He was so disappointed.”
He nodded and stood. “Can I make this up to you?” He moved his face closer to kiss her, but she backed away from his advances and turned her head away.
“You could start by getting your priorities straight from now on,” she said and caressed her stomach again. “There’s a pillow and a blanket down here for you. If there isn’t anything else, I’m going to bed.”
He stared after her in shock when she walked away. This was the first time she’d ever refused his advances and definitely his first time sleeping on the couch. Jenna usually talked things through when she was upset, but she hoped he realized how much he’d screwed up this time. She knew exactly what he meant when he asked if he could make things up to her. He wanted sex, and for the first time, she really wasn’t in the mood. The thought of him touching her after being with Alex gave her the chills.
No time like the present, she thought as she stopped at the stairs and turned around to give him the news. “I went to the doctor today, by the way,” she started, admiring his shocked expression. He knew nothing about it. He didn’t know anything that went on in his own home anymore, and it was sad as hell.
“Are you all right?” He actually looked concerned and took a step toward her.
“Yes, Tyler, but it looks like I’ll be going on a regular basis again for the next few months. It turns out I’m pregnant. Congratulations, Daddy.” It should have been much happier news than it felt like at the moment. She wasn’t even excited yet and felt so alone for the first time in her marriage. It was unsettling.
“What?”
“You heard me.” She walked upstairs and didn’t bother to look back.
Their situation needed to change, and it was up to him to figure out exactly what he wanted before it was too late.
Chapter Seventeen
Brady was back. They sat on a porch swing, and he held her close while quietly listening as she unburdened herself from all of her worries.
“I’m sorry, love.” His sexy accent was so soothing.
“Why are you apologizing?” she asked, startled because he’d done nothing but give her his support. He was damn near perfect, her dream man.
“Because ye’r hurtin’, love, and I can’t stand it.” He cradled her head against his chest, and she listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“Wow,” she whispered in awe. “Are you sure you’re for real? That you actually exist?”
His answer started with a kiss, and the butterflies stirred crazily in her stomach while moisture flowed in the area even lower as his tongue stroked in and out, making love to her mouth. “Believe me, love, ye’ll soon find out.”
The dream was so good that being pulled away from it felt like fingernails on a chalkboard or like a record being scratched to bits.
“Mommy, Mommy,” Jayden cheered while he jumped up and down beside her on the bed. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Good morning to you too.” She pulled him down with a groan and tickled him until he screeched for mercy.
“Grandma has breakfast ready. Come on.” He wiggled away, hopped off the bed, and raced out in no time.
“Hey, Mom, are you and Dad still okay to watch Jayden for a little while today?” She called out as she followed her son into the kitchen. Breakfast smelled delicious as she sat down at the table, but with her nauseous state she stuck with toast and grimaced as she pushed her eggs away. “He’ll have to be dropped off by 12:45 and then picked up from school at 3:15.”
“What appointment might this be?”
“Very subtle, Mom.” Jenna laughed. “It’s just another doctor’s appointment.” She shrugged. Her overprotective mother’s concern was endearing.
“Of course I’ll watch Jayden, dear. Is there anything wrong?”
“No, I’m fine, really. I wasn’t feeling very well, and they ran some tests.” Before she could finish talking, her mother was checking her head for a temperature. “Not there.” She grabbed her mother’s hands and placed them on her stomach. “Here. I’m pregnant again. Congratulations, Grandma.”
Her mother let out a big whoop of excitement that made her father run in from the other room looking concerned.
“Hey, Dad,” Jenna said, laughing.
“She’s pregnant!”
“Congratulations, honey.” And they laughed again while her mother did a happy dance in the middle of a kitchen while clapping her hands joyfully.
Jenna took a quick peek at Jayden while he stood there wide-eyed and scared. Probably because of the way her mother was reacting. She called him over and lifted him in her arms. “It’s okay, honey. Grandma’s just crazy sometimes.”
“Grandma, you’re crazy,” Jayden repeated, and they all laughed in unison.
Her appointment that morning was for a sonogram, and with Jayden taken care of she could make a much-needed stop afterward, one she had to make alone. She had to see Tyler, and she wasn’t about to wait until he came home again. It was time she paid him a visit at work.
***
With a heart rate of 130 beats per minute, this tiny person inside her actually looked like a baby already. The doctor estimated the gestational age to be about eleven weeks.
Jenna became emotional yet again upon seeing the baby moving around on the screen. She couldn’t stop smiling. She could see all the fingers and toes and a cute little button nose. She was still awestruck when they handed her the very first picture of her baby afterward, but it soon turned to worry about what she was about to do.
She arrived at Tyler’s law office feeling nervous. It’d been a while since she’d visited, and the last time she’d pictured it wasn’t a very pleasant memory.
“Can I help you?” asked the plump redheaded receptionist, interrupting her thoughts.
“No, thank you. I’m here to visit my husband, and I can find my own way.”
She proceeded past the desk and stopped abruptly just before she reached his office. A flashback came to mind of a calendar with the twenty-first circled boldly in red when she saw the notice for the staff Christmas party.
“Get it together, Jenna,” she mumbled, willing her hands to stop shaking. She needed as much courage as she could get right now. God only knew what Tyler was thinking when it came to her and the pregnancy. Lord, what she wouldn’t give to be able to turn back time right now. These dreams, premonitions, or whatever you wanted to call them were frightening enough. The similarities between them and reality scared the living daylights out of her. The added stress of Tyler’s avoidance was torture and hurtful on top of everything else. There just wasn’t much more she could take.
Peeking through his partially closed door, she saw that Alex was with him again. She was sitting on the corner of his desk laughing and leaned close to him as he mumbled something.
They didn’t notice when she walked in, so she cleared her throat. “Did I come at a bad time?” The first thing she noticed was Alex’s hand on his. Flashbacks from her dreams hit her in quick glimpses, temporarily blinding her.
When she could see again, Tyler ripped his hand away from underneath Alex’s and moved away. “Of course not, honey, we were just about to take a break anyway.”
Clearly disappointed, Alex hopped off his desk and straightened her skirt “Hello, Jenna.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Nothing’s going on, all right,” Jenna snapped, looking between the two of them. Why wouldn’t they just fess up and lay it all out there? If Tyler wanted Alex, Jenna certainly wasn’t about to stick around.
“Jenna, don’t be silly. Alex is just a coworker, nothing more.”
With a gasp and a dirty look, Alex quickly walked out, leaving the two of them to speak alone.
“Right, Tyler, and in case you’re wondering, I’m being sarcastic. Figure out what it is that you want and then let me know. I’m tired of not knowing, and if it’s not me, then just say it and stop this torture.”
“Come on, Jenna, this is just silly.”
“Silly?” She couldn’t believe it. “I’m being silly. Okay, I’ll play along. Do you actually think I’m that stupid? There’s something going on with the two of you. Now the question that has me curious is just how far you’ve gone.” The stress was too much. She hadn’t originally planned to confront him about Alex. She’d only stopped by to show him the sonogram picture and talk about the pregnancy.
Jenna held in a groan when she felt a sharp cramp. “I think I need to sit down.” The words came out breathless. What she needed was to calm down.
“Why, what’s wrong?” Tyler kneeled in front of her, but his concern did nothing to comfort her.
“It’s just a cramp. I’ll be fine.”
“The baby?” He went wide-eyed as if he’d forgotten and forced Jenna’s hands away from her stomach. He put his in their place and began to rub.
She concentrated on her breathing. Closing her eyes, she tried to shut everything out as much as possible, especially Tyler’s touch.
“I’m so sorry, Jenna.” It was Brady’s voice. Her heart rate sped up as she glimpsed an image of herself with a huge belly. Jenna smiled, placing her hands on top of his. With flashes of herself on the floor, she envisioned blood gushing from between her legs.
She gasped, and reality came back to her. She pushed Tyler’s hands aside in anger. There was no way she could lose this baby. She had to be more careful, anything to change that possible future.
“Should you see a doctor?” Tyler looked helpless, and she tried not to laugh despite her anger at him.
“I can take care of myself. Now stop touching me. I’m mad at you.”
“I could never do that,” he teased and had the nerve to smile as she glared at him. She pushed him away again. What she needed was to have him out of her sight for a minute to pull herself together. “I could use some water, Tyler, if you don’t mind?”
