XANDRY
Weeks earlier...
My Dad was in his chair behind the desk. Mom was sitting in front of him, but what I wasn’t prepared to see was Sunshine, and I was not entirely stupid not to get why she was here with a baby bump.
A sudden flush of adrenaline tingling through my body when the realization hit me like a sucker punch to my gut. She’s pregnant.
I went to her apartment after I had a fight with Pyke to confront her about the issue. She was the only one who heard my conversation with Pyke about the bet. Then, we ended up on her bed, got drunk, but Sunshine denied we had unprotected sex since we both saw the wrappers of condoms in her bedroom when we woke up in the morning. And everything was vague to me.
Seeing her in my dad’s office answered my unanswered question. I closed my gaping mouth and reluctantly walked towards them with legs that weighed tons. It was not that I could change anything, but I was so damn ashamed of myself for being irresponsible and reckless.
Why didn’t she show up when—fuck! Suddenly, Blaine crossed my mind.
Blaine
Did Dad do all these to stop me from seeing her?
Raising my hands to ward them off from talking, I started with Dad, “I have no idea about this. If you did this to stop me from seeing—”
“Your dad doesn’t know about this until last week, Xandry.” Sunshine didn’t meet my gaze and seemingly looked flustered on her seat.
“Last week? Then why you didn’t show up before? Not until I found someone who makes, oh, made me happy.” I took a deep painful breath and closed my eyes to calm down.
“Xandry, respect her decisions. It’s done, and you two made this together,” Dad said with a guttural roar.
“Honey, we’re here for both of you. I saw the proof that the baby is yours.” Mom stood up, rubbing my tensed arms.
“I’ve no doubt, Mom. I-I’ll take full responsibility for the baby,” I said without a doubt, making Mom sigh deeply in relief.
Sunshine looked pale, muttering tearfully, “I’m so sorry, Xandry.”
My brows rose up. “What are you exactly sorry for?” Despite the possibility of losing Blaine, I couldn’t think of this responsibility as a sort of crushing weight of my freedom, in fact, it made me think of Ben and this child she was carrying.
“Xandry, she’s not feeling well. Give her a break,” Dad groaned.
“Dad, I’m not gonna hurt the mother of my child.” I turned to face Sunshine. “Can we talk? Alone.”
She nodded slowly and stood up, giving my parents a small smile.
“Xandry, don’t be hard on her,” Dad reminded me, and I rolled my eyes without uttering a word, placing a hand on the back of Sunshine.
She gained weight compared to the last time I saw her. She looked paler and seemed fragile that when she collapsed she would definitely break a bone or two.
“Are you okay?” I looked down at her, and she just nodded and walked slowly outside Dad’s office.
I guided her to the second floor of our house and to my old room.
“Have a seat.” I motioned her to sit on the couch. It seemed that she badly needed a rest.
Then she burst into cry making me frown. Were all pregnant women like her? It was annoying but that must be her hormone just like Saph when having a PMS—moody.
Shit! Saph. Did she know about Sunshine?
“Why are you crying?” I sat beside her and unknowingly rubbing her back to make her feel better.
What we had was pure sex, and I didn’t have feelings for her romantically, but she had my baby and as much as I wanted to get free from all of this, my baby came first.
I looked around my room and realized I was going to be a dad. Yesterday, when I had dinner with Blaine and Ben, I was imagining playing baseball with him, sending him to school, attending his game and recital, and going to park together like a real family. Now, I had another priority in life. My chest constricted at the sudden swirling of emotions when I thought of Blaine.
Will she ever accept my baby? How was I going to divide my time between her and my child?
“I’m so sorry, I was just scared,” she started between hiccups.
“Relax, Sunshine, you are not alone anymore. I got your back, and you have me and my family now. You don’t have to carry it all by yourself.” I suddenly remembered she had no more parents.
She babbled when she was drunk. She blurted out on how she worked two jobs and had to stop a year before she went to college. Now, because of our recklessness, she was pregnant, but I was relieved that she chose to keep the pregnancy despite my rep over a relationship and was far ready for being a father.
“I have nowhere to go, this...this is my last option, and I can’t give birth on the street, can I? I don’t have a family, Xandry. I have no job b-because I-I can’t stand long waitressing at the coffee shop,” she choked out her words, and my chest tightened in sadness that it had to happen to her.
“I had to use my saving for prenatal vitamins, and I still have to buy baby clothes, diapers, crib, and my doctor gave me another medicine, and I’m on a strict diet too. My terror tenant gave me a week extension to provide the rent. I-I don’t know what to do, Xandry. I-I’m so sorry.” She was bubbling, then sobbed again, and I couldn’t help but pulled her into a hug, tucking my chin into her blonde locks. Her hair reminded me of Blaine.
“Your dad told me you are with someone, and it’s killing me with guilt coming to you.”
“Hush, Shine. I’m glad you chose to keep it, but how I wish you told me earlier so that we can sort it out and plan it together, and I’m glad that you never chose to get rid of your pregnancy.” To be honest, before Blaine came into my life, the idea of being a father or stuck in a relationship never crossed my mind, but right now, it might not be awful.
“I was afraid that you might not like it, you know? How you live your life is far ready to have a child.”
I chuckled bitterly, “Well, I might, but now I changed.”
She looked up at me with wide eyes, shaking her head slowly. “What happened to a leg-spreader Xandry? You seemed not you. Are you being possessed?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Uh-huh, she must be very pretty, but I still feel guilty, you know, so, tell me about her.”
“Don’t be, Sunshine. Let’s not talk about her right now. So, when is your next appointment?”
“Wow, to someone who never dreamt of having a kid you surprised me again.” She stood up, pulled tissues, blew her nose, and muttered an apology. “I have to see my doctor frequently than normal pregnant women.”
My eyes widened, cocking my head. “Are we having twins?”
She shook her head and looked down at her fingers. “I was born prematurely because mom had complications just like I have right now. I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.”
My brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“I have high blood pressure. I noticed when my hands and feet were swelling and I had a constant headache. I may be the worse pregnant woman when talking about morning sickness. The doctor explained that if I ignore it, it will affect the baby, worst-case scenario, she won’t—”
“She!”
“Whoa! Calm down.”
I barked into a laugh. “I forgot to ask the gender. So, it’s a girl, huh?”
“You’re kinda weird, so weird.” She laughed, playfully slapping my knee. “Weird but in a good way.” Yeah, you’re kinda weird as well.
“Deal with it, Shine. So, tell me about this preclam thingy.”
“Pre-eclamp-sia. The baby will not grow normally because of the fewer nutrients she receives from me. I could have a seizure when my blood pressure shoots up, and I could have a premature birth.”
I cleared my throat. “I’ll come with you to your next appointment.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
I stood up, propping my hands on my hips. “The hell not! That’s my child too. And you, stop your job at the coffee shop.”
“I was fired last month because the doctor advised me for bed rest when I collapsed at my work.”
“Damn it, Sunshine! How can you be so careless?”
“Stop blaming me, I wasn’t aware.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, it was my fault. I ignored the doctor’s advice because I was in denial of having a complication and I couldn’t quit that job, though I already learned that in nursing subjects.”
“You don’t have to worry about the expenses anymore, food, vitamins, medicines, your bills, everything, I’ll cover it. You will stay in my apartment.” Whoa! I was surprised to say it easily. Last month, I had never planned on having a roommate, but now I just offered Shine to live with me.
Fuck me!
“I’m not staying with you. You don’t have to do this. Mrs. Williams made an appointment for me with the new doctor.”
“I know Mom did that because she thought I will run away from my responsibility. Let’s do this together, Shine. For the sake of our child.”
“Xandry...”
“Sunshine, you don’t have an apartment anymore. Let me take care of you and my child, at least to keep you safe because your complication is too risky for you and the baby. What happened in the coffee shop won’t gonna happen again while you’re in my care, got me?”
“I don’t want to give you trouble. With her.”
“We are friends, right, Sunshine?”
“Yeah, and no sexing with a friend.”
“Good. And don’t worry about Blaine. She will understand me.” Will she?
***
Night Stalker Club
“Another shot?” Forrest asked, shooting me a cold and flinty glare. What I did wrong with him this time? Like I fucking care.
Blaine didn’t answer my call nor replied to my text. The last time I talked to her was when I just landed. It’s been twelve fucking hours I had not heard anything from her.
My world started spinning. No matter how hard I tried avoiding alcohol, I couldn’t because for the first time in my life I had no clue what to do. I didn’t have any idea how to tell Blaine and sure as fuck she was going to end the relationship we had just started. And I couldn’t let her do that because we were so damn perfect together.
The moment I saw Ben without a dad, I fucking swore to myself that I would never abandon my child, and even so, I’d make sure I was going support the baby. And I fucking going to be a father in less than four fucking months. And it scared the living shit out of me. How am I gonna be a good father to her? I had no clue.
“Man, long time no see.” A familiar voice from my back slapped my shoulder.
I squinted my eyes, smirking. “Look who’s here. Where have you been, Hall?” Standing up from the stool and almost stumble, I shook his hand and a brotherly hug.
“Good to see you too, Xan.” Hall was my classmate in college. We used to be buddies but we lost contact after it. I heard he went to Boston for a job offer, then met a loaded woman then they dated.
“Have a drink with me.” I sat back. “Wood, give my friend a drink.”
“So, how're Boston and Boston’s chicks?” My voice started to slur but I could still see him clearly. He didn’t change a lot. Now his face seemed looked familiar.
Damn it! I’m drunk.
“Quit my job there. I’m back in my hometown and just get back with my ex.” He sided glance at me then sipped his JD.
I nodded, feeling guilty as ever over Blaine. “Good for you.”
“How about you?”
“Got a gorgeous girlfriend and I’m gonna be a dad.” I gave him a knowing grin.
“What?” His eyes widened, not with surprise, but with shock, and I didn’t miss the gleam of deviltry and dispassionate in his stare, then hid in those dark brown eyes. Almost unsympathetic. “Are you sure?”
“Yes?” My brows met, and he drunk his whiskey in a gulp, then grimaced. “So, getting back together, huh?”
“Yeah, with my kid. And she’s still hot as fuck.”
“Wait, you have a kid, too?” My chest tightened and my stomach twisted sickly for some unknown reason.
“Yup, a four-year-old boy. And you know what? My girl still sucks like an angel.”