Hunter’s grunts and groans from his room cause heat to build between my legs. Hell, those are the hottest sounds I’ve ever heard. I close my eyes and picture him touching himself, and then rub my thighs together to relieve the ache building inside.
Reaching for my vibrator, I imagine him on his bed, slipping into his shorts and stroking his hard cock. I angle the top of the toy over my clit, and as soon as it comes alive, I desperately search for my release. I think of Hunter in his room doing the same, throwing his head back when he comes, and wonder if he thinks of me while he pleasures himself.
The guilt creeps in again, just like it always does when my thoughts about Hunter turn inappropriate. After our time in Utah and these past six months, I don’t know that I have any energy left to fuel the remorse.
As I push those thoughts away, I focus on my body and think of Hunter next to me—watching me, touching me, fucking me. With my belly, I can’t get the angle right, but I say fuck it and try anyway. The handle on the wand isn’t long enough, so I grab a pillow, stuff it under my ass, and angle my hips to push my pussy higher.
I will Macgyver my way to an orgasm if I have to.
With my legs parted, I bend my knees and close my eyes. Focusing on reaching my climax, it builds higher, growing more intense as I arch my hips into the vibrator. I increase the speed, and soon, I’m screaming into my pillow, not worrying or thinking about the fact Hunter is on the other side of the wall.
It’s not the best I’ve ever had, but until I have this baby and can find my own vagina again, it’s gonna have to get me through.
Sigh. Vibrator dick has nothing on real dick.
It’s been two weeks since Jenna’s surprise visit to Hunter’s work. He tells me not to worry, and I’m trying not to, but until it’s proven with a paternity test and resolved, it’ll always be in the back of my mind. The closer I get to my due date, the more anxious I get.
I can’t believe Halloween is tomorrow. Hunter and I bought loads of candy to hand out to the kids who live in the apartment complex. Last year, it was crazy, so I’m hoping we have enough to last the entire time.
I’m thirty-two weeks pregnant, and the baby will be here in a blink, so I’ve been trying to use my spare time to prepare. Work has been great so far with no major problems, and many of my colleagues are excited about the arrival of the baby, but it could be because winter break is around the same time. I’ve been counting down and can’t wait to meet my little miracle.
After work, I sit on the couch and prop up my feet because they’ve been swelling more than usual lately. Standing most of the day isn’t doing me any favors, and though I try to sit when I can, it’s not comparable to having them elevated. I’m so tired, I nearly fall asleep, but when I hear the door swing open, I pop up with a grin. As soon as Hunter walks in, he goes to take a shower, and I start pulling items from the fridge for burgers. On Fridays, we typically order out, but tonight, I volunteered to cook because he’s been doing so much for me. Each room has been completely baby-proofed from top to bottom; hell, it’s even adult proof at this point.
Just as I put hamburger meat in a skillet, Hunter walks into the kitchen wearing a pair of shorts that hang off his hips and a shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination. I try to force myself to focus on the food, but he catches me stealing glances and smirks.
“Damn, I’m hungry,” he groans, leaning over the skillet, taking in the scent of the sizzling meat. His arm brushes against mine, causing goose bumps to form along my skin.
“Me too,” I admit as my stomach grumbles, but I want more than just the food. He shifts on his feet as his eyes meet mine, and I shamelessly enjoy his closeness. He lingers for a moment longer, allowing me to soak in the scent of fresh soap on his body. Hunter asks how my day was, and before I can say anything, I hear a knock on the door.
Hunter looks at me. “Expecting someone?”
“Maybe Sophie finally ordered me a male stripper or gigolo,” I half-joke, then shrug.
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” he tells me with a chuckle, then goes to answer it. The first person who comes to mind is Jenna. At this point, I wouldn’t put anything past her.
By the tone of Hunter’s voice, I know it’s not. I hear him laugh nervously, and then I recognize a voice that has my stomach in knots.
“Wifey, look who came to visit us,” Hunter says with eyes as wide as saucers as my mother peers around him.
“Mom!” I force out, searching her face as she walks toward me. I wipe my hands on a dish towel before she pulls me into a hug.
“What a surprise!” I squeal, hoping she doesn’t feel how tense I am. “What are you doing here?” I keep my tone light, though I’m silently losing my freaking mind. My mother is here, standing in my kitchen. What the actual fuck?
She grins, stepping back into the dining room and glances around the apartment. I feel so exposed and vulnerable right now. “Just wanted to visit the happily married couple and see how everything’s going.”
I’m speechless, but I need to find words now instead of later. Too many thoughts stream through my mind as my heart rapidly churns in my chest. I remind myself that Hunter and I are married, and we’re having a baby. I put on a fake smile and hope she doesn’t see straight through it.
“Well, you’re just in time for dinner, Mrs. Corrigan. Hope you’re hungry. Smells good, sweetheart.” Hunter leans over and places a chaste kiss on my lips. It’s supposed to be sweet and simple, but it has my emotions bubbling to the surface. I desperately want more of him, and when we pull away, I’m completely breathless. A meaningless fake kiss isn’t supposed to do that. I tuck my lips inside my mouth, and my mother’s eyes meet mine as she sits at the table.
“I’ve been following your Instagram. Everyone loves the updates so much,” she states, but her words have an underlying meaning.
Hunter distracts her while I finish dinner by talking about the last few doctor’s appointments and the things we’ve been doing to prepare for the baby. He explains the baby proofing and shopping for things he never would’ve thought of before now. Though he seems to be enjoying himself, I interrupt their conversation to give him a much-needed break to take a breath because he’s been talking for nearly five minutes straight.
“Hungry, Mom? I’ve made plenty,” I ask, pulling the ketchup and mustard from the fridge.
“Sure,” she tells me, and I make her a plate too. I’m stalling, but all I can think about is how she’ll want to see the nursery and a tour of the apartment, and when she sees we’re sleeping in different rooms, our entire façade will be destroyed. Showing up here unannounced is not what I expected and never planned for. The thought of losing my parents, everything I tried so hard to keep and protect, guts me. I could think of more lies, more cover-ups to help the story, but I’m already in so deep. The thought is exhausting.
Hunter comes into the kitchen to help me carry everything to the table.
“Relax,” he whispers in my ear, and I take a deep breath. My body feels like it’s burning from the inside out because I know we’re going to get caught. There’s no getting out of it, not with her sitting at my dining room table. I glance down and realize I’m not even wearing my wedding ring. At least I can blame it on my swollen fingers, but what’s Hunter’s excuse?
“What would you like to drink? We’ve got water, milk, cranberry juice, and orange juice,” I ask.
“Water’s fine,” she says politely.
I hand her a bottle, then sit in the chair next to Hunter, and we begin to eat. Mom chats about the flight over, and I try to keep food in my mouth so I don’t have to talk. Hunter gives her his boyish grin and occasionally shoots me a wink. He’s such a natural at this; at pretending to be my husband. I hate that he has to do this, especially after knowing his true feelings for me. I give him an apologetic look, a half-smile so he knows how appreciative I am. He shakes his head as if it’s no big deal, but it’s a really big fucking deal to me. He’s constantly saving my ass.
I’ve devoured half of my food and barely said a word. I’m still trying to get my thoughts together when my mother sets her napkin down on her empty plate.
“Lennon,” she says, meeting my eyes. “I know the truth.”
My face wrinkles, and for a second, I feel like I’m dreaming.
“What?” I ask, making sure I heard her right. I look at Hunter and then back at her.
“I know you two aren’t really married, so you don’t have to keep pretending for my sake.” She says it so nonchalantly that I nearly check my pulse. Instead, my mouth falls open.
“Mom…” I pause, my heart pounding hard with guilt. “How?”
“An anonymous birdie told me, called the church after Sunday service. Luckily, I answered the phone before your father had a chance.” She gives me a pointed look, but I’m confused as hell to who she’s referring to. The only people who knew were my sisters, but as soon as I glance at Hunter and his expression hardens, I have another idea of who could’ve run their mouth.
“I don’t know what you think you know, but…” I start, but she waves a hand in the air and cuts me off.
“I’m not stupid enough to just take a stranger’s word for it. I’ve done my due diligence, Lennon, and checked for myself. Marriage records are public in the state of Nevada, and I searched for yours and Hunter’s but came up empty. So I called Clark County and asked if I was doing something wrong, and the clerk told me they had no records of a Hunter Manning and Lennon Corrigan.”
Fuck my life.
Silence draws on as she gives me a disappointed look, and this time, Hunter can’t save me with his effortless banter and boyish grin. This time, I’m going to have to face the lies I’ve told.
“You’re right, Mom. We aren’t married,” I admit, and a weight lifts off my chest even if this whole situation is painful. I feel like a kid getting caught stealing from the cookie jar. “I’m sorry I lied.”
She lets out a sigh, not accepting my apology but not dismissing it either. “Now, I’ve been trying to understand why you would lie about getting married, but it must be the obvious. You and Hunter are having a baby out of wedlock and—”
“No.” I refuse to allow the lies to continue any further. “It’s not Hunter’s baby.”
Her face contorts, and then I think I see sadness flicker in her eyes, sadness for Hunter or me—maybe both. “Oh.”
“Mrs. Corrigan,” Hunter intervenes. “I apologize for lying to you and your husband. It was never our intention to hurt you. Brandon’s the dad, and it’s been really hard for Lennon to deal with, considering he’s no longer with us. Pretending to be married was one hundred percent my idea. Lennon loves you both so much and didn’t want to lose you after already losing Brandon. So we came up with a plan and lied. I hope you can understand why we felt we had to.”
My throat burns from the unshed tears I refuse to release at the mention of Brandon. Not only did I drag Hunter into this, but now my mother is probably going to lose her shit.
My mom looks back and forth between Hunter and me with a frown on her face. “I’m sorry, Lennon,” she says genuinely. “I’m sorry you don’t have Brandon here anymore, but you do know all actions have consequences.” Her tone went from soft to firm in two seconds flat, not that I should really be that surprised.
“I don’t want to hear the talk right now. We’re past that.” My tone is harsh, but she deserves it. The last thing I need is sex to be thrown in my face and for me to be made to feel like the villain when I’m so damn thrilled about being a mother.
“What’s done is done, Lennon. I can see that.” Her eyes glance down at my stomach. “I understand why you felt like you had to lie, but now it’s time to handle things correctly. I can tell by how you two acted in Utah and by your photos that you have mutual feelings for each other. Love like that can’t be faked.” She looks back and forth between us while my heart stops beating altogether.
“Mom…”
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to discuss this with your father. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. But the lie is already out there, so before more people find out the truth and feel as if they were scammed by you, I’d suggest you make it right.”
Make it right? What the hell does that mean?
Before I lose my cool, I stand and clear the table since we’re all finished eating. The apartment is small, and there’s not nearly enough space to disappear like I wish I could. I walk into the kitchen, hoping to find some sort of clarity and gain control of my emotions. She’s pushing my limits, and I don’t want to say something I’ll regret. While I don’t want to lose her or my father, it seems inevitable at this point.
“Lennon…” Hunter comes into the kitchen, whispering my name. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” I look at him confused, rinsing the plates in the sink. “This isn’t your fault.”
He brushes a hand through his hair, looking down at his feet before his gaze finally meets mine. “It is. I should’ve told you, but I didn’t wanna freak you out or make you more stressed.”
Considering my mother is at the table and she’s only ten feet away, Hunter stands close to me, his breath whispering against my cheek. This situation is so awkward, and I hate that he’s stuck in the middle of it.
“Told me what?” I ask, keeping the water running so she doesn’t overhear.
“The day Jenna came to my work, she threatened to leak our secret.”
“What?” I whisper-shout. “How’d she know?”
He shrugs. “You can find almost anything on the internet, Lennon. She’s a nurse and probably hacked into your medical records to find your family history, due date, and personal info. Hell, I don’t know. Maybe she put two and two together. Probably found your Instagram or even stalked us. For all we know, she’s crazy. I’m just speculating here, but regardless, she found out and has to be the ‘anonymous’ tip.”
I’m seething. My blood is boiling, and my heart racing as I try to think of a hundred ways to get away with murdering her. Temporary insanity? Could use the hormonal card maybe.
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I murmur sarcastically. Though I understand why he didn’t say anything sooner, it would’ve been nice to get ahead of this and prepare for the possibility instead of being blindsided. Jenna clearly has it out for Hunter and dragged me through the mud to make her point.
She’s not going to let him go that easily.
“Mom, do you want some coffee?” I ask, turning off the water and looking around Hunter with the fakest smile I can muster.
“Yes, I’d love one, but we still need to talk about this, Lennon.” There’s a bite in her tone, and I don’t know how I’m going to get through this conversation.
Too bad I can’t drink right now.
I make her a cup, then bring it over to her. Hunter follows, and we both sit. My throat swells up, wanting to get this over with as soon as fucking possible.
My mother blows on her coffee, and I wait until she takes a sip before speaking up again. “So, Mom. How are you suggesting I ‘make it right’?”
She smiles over the porcelain brim. “Isn’t it obvious? By getting married. For real.”
My brows rise to my hairline as I look over at Hunter who doesn’t react at all. His thoughts must be all over the place too, but whatever he’s thinking, he’s not making it noticeable to me. Turning my gaze back to my mom, I glare at her as if she’s lost her mind. She’s gone too far this time.
“That’s not happening,” I tell her flatly so she knows I won’t even entertain her ludicrous idea.
She continues as if I hadn’t spoken at all. “It’s really easy to cover up actually. All we have to do is say there was an issue with the paperwork, and it had to be re-filed. A rushed job and missing signature, which explains the date change.” The smile on her lips tells me she’s been through this before and quite proud of it, too.
“It’s another lie,” I hiss. “Not too mention, Hunter and I aren’t together. This isn’t his baby. He was doing me a favor.” The words come out like venom, and I can feel Hunter’s eyes glued to the side of my head. Saying them aloud is another reminder of how things can’t be between us.
“The last thing your father needs is a scandal, Lennon. I don’t condone lying, but in this case, it seems like your only option. If you do this, it fixes everything. It negates the lie, and your father doesn’t have to know you slept in a room with a man who wasn’t your husband—under our roof—which is extremely disrespectful. He doesn’t have to know you live with the same man you aren’t married to.” She pins me with her eyes as if that’ll magically make me obey. I lock my jaw so I don’t say what’s really going through my mind. “You’re in really deep right now, Lennon, and while I believe in forgiveness, you’ve broken my trust. You don’t want to break your father’s. If he finds out you orchestrated this in front of him, me, and the church members, I’m not sure things will ever be the same, and what you feared the most—losing us and your family—could very much be your reality.”
The air is too thick to breathe, and I feel as if I’m drowning until I look at Hunter, until I realize what my mother is actually suggesting. Forcing him to marry me to appease her is bullshit, and I won’t sit idly by and allow her to play puppet master with my life anymore.
“No,” I simply say, finding my courage. “It’s not happening and is completely out of the question.”
“Lennon…” Hunter says my name so softly, but this isn’t his battle to fight. I got us into this, and I’ll deal with it now—the right way.
“With all due respect, Mother, my answer is no. Ever since I was a child, all you’ve ever done was dictate my life. I followed your strict rules and ridiculous standards, always eager to make you and Dad proud. I had very few close friends and got made fun of all the time for being the preacher’s Goody-Two-shoes daughter. There were times I felt I’d never be good enough when all I ever wanted was to make you two happy.” I throw my arms up into the air and let them smack back down, frustrated and finally releasing the way I’ve felt for years. “What did it do for me in life? Nothing. Because here we are, and you’re looking at me like I’m a huge disappointment. Doing exactly what you want me to do, what you expect me to do isn’t happening anymore, Mother. I love you both so much, but this is my life. Not yours. Not Dad’s. Demanding we get married for the sake of old traditional values isn’t fair to Hunter, and it’s sure as hell not fair to me.”
She scoffs. “You’re overreacting, Lennon. You aren’t thinking clearly.”
“No, Mom. I’m thinking clearly for the first time when it comes to your demands. If you and Dad no longer want to be in my life or be in your granddaughter’s life, then that’s on you. That’s something you’ll be forced to live with for the rest of your lives. I’m going to be a single mother soon, and my sole responsibility will be to protect my child. What you’re essentially asking me to do is total bullshit, and I’m not going to do it so you look good to the church. I don’t care what they think about me. I no longer care what you think about me either. So if you flew all this way to give me ultimatums, then you can leave.” Years of frustration spew and I’m shocked I actually had the balls to say what I feel. For once, I’m glad to be hormonal and not accepting her shit.
I glance at Hunter, and he looks uncomfortable and shocked but gives me a head nod, agreeing with everything I just said.
When I look at my mom, I can tell she’s not happy with me. She looks downright furious. “That’s how you really feel?”
There are two sides to my mother. The one Hunter met, who was sweet as pie, kind, and accepting. And then there’s this one—critical, judgy, and condemning. I’ve ignored it, refused to believe she could be this way, but things are clear as day now.
“I am not continuing the perpetual lie. I refuse. As you said, all actions have consequences, and I’ll happily face mine. The baby is Brandon’s. I’m not married to Hunter. My baby isn’t coming into a world based on lies so everyone else feels better about my situation. It’s my life, and I’ll do what I please going forward. And either you’ll be there to support me and the baby, or you won’t. I can’t force you to do anything just like you can’t force me. Not anymore.” I shake my head at her, licking my lips that are suddenly dry.
“Excuse me one moment.” Hunter slides his chair out, and I watch as he walks to the hallway. I hear the bathroom door shut, knowing he’s purposely giving us privacy, which is the last thing I want right now. When there’s an audience, she’s forced to be on her best behavior because appearance is everything.
“Young lady,” she hisses. “Remember you’re the one who got yourself into this predicament. You’re the one who had sex before marriage, who ended up pregnant, and decided to lie to me, your dad, and the congregation about being married to a man who’s not even the father of your baby. You live in an apartment with him as well, which I’ve also discovered Brandon lived here too. The internet is powerful, and all of your lies can easily be uncovered, Lennon. What I’m asking you to do is make it right, to do what your heart is telling you to do anyway. The way you look at each other, there’s nothing fake about it. Nothing. He looks at you like you’re his entire world, and I see it in your eyes too. Now, you can deny it. You can say it’s not true or whatever you need to because you’re emotionally unstable, but that relationship you two portrayed, everyone believed. I know everything he said to me and your father was coming from his heart, and that he’d take care of you and the baby in a heartbeat. He loves you, Lennon. And you know what? You love him too.”
I don’t have the energy to deny her allegations or try to make sense of how she can possibly know all that even before I did, so I don’t argue it. She grins and takes a sip of her coffee, but I know this is far from over.
I lower my voice so Hunter doesn’t overhear. “I will deal with that in my own time when I’m ready,” I snap, tired of everyone telling me how I feel and what I need to do about it. This baby is my only priority right now. Hunter and I will handle everything else when the timing is right.
“You were lucky enough to find love once in your life, Lennon. Don’t let the second time slip through your fingers. All I’m asking is for you to think about it.”
Her words rip straight through me. I let out a ragged breath as she finishes her cup of coffee in silence. Once she’s done, she stands and places the cup in the sink.
“Thanks for dinner and the lovely conversation.” She grabs her purse and walks to the door, not giving me a second glance or a goodbye before leaving.