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East’s arms wrap around me from behind. His chin rests on my shoulder. “What’s it say, Lady?”
I stare at the plastic stick I hold in my hands. One word reads on the digital screen. Pregnant. My stomach drops like I’ve just gone down the big dip on a roller coaster. “Um...we’re having a baby,” I whisper, not believing the words that leave my mouth.
“Yeah?” East grins at my reflection through the mirror.
“Yeah.” I turn into him and he gazes deeply in my eyes. The happiness radiating from him is enough to make me believe that maybe this is indeed a blessing in disguise.
“Love you so goddamn much, Wylla Mae.”
“I love you more.”
“Not possible.”
“Don’t sass me.”
“I’m stating the facts.”
“Well I have a fact for you. No one has ever made my damn heart beat so fuckin’ fast. Never made me feel as good as you can.”
“I wanna make you feel great.” I drop the plastic test in the sink and push him toward the bedroom. “Take off your clothes, husband.” Husband. Holy shit. We really got married. I stare at East seeing nothing but love radiating back at me. I unzip my wedding dress and let it pool at my feet.
East smolders at me, the man is beaming brighter than the damn sun. I shove him down on the bed and drop to my knees between his legs. Wrapping a fist around his cock I stroke him slowly. The action earns me a deep throaty growl in return. I take my time paying worship to his cock.
“Fuck, baby. Ain’t nothing better than this.” His fingers thread through my hair, holding me tight, pushing my head down, forcing more of him in my mouth. I take his cock deep, sucking him hard, licking him from base to tip. Bobbing my head up and down, faster and faster I know he’s close. I can tell by the way his fingers loosen then tighten in my hair and the rumbling sounds coming from him every time I stop and go slow again.
East eases from between my lips. “Get up here and ride me. Only way I’m coming is inside you.” I climb up on his lap and impale myself on his erection. East hugs me to his chest and falls back on the bed. I push up, rocking my body soft and slow, loving how good he feels inside me. He’s right. There’s nothing better than this. Than us.
Fingers laced together we make love in every position, me on top, him behind me, side by side. East gives it to me good. My husband...the father of my child. How crazy life is. How quickly everything has changed.
Later when he’s sleeping next to me, I fan my fingers across my stomach, and I smile. Beneath my palm, in my womb, a piece of me and a part of East grows.
**
“You sure you want to do this? It’s not too late to turn around.”
East grins at me. “Nah. It’s time. Alexa will come around eventually.”
“You better hope she doesn’t go for her gun.”
“I’m not scared of her. Her bark’s always been bigger than her bite.”
He’s not wrong, but I will always be afraid of my mother. We agreed to keep my pregnancy quiet for now. The timing isn’t exactly great with Lynn saying she’s having East’s baby. I believe him when he says that he doesn’t think the kid is his. I believe my man when he tells me that he only has eyes for me. I have to. If I believe anything else, then our relationship means nothing. Trust and communication are important. That much I know.
East parks out front of my mother’s house and shuts off the engine. He exits the truck and comes around to open my door. I don’t want to have this conversation. I know it won’t be pretty and it’s not going to make any of us feel good. He takes my hand in his, helping me out of the passenger side. Giving me a squeeze on the hip, my husband pecks me quickly on the lips. We walk to the front door and I pause. I don’t know if I should let myself in or simply knock.
I decide to knock. It doesn’t take my mom long to answer the door. It swings open and she sees me at first. “Sweetheart, what are you knocking for?” She moves to pull me in for a hug, gaze landing on my husband. Shit. Triple shit. Here we go. Brows knitting, she says, “East. Now this is a surprise. Are you guys going to come in or let all of my heat out?” She steps aside and we enter the house.
I drop East’s hand like a chicken, but it is too late. The color in my mother’s cheeks has faded. Her shocked expression darkens.
The thee of us takes our seats. East and me on the couch and her in the armchair. “So, what’s this about?”
“We wanted you to hear it from us first.”
“No. Stop right there. Whatever this is, no,” her voice cracks, sounding so small.
“Alexa,” East begins as my mother continues to shake her head, clasping her hands between her knees. “You know I care about Wylla Mae.”
Her head jerks up. “You bastard. You fucking piece of shit. I trusted you!” she roars, tears trickling down her cheeks. “You’re sick. Both of you. You’re having a child with another woman. Wylla baby, you can’t want this.”
“I love East and he loves me. We’re married, Momma. I want you to be happy for me. He’s a worthy man. You know he is.”
“Happy? A good man? You’re a child. You have no idea what you want.”
“I’m eighteen and old enough to know what love is.”
“I expected better than this out of you. I never dreamed you’d pull something like this. He’s going to ruin your life, Sweetpea. He’ll use you. That’s what men like him do. He’s no better than your father.”
“My father? What’s he have to do with this?”
“Your father ruined my life and now you’re going down the same path. Please tell me that you’re not pregnant. At least give me that. You can get an annulment. It’s not too late to make things right and undo this. You got caught up. I understand, but you can’t be married to him.”
“We’re not getting an annulment, Mom. I want to be with East. You don’t have to like it, but if you love me then you’ll respect my choice.”
“Murder will never allow this,” she hisses at East and his head drops.
“What’s Murder have to do with anything?”
“He’s your father,” she whispers, so low the words are barely audible, but I heard them.
“Murder?” I breathe his name out and East, grabs my hand. “You knew?” I look to him and I have my answer. “And Murder knows?”
“He’s always known. He never wanted you. We’ve always been his dirty secret, but I guess I should be glad East at least cared enough to put a ring on your finger. I always knew the two of you had a connection but this.” Her head moves from side to side. “I can’t accept this. How could you, East? I trusted you with her. How long? How long has this been going on? I think I’m going to be sick. I’m having a heart attack.” Clutching at her chest she drops back against the chair making a scene.
“Don’t be so dramatic. You never cared about East. You used him. And all this time you’ve known who my father is, and it never occurred to you to tell me? You lied to me.”
“I wanted to. So many times, but he didn’t want us. Neither of us. He’s ashamed of us. I never wanted his decision to hurt you. I was protecting you, but I guess I was protecting you from the wrong man.” Her lips curl in disgust. “If you stay married to him that’s it, Wylla Mae. No more. You and I won’t have a relationship anymore. You’ll be dead to me. I can’t support this. I won’t accept it.”
I get up from my seat. “Then I guess you need to hold a funeral then. Come on, East. Let’s get out of here.”
“Alexa...” he starts but she turns her head.
“I should prosecute you.”
“For what? I was eighteen and out of high school before anything ever happened and if you must know I pursued East. He never came on to me. If anything, he pushed me away repeatedly, but I wasn’t going to give up. I knew we belonged together. East and I love each other. I guess that’s something you don’t understand because you’ve never known how to love anyone but yourself.” With that said East and I leave.
I climb in the passenger side and East ever so sweet and thoughtful gets in the truck and tilts my head toward his. “She’ll see in time, but I’m damn proud of you, Lady. You got backbone.”
“I’ve got you.” I meet his awaiting lips, kissing him hard and deep with lots of tongue.
“You’ll always have me.” God, I hope his words are true. I’m giving up everything to be with him. I have already decided that I will finish the rest of this semester then take a few years off for the baby. I know I won’t be able to focus on school. My mind is always on East and now we have a baby to think about. Possibly two of them. I keep telling myself that Lynn is full of it but in the back of my mind I know there is a possibility. I know her and East had a relationship. It’s a fact. One I can’t ignore forever but for now I am going to be in this honeymoon phase with my husband.
“Let’s go home.”
“Like the sound of that, baby.”
“Me too.”