Players, Bumps and Cocktail Sausages (18 page)

Jasper winced as I glared up at him. He told her that?

“Hey,” he said. “I was drunk, and it’s not like she’s going to tell.”

“That’s not the point,” I hissed. I didn’t want him going around telling people our business. The thought of people knowing who I’d slept with filled me with horror.

“All right, sorry,” he replied, holding his hands up. “I won’t mention it to anyone again, but it wasn’t like I was bragging about it. I’m not proud of going behind my mate’s back.”

I felt like crying. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. I expected him to rant, tug on his hair and throw the occasional swear word but not this. He slept around; that wasn’t a secret, but seeing it with my own eyes hurt like hell. I should’ve known I couldn’t have no strings sex. And he wasn’t supposed to regret what happened between us.

“Forget it. It’s fine. I’ll get Brad to let you know when the taxi is picking you up.”

Turning on my heel, I made a quick exit. Jasper called my name, but I ignored him. I couldn’t see him with her again. I sprinted out of the door and towards my car, wiping the tears which had started streaming from my eyes.

Chapter Twenty

Jasper

I hopped in the taxi. Cole and Oakley sat at the back of the seven-seater talking to each other with doe eyes. It made me want to gag. Brad was on the middle row of two and Holly the front row of two. Brad’s legs hung over where I wanted to sit so it would have to be near Holly.

After the awkward situation earlier, I didn’t want to be trapped beside her for twenty minutes. I really had to stop talking about her to the random women I slept with. Not only could it get back to Brad but it annoyed me how much my drunken mind was on her.

“Hi,” I said as I sat down.

She looked up briefly. “Hi.”

“You okay?”

“Yes. You?” she replied, barely meeting my eye.

And I thought this would be awkward…

“Yep,” I replied and lowered my voice to add, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she mouthed.

“Bullshit.”

“Man, if I can walk at the end of the night, punch me,” Brad said, poking his head between the seats.

I forced a laugh. “Yeah, deal. What’re you forgetting tonight then?”

“Hmm,” he murmured. “I can’t decide between the long day at work today or the blonde in the pub that turned me down last week.”

“Wow, those are your only problems!” Holly said, rolling her eyes at her brother.

“Oh and what’s your biggest problem right now, Hol? Shall I wear my pink pyjamas tonight or my blue ones,” Brad replied in the worst imitation of a woman’s voice ever.

She turned back and stared out of the window.

Brad poked her arm. “Are you on or something? You’ve been moody all day.”

“Just fuck off, Brad!” she hissed.

Whoa.

“Ugh, definitely on,” he said and retreated back. Holly muttered the word
pig
under her breath.

What the hell was going on?

Right now sitting in the seat beside Cole while his lips were attached to my sister’s was more appealing. Whatever was wrong with Holly was seriously going piss all over the fun tonight.

We arrived at the club, and as there was no queue – not a good sign – so we were ushered straight inside.

“We’re leaving if it’s dead,” I said as we walked up the stairs. I was determined not to let anything ruin the night.

“Ladies, sit down and gentlemen, to the bar!” Brad exclaimed reaching above his head and pointing to the bar.

Holly frowned and headed towards the seating area that was too quiet for this to be a good night.

“Is she okay?” Oakley whispered to me.

“How should I know?” Though I was starting to think I had something to do with her bad mood. Was it about yesterday? We’d agreed that sex between us was casual, she seemed happy with that and had instigated one time herself. I was shit scared that she had changed her mind and things between us would get awkward. I liked Holly, but I was nowhere near the relationship place right now.

She rolled her eyes and followed Holly to an empty table in the corner of the seating area. I helped Brad and Cole carry over the drinks. We must have at least four each.

Brad put the tray of ten shots down “First, we do shots. Two each, one after the other.”

Holly shook her head. “I don’t want one, Brad.”

“I’ve bought you one now! Drink it, you’re not driving.” He sat down and pushed two shots towards her.

Hell if she didn’t do it, I would. If I wasn’t getting laid, I was getting smashed.

She pursed her lips. “I don’t want it.”

“Don’t make her,” Oakley said, looking at Holly with an expression I knew very well – suspicion.

I downed my shot and then almost spit it out.
Fuck, Holly’s pregnant! I
choked on nothing and stared at her.

“She’s being a baby. It’s just a couple shots!” Brad exclaimed.

“Oh for fuck sake, Brad,
I can’t
!”

Holly didn’t shout often. Brad sat back, eyes wide. The air got thicker, and I struggled to breathe. My baby or Harry’s?

Not again.

“Oh Jesus, don’t tell me you’re knocked up? Are you kidding me, Holly! You’re only twenty-years old! Fuck it, I’m gonna kill Harry!”

“Can you please shut up, people are looking,” she hissed.

“Where does he live? Near the church, right?”

“Stop it!”

Not my baby. I should’ve been relieved, but I couldn’t help feeling sick at the thought of her having another man’s baby.

“What number, Holly? Never mind, I’ll see his car.” Brad stood up.

“It’s not Harry’s!” she blurted out.

Fuck!

I fisted my hands on my knees. Holly didn’t look at me. My world shifted again. Just when I was starting to get back on my feet, this happened. I was desperate to know if that was true or if she just said it to get Brad to sit the hell back down. I’d never felt like getting shitfaced so much before.

“What?” Brad said, dropping himself back on the chair. “Well who the fuck is it then?” He looked appalled. I wanted to punch him for the way he looked at her. She wasn’t a slut.

Holly stood up, avoiding eye contact with everyone. “I need to go.”

I stood automatically, needing to talk to her.  “I’ll make sure you get home.”

Oakley had her accusing face again. She looked between me and Holly. “Are you sure? I can take her.”

I shrugged. “It’s fine. You talk some sense into this one,” I said, slapping Brad on the back. “You’re better at lectures and advice than I am.”

“Right,” my sister, who blatantly knew the baby was mine, replied.

Brad said nothing as Holly and I left. He just stared at his drink with a clenched jaw. Oakley also said nothing, and I knew she was waiting for us to get out of the way before she launched into how he shouldn’t have spoken to Holly like that. As if he wouldn’t be regretting it already.

“He’ll cool down,” I said as I opened the exit door for her.

She smiled weakly and nodded.

Neither of us said a word the whole way home. I gave the taxi my address, and she said didn’t ask me to turn around and take her to her parents’. We needed to have this conversation.

I got out and Holly followed closely behind, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously. I tried to look calm but inside my heart was racing. The palms of my hands were damp, and I almost dropped the keys as I unlocked the door.

A baby.

A baby with a woman I’d shagged a few times. It didn’t look good. When I had a child, I wanted to be with its mum, living together and fully prepared – or as prepared as you could be.

I stopped in the living room and turned to her. My heart was in my mouth.

“So,” I said and realised I didn’t know what to say. “You’re…” I nodded to her stomach.

She smiled. “Yeah, I’m pregnant.”

“Shit.”

“That’s what I thought when I found out. I had a scan to check when it... happened.” She bit her lip. “I kind of lied to the doctor and told her I wasn’t sure of my last proper period so she’d book me for an early scan.”

Just like Abby.

“I… You’re pregnant with
my
baby?”

“Yes.”

If she’d told me she used to be a man, I would’ve been less shocked than this. Fear gripped my throat as she confirmed it. I was going to be a dad.

I ran my hands over my hair. “Shit!” I wanted to believe her so badly, but I’d had this ripped away from me before. I couldn’t get excited about having a child if there was a chance I wasn’t. “Are you’re sure?” I asked.

She reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope. “I have my notes and a scan if you’d like to see?”

I held my hand out. My pulse thudded in my ears. The picture was of a little bean thing, just like Abby’s. But this one had the outline of a forming head – a big looking head, and what something that resembled a fish tail. It was a different angle though, so I wasn’t sure whose bean was older.

“Oh my God,” I whispered, staring at it in awe.

“I know.” Holly was looking at me anxiously.

“Yeah. She’s the most beautiful weird looking little thing I’ve ever seen.”

She laughed quietly, clearly relieved I wasn’t angry. “I keep thinking it’s a girl too.”

“I bet we’ll both be wrong.”

“I don’t care really,” she said.

“Neither do I.” I shook my head and reluctantly held the photo out to her. “I can’t believe this. It’s really mine?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “You can keep that picture. I’ve got a copy too.”

I smiled and gripped the photo hard. My baby.

“Thank you.”

“I thought you’d freak out,” she said.

“Honestly, me too. I feel like I should, but I know I’d regret it. We did this together, why should I get to go out and wasted when you can't? Plus I think I’m in shock.”

She laughed.

I blew out a deep breath. “Okay, so what happens now?”

Jesus, I was in a rented flat and wasn’t even dating Holly. As happy as I was to be a dad, this wasn’t how I imagined it would be. It didn’t feel real at all.

“I’ve not thought that far ahead yet.” She sighed and sat down on the sofa. “This isn’t supposed to happen for a good five years at least. Thankfully I’ve finished year three at uni though; that would’ve been difficult if it was midyear. I can defer and go back once the baby’s here. Mum and Dad are being supportive. Dad even said he’d clear the junk room out for the nursery.”

Right, because we didn’t live together. My child was going to be somewhere else.

I frowned. “As soon as my old house is sold, I’ll buy a new place. You’ll let the baby stay over with me too, right?

“We’ve got plenty of time to figure all that out. This is all so sudden and unexpected; I’ve not really had time to think through all the details,” she said.

“Like how you’re going to finish uni? I know you said you’d defer, but when you go back we’ll have a baby. Where would you live then? You’re forty-five minutes away. God, Holly, you’re not taking the baby there, are you?”

She held her hands up.

“Stop, please. I’m getting a headache. Uni is the last thing on my mind right now; I’ve recently found out I’m having a baby! Whatever happens, I’ll never move away and take the baby with me. You’re half responsible for this-” she pointed to her stomach “-so you can bet your arse you’re going to be close by to help take care of it!” She sounded nervous. I couldn’t blame her. I felt like I was in a dream.

My shoulders relaxed in relief. “Okay. Good. I can’t believe we’re having a baby.”

“Me neither.”

“I thought you were on the pill?”

“Hey,” she snapped. “You didn’t wear a condom so don’t-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I wasn’t blaming you. I just thought you were. And I always wrap up, it’s just with us…”
I was too into you to think straight.

She nodded. “I was, and I still was up until the day before I took the test. My doctor said the antibiotics they prescribed for an ear infection I had could have interfered with the pill.” She bit her lip. “I didn’t even think about it.”

I wrapped my arms around the now most important person in my life and pressed my forehead against hers.

“It’s okay. Happens, right? We’re just lucky it’s with someone that isn’t freaking out about it.”

She melted into my chest.

“Not many men in your situation would class it as lucky. Not many women would either.”

“Well we’re not like many men or women. What do you need from me, Holly?”

“I just want you to be there. I want you to attend the appointments, or as many as you can that don’t clash with work.”

I raised my eyebrow. “Fuck work. I’ll sort something out. What do you need?”

“I just answered that,” she replied, looking at me like I’d lost it.

“You answered for the baby, me being there is a given. I’m talking about you.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks reddened. “Um, I guess I need you too. I may have weird cravings in the middle of the night.”

I tightened my arms around her.

“Really, just for midnight craving runs, huh?”

I was flirting with the mother of my baby five minutes after she’d told me we were having a child. Only Holly could get me to do that. She was unlike any girl I’d known or been attracted to. I was quickly becoming addicted to her shy blushes.

Lowering my head, I raised my eyebrow, making my intentions clear and giving her the chance to stop me. She didn’t, so I kissed her.

Chapter Twenty-One

Holly

I sat beside Jasper on his sofa. Telling him went a lot easier than I thought it would. I loved that he was happy about it and planned to be there for our baby. My child deserved a dad and Jasper was going to be a fantastic one. It was such a relief that he wasn’t running.

I could still feel his lips against mine, kissing me tenderly. Right now I just wanted to kiss him again, but I’d just dropped the baby bomb and we had a lot to talk about.