Proposition (21 page)

“You seriously think I will allow him to just go, after how he attacked you?”

“He didn’t attack me...exactly.” She shook her head. “He scared me, though.”

“Amy, I know what I need to do now. First we’ll wait for the police and later I’m taking you to the hospital,” he announced in a non-negotiable tone.

“With a scratched knee?”

He leaned forward. “What about the baby? We must check if it’s all right. You fell, he manhandled and frightened you.”

Her hand moved subconsciously to her tummy, and she was suddenly frightened again.

“Baby’s fine. It must be.” She searched his eyes worriedly. “I didn’t fall on my stomach.”

He stroked her cheek. “I’m sure the baby’s fine, but we must be positive.”

She nodded.

Jake wrapped his arm around her. “You’re all right?”

She nodded. “Just my knee hurts some.”

He pushed her skirt up to her thigh, and examined her leg.

Amy touched his cheek to get his attention. She pulled him to her and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I was so scared when he refused to let me go,” she said and shivered. “It’s good you came.”

He stroked her hair. “From what I saw you managed quite well on your own.”

She smiled. “I kicked him in the...” her eyes lowered down to the front of his trousers.

He chuckled. “I know.”

Their unhurried kiss was interrupted with the arrival of the police. Jake left her in the car. Amy observed how the policeman talked to Jake and later handcuffed Michael, dragged him up from the ground until he stood, then put him into the police car.

Jake was still busy with one of the policemen, when the other one walked to her.

“Ma’am.” He tipped his hat. “Could you please tell me what happened?”

Amy nodded. “Yes, of course, officer. He had to be waiting for me here. He tried to kiss me, he wanted me to come with him, and when I refused he became forceful. I smashed my knee into his... below his waist, and tried to run away but he caught me and I fell down. Thankfully my husband returned just then.”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Yes, he’s my ex boyfriend. His name’s Michael Cummings and he’s a lawyer. I dated him years ago, when I was in college. He lives in Boston now, and works or rather worked in a law firm there. I really cannot explain why he returned here to see me. We haven’t been in contact for years.”

The officer noted, on a small tablet, she was saying. “Well, Mrs. Barry, you won’t have to worry about him anymore. Probably, you will get a restraining order for him to stay away from you.”

“Officer, is his situation serious?”

“Plain and simple ma’am, he assaulted you, and that’s breaking the law. He’s in trouble, yes, but how things go for him will depend upon his past, and if he has a record already. I understand that your husband will take you to the hospital now, to check if you’re ok. I understand you’re pregnant. Congratulations,” he said.

“Yes, I think it’s rather impossible to convince him otherwise.” Amy smiled at the policeman. “Even though I’m really feeling fine.”

The officer smiled back with a friendly expression. “First time father?” he asked knowingly.

Amy nodded.

“It’s normal with the first child,” he continued. “We may have some questions for you later.” he added more officially and walked away.

“Of course,” Amy said.

She observed as Jake and the policemen shook hands, before climbing into their car and driving away.

“Everything’s all right?” she asked shifting to the passenger seat, when Jake returned.

“He won’t bother you anymore,” he said confidently.

“But won’t you have trouble?”

He gave her a surprised look. “Me, why?”

“He may press charges,” Amy explained worriedly. “You hit him several times. Badly. There are security cameras here.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Jake, he’s a lawyer, he knows about such things,” she insisted.

“Amy, the officer you talked to earlier already asked me about this.”

“And?”

“He asked if it was my wife who had knocked the guy down like that and I said that no, that it had been me, when I’d seen how he manhandled you. You know what he said? Good job. Don’t worry, honey.” He smiled at her. “I was in my rights to protect you.”

In the hospital, they did an ultrasound, proving that the baby was indeed safe and sound. Amy strongly opposed the idea of staying in the hospital for the night, even though Jake insisted. But the doctor supported her on this. After all of this, she wanted to sleep in her own bed.

When they got to the condo, it was nearly midnight. Jake undressed her, and put her into the shower where she washed quickly. He waited for her outside while she finished. When she came out, he toweled her dry, put a comfortable nighty on her, and helped her to step into plain cotton panties. Then he tucked her into bed. She fell asleep easily in his arms, the stress of the day taking its toll.

She slept soundly until the early hours of dawn, when a nightmare woke her. Not surprisingly, she dreamed that Jake didn’t come for her and that she had to stay with Michael.

“A nightmare,” Jake rasped sleepily, pulling her into his arms, and tucking her head under his chin.

“No, just a bad dream,” she murmured, already on the verge of sleep.

“It’s ok.” He rubbed her back, yawning. “Close your eyes. You’re safe. You and the baby need your rest.”

Chapter Nineteen

Jake woke up to retching sounds coming from the bathroom. Poor Amy. He would have never thought that pregnancy would be so hard on her. He’d dreamed about having a child with her, and had been over the moon when she’d gotten pregnant so quickly. Still, the fact that she was hovering now over the toilet bowl was entirely his fault. He felt guilty, because he knew that he’d deceived her in a way.

That day when they’d made love in the kitchen, he’d said to her that he’d forgotten the condom, implying he hadn’t done it on purpose, but it wasn’t the exact truth. He’d been horny as hell that day and somehow restless. He’d wanted to have sex with her, and had done his best to get into her panties as soon as possible. And yes, putting on a condom had temporarily slipped out of his mind when she’d undressed and his eyes rested on those sweet looking titties, soft tummy and flushed pussy. He’d pushed into her, feeling her incredibly snug and warm grasp, feeling as though he’d gone to heaven.

It had been his first time ever without the barrier of latex, and though he’d been aware somewhere at the back of his mind that he should have pulled out in time, he hadn’t done it. He allowed himself to spill into her depths, instead of coming onto her belly. He tried to convince himself that at that moment he hadn’t been exactly thinking about getting her pregnant, at least not consciously. But his conscience was telling him something entirely different. Subconsciously or not, he’d wanted to get her pregnant, and that was the bottom line. He’d used the first possible opportunity to achieve that. Now she was totally committed to him. She and the baby were his, bound to him for life.

The room went silent. He heard the running water, and the sounds of her brushing her teeth. Soon, she stumbled into the room, her hair a mess, her face pale.

“Come, I’ll rub your tummy,” he said when she sat heavily on the bed. He pulled her to him, with her back to his chest.

“Better?” he asked after a minute or two of diligent rubbing.

“Yes,” she whispered softly. “Jake, do you think that your mother will be very disappointed if I don’t come with you to the airport to pick her up?” she asked after a moment.

“Of course not,” he assured her, kissing her tousled hair. “I’ve already told you there’s no need for you to come.”

She sighed. “I want to, but I really don’t feel very well today.”

His arm contracted around her. “That’s all my fault.”

“Stop that,” she chided him tiredly. “I’m very happy about the baby. I would only like to stop vomiting up everything I manage to eat.”

“It’s going to be better later, hopefully soon,” he assured her. “The doctor said so.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” she said listlessly.

Soon she fell asleep and he pulled the covers gently over her small form. Careful not to wake her while using the bathroom next to their bedroom, he decided to take a shower in the other bathroom, down the hall. Twenty minutes later, he was down in the freshly redecorated, shiny kitchen, making himself coffee and toast. Glancing at his watch, he decided that he had enough time to check the news, before going to the airport. He turned on the TV that they had had installed in the small dining area next to the kitchen. Amy hadn’t been exactly delighted with that idea at first, but she’d agreed readily when he’d given up from having another TV set in the living room. He suspected that if she’d had her way they would have ended up without the TV at all, similar as it’d been in her old condo before he’d moved in.

They had been living in their new house for almost a month, but it all looked as if they’d moved in yesterday. Amy was very unhappy that she wasn’t able to put their home in order. There were still unpacked boxes everywhere. She’d said she felt depressed seeing all the mess around her. Still she wasn’t up to doing much every day. She felt constantly tired and sick to her stomach most of the time. He’d even tried to suggest that they could hire some help but she’d only scowled at him.

She had done lots of it lately, scowling at him, and being cranky. It seemed that his sweet Amy was gone and was replaced by this moody, pouting little person, frowning at him when he tried to come close to her. He knew that he should be more understanding, but he couldn’t really help feeling slightly irritated by her attitude. He absolutely hated when she kept pushing him away.

He finished his breakfast, turned off the TV, and tiptoed into their bedroom to check on her. Cocooned beneath the covers, she slept soundly. He considered whether he should wake her up, but decided against it. His mother certainly wouldn’t mind Amy taking a nap when she arrived.

Pulling the car out of the driveway his thoughts returned to Amy’s behavior in the last weeks. The worst was that she behaved as if she literally couldn’t stand his touch. He knew that her breasts were very tender now, but he felt rejected when she unceremoniously slapped his hand away when he’d tried to touch her there. He’d always been very gentle, and she’d loved when he’d played with her breasts. But not anymore, it seemed. A few days ago, he’d tried to initiate lovemaking but she’d ignored him, and he’d aborted the effort. She hadn’t even tried to tell him that she hadn’t felt like having sex. She simply didn’t react. She had been on her side, and he started running his hand over her body, just as she liked it. But she hadn’t even moved. She’d only lain stiffly, and when his hand slipped into her panties, she closed her eyes, pretending sleep. He‘d felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

He didn’t want to be ungrateful, she was carrying his son or daughter after all, but he needed her attention, too. It wasn’t just about sex. He wanted to feel her close to him, needed her touch, her warmth, but lately he’d been denied even that. The doctor had assured them that it was perfectly safe to make love during pregnancy. Understandably, he would have been extra careful and gentle, but she didn’t even allow him to prove that. He wondered how long this situation would last before she would return to her own self in that respect.

The labor itself terrified him. He refused to even think about it. Amy’s doctor had informed them last week that Amy shouldn’t give birth in a natural way. Because of her sight defect, there was actually a possibility for her to lose her sight during the strenuous natural labor. Her doctor had already decided that a c-section would be necessary for this and any future deliveries.

They had spent Christmas mostly at home, because Amy hadn’t felt well. They had only visited Thomas and Claire on Christmas Day. Thomas had been delighted when he heard he was going to be a grandfather. But at the same time he’d seemed to be concerned about his daughter’s low spirits.

And now his mother insisted on coming. Stacy had wanted to visit them at Christmas, as soon as she’d heard that Amy was pregnant. She’d all but invited herself, but Jake had managed to somehow persuade her to put this idea out of her head. He’d reasoned that they had barely managed to move in. He’d stressed that Amy was too tired to handle guests after the exhausting move.

But a few days ago his mother had phoned again, mainly asking about Amy’s well being. Amy herself had told her that she wasn’t feeling very well. He guessed that his wife needed a woman to talk to, because she had started complaining to Stacy how sick and tired she felt all the time. And now his mother was on her way, determined to help her daughter-in-law through the rest of her pregnancy.

He didn’t really blame Amy that she had confided in Stacy. He was happy that they seemed to get along so well. Claire was certainly not a person with whom Amy would have wanted to seek help and support in this situation. What unnerved him was that he was there by her side to help her, but Amy didn’t seem to notice it. She behaved as if she’d thought that his role ended the moment the baby had been conceived.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want his mother to come visit. He loved his mother, and enjoyed her company, but perhaps not for an extended period of time, as she planned. He resented his mother living with them, even for a short time. It was a breach of his privacy. He loved when he and Amy were alone at home, just two of them.

“How is she?” were his mother’s first words, after they saw each other among the sea of people at the busy airport.

Jake kissed his mother’s cheek, returning her hug. “She’s not well today. She’s been vomiting the whole morning. She asked me to apologize to you that she couldn’t come to pick you up.”

Stacy waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, that’s nothing...I understand she can feel unwell, poor darling.” She pushed the trolley with her luggage to Jake, indicating he take care of it. Judging by the size of her bags she intended on more than an obligatory few-days-long stay. “But tell me, is it that bad?”

“It’s just hard for her,” he admitted.

It alerted Stacy instantly. “Is the pregnancy endangered?”

“No, no. Doctor says everything’s fine,” Jake assured her instantly.

Stacy’s hand went to her chest in relief. “Thank you, Lord,” she smiled. “But she seemed so unwell when I spoke with her,” she added worriedly.

“I think it’s all about her mental state,” Jake explained, directing them to the entrance. “Her moods are unpredictable. She’s tired and sleepy. Her nausea often lasts till midday so she’s often late for work, which upsets her very much. I suggested that she could start the maternity leave earlier but she refused, getting angry. I don’t understand why she opposes the idea. It’s not like she has to work to support herself and the baby. Besides, her pay is ridiculous in comparison to what I make...”

“Jake Barry!” Stacy exclaimed sharply, interrupting him. “Will you please shut up? Sometimes you’re just like your father! How can you be so arrogant and insensitive? I hope you didn’t tell her what you’ve just told me.”

“Well, no, not exactly...” he retreated.

They walked into the parking area and walked toward Jake’s car.

“I can’t understand why she insists on going to work every day, exerting herself, when I do everything in my power so she doesn’t have to work at all.”

Stacy kept shaking her head when her son loaded her bags into his car’s trunk. “You don’t understand anything.”

“Exactly what don’t I understand?” he asked when they were already in the car.

“Look, your wife is an intelligent and educated woman, not some empty headed bimbo.” Stacy started to explain rationally. “She needs to have her own purpose in life, something which will separate her from you, like her own friends and her job. It doesn’t matter how much she earns there on the condition that she enjoys what she does, and the work is meaningful to her. You have to give her some space. You cannot suffocate her with your attention. I observed you two together, when I visited the last time. You smother her with your attention. You don’t give her enough room to breathe around you. You’re always at her feet. Always beside her. It’s no wonder you got her pregnant just a couple of months after the wedding.”

“And who’s saying that?” Jake said incredulously, “Did you forget how you tormented her about having grandchildren the last time you came here?”

“I did nothing like that,” Stacy answered with dignity. “I simply asked her whether she liked children and if she planned to have any
in the future
,” she stressed the last words.

Temporarily, silence filled the car. Jake wondered when the last time was that he felt that irritated. He knew very well what his mother had said to Amy the last time, but he saw no point in quarreling about this. No matter how old he was his mother had a certain way of getting to him.

“Don’t speed up,” Stacy cautioned when they turned onto the highway.

“I do not speed up,” he muttered through his teeth.

Stacy only raised her eyebrow. “I only hope that you don’t speed up when you drive your pregnant wife.”

“Mum, of course not!” he spat out. “Damn it!” His clenched fist hit the steering wheel.

Stacy glared at him. “Jake Mathew Barry, you do not use that language in front of me,” she informed him.

“Mum, first of all it’s not that kind of language,” he reasoned more calmly, “And secondly, could you please give me a break? I have enough on my mind.”

“As you wish,” Stacy said quietly, turning her head to stare out of the window, clearly with the intention of not resuming the conversation any time soon.

“Look, I’m simply worried about her,” Jake started defensively after a long moment, waiting for a traffic light to change. “She’s lost weight and she doesn’t feel well at all. Still her obstetrician says she’s doing well, and her condition is good.”

“Doctors,” Stacy snorted dismissively.

He gave her a half-doubtful, half-curious look. “Mum, weren’t you a nurse for over thirty years?”

“Yes, I was. That’s why I know exactly what I’m talking about,” she stated confidently.

Some time passed again before Jake divulged another piece of information. “I feel guilty...” He paused with a sigh. “About this whole situation,” he admitted reluctantly.

She glanced at him sharply. “Why?”

“I must say that you’re at least partially right about this. I should have given her more time before...” he cleared his throat, “before starting a family.”

“Is she unhappy about the baby?” Stacy asked more gently.

He shook his head. “No, she says she’s very happy. At least, she says that she is... but I’m not sure.” His expression clouded. “She cries a lot...you know.” He made a restless move with his hand. “Without any reason.”