Resplendent (30 page)

I swallowed and gently lowered his hand. He laced his fingers with mine and held on.

“Did Lola know?” I whispered. I was as still as a rock. If not one, but two people I trusted had been so deceitful, I wasn’t sure how to move past this.

Andres grabbed my other hand and squeezed. I was still shaking from the realization of what was happening. “I’m not sure,” he said sadly.

I had been lied to and cheated out of happiness, and it wasn’t even by the person I had thought. Heat rose from my legs to my cheeks.

“What were you thinking by keeping this to yourself, Savannah?” He pulled his bottom lip with his teeth.

I let go of our hands and twisted my fingers in my hair. “I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to walk in on your new life and ask for help. Ask to share your time with the both of us.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “So when were you going to tell the baby about who the father is? When my kid’s eighteen and comes looking for me?”

“No!” I walked past him to the kitchen and got a glass from the cupboard. He stood in front of the refrigerator.

“Then when?” He extended his hands. “What were you going to tell him growing up? That I was
dead
?”

I huffed. “Don’t be ridiculous! Of course I was going to tell the baby — early on!”

Did he think I was going to lie to my kid?

“And when were you going to tell
me
?” he probed.

“When I was damn well good and ready!” I yelled. He scowled. I matched his gaze. “You told me I meant the world to you. Then I find out you fucked someone who I thought was family and got
her
pregnant! How did you think I was going to react?” I demanded, my chest heaved. His features softened, but I didn’t want to look at him. I turned around and placed my hands on the sink. “Jesus, I was scared,” I admitted. “I didn’t know what would happen next or if you would want us.”

I felt his breath behind my neck as he placed his forehead to the back of my head.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I know it was hard on you. But if you think I wouldn’t want what’s mine…” He placed his hand under my shirt to touch my stomach. “You don’t know me at all,” he whispered.

His words alone caused me to shiver involuntarily, and I turned around.

I took in the bags under his eyes, the softness of his touch as he rubbed the curve of my belly, and the overgrown stubble along his jaw. Images ran across my mind: our Mexican nights, late night conversations, my anti-prom, Boston, funerals. There were a few bad memories but not enough to outweigh all of the good we’d shared. What I’d seen for myself over the last ten years were my facts. They were my proof. He loved me. I couldn’t deny him our baby. I glanced down at his hand and placed my palm over his.

He let out a breath of air and squatted down. His eyes leveled with our tiny bump as he lifted my shirt to kiss us. Multiple times.

I lifted my hand to cover the soft sob that threatened to escape. There was no use trying to hide the sound because my body shook anyway. He looked at me and slowly stood up, our eyes locked into each other. I was frozen with the exception of the tears that spilled down over the curves of my fingers. When I saw his eyes water, I couldn’t take it anymore and squeezed mine shut. He pulled down my hand and pressed his body against mine as I finally broke down. I heard my cries mixed in with his heartbeat. I don’t know how long we stood holding each other up. All I remember was that I felt safe in that moment. Once I’d calmed down his hands stopped rubbing my back and went to my face. He pulled my chin up and cupped my jaw. I saw his eyes glance at my lips before lowering his head to kiss me. It felt like home.

We spent the whole day playing catch up. We lay next to each other on my bed, as Dre continued to talk. My fingers itched to touch him, wrap my arms around him, and never let him go. I was face up. Dre was on his stomach, looking at me with his arms crossed under his chin. My hand rested on my peanut and I rubbed, wondering what our baby was feeling.

We had so much to say to each other. I wanted to hear everything he had to say, and we ping ponged our questions and answers one after the other. Getting back to our present.

We talked about the baby.

“I’m twenty weeks come Monday,” I advised him.

“You really want to keep the sex a surprise?” he asked painfully, for the third time.

I laughed. “I do! I think it’s exciting.”

His face fell and I reached out to rub his stubble. It was unreal that he was there — with me.

“You really want to find out?” I wiggled my eyebrows.

“Hell yeah! I don’t know how
you’re
not anxious!” He pouted and gave me puppy dog eyes. “Please?”

“Well, when you beg like that…” I tapped his nose. “I’ll think about it.”

His smile brightened my life.

“When did you find out you were pregnant?”

“Four weeks after I moved. I had skipped a month on the pill since my new doctor didn’t want to give me a prescription without doing an exam.” I let out a breath of air. “I’m sorry, I should have told you to use a condom. I wasn’t thinking.” I covered my eyes with my hand.

“Hey,” he tugged on my free arm and I peeked through my fingers, “I never do it without a condom. It’s different with you, because I love you.” I dropped my hand and his thumb grazed my bottom lip. “Don’t be sorry for our surprise,” he said sincerely.

I wanted my lips on his.

“I was in denial and scared. I called Brittany in Boston and had her on the phone the whole time I waited for my answer and then hours later.”

“I’m glad you don’t know the sex,” he said it softly and without judgment.

Still, I couldn’t look him in the eyes so I stared at the popcorn ceiling instead. I was glad too, for the same reasons as him.

“I wasn’t ready to suck it up and do it alone.” I turned my body, away from him. “I was selfish.”

He crawled over me and rested his knuckles on either side of my body. “Listen,” he said, and nudged my neck. I turned my head and our noses rubbed. “You’re the least selfish person I know,” he whispered. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before resting his body behind mine, his hand tucked between my belly and shirt.

We talked about past relationships.

“So I meet up with the guy at the bar, and he’s already buzzed. I figure we’re off to a bad start.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin. “Then he spends thirty minutes of the conversation asking how often I get off — in the shower specifically — and if I’d ever tried a threesome.”

Andres’ cough comes out more like a laugh and I glare at him. “It’s not funny, it was the worst!” He chuckled and picked at his Chinese food. “I told him I had to go after that and when he insisted that he walk me to my car,” I reached for Dre’s arm to stop him from taking a bite, “get this, he pukes all over my pants and shoes.”

Andres rolled his head back and laughed loudly. His hand formed a fist as he covered his mouth. “You’re kidding!” he said between breaths. I punched him in the arm. “I never went on another blind date again.”

He wiped the tears from his cheeks and placed a hand on his chest. “Oh my God, Peach, that’s some funny shit.”

I got a fortune cookie and threw it at him. “Hey, you have no idea what I’ve been through,” I pouted. “The dating world is hard!” I had lost track of the losers I met during and after my college years. Sebastian had really been the only decent one.

Dre grabbed my hand and squeezed. “The good thing is, your dating days are over, babe.” The way his eyes twinkled gave me warmth that reached my toes.

I pinched some honey chicken with my chopsticks. “So, what about you? How many girlfriends have you had?” That had been a question I always stewed over, since he never seemed to stick to anyone. I’d never felt comfortable asking before.

“I’ve only had three girlfriends.” We were sitting on my three seat sofa, with my legs draped over his as we ate lunch. He took a sip of soda before placing his cup down on the floor and holding up his index finger. “The first one I broke up with after she stole my ninja turtle and dressed Michelangelo with her Barbie’s clothes.” I laughed and he glared at me playfully.

He held up two fingers. “Then my second girlfriend was dumped after she made fun of my best friend in ninth grade for having braces.” He scratched his jaw. “I decided to be more selective after that.”

I pressed my toes down on his basketball shorts. “So what happened to girlfriend number three?” I teased, and waited for his quirky answer.

He placed his empty paper plate on the floor and ran his fingers along my calf. I groaned as he massaged my muscle.

“She’s the only one I fell in love with, and then I took her virginity.” He looked at me intently. “And mistakenly let her go like an asshole.”

My stomach fluttered, and I wasn’t sure if it was my nerves or the baby, but we must have felt the same thing.

“Technically, I never agreed to be your girlfriend,” I said softly, and brought my legs up to my chest.

“You were, in every way that mattered.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip, and I kissed it. He inhaled sharply, his eyes darkened. I got up from the sofa and held out my hand.

“Come on, let’s go talk some more.”

He entwined our fingers and we went back to bed.

We talked about work.

“I was so nervous when I did that interview for channel 7’s new and upcoming entrepreneurs.”

I ran my hand up and down his arm. “I would’ve thought you’d be calm and collected.”

“Yeah right, it was the longest five minute segment of my life!” He wrapped his arms around me.

“So did it turn out good?” My head tilted back so I could see his face.

He squinted one eye. “Well, they never ended up airing it.”

My mouth hung open. “What! After all that?” I closed my eyes and let out a laugh.

“Those fuckers caused me grief for nothing.”

I placed a hand on my stomach, unable to talk as I tried to get some air and calm down. He joined in my laughter.

I trailed my finger down his nose. “Good practice?” I blurted out.

He sucked his teeth. “Next time, I’ll have Tommy do it.”

My face hurt from smiling. “You’re so funny!”

“You’re so ticklish.” He wiggled his fingers.

I held up my hand in surrender.

“All right, I’ll stop.”

I giggled.

“I figured out you were in West Palm when I saw that article on the fundraiser.” He poked my side and I twitched.

“Well, thanks to Di Angelo, I’ve been getting some new clients. I booked one right before I saw you outside my front door.” His fingers played with my hair as I rested my head on his chest. “You want to see my portfolio?”

I felt him nod before he kissed the top of my head. “Of course.”

I smiled and hopped off the bed to reach for my album. I talked to him about Darcy and all the pictures she’d seen and liked. He asked me questions like: Did I have a contract? Had she paid a deposit?

He told me to get on some social media outlets. A website alone was not enough these days and he suggested I try blogging as well.