TROUBLE, A New Adult Romance Novel (The Rebel Series) (18 page)

Barbara is nodding, her hand fluttering to her chest and then her throat.
 
“I need to go,” she says in a choked voice, moving down the aisle so fast she’s practically a blur.

Charity and I watch her go in silence.
 
She’s out the door and in her car before Charity speaks again.

“Well,
that
went well,” Charity says.

I put my arm across her shoulders.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I shouldn’t have done that.
 
This was a terrible idea.”

She puts her arm on my waist.
 
“Aw, don’t worry about it.
 
Maybe she just doesn’t like black babies.”

I look at her to see if she’s serious.
 
I feel positively sick.
 
“No … you don’t really …”

“Nah.
 
I’m just joking.”
 
She grins.
 
“Come on.
 
I’ll drive you home.
 
I gotta get to class.”

She keeps up the chatter all the way to my place, but I can tell she’s hurt.
 
I’m dying inside knowing that I made that hurt happen.
 
I wish I knew what to say to her, but I can’t think of the right words that won’t make me sound like I feel sorry for her.
 
She’s too proud for that nonsense, and I don’t want to damage our already delicate relationship.
 
I really like Charity and admire her; I almost wish I could be more like her.
 
She’s strong and smart and keeps a sense of humor about her even when the picture goes dark.

“Here you are,” she says, pulling up to the curb in front of the house.
 
“Want to go have another lunch sometime?”

I’m so relieved that she still wants to hang out with me, my answer comes out in a big rush of air.
 
“Sure.
 
Anytime you want.”

“Okay, good.”
 
She puts her hand on my arm as I’m struggling to get out of the car. “Listen, if I go into labor, I’ll let you know, okay?
 
It’s not long for me now.
 
Maybe you can come visit me in the hospital.
 
Maybe bring me some red licorice or something.”

“Aren’t you going to call your partner?” I ask, getting to my feet in the street.
 
“I mean, I’ll come, but you should call your partner first.”
 
I shut the door behind me and look at her through the open window.

“Partner?
 
What partner?
 
My square dancing partner?”

I bend over a little so I can see her better.
 
“No, silly, your birth coach partner.”

“What’s that?”

I lean in the car window and look at her straight on.
 
I can’t tell if she’s messing with me or not.
 
“Are you serious?”

“Serious about what?”

Someone comes walking up the sidewalk behind me.
 
I turn around to see who it is, but don’t recognize him.
 
He’s younger than me for sure and wearing a goofy baseball hat turned sideways, so I don’t feel threatened. He distracts me from my concern over Charity’s lack of birth assistance.
 
I don’t have any myself, but she’s much younger than me.

“Oh, hey,” he says, cheerfully.
 
“You must be the famous Alissa.”

My nostrils flare out and my lips press together as I consider his words.
 
I’m not sure how I feel about being famous, but since he’s not laughing as he says it, I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I’m Alissa, yes.”

He holds out his hand for me to shake.
 
“My name’s Rat.
 
I was just in your place doing some handiwork for Teagan.”

I shake his hand and notice it has callouses on it.
 
“You seem a bit young to be a handyman.”

He grins, his bright teeth lighting up his mocha-colored face.
 
“Don’t let the baby-smooth skin fool ya.
 
I’m all man.”

I laugh because I can’t help it.
 
He still has acne, so I have to wonder how honest he’s being about the man thing, but I’m not going to pop his bubble and tell him that.
 
“Nice to meet you, Rat.”
 
I turn and gesture into the car.
 
“This is my friend Charity.”

“Oh, hey, Charity.”
 
He leans down and waves for a second before looking up at me.
 
“We know each other already.”

“Hey, Julio,” she says.
 
“Long time no see.”

He leans on the window opening, sticking his head just inside the car.
 
“Where you been?”

“You know.
 
Pregnant girl prison.
 
Night school.”

“Aw, man.
 
That sucks.
 
Chemistry is completely boring without you in it.”

“Promise?”

“Swear.”

I smile at their easy banter.
 
I wish I could talk to guys like Charity does.

“Yo, can I get a lift?” he asks. “My ride just dumped me for a better lookin’ dude.”

“Quin?” I ask.
 
“She does that.”

“Yeah.
 
Said she had to go knock some skulls or something.
 
I didn’t want to get in the way of that.”

“I don’t blame you.”
 
I’m thoroughly excited about being in the house alone.
 
I’m totally going to take a bath and then walk around in my fuzzy robe without anyone bothering me.

Rat gets into the car with Charity.

“See you soon?” I ask.

She grins, much happier now that Rat is with her.
 
Her face is even a little pink.
 
I’m suddenly very happy that Quin left this man-boy behind.

“All good,” she says in a singsong voice.
 
“I’ll call you. Stay healthy!” she yells as she pulls away from the curb.

CHAPTER TWENTY

I’M JUST GETTING OUT OF the bath when I hear a thumping outside.
 
The bathroom window looks out over the front lawn, so I quickly wrap a towel around me, ignoring the fact that my belly doesn’t even come close to being covered, and peek out of the blinds.

I see nothing at first, but the sounds of footsteps on the front porch come again.
 
Why doesn’t whoever that is ring the dang doorbell?

I get my answer or at least a good guess at an answer when I see a darkly-dressed figure come out from under the porch and round the side of the house.

Charlie?

Fear makes my heart feel like it’s about to explode.
What does he want?
 
Why is he here?
 
How does he know where I live?
 
None of the answers to those questions could possibly be good.

I grab my robe off the door hook and throw it on over my back.
 
My towel drops to the floor and I just abandon it there.
 
I have to get back to my room before … before … I don’t even know what.
 
My worst nightmares have him breaking into the house and murdering me while I stand naked in the bathroom.
 
It’s a ridiculous and probably crazy day-mare, but knowing this doesn’t change the fact that I feel like I’m running for my life as I waddle my penguin butt down the hallway.

Once inside my bedroom, I slam the door shut and lock it.
 
Trembles take over my body as I work quickly to find some clean clothes to put on.
 
I’m not even paying attention to what they are; I just want to cover myself as quickly as possible.
 
If I’m going to die, let it be without my giant belly flopping all over the place.

I almost laugh at the ridiculousness of it.
 
No one’s going to kill me.
 
I haven’t done anything wrong.
 
Being a stupid, naive girl isn’t against the law last time I checked.

This line of thinking doesn’t make me feel any better when the sound of a door slamming downstairs comes into my room.

I scan the small space I now feel trapped inside.
 
Should I hide?
 
Get a weapon?
 
All I see are pillows, and there’s no way any guy intent on killing me is going to lie down and relax so I can suffocate him to death.

I nearly laugh out loud at myself over my paranoid thoughts.
 
Charlie wouldn’t be coming over here to hurt me, right?
 
But why is he coming here at all?
 
This makes no sense.
 
He doesn’t even know…

Someone is coming up the stairs.
 
My bedroom is the first door he’ll reach.

I back up without even realizing it and only stop when my butt bangs into the dresser behind me.

The handle on my door rattles a couple times.

I can hear my heart beating in my eardrums; the sound is coming from inside my head.

A few seconds later, there’s a knock.

I hold my breath, waiting for his next move.

“Alissa?
 
You asleep?”

All my pent up anxiety leaves with my breath in one big whoosh out of my lungs.
 
I storm across the room and unlock the door, throwing it open with all the force of my distress.

“Colin?!
 
What are you doing?!”

He leans way back with a frown.
 
“Should I take that as a yes?”

“Arrrgh!” I back up a step so I can slam the door in his face.
 
I get very little satisfaction from the loud bang.

My heart is going a mile a minute.
 
I walk backwards to the edge of the bed and then angle myself up onto it.
 
Closing my eyes and wrapping my forearms around my belly, I concentrate on slowing my breathing and controlling my blood pressure.
 
The baby is flipping out, causing me to cramp a little.
 
I think I just shot her up with pure adrenaline.

The door opens very slowly, and the sound makes me open my eyes.
 
A portion of Colin’s face appears around the corner.
 
“Is it safe to enter?”

“No.
 
Go away.”

He pushes the door the rest of the way in and stands there.
 
“Are you mad at me or something?”

I sigh heavily, now feeling just a tad more relaxed.
 
“No.
 
Yes.”
 
I shake my head, trying to clear it. “No.”

“Oh.”
 
He grins.
 
“That makes things clear, doesn’t it?”

“Did you need something?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“I’m supposed to give you a ride.”

“A ride?
 
A ride where?
 
I wasn’t aware I had an appointment.”

“I guess Teagan just got back from her lawyer’s office, and she and Quin are over at Quin’s place.
 
They were hoping you could come.”

I have to blink a few times and go over what he just said again in my head to make sure I understand.
 
“They want me there?”

“Yeah.
 
They said you’re a part of all of it and they want your opinion.”

“Oh.
 
Okay.
 
Well … I guess I could come.”
 
I feel important.
 
Needed.
 
This is way better than thinking Charlie is about to kill me. I look down at myself and realize I did a poor job of dressing myself when I was in that panic.
 
“I just need a second.”

“You going to change your clothes?”

“Yes.
 
Why?”
 
I cross my arms at the tone of his voice.
 
I sense a joke coming.

“Because I was just wondering if color blindness is another one of those pregnancy symptoms.”

He’s out the door before I can nail him with my bed pillow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

COLIN AND I ARE ALMOST to Rebel Wheels when he changes the subject from the weather to his business.

“So, did you give any more thought to my offer?”

“What offer?”
 
I’m playing dumb.
 
I know exactly what he’s talking about.
 
Now I feel a little guilty that I never asked anyone about Teagan’s case after Colin said something about her not being able to pay for it.

“To work for me.
 
Part time.”

“Nope.
 
I already told you.
 
I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Honestly?”
 
I look at him, his profile making me feel all funny inside.

“Yes.”

“I can’t be around you like that.
 
I have to just bide my time until the baby comes, have her, and then figure out my game plan.
 
I need to have a permanent job, and I need to get away from here.”

He frowns, glancing at me a couple times before looking back out to the road.
 
“You’re leaving?
 
Why?”

“Just because.”
 
I stare out the windshield, willing him not to ask me for details.

When he doesn’t, I get angry at myself for being sad about it.
 
I just can’t win with him and it’s my fault.
 
When I try to analyze why I keep pushing him away, the only thing I can come up with is that I figure it’s better if it’s me doing it now than him doing it to me later.
 
No point in getting hooked on something that can never be and that will just end up as painful wreckage.

I’m about to become a mother; I cannot afford to just hand my heart over to someone who will most certainly crush it.
 
Besides … the idea of being with a guy again
that way
is terrifying. I’m not sure I could ever do that again.