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“He wasn’t a stranger! Jake knows him.”
“I do know him. Steve’s a great guy. He has kids with four different women, though. He’s a great guy who isn’t good at protected sex or long-term commitment.” Shrugging, Jake turned onto the highway. “As far as I know, he never cheated.”
14
***Fiona***
Iturned to face Mallory and shook my head. “No. We’re not doing the pregnant at the same time sister stuff. One of us being emotional is enough. If you call him, you’d better use protection and the morning after pill.”
“Well, relax your tits, sis. I lost his number and I’m not interested in having kids. Babysitting Avery for the last six years has shown me that I’m a better aunt than mom. If I had to live with the kid constantly I would lose my mind. One of us would end up dead and with Avery being as smart as he is, I think it would be me. And he’d probably get away with it. You’d probably help him hide my body.”
I nodded. “I’d be so freaking sad, but my baby isn’t going to jail.”
Mallory threw her hands up. “You’re terrible! Some sister you are. You would hide my body and let me rot away just to protect Avery? I should’ve let you drown that summer at the lake.”
I gasped. “Don’t even say that! That’s so mean.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted forward until she could hug me. “I know. I’m so sorry. I love you. I would never let you drown. I’m your big sister.”
My hormones got the best of me as my eyes filled with tears. “I love you, too. I would never let Avery murder you. He’d be in so much trouble.”
Once we were both crying, Jake pulled over and got out of the SUV. I assumed he was sick of us but then I looked up and saw that we were at Mallory’s house already.
“Come on, crazy.” He opened Mallory’s door and helped her out while smiling through the window at me. “Do you have your keys ready?”
“My roommates are home. It’s fine. They’ll let me in.” She stumbled a few steps into the street and Jake grabbed her to keep her from falling. “Alright, big boy. I’ve got it from here. You focus on sexing up my little sister. Give that bodyguard my number, will you?”
The front door opened and Mallory’s equally woo-woo loving roommate, Kevin, stepped out. “Mal? Are you coming? We’re about to start hot yoga!”
Mallory cheered and pushed away from Jake to run up the sidewalk. “Yes! Hot yoga! Is Brian here to lead it?”
Jake opened his door to step in and shook his head at me. “She’s nuts.”
“Nevermind about the bodyguard, Jakey! Brian is here! He’s limber, baby!” The slamming door broke Jake’s frozen spell and he finally turned back to me with wide eyes.
I nodded. “She’s wild. She’s usually a little calmer but alcohol sets her free.”
He pulled away from the curb. “Why don’t I believe you?”
“That’s fair.” I leaned my head back on the seat and turned to watch him. “This is weird, right? I didn’t mean to just show up and have Mallory shout the news at you. I hadn’t exactly thought of a plan but…I thought it might be a little less than shouting it at you.”
He stopped before leaving Mallory’s neighborhood and asked for my address. Then, a deep frown settled on his face. “I didn’t need a fancy pregnancy announcement, angel. I’m having trouble focusing on that, though, when the address you just gave me is what it is.”
I sat up. “What do you mean?”
“Fiona, that’s a neighborhood I lived in when I was just getting started with the band. Unless it’s changed a lot in the past twenty years, I’m a little worried about where I’m dropping you off.” He shot me a serious look. “And I know it hasn’t changed that much because I still know guys from back in the day that live there and they’re not exactly nice neighborhood kinds of guys.”
I stared back at him with a blank expression and watched as he grew even more agitated. Finally, I held up my hands and shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“You’re a teacher, right? Why don’t you live somewhere nicer?”
I laughed, which seemed to annoy him more. “You answered the question yourself. I’m a teacher, Jake. I don’t make a lot of money. Unless I want to live with Mallory and her four roommates, I don’t have a lot of choices. It’s not the nicest neighborhood, but it’s safe enough. No one bothers me or Avery.”
His jaw worked as he drove silently towards my apartment. Only when we were turning onto my street did he speak again. “Shit, angel.”
“It’s not that bad. Maybe you’ve just been rich for too long.” I smiled when he shot me a stern look. “What? I’m serious.”
“It’s not safe. You’re pregnant, angel. You need to be somewhere safe and secure.” He parked in front of my apartment and gazed out at the group of young guys standing around the front patch of grass.
