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“I don’t know how to tell you this… I think the nicest way to do it is like a Band-Aid, quick and fast so it doesn’t hurt.”
Rolling her eyes, Lilly replied, “Well this isn’t fast and I don’t think you could hurt me again, so I think you may be safe.” She knew it was a below-the-belt comment, but he was starting to annoy her with his I’m-so-gentle approach. “Be a man and get it over with.”
“Sass, that’s new. I deserve that.” Taking in a deep breath, he let it all come out. “I think Payton could be in trouble.”
Interrupting him before he could continue, Lilly exclaimed, “Payton? You’ve come here to talk about Payton? What, you have a thing for her now?” She knew she was going way overboard, but she was having a bad day. He was an easy target to focus her frustrations on.
“Just wait one minute. Payton and me? Really? Lilly, give me a fucking break! I’m sorry for what I did to you, and I realize I’ll have to pay for that mistake for the rest of my life. I never intended to hurt you and I would never purposely hurt you by using your sister or anyone else. I love you, and I plan to spend the rest of my days trying to make it up to you. I didn’t intend to make you mad, I just want to give you a heads-up and try to protect you. And here you go, throwing me down and, in a sense, pissing on me.”
“That’s right, I’m the bad guy here. Leaving the way you did wasn’t supposed to hurt me, right? Why would it? Why should I care that you didn’t have the balls to talk to me!” Lilly was pacing around her living room as Ryan sat still on her couch.
Picking up the little pillow cushion on her love seat, she flung it at Ryan. This was different; they had never fought in their lives before. It was one of the reasons Lilly thought their relationship was so fantastic. They had always gotten along so well. But she was definitely enjoying this right now; she needed a good yelling match.
Standing up, Ryan caught the little red pillow. “Oh come on!” Ryan kicked the bottom of her couch. He could feel the plywood underneath the leather. It took everything he had to not show the pain that was running through his foot and shooting up into his leg. “You know what, Lilly, I don’t need this. Obviously, you can’t think like a sane person right now, so I am going to leave. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you.”
“That’s right, just leave. You’re really good at that.”
Coming right up to Lilly, Ryan had his face less than an inch from hers. “This is not the same.”
Taking a step back, Lilly replied, “Ryan, I am going to make this easier on both of us.” While taking a deep breath she looked him straight in his eyes. “I am pregnant.”
Lilly looked down in defeat as Ryan took a step forward to comfort Lilly with a big hug and kiss on the forehead. Lilly was taken off guard by the hug, pushing him away as hard as she could, as she began to cry.
“What the hell are you doing? It’s not your baby, idiot.”
Without letting her go, Ryan said, “I know. But it looks like you need a person, and I want to be yours, your go-to person, like I once was.”
Ryan’s shirt was now wet with tears and small black smudges. Finally, letting out the last sob, Lilly tried to get herself together with some level of poise. “Thanks. It has been a stressful week at the office. And then this whole pregnancy thing scared me a little. I had no time to really think about it and still don’t. But there you were, standing at my door.”
“Lilly, I want to be here for you. I still love you.”
“Please don’t start, I can’t think about that right now. I will be fine. I’m a big girl. And I know the dad will be wonderful.” In reality, she had no idea how Jack might react. She guessed she would find out. “Plus, I haven’t even gone to the doctor yet. It could just be a scare.”
“Are you sure you’re fine? I don’t mind listening.”
“No.” Looking at her watch, she realized she should be on her way to Jack’s by now. “I’m already late for an appointment, I need to get going.”
Hesitantly, he began to move toward the door. “Hey, Lill, I still need to talk to you about work stuff.”
“Ryan, not tonight.”
“What about lunch tomorrow?”
“Call me in the morning.”
And with that Ryan left, leaving Lilly to wash her face and get ready for her date with Jack.
*
Lilly walked intoJack’s penthouse, the smell of dinner cooking infiltrating her senses. Her eyes were slightly red from crying but the Vaseline had erased any major signs of her meltdown an hour earlier.
“Beautiful.” Jack kissed her softly on the lips as he handed her a glass of white wine and led her to the couch. He had her favorite gossip magazine, In Style, on the coffee table and a scratch ticket waiting for her.
Her eyes almost spilled over in tears when she saw that he had two of her favorite things sitting there waiting for her. “Oh, Jack. This is exactly what I need. I love it.” She gave him another kiss, slightly more intense than the one they had just shared. As she sat down, ready to indulge in the world of celebrities, Jack went back to finish prepping supper, just off to the right and within vicinity of Lilly. In between pages of new divorces and teen DUIs she slowly poured her wine into the tree that sat beside her. As she sat there she decided to hold off on telling Jack until she went to the doctor, knowing it was silly to do so, and even sillier to be pouring her wine into his plant.
Jack was pulling out all the stops tonight, Lilly smugly thought to herself, although she thoroughly enjoyed it. This was something Ryan rarely did. Jack had even rented the latest romantic comedy for her. As they sat down for the movie, Jack poured the last of the wine into her glass.
“Are you trying to get me drunk to take advantage of me?” Lilly was hoping that the wine wouldn’t kill his plant, and that he wouldn’t notice the grape scent coming from behind them. Jack kneeled down on the couch and gave her a deep kiss. Leisurely getting up to put the movie in, he put his hand on her breast to steady him.
