going to do?" she asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know. Work at Infinity's until I can't anymore while looking for another job. I thought taking care of one baby would be expensive, but two? God, I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I have to," I told her as the flood gates opened again. Lauren sat down beside me and let me cry it out on her.
"Tyler will be there for you and do anything you need …"
"No!" I yelled pulling away from her. "I don’t want him to feel obligated to do anything. And I sure as hell don't want him to be with me just because he knocked me up. That's why …"
"That's why you told him you ended it?"
"Yes, and you have to swear you won't tell him. Or Caleb and his big mouth."
"Of course, but honey, unless you leave town, one or both will see you with a big ol' belly, especially since its twins. And you should have seen how upset Tyler was when he came over. He wanted you to keep the baby."
I snorted. "Yeah, and I'm sure he'd be thrilled to find out it's two of them."
"He might be. Tell him."
"No."
"Okay, then will you at least date him?"
"What? Why?" I asked, looking at her like she was nuts.
"Everyone saw the spark when you two kissed a few weeks ago at Shooter's. There's something there, so why don't you date him until you start to show, and see what happens?"
"And not tell him that I'm keeping his sons, daughters or a mix and match set?"
She laughed. "If that's what you want. This way you could find out if you two could work, without wondering if he's just with you out of guilt or a feeling of responsibility."
Just thinking about seeing and dating him again made me feel better, but there was a problem with her idea. "He doesn't want to date me. We haven't gone out since the drunken night he knocked me up."
"I can give him a push in the right direction, and so will Caleb. Without me telling Caleb the truth," she added when I gave her an evil look.
"I don't want you to talk him into it."
"You would be good for him. He needs this, whether or not he knows it yet."
"No, just stay out of it, okay? If he wants to see me, which I seriously doubt since he thinks I ended the pregnancy without telling him first, then I'll date him."
"Fine," she said with an eye roll.
"Now, how about some Ben & Jerry's?" I asked.
"Sure. You need all the food you can get since you're eating for three," she said with a smile.
…
Tyler
I couldn't sleep. I'd been lying in bed for two hours, staring at the ceiling because my eyes refused to close. My lungs couldn't seem to get enough air in them, and I felt sick to my stomach. Man, I was pathetic. If I felt miserable, I couldn't imagine how Jess was feeling.
It was after one a.m., and because of her long, late night shifts on weekends she was probably still awake. I sent her a quick text message before I changed my mind, just, " Hey, are you awake ?"
I was surprised when not two minutes later I got a one word response, causing my heart to race, " Yes ."
I called her, hoping she'd actually answer since she'd just texted.
"Hey, Tyler."
"Hey, Jess, how are you doing?"
"I'm … here."
"Yeah. I couldn't sleep and figured you might be up too."
"Yep. My days and nights stay confused."
"I get that way after a few third shifts."
"Did Lauren tell you to call?" she asked hesitantly.
"What? No, why? I haven't talked to Lauren since I saw her at their house, before she left heading over to see you."
"Oh."
"So, what were you doing before I called?" I asked, trying to talk about something neutral, instead of what we were both thinking about.
"Just flipping through channels."
"Find anything good?"
"Actually yeah. There's a Game of Thrones marathon on HBO."
"Awesome. I need to get HBO added to my package here. I miss it."
There was silence before she finally asked, "Would you maybe want to ah, come over?" I was already out of bed and putting my shoes on.
"Yes, definitely," I said, probably too enthusiastically. "But not
I shrugged. "I don't know. Work at Infinity's until I can't anymore while looking for another job. I thought taking care of one baby would be expensive, but two? God, I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I have to," I told her as the flood gates opened again. Lauren sat down beside me and let me cry it out on her.
"Tyler will be there for you and do anything you need …"
"No!" I yelled pulling away from her. "I don’t want him to feel obligated to do anything. And I sure as hell don't want him to be with me just because he knocked me up. That's why …"
"That's why you told him you ended it?"
"Yes, and you have to swear you won't tell him. Or Caleb and his big mouth."
"Of course, but honey, unless you leave town, one or both will see you with a big ol' belly, especially since its twins. And you should have seen how upset Tyler was when he came over. He wanted you to keep the baby."
I snorted. "Yeah, and I'm sure he'd be thrilled to find out it's two of them."
"He might be. Tell him."
"No."
"Okay, then will you at least date him?"
"What? Why?" I asked, looking at her like she was nuts.
"Everyone saw the spark when you two kissed a few weeks ago at Shooter's. There's something there, so why don't you date him until you start to show, and see what happens?"
"And not tell him that I'm keeping his sons, daughters or a mix and match set?"
She laughed. "If that's what you want. This way you could find out if you two could work, without wondering if he's just with you out of guilt or a feeling of responsibility."
Just thinking about seeing and dating him again made me feel better, but there was a problem with her idea. "He doesn't want to date me. We haven't gone out since the drunken night he knocked me up."
"I can give him a push in the right direction, and so will Caleb. Without me telling Caleb the truth," she added when I gave her an evil look.
"I don't want you to talk him into it."
"You would be good for him. He needs this, whether or not he knows it yet."
"No, just stay out of it, okay? If he wants to see me, which I seriously doubt since he thinks I ended the pregnancy without telling him first, then I'll date him."
"Fine," she said with an eye roll.
"Now, how about some Ben & Jerry's?" I asked.
"Sure. You need all the food you can get since you're eating for three," she said with a smile.
…
Tyler
I couldn't sleep. I'd been lying in bed for two hours, staring at the ceiling because my eyes refused to close. My lungs couldn't seem to get enough air in them, and I felt sick to my stomach. Man, I was pathetic. If I felt miserable, I couldn't imagine how Jess was feeling.
It was after one a.m., and because of her long, late night shifts on weekends she was probably still awake. I sent her a quick text message before I changed my mind, just, " Hey, are you awake ?"
I was surprised when not two minutes later I got a one word response, causing my heart to race, " Yes ."
I called her, hoping she'd actually answer since she'd just texted.
"Hey, Tyler."
"Hey, Jess, how are you doing?"
"I'm … here."
"Yeah. I couldn't sleep and figured you might be up too."
"Yep. My days and nights stay confused."
"I get that way after a few third shifts."
"Did Lauren tell you to call?" she asked hesitantly.
"What? No, why? I haven't talked to Lauren since I saw her at their house, before she left heading over to see you."
"Oh."
"So, what were you doing before I called?" I asked, trying to talk about something neutral, instead of what we were both thinking about.
"Just flipping through channels."
"Find anything good?"
"Actually yeah. There's a Game of Thrones marathon on HBO."
"Awesome. I need to get HBO added to my package here. I miss it."
There was silence before she finally asked, "Would you maybe want to ah, come over?" I was already out of bed and putting my shoes on.
"Yes, definitely," I said, probably too enthusiastically. "But not
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