Trying Not to Love You
Page 52
"Yeah, I'm going to swing by. Is that ok?" He asked as I heard his car start up.
"What about Brittany? I don't think it's such a good idea. Hunter might come back. And then world war three might start." That was the last thing that needed to happen right now.
"Don't worry about Brittany. She'll understand. Why don't you meet me at the park around the corner? I'll pick you up there and we'll talk."
I looked over at the clock. It was only nine, and I had slept for so long that I wasn't even tired. "Yeah ok, ten minutes and I'll meet you there."
"Yeah, I'll be waiting," Then he hung up.
I put my shoes back on, threw my hair up in a ponytail and pulled on one of Hunter's hoodies that I stole from his home. It still smelled exactly like him. It gave me a little comfort knowing his smell wrapped around me. The pain in my chest was not any less but I would deal with that one day at a time.
No one seemed to be home, so walking out of the house was easy. I made it to the park in no time. Dominic was there waiting for me on one of the park benches, with some crackers and a ginger ale.
I looked at Dominic and smiled. This was my old Dominic: sweet, caring and loving. "This always helps when I get sick." He shrugged his shoulders.
I smiled, a real smile. "Thank you, but I think it's better if I don't eat for now since my stomach is settled."
"Yeah, ok. So, you are pregnant huh?" He could not look me in the eyes when he asked.
"Yes, but you already knew that." I grabbed his hand and he looked at me. "How did you know?"
Dominic chuckled. "Well actually I didn't. Logan did."
What? "Logan knew?" I'm confused. I didn't even know until now. "How?"
Dominic moved his hand back into his lap. "He called me Thursday while you were working and said he knew you were. His sister was the exact same way when he was home on Christmas break."
"Oh." Logan was talking about me. He did not get anyone pregnant. Now it made sense. Maybe Logan was a good guy after all. He could have just looked the other way and I still wouldn't know I was pregnant.
"So," He looked nervous, like he wasn't sure we should be talking about this or not. "What are you going to do?"
"Honestly," I looked over at him and met his stare. "I have no idea. I'm so scared; I'm not ready to be a mom yet, but...," I took a deep breath. "I don't really have a choice now. It's not weird or anything for me to be talking to you about this is it?"
"No, I think I always knew deep down that you would wind up with Hunter, but I kept hoping it would be me." he said, giving me a wink.
Dominic and I talked for two hours before I realized how late it was. I didn't take my phone with me, so I knew that my brothers would come looking for me. Dominic walked me home, even though I insisted that I was fine. Everyone was home when we made it to the house and Hunter's truck was back in the driveway.
"So, it's probably a good idea if I walk up alone." I wrapped my arms around myself.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I've had Hunter beat my ass enough this year." He said laughing. "Plus, Brittany is waiting for me."
"Funny." I said sarcastically. "How are things with Brittany anyway?"
"Well, not so good right now. She came all the way up here to confront me about knocking you up."
"What! How does she know?"
"She doesn't. I denied everything. She just thought she knew."
"Well thanks for everything Dominic. I'll talk to you later, I'm sure."
He tucked his hands in his pocket and nodded. "I think you should tell him Kenzie. He may be pissed off at first. Shit, he may not even believe you, but he needs to know. Figure things out together you know. He is just as much a part as this as you are."
A few tears fell. He was being so sweet. "Thanks, we'll see what happens." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and went home.
26
When I made it home that night, everyone was in the living room watching movies. I peeked in to see if Hunter was in there, and thankfully, he wasn't. I sat on the arm of the couch near Mason. "Hey guys."
"Hey, where were you?" Hailey asked.
"Oh, I just went for a walk, trying to clear my head." I grabbed the hem of my shirt, messing with it, trying not to make eye contact.
"Kenzie, can I talk to you for a minute outside?" Jaylinn asked, standing up from Coopers lap.
"Um, yeah sure." I put my hands in my pockets, and looked down to the ground, then made my way outside with her.
"So I know shit is all screwed up with you and Hunter, but what you said to him was f**ked up Kenz. You know how much he hates Dom for what he did to you. What do you do? You go and throw that shit in his face that Dom was there for you and Hunter wasn't. That's low Kenz."
I didn't think she would understand and I didn't expect her to. I just hoped after I figured everything out, that she would understand. "You don't understand what's been going on and I don't expect you to. But I stay out of your relationship with Coop, and you need to stay out of mine."
Looking apologetic, she said, "I know and I am trying. I just want you to know that it is killing him Kenz. He's a mess. Coop and I had to go pick him up from the bar just a little bit ago. He never drinks like this Kenz." A shadow passed by the light from the deck, but she kept talking. "Please, at least talk to him."
"Stay out of it Jay!" Hunter's voice boomed through the silent night. He came down the stairs to where we were on the patio. "Mind your own f**king business." He was furious, livid.
Jaylinn looked at Hunter and then back at me, closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm just trying to help, but you two seem to be doing such a f**king good job yourselves that I will let you be." She stomped off towards the house.
I did not want to wait around to see if I was the one who got yelled at next, so I followed her in and went up to my room. In a small way, I hoped Hunter would have asked me to talk, but I knew it was for the best that he didn't.
I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top and decided to relax in a nice hot bath. I had to deal with this one way or another; this wasn't something that would just go away with time. Realizing I didn't have the first clue where to start, I figured I would talk to my mom. She had handled Jackson and Chloe telling her she was pregnant pretty well. I could only hope she would handle this that well too.
After I turned all wrinkly, and the water had run cold, I got out and went to put my clothes on, but realized I left them on my dresser. I opened the door to make sure no one was in the hallway, and quickly ran into my room.
"What about Brittany? I don't think it's such a good idea. Hunter might come back. And then world war three might start." That was the last thing that needed to happen right now.
"Don't worry about Brittany. She'll understand. Why don't you meet me at the park around the corner? I'll pick you up there and we'll talk."
I looked over at the clock. It was only nine, and I had slept for so long that I wasn't even tired. "Yeah ok, ten minutes and I'll meet you there."
"Yeah, I'll be waiting," Then he hung up.
I put my shoes back on, threw my hair up in a ponytail and pulled on one of Hunter's hoodies that I stole from his home. It still smelled exactly like him. It gave me a little comfort knowing his smell wrapped around me. The pain in my chest was not any less but I would deal with that one day at a time.
No one seemed to be home, so walking out of the house was easy. I made it to the park in no time. Dominic was there waiting for me on one of the park benches, with some crackers and a ginger ale.
I looked at Dominic and smiled. This was my old Dominic: sweet, caring and loving. "This always helps when I get sick." He shrugged his shoulders.
I smiled, a real smile. "Thank you, but I think it's better if I don't eat for now since my stomach is settled."
"Yeah, ok. So, you are pregnant huh?" He could not look me in the eyes when he asked.
"Yes, but you already knew that." I grabbed his hand and he looked at me. "How did you know?"
Dominic chuckled. "Well actually I didn't. Logan did."
What? "Logan knew?" I'm confused. I didn't even know until now. "How?"
Dominic moved his hand back into his lap. "He called me Thursday while you were working and said he knew you were. His sister was the exact same way when he was home on Christmas break."
"Oh." Logan was talking about me. He did not get anyone pregnant. Now it made sense. Maybe Logan was a good guy after all. He could have just looked the other way and I still wouldn't know I was pregnant.
"So," He looked nervous, like he wasn't sure we should be talking about this or not. "What are you going to do?"
"Honestly," I looked over at him and met his stare. "I have no idea. I'm so scared; I'm not ready to be a mom yet, but...," I took a deep breath. "I don't really have a choice now. It's not weird or anything for me to be talking to you about this is it?"
"No, I think I always knew deep down that you would wind up with Hunter, but I kept hoping it would be me." he said, giving me a wink.
Dominic and I talked for two hours before I realized how late it was. I didn't take my phone with me, so I knew that my brothers would come looking for me. Dominic walked me home, even though I insisted that I was fine. Everyone was home when we made it to the house and Hunter's truck was back in the driveway.
"So, it's probably a good idea if I walk up alone." I wrapped my arms around myself.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I've had Hunter beat my ass enough this year." He said laughing. "Plus, Brittany is waiting for me."
"Funny." I said sarcastically. "How are things with Brittany anyway?"
"Well, not so good right now. She came all the way up here to confront me about knocking you up."
"What! How does she know?"
"She doesn't. I denied everything. She just thought she knew."
"Well thanks for everything Dominic. I'll talk to you later, I'm sure."
He tucked his hands in his pocket and nodded. "I think you should tell him Kenzie. He may be pissed off at first. Shit, he may not even believe you, but he needs to know. Figure things out together you know. He is just as much a part as this as you are."
A few tears fell. He was being so sweet. "Thanks, we'll see what happens." I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and went home.
26
When I made it home that night, everyone was in the living room watching movies. I peeked in to see if Hunter was in there, and thankfully, he wasn't. I sat on the arm of the couch near Mason. "Hey guys."
"Hey, where were you?" Hailey asked.
"Oh, I just went for a walk, trying to clear my head." I grabbed the hem of my shirt, messing with it, trying not to make eye contact.
"Kenzie, can I talk to you for a minute outside?" Jaylinn asked, standing up from Coopers lap.
"Um, yeah sure." I put my hands in my pockets, and looked down to the ground, then made my way outside with her.
"So I know shit is all screwed up with you and Hunter, but what you said to him was f**ked up Kenz. You know how much he hates Dom for what he did to you. What do you do? You go and throw that shit in his face that Dom was there for you and Hunter wasn't. That's low Kenz."
I didn't think she would understand and I didn't expect her to. I just hoped after I figured everything out, that she would understand. "You don't understand what's been going on and I don't expect you to. But I stay out of your relationship with Coop, and you need to stay out of mine."
Looking apologetic, she said, "I know and I am trying. I just want you to know that it is killing him Kenz. He's a mess. Coop and I had to go pick him up from the bar just a little bit ago. He never drinks like this Kenz." A shadow passed by the light from the deck, but she kept talking. "Please, at least talk to him."
"Stay out of it Jay!" Hunter's voice boomed through the silent night. He came down the stairs to where we were on the patio. "Mind your own f**king business." He was furious, livid.
Jaylinn looked at Hunter and then back at me, closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm just trying to help, but you two seem to be doing such a f**king good job yourselves that I will let you be." She stomped off towards the house.
I did not want to wait around to see if I was the one who got yelled at next, so I followed her in and went up to my room. In a small way, I hoped Hunter would have asked me to talk, but I knew it was for the best that he didn't.
I grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top and decided to relax in a nice hot bath. I had to deal with this one way or another; this wasn't something that would just go away with time. Realizing I didn't have the first clue where to start, I figured I would talk to my mom. She had handled Jackson and Chloe telling her she was pregnant pretty well. I could only hope she would handle this that well too.
After I turned all wrinkly, and the water had run cold, I got out and went to put my clothes on, but realized I left them on my dresser. I opened the door to make sure no one was in the hallway, and quickly ran into my room.
