Page 63 of Cruel Alpha Bully

“Of course you do.” Jack’s voice is soft. “I’ve got you. I’ve always got you, lil’ bub.”

His use of my childhood pet name tears me up all over again. I know Jack feels bad about never standing up for me in high school, and he’s been trying to make up for it ever since.

“Thank you, Jack.”

“No problem. I’ll be there soon.”

Jack hangs up, and I curl up in bed, hugging my pillow and letting my misery consume me. I am not looking forward to my next conversation with Bae or any of the hard times ahead, but I know I have to start taking better care of myself and figure all of this out. For my baby.

From now on, the baby is what comes first, and I can’t let my hurt feelings put my child in danger.

Chapter 22 - Bailey

Days go by, and my heart gets heavier and heavier. The house feels so empty, and it echoes with memories of Gina’s laughter. Sometimes, I go into the garage, lift the cover on the piano, and touch the keys, trying to recapture the perfection of those moments.

When I go to work, I can barely concentrate. I have to drop my personal training and assign my clients to someone else because I’m too distracted to give good advice. I can’t respond to anyone with anything vaguely positive—I feel like my world is crumbling apart.

I don’t dare contact Gina. After telling me that she needed space for the baby, I assume that she’ll call me once she feels rested. I can’t help but worry about how things are going, but after a few days, I see her return to work. At least then, I know she’s okay.

And I can keep an eye on her.

I keep too close of an eye on her. I can’t do much else except stand at the windows and watch her. Seeing her smile and laugh with customers cuts me to the bone. She looks closer to her casual acquaintances than she does to me.

I want to stop watching, but I can’t. I’m torturing myself, thinking about the future and imagining her getting bigger with the pregnancy. How I won’t be there to rub her belly and hear the baby’s heartbeat.

Alone over the weekend, I start to get so lonely that I can’t take it another second. I have to see her… even if it’s just for a few minutes. We do need to talk, and I’m sure we can do that without causing her too much stress.

Just as I’m walking towards the door, someone knocks on it. I hurry over to it, praying that it’s Gina.

“Jack?”

“Hey, man. Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

“Looks like you were on your way out? This can wait if you’re in a hurry.”

I shake my head. “I was going to try and track down Gina. Probably not a good idea.”

Jack nods. “That’s what I wanted to talk about, actually.”

I sigh, not knowing how to respond. I want news on Gina, and I was planning on talking to her, so I guess I should listen to Jack.

“I’ll grab us a couple of beers,” I offer.

“Great,” Jack says, settling on the couch. When I get back, I put a couple of ice-cold bottles on the table and throw half of mine back in one gulp.

“So, what’s the news?” I ask. “Is the baby okay?”

“Yes, the baby’s fine. She had a full check-up and has taken some time off work. It’s too early to do any really detailed imagery, but everything is coming along beautifully. Or so they tell me.”

“I assume Carla is taking really good care of her?”

“Actually, Gina’s at my place.”

I frown. “What is she doing there?”

“She was worried Mom would suffocate her.”

---