Page 24 of Condemned Soul

“Joanne, somethin’s wrong, what is it? Did Mary-Ann say somethin’ to ya? She’s just a jealous bitch. She knows I’m onto somethin’ and she?—”

“Jimmer, I’m fine, please just let me go. I’ll see you tomorrow at the resort.” I kiss him on the cheek before charging the fuck out of there, getting in my car, and wondering what the hell I’m gonna do to get me out of this mess.

“It was a scary time.” Ella snaps me out of my memories. “But all that seems like so long ago now. I’m happy. Happier than I ever thought was possible. The past doesn’t matter,” she assures me.

“You're a very special girl, do you know that?” I can’t help feeling overwhelmed with pride when I look at her. Not only is she beautiful on the inside and out, but she’s a fantastic mother. A better one than I ever was. She makes it all look so easy. It makes me more and more certain that she’ll be okay.

“Thanks, Mom.” She smiles at me before kissing my cheek and getting back to chopping up some fruit for the kids.

“Don’t.” Joanne shoves my hands away when I reach them up past her hips to lift off the sweater she’s wearing. I don’t care that I’m in the middle of fuckin’ her, I pull out and take a step back.

“You’re tellin’ me what’s wrong, right now.” I stare at her through our reflection in the bathroom mirror.

“I’m just a little sensitive.” She turns around with a real sheepish look on her face.

“No, you're bullshittin’ me. You’ve had that same worried look on your face for ages. All this fuckin’ with the lights off and keepin’ your clothes on, ain’t you, Joanne. And now, I’m not even allowed to touch you?” I’m yelling at her because I don’t know where her head’s been at lately, but it sure as hell ain’t been here with me.

“Don’t yell.” She rests her ass against the basin unit that I’ve been tryin’ to screw her over and bites her nails nervously.

“Then tell me what the fuck’s wrong with ya so I can fix it. It’s like you’ve gone all body conscious all of a sudden.”

“I’ve just put on a little weight, okay?” She shrugs, trying to make out that it’s no big deal to her when clearly it fuckin’ is.

“Jo, the fact you even think that would bother me pisses me off. Now, tell me what’s really going on here. Because this is confusin’ the hell outta me. You wanna have sex all the time, but I’ve either got to drill ya from behind or promise not to touch ya. What’s with that?”

Joanne looks terrified and just about ready to burst into tears, which is starting to get me really panicked.

“Joanne?” I’m trying my best to remain calm because I don’t wanna scare her anymore, but it ain’t easy when I know she’s keepin’ somethin’ from me.

“Okay.” She lets out a long, heavy sigh. “But you have to promise not to be mad.” Her hands are physically shaking when she lifts up the front of her sweater.

My eyes widen when I realize what she’s showing me.

Just above the waistline of the panties she’s wearing, there is a very prominent roundness to her stomach.

“I’m sorry, and I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. I’ve hated keeping it from you but?—”

“What?” I keep looking at it and wondering how the hell I didn’t notice it before. I’m no obstetrician but I know it takes a good few months before a woman starts to show like that, and Mary-Ann never stopped complaining about the things she suffered when she was pregnant with Hayley.

“How long have you known about this?” I question her, rubbing my hand over my mouth and continuing to stare at the bombshell she just dropped.

“I found out later than I should have because I kept putting off taking a test. I told myself the pill I was taking had stopped my periods and that I was feeling sick because I’ve constantly been lying to my parents. But I found out a little over a month ago for sure.

“A month?” I stare at her in shock.

“I knew that you’d be mad and I drove myself to a doctor out of town with every intention of getting an abortion, but then they insisted on giving me an ultrasound. They told me I was already 12 weeks and when I saw it on the screen it looked like a proper little baby. I just couldn’t do it.” She shakes her head and starts to cry. “I’m sorry, Jimmer. I know I’ve just made your situation a whole lot worse and?—”

“Hey. No.” I suddenly realize I'm handling this all wrong and step closer so I can take her in my arms. “I don’t want ya to be sorry for that. I’m just mad you’ve known about this for a whole month and haven’t told me.” I slide my hand over the ridge of her stomach and watch her frown in confusion.

“So, you're not mad about the baby?”

“Why would I be mad about that? I told you what my plans are for this club. All of ‘em involve you.”

“I worried you’d think I did the same thing Mary-Ann did. I thought?—”

“Stop, I would never think that,” This feels so different from when Mary-Ann told me she was pregnant. I don’t feel any fear, in fact, I kinda feel on top of the world about it. “I’m glad this has happened,” I admit.

“Are you crazy?” Joanne pushes me away and the look on her face ain’t matching my elation. “Jimmer, this is a disaster, do you have any idea what my parents are gonna say?” Her hands lift up so she can grip at her hair.

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