Page 38 of Interception

Chapter Ten

Zee

Every time I check my phone, it stresses me out. I’m starting to show now, and every time I’m seen in public with Faith or Coop, the rumor mill is churning. I thought it was bad after Coop’s grand gesture at the Titans’ game a few months ago, but that was nothing compared to the scrutiny I’m getting now.

I underestimated just how popular Coop is with the women of Nashville. They’ve taken to Twitter to badmouth me at every turn. I’ve officially been labeled as Cooper Danford’s ‘girlfriend,’ ‘booty call,’ and ‘latest conquest,’ among other things. There are picture comparisons from when we were first photographed together and of us now. It’s clear that I’ve put on weight, but I’m carrying two babies for God’s sake. I’m also eating everything in sight.

I told Coop to cut me off when we’re together. I seem to have lost all willpower and replaced it with a super sweet tooth. He’s hopeless. If anything, I eat more when he’s around. Coop’s fans have gone to town, calling me a fat pig, asking if Coop has become a chubby chaser. It’s messed up, but now we face a new challenge. I can’t pass this off as a few extra burgers anymore. My belly has popped, and I look very much pregnant. You’d have to be an idiot not to notice at this point.

I have to talk Coop off the ledge with every new story about his chubby girlfriend. I hate to see him struggling with all of this because of me. I finally gave in and told him that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he used the word ‘girlfriend’ concerning me. It made his day—it was quite sweet, actually. Within seconds, he had his phone out, snapping a selfie of us—him kissing my cheek.

Having my best friend constantly in the limelight with Coop’s best friend doesn’t make it any easier to fade into the background. I have no desire to be in front of the camera or splashed all over social media, especially when I’m turning into a whale. Every time I try to rationalize my feelings for Coop and tell myself I’ll be okay if we end up as friends who share DNA with two tiny people, all it takes is one kiss, and I melt like butter. He has some serious skills. For fleeting moments, I let myself believe in the fairy tale—I let myself imagine what happily ever after could look like.

Today, Coop is doing a press conference after his game to announce that we’re expecting. It’s all I can do to keep my lunch down. Instead of going to the game, I jump in the car and head to my parents’ house. I need to tell them before they see it splashed all over the news. My dad has shown more interest in me in recent months than he has my entire life up until now. It’s a direct correlation to me being spotted out and about town with a Titan.

I haven’t inflicted my parents on Coop yet. He thinks it’s because I’m embarrassed to be with him, and as many times as I try to explain that it’s the other way round, he doesn’t believe me. My parents would make sure I go down in Coop’s estimations before the end of a five-minute conversation, and I already feel like a relationship failure. They are the epitome of parents who didn’t want their kid. I don’t want Coop to draw similarities where there are none. Okay, maybe one—we didn’t plan this. But, here’s where I differ from my parents—I want these babies, and I’ll make sure they know that every single day. By the time they’re ten, they’ll be sick to death of hearing how much I love them.

As I pull up outside the house I grew up in, my stomach sinks, and I wonder if I’m going to be chastised for being an unwed mother. Although, that would require some level of giving a fuck about me. I don’t use my key because I don’t feel like this is home to me, and I don’t think it ever was. Instead, I ring the doorbell and wait until my mom opens the door.

“For God’s sake, Zoey, use your key. I’m in the middle of getting ready to go to the country club.”

“Nice to see you, too, Mom.” I follow her inside with a heavy heart and dread seeping into my bones.

“Well, you could’ve given me more than an hour’s notice that you were coming by. Your father and I have busy lives. We plan our weekends. Just because we’re your parents doesn’t mean we sit around waiting for you to honor us with your presence.”

“No shit.”

“There’s no need for crude language, Zoey.”

“It’s Zee, Mom. Not Zoey. No one calls me that.”

“Zee is a letter, not a name. I gave birth to you, and I shall call you what I like.” She doesn’t skip a beat and won’t take a minute to sit down and actually talk to me. I follow her around like a lost puppy, begging for scraps of affection.

“Mom, can you just stop for a second so that we can talk? I want to speak with you and Dad.”

“Is this about that Danford boy? Your dad said you’ve been in the news because you’re dating some football player. You could’ve told us that in a text message or a phone call. You really are too dramatic, Zoey. I don’t know where you get it from.”

“Probably from years of you and Dad giving a grand total of zero fucks about me. Dramatics is the only way to get your attention.” She just busies herself even more, so I go in search of my dad. She just mutters under her breath as I leave the room. I don’t even know why I bothered coming.

My dad is hiding out in his office with his head in a book—as always.

“Hey, Dad.” He grunts in reply, barely acknowledging me. “Can you come into the living room for a moment? I need to talk to you and Mom. It’s easier if I don’t have to say it twice.” He lifts his head, eyeing me with a lackluster stare, reminding me that I’m an inconvenience.

“You need to cut back on the sugar if you want to keep a guy like Cooper Danford interested, Zoey. You’re letting yourself go. How you got a guy like him to date you, I’ll never know.”

“Thanks for the confidence booster. Coop likes me just fine the way I am.” I wish Coop were here with me right now. He’d charm the pants off my parents, and I’d have one person on my side.

When I have them both in the same room, my throat goes dry, and I’m about ready to hurl. The morning sickness passed a few weeks ago, but right now, I could blow chunks for sure. They sit, staring at me as I pace up and down, wringing my hands together.

“Well, spit it out, Zoey. Your father and I don’t have all day. He has a round of golf to play, and I have a committee meeting to get to.”

“I assume you’ve seen me in the papers recently with Cooper Danford?”

“Yes, yes. We already know about him. Good catch. You really should be trying harder to stay in shape if you want to continue dating him.” They are just completely blind when it comes to me.

“When you’re done fat-shaming me, I came to tell you before you hear it on the news… I’m pregnant.”

“Do you know who the father is?” Are they serious right now?

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