Page 28 of Sometimes You Fall

“Slack?” I shriek. “Just what do you think he should do, Chase? What if Ididn’tknow the man whose business you broke into? Huh? What would you propose I do then?” He shrugs, avoiding my eyes. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I say, “Look, it’s late. I need sleep and a level head to even begin to think of how I want to handle this. But just know, you are grounded until you’re eighteen.”

His head pops up. “Eighteen?”

“If you’re lucky. Now go to your room.” I point down the hallway, and he wisely obeys, walking to his room and shutting the door behind him.

As the door clicks shut, I let out a long, shaky breath, the reality of the night sinking in. Heading back to my room, I shut myself inside and enter the bathroom, studying myself in the mirror.

I’m twenty all over again, holding my stomach as I take in a few deep breaths, wondering how on earth I’m going to handle this. Nothing prepares you for being a parent, and I sure as hell have never had to deal with anything like this with Chase. Sure, he has problems putting his laundry in the basket instead of on the floor right next to it, his room smells like rotten feet no matter how much Febreze I spray, and his idea of communicating most of the time is rolling his eyes or grunting. But he’s a good kid.

This was supposed to be a fresh start for us. Instead, I feel like we came in full throttle, only to run headfirst into a brick wall. And to top it all off, now I’ll have another child to raise and wonder what kind of trouble they’ll get into. How am I supposed to navigate all of this on my own?

I should have guessed I was pregnant weeks ago, but with the move, my mind was focused on other things. I didn’t even realize I missed my period, and the nausea didn’t start right away, same as when I was pregnant with Chase. With him, all of my symptoms started later in the first trimester and lasted well into my fifth month. Here’s hoping this pregnancy is easier, but given my age, I’m even more nervous about what to expect.

I have one child with a man I can’t stand, a child who thought breaking the law to fit in with his new friends was a good idea, and another on the way with a man that can barely stand to look at me right now. And if Andrew finds out about this? I don’t even want to think about how he’ll react and what he might do.

History is repeating itself, and I’m the fool who thought I’d learned from my past.

Tomorrow I will talk to Grady, ask for forgiveness for me and my son, and let him know that he’s going to be a father. I will stand my ground, assure him that nothing between us has to change, and then we can just both move on with our lives.

I’ve done this before, and I can do it again. Only this time, I’m not going to let my heart get involved. That’s how I got in trouble in the first place, and the last thing I need is heartache on top of everything else.

***

Just after three in the afternoon, I pull into the driveway of Grady’s house and shut my car off. Chase is under the supervision of my mom and Gigi while I’m gone so I don’t have to worry about him getting himself in trouble again. I haven’t told them what happened last nightyet, but they know something’s up since Chase looked like a puppy dog with his tail tucked between his legs when I dropped him off,andhe’s without a cell phone.

Grady steps out the front door just as I stand from the car, and god, he looksgood.

Wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans, his light brown hair freshly cut, and his feet bare, he stares at me as I make my way to his wraparound porch and climb the five steps that lead to the front door. His arms are straining against the sleeves of his shirt, those biceps that I remember biting into as he made me come so hard I nearly passed out.

“Hi,” I say, trying to gauge his mood and forget about our hot night that led to me being pregnant.

“Hey.” He holds the door open so I can enter the house and follows me inside.

In daylight, I can finally take in his home. The night I spent here was fully in the dark, so I couldn’t appreciate the home he’s built for himself.

The walls are a light gray and the décor features shades of blue, ranging from sky blue to navy. A plush gray couch and matching recliner stand out in the living room, facing a massive television that takes up nearly an entire wall. Framed articles from his baseball career hang proudly on the walls around the space. Through an opening in the wall, I glimpse the kitchen through that separates the two rooms, and a hallway to my left leads to his bedroom—a place I remember all too well.

“Scottie?” he says, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“I asked you if you’d like something to drink.”

“Oh, sorry.” I push my curls from my face. “Sure. Water would be great, thanks.”

He nods and heads for the kitchen, bringing me back a glass of ice water, gesturing for me to sit on the couch as he takes a seat in his recliner to my right.

I take a sip, set the glass on the coffee table in front of me, and then meet his eyes. “Grady, I’m so sorry. Again.”

“For which part?” His words are curt, and I know he’s referring to my leaving without a word, but I have to handle the matter with Chase first.

“About last night. Believe me, my son will be suffering the utmost punishment from me, and we will pay for all the damages, but I’m begging you, please don’t press charges.”

Leaning forward, bracing his forearms on his thighs, he stares at me. “I’m not going to press charges, Scottie.”

A sigh of relief leaves my lips. “Thank you.”

“I remember what it was like to be fourteen and wanting to fit in. But this situation is more complicated than that.”

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