Page 88 of You're All I Need

“My swimmers are just fucking fine, thank you. Olympic gold medalists.”

I bark out a laugh and stand up, stretching. “Thanks for the talk.”

“Any time. I’m always here to give you the kick in the ass you need.”

I nod. “Appreciate it.”

“Where ya off to?” he asks, the hope evident in his question.

“I need to do a little thinking.”

“Probably wise. Take your time but, Caden? Don’t take too long, you know? Time is of the essence. Groveling needs to happen sooner, rather than later, or you may be too late.”

“Understood.”

I throw him a wave and retreat off the deck, heading for my truck. I’m not ready to return to Adrienne’s yet. I still need to come to terms with my past and how it affects my future. Plus, there’s a baby I need to consider.

Mybaby.

With no destination in mind, I head out of town, determined to figure this out.

Determined to find peace.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Adrienne

I toss and turn again, trying to find a comfortable position and coming up empty. I’m exhausted, my mind is numb and yet unable to settle. My face hurts, my eyes are swollen from crying, and I feel like I’m going to throw up. Not to mention my heart is cracked open, bleeding all over my pretty blue-and-yellow quilt.

Heartbreak hurts.

I’m giving myself one night to cry. Two tops. And then, I’m moving on. I don’t need a man to raise a baby. Would it have helped? Sure would. Especially on the nights the baby won’t seem to go to sleep or isn’t feeling well and cries nonstop. And sure, it would have been nice to have Caden by my side while I was in labor, feeding me ice chips and holding my hand while the contractions gripped, steadily getting more intense. But that’s okay. I’ve got Stevie. Maybe I’ll ask her to be in labor and delivery with me. Or possibly my mom. I’m sure she’d take time off work and come stay with me for a week or two.

So, you see? I have support.

I’ll be okay.

I sigh and flop onto my back once more. I’m probably going to need to quit my job. Not the bar, the other one. Though, being pregnant and working behind a bar isn’t going to be the easiest, at least toward the end. I’ll be on my feet the entire time, and the closer I get to my due date, that’s when people complain about the swollen ankles, the backaches, and the peeing every four seconds. Plus, there’s the fact I’m not considered full time and don’t get normal benefits, like paid time off or a maternity leave. I have tons of flexibility with scheduling, which will helpwhen it comes to doctors’ appointments and such, but my health insurance is a basic policy I had to take out myself. It’s not cheap and has a higher deductible, the option I chose to keep the cost down. In all the years I’ve had the policy, I’ve barely used it, but now, I’ll be using the shit out of it.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Maybe quitting my part-time job at the shop isn’t such a great idea. I could stick all the money I make there into my savings account. Heaven knows I’m going to have to use it when it comes time to start purchasing items for the baby. Not to mention the time I’m going to have to take off after having the baby.

And childcare.

Plus medical for the baby.

It’s almost overwhelming to think about.

The question remains, how long could I work at the shop, knowing I’ll potentially see the father of my baby every time I’m there? Of course, I’ve discovered he’s really good at cutting tail and hiding, so I suppose it wouldn’t be much different than it was this week. As long as they don’t fire me, that is. Maybe Caden won’t even want to keep me employed. You know, the woman carrying his baby, the one he doesn’t claim because he thinks I either got pregnant on purpose or it’s someone else’s?

“Ugh,” I groan, sitting up in bed. My phone says it’s just after midnight, and I’m so amped up still, I don’t see myself falling asleep anytime soon. Good thing I’m off tomorrow and can take naps if needed.

I grab my phone and bottle of water and head downstairs. Maybe watching a little TV will help me relax enough to fall asleep.

When I reach the living room, I grab the remote and flip on some stupid reality show. The women are arguing and throwing random items at each other. It’s trashy and notsomething I generally watch, but maybe it’s mindless enough to help me relax.

Finishing off my bottle of water, I head for the kitchen to grab a new one. Of course, the moment my feet hit the cool tile; I instantly have to pee. After making a quick pitstop in the half bath and washing my hands, I return to the kitchen for more water. Just as I’m closing the fridge door, there’s a knock on my door. I kept the light off, so it’s not like anyone can see light and assume I’m up at this time of the night. What if it’s someone who needs help? Stevie? No, she would have texted to let me know she was coming over. Who else would show up at my door after midnight?

I slowly make my way to the door. Just as I’m about to look through the peephole, a second knock sounds, this time louder than the first. The noise makes me yelp. I cover my mouth with my hand and freeze in place.

---