Page 35 of Battling the Enemy
I finally snapped out of my daze. “We…we didn’t use protection last night, Deke,” I reminded him. “Not only was that unsafe…it was super reckless. Never mind an STD, a baby would bond us for life.” I wish I could say my inexperience made this all Deke’s fault, but I couldn’t. Yeah, the first time, fell more on his shoulders since he’s the one with the experience, but I hadn’t protested the next couple of times knowing I was unprotected. I chose pleasure over responsibility and I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
Deke cocked his head and the edge of his lip lifted as if he was trying not to laugh at me. “Lamb, if you want to get on the pill or something, that’s fine,” he replied. “However, we’re going to keep fucking without protection until you do.” He shrugged a shoulder. “If you get pregnant, so be it.”
I stared at him dumbfounded.
Absolutely dumbfounded.
He couldn’t be serious.
My mind got to working again. “Are you out of your mind?” I whispered, stunned. “Who in the hell wants to be a parent at 18-years-old?”
Deke laughed, further substantiating his insanity. “If it means I get you forever, I’ll knock you up every goddamn nine months, Delaney.”
I searched his green eyes for signs of alteration, because he had to be on drugs, right? “You…you cannot be serious, Deke,” I sputtered. “No one wants to be parents in high school.No one.”
He really laughed this time, as if he was privy to some little secret. “I know two guys who would argue that point,” he chuckled.
I didn’t like being laughed at. I sat up straighter and smoothed the sheet over my lap. “Ramsey and Liam don’t count,” I flung back.
His brows rose at my tone. “And why don’t they count?”
“Because those love stories are legendary, Deke,” I pointed out, as if he didn’t know.
He smirked. “Ahhhh, I see,” he said, his voice dripping with superiority. “Legendary…”
I wanted to smack him again.
“Yes,” I huffed. “So, it’s okay if Emerson or Roselyn get pregnant because they’ll want for nothing for the rest of their lives.”
“And you think if I get you pregnant, I’ll what?” he asked. “What exactly do you think will happen if I knocked you up?”
Why were we even having this conversation? Ijustfreakin’ lost my virginity, and Deke was talking about pregnancy like…holy shit!
“Do you havekids?” I asked incredulously.
Deke’s head reared back, and he looked offended. “Fuck no, I don’t have any kids,” he barked. “Why would you think I have kids?”
Was he for real?“Be…because you’re sitting here talking about knocking me up every nine months as if it’s no big deal!” I screeched. “You’re also talking about teenage pregnancy like it’s…normal, or okay.”
Deke rolled his eyes, and I seriously wanted to do him bodily harm. “First off, there is nothing wrong with a person if they get pregnant early.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Shit happens. Second, we have more money than most. If you or the girls got pregnant, it’s not like it would be a struggle.”
My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head. “We’reteenagers, for Christ’s sake, Deke. We have futures that would be changed forever by a pregnancy.”
He shrugged a shoulder again. “All I’m saying is that ifyoudon’t want to get pregnant, you better work out your birth control soon, because I’m not wrapping it up.”
My stomach started churning with an ugly thought. “Do…do you have unprotected sex often?”
I wasn’t sure what it was about my question, but Deke looked murderous all of the sudden. “I’m not going to discuss the other girls I’ve slept with, with you.”
“I have the right to know,” I hissed, hurt, jealous, and confused. I didn’t want to discuss Deke’s other conquests any more than he did, but I had the right to know. If he was insisting on having unprotected sex, and I was too weak to stop him, I needed to know.
His mask fell back into place as he said, “I’ve only had unprotected sex with one other girl in all my life. I can run to the clinic for bloodwork if you’re so worried about it, Delaney.”
I could swear my heart stopped beating.
Everything that made me a girl wanted his words to have been that, I was the only one, but hearing him admit he’s gone bare with one other girl broke my heart. A small part of me wished for the rumor about him and Roselyn to be true because then I’d know, without a doubt, that she’d be the girl he was referring to. If not…well, then that meant there was a girl in Deke’s past that he cared enough about to risk his future for.
And then I thought about how I’d feel if it were Roselyn. They were so close, would I feel jealous? Would their friendship make me feel more insecure than I already was?
