Page 23 of Giving It to the Man-Whore

Chapter Five

“You’re pregnant?” Pea asked.

Mel entered their home, flicking on the lights. She glanced at the clock as it was blinking with no time showing.

Checking her cell phone’s time, she went to the clock and began to change it for the right time. After that, she walked through to all the electrical clocks with Pea following behind her.

“Yes, I’m pregnant.”

“And you think starting a fight was a good thing.”

She whirled around. “That bitch is fucking crazy. She came at me, and was going to slap me. I defended myself, and you know what? I got pissed. Being pregnant your emotions go haywire. Instead of standing there crying, I got mad, I got angry, and I lashed out.” She played with buttons, beginning to lose her temper. Why did she think for a second it was a good idea to put digital, electrical powered clocks in rooms? She’d change them.

Once she’d done the hallway, sitting room, and dining room, she entered the kitchen, and growled. The stove’s clock was glowing.

Refusing to do that one, she opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and a beer. She opened the beer for Pea, and took the water for herself.

The last place she wanted to have this conversation was her kitchen. She’d spent the entire day making it sparkle, finding dust everywhere.

According to Penny, she was nesting as if she was some kind of animal as she cleaned up her home.

“You’re getting ready for the baby to come.”

“Mel, you’re not listening to me.”

“I know. I zoned out when you started talking about the fact I shouldn’t have been fighting. Did you want me to just stand there while she hit me, huh? Would that have made you feel better?”

“Of course it fucking wouldn’t. Tara’s crazy.”

“Yeah, and she’s pissed that you won’t go back and use her skank pussy.”

“Are we going to do this now? I’ve not touched her since I told you I wanted to be exclusive with you,” he said.

She turned on the stairs and glared at him. “I wasn’t getting at that, Pea. Believe it or not, I actually trust you. You said to me that you’re not fucking every girl that walks by. I believe you. Over the years, one of the things I’ve noticed about you is the fact you keep your word. You’re loyal. Others don’t see that, and you try to hide it from them as if it’s some kind of deadly secret. I get it, Pea. You want to be with me just like I want to be with you. We’re good together.”

“We’re more than fucking good together, and you know it, Mel. We’ve made this marriage work when no one else thought it was possible.”

No one knew that Pea had offered to be exclusive first. That was her secret. He’d told her that he’d loved variety in his life, but he was ready to commit to her.

All along, she’d been the one who hadn’t wanted that.

Pea had taken the blame as if all of this had been his idea. It hadn’t been.

When he’d offered marriage, she’d thought he was joking. He hadn’t been, and then she didn’t want to be one of those women waiting at home for her husband, so she’d told him what she wanted, and he’d said if that was what she wished, fine.

Moving toward their room, she stood in the center, looking at their bed. The reality of everything came crashing down around her. As she sat on the edge of the bed, tears filled her eyes. They weren’t fake. She was afraid.

Wrapping her arms around her body, she stared up at him. “It’s yours if that was what you were curious about.”

Pea went straight for her. He climbed on the bed so that he was behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

“I wasn’t going to ask you anything like that. I know that kid is mine. You wouldn’t have kept it a secret, and told me straight away. You’re not like that, Mel. I know you, and I know you’ve not been with anyone else for a long time.”

The tears fell. “We are so fucked up.”

“We’re not. I think we’re quite normal.”

“Tonight I went completely crazy on one of your exes, Pea. That’s not normal.”

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