Page 37 of The Hot Mess

“Thanks, old friend. So, to what do I owe this pleasure? Did you guys show up here to beat me up?”

Joshua circled the room, kicking around the empty airplane bottles on the floor. Lucas took a seat on the edge of my unmade bed and let out a heavy sigh.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“You came all the way here to talk?” I smirked. “You know, they’ve invented this thing called the telephone. They even have portable ones now that fit in your pocket.”

But they didn’t laugh. Lucas and Joshua exchanged a look that was starting to scare me. They would need to come all the way here to see me in person if the news was bad enough.

“Is something wrong?” I fretted. “Is it Izzy?” My heart pounded harder. “Is it Jada? I know you don’t want to hear her name on my lips, but if something’s happened…”

“It’s nothing like that,” Joshua assured me.

“You might want to sit down,” Lucas told me. I plopped down right next to him and watched him brace himself to spit it out. “You should know that…Well, Jada is pregnant.”

My jaw dropped. What they maybe did or didn’t know was that I was the only person Jada had ever slept with. And with the timeline of it all, I knew at once that I was the father of her child. That explained Joshua and Lucas showing up like this. They would surely beat me to a bloody pulp now.I knocked up their little sister.

“I’m so sorry you guys,” I offered, raking my hands over my face. “I didn’t mean for anything of this to happen.”

To my surprise, Lucas reached out and put his hand on my back to comfort me. We were quiet for a long time as I let this news sink in, while they watched my every move, making their judgments and assumptions about my reaction.

I didn’t know where to start. I had to go back, but I didn’t want them to hate me. I wasn’t going to leave Jada stranded with my child. Even if Lucas wanted to take care of her and everything himself, it wasn’t his right to deny me a chance to do the same.

But I quickly realized I didn’t need to worry about any of that.

Lucas’s eyes burned into mine intently. “Do you love her?”

“I do,” I exhaled. “I really, really do.”

He nodded and looked to Joshua. The two of them seemed to exchange some kind of silent deliberation before Joshua walked over to me.

“Then you have to come home,” he said. “That’s why we’re here. To bring you back.”

“Truthfully, we would have taken you home at gunpoint if we had to,” Lucas joked. “But it’s easier if you come willingly. It does make things interesting, to know you love her.”

“I promise to take good care of her, if she’ll have me back,” I assured him, my heart feeling lighter already with the prospect of seeing her again soon.

“Fair warning though,” Joshua announced, holding up his hands. “If you hurt her or do wrong by her in any way, we will kill you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I smirked. “Thank you guys. But one more thing before I start packing. You’re giving me your blessing about Jada. What about us? Are we cool again?”

Lucas narrowed his eyes. “I may need a little time, but…Yeah. Eventually we’ll be okay.” He walked over to hug me. “Jeez, dude. Make sure you clean up and have a shower before you see Jada though.”

Joshua waved his hand in front of his nose, teasing me. But he also pulled me in for a hug.

I was shocked, but more excited than I had been in a long time. I had my two buddies back in my life, and soon I would have Jada back too, I hoped. Not only that, but we were going to have a baby together. I had never wanted to get back home faster. And once I got there, I planned to never leave again for anything longer than a vacation.

20

Jada

Ihadn’t heard from any of my siblings, not even Camille. Which was nerve-racking because I was certain Victoria probably told them I was pregnant. To make matters worse, I had an interview scheduled with a couple who met on the Heartstring app.

Frank and Valerie. Two long-time singles who finally took the plunge and signed up on our dating app. They went on one date and hit it off instantly. It was hard to see them in all of their mushy excitement for the happiness they had found in each other. I watched them embrace and hold hands, kiss and gush about one another.

Jack and I never even had a chance to feel that way. I was blindsided by his interest in me in the first place, and when the shock wore off, all that was left was a constant anxiety about where things were going. That’s when I wasn’t trying to convince myself he meant nothing to me and that I’d be better off trying to find some other random guy to sleep with.

I forced a smile for Valerie and Frank anyway and made it through the interview. But I had to hide away in my apartment afterwards for a good cry. Once I finally pulled myself together, I found myself staring down my reflection in the mirror.

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