Page 29 of Intertwined Hearts

“Okay. I can’t wait to see you. Talk to you soon.”

“Bye.” My voice trailed off as I disconnected from the call.

My mind raced while I paced back and forth in my living room. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and bit down. I hadn’t realized how hard until I tasted my own blood. I inhaled deep, then let the air slowly seep back out as I grabbed my keys and wallet. I shook my head while taking another deep breath in, then locked the door behind me.

Anyone watching me on my drive to Jackie’s house would have thought I had serious issues. And they would have been right. I cursed and yelled sporadically during the fifteen minutes it took to arrive and park in front of her place. My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to envision all of the potential reactions Jackie could have to this fucking fucked-up revelation I was going to tell her about. Not one of them ended with any type of positive response.

“Hunter, come in,” she said when she opened the door.

“You look beautiful,” I said. I was trying hard to be normal. I wasn’t even sure what normal was anymore.

“You look stressed. Ready for a glass of Zinfandel?”

“Yeah, baby. I’ll have a glass.”

“Okay, you’re scaring me. What’s going on? You’re response has always been that you aren’t drinking that crap.” She walked over to me and held my face in her hands, rubbing down across my stubbled chin.

“It’s been one hell of a day,” I said.

She leaned into me and kissed me. “Maybe I can help make it a better day,” she whispered in my ear. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in tight. I never wanted to let her go. I needed her desperately.

“I sure hope so.” I couldn’t tell if it was the butterflies in my stomach or if I was going to puke, but my stomach was rolling. I knew I’d die if Jackie left me after I told her.

“Your hands are shaking. What’s going on?” she asked. She held my hands in hers, then lifted them to her mouth and kissed them.

I wanted to run. I wanted to be a cowardly ass and run back out to my truck and leave. She was going to throw me out anyway after I told her. I knew it.

“Hunter? You’re scaring me. What’s wrong? I’m here for you.”

Tears prickled at the back of my eyes, and I could feel them starting to water. I blinked profusely to stop myself from shedding a tear.

“Go grab us each that glass of wine, then we can talk.”

I gulped down half the contents of my wine-glass after she handed it to me. That shit was disgusting. I looked at her as she sipped from her glass. I wanted to memorize every single little mannerism.

“So, tell me what’s going on,” she said, then set her glass on the table and turned her body toward me.

“Fuck, baby. I want you to promise me you won’t leave me, but I know you can’t do that. I’m just…” I wiped at my eyes to clear the tears before they fell down my face. “I’m in a really bad place right now. I found out something really disturbing at work today.”

Jackie

My foot was bouncing out of control. I moved closer to him and stroked up and down Hunter’s muscled arm. I wanted to pull him in to me and beg him not to say anything. I could tell by the way he was acting that whatever he had to say wasn’t good.

When he began to talk and mentioned his friend had seen his ex, every muscle in my body became taut. Nothing good could come from an ex. I knew that firsthand. My ex was a complete abomination. Hunter’s ex had been out of the picture for months, so I had no idea why she was being brought up. My throat went dry. I picked up my glass of wine and drank it all down.

“When I tell you this, baby, please just hear me out before you tell me to leave,” he said.

My top lip began to sweat, and the look in his eyes said we both needed more wine. I stood and felt lightheaded. After taking a deep breath and regaining my footing, I took both glasses into the kitchen and refilled them. I felt Hunter behind me.

His strong arms wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me into him. His sobs were excruciating. I turned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tight. I lifted his head off my shoulder and kissed him. He pressed me against the counter and deepened the kiss, holding me tighter than he ever had. My insides quivered with need. Need to satisfy him. Need to comfort him. Need to feel him.

“Tell me what’s going on, Hunter. Just say it, please.”

When he told me, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I listened to everything. I heard him say he didn’t think the baby was his, but my brain was stuck on his ex being pregnant and that it was his. My head was swirling.

“Say something, Jackie.”

“Um.” I picked up my glass of wine and drank it all down without stopping. I was trying not to say anything. I didn’t want the wrong thing to come out of my mouth. I didn’t want to regret the way I replied to him by over reacting either.

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