Pregnant with the Bad Boy - Second Book

Chapter 3

“Okay, so when is that loser going to show up?” I was putting on the slightest makeup, still unsure why I was doing it. Nobody would look at me, and my husband was in jail or ex-husband, I guess since I had signed the divorce papers the same as him.

“He is not a loser; you better be nice to him!” Mandy was smirking, standing up by my room! Didn’t she have anything better to do than hoover over me just because, for some reason, Liam had told me he was coming over to this baby shower that mom was already preparing for!

“Sure… I will be nice… to the loser…” she smirked more when I threw whatever I could find at her, which she dodged with not the same ease as she thought when she made some stupid move she probably had danced to on her phone before coming inside my room.

“Hey, watch it!” she was pointing to her face like it was everything she needed, and I knew she was right. She was a real beauty, just like mom; her being hooked on Dylan must have been a let-down for almost every boy in this stupid town since she only had been dating girls since.

“This is my money maker, and since I’m leaving this shitty place in a few months, I need to keep that money flow going!” Many made another snarl when I rolled my eyes back at her, drama queen.

“I was aiming at your head since it's empty!” she gasped when I smirked this time, not caring that I knew she would retaliate like we were still kids in my bedroom.

“Mom! Your favorite just said I was stupid!” Mandy was screaming it all over the house, making my baby kick to my irritation; even Lilly could hear her, for God’s sake!

“Nobody is a favorite any, you know that Amanda!” Dad was the one shouting back, making Mandy’s frown grow bigger. She and dad really weren’t getting along at all, me? I was trying to hold my head down and not freak out every second that I would have a baby alone with no support other than my family.

“says the one that really has you as his favorite..” Mandy was glaring at me like it was my fault that I didn’t have the strength to fight off dad, and I just laid flat down and listened. He was probably happy someone was since neither Amanda nor Levi did.

I huffed back at her, knowing it was no use telling her that I wasn’t. I didn’t care anymore, so what if I was his favorite? She was clearly mom for a long time, and I …... had been fighting over that… but…. I needed to get past that. Let go of stupid things and try to grow up, just like Dylan said when he hung up.

I was so not going to see him; closure for me? More like closure for him… I sighed, giving up on the makeup, and just brushed my hair fast, making a face of pain in my back. Lilly was heavy, and I had no idea how I was supposed to give birth, no matter what the people at the hospital kept telling me!

“Okay, so… let’s do this…” I didn’t sound half as happy as mom did, being up early and going around doing the finishing touches for the baby shower that I didn’t want. This was a control plan, just like she told me. Nobody would congratulate me for being knocked up, more than they only came to eat and stare at me, wondering how in the world someone like me could have snatched the town's legendary bad boy.

“Yes, let’s see all the vultures in nice Sunday dresses and that loser….” Mandy made a snicker, leaving before I could throw another thing on her head when dad was coming upstairs like he could sense we were arguing again!

“Jenni! I’m going to pick up Liam. Are you going to come along or?” Dad's head popped inside, and he looked like he wasn’t too fond of Liam being here. I got that, it was too close to his life with Linda, living in the suburbs, and now he was here, reminding him that he was a jackass no matter how he tried to twist it.

“No, she’s not! I need something anyway!” Mandy was yelling it from her room when dad's eyes dilated like he knew that she was going to test him all the way, but still. He wouldn’t let her win, too damn stubborn, just like the rest of us…. I shook my head again, giving him a sad smile no… no …. I didn’t want to come along. I still had no idea why he even said yes to my invitation, he was my friend but…. We still had this strange connection that was so hard to shake, and I don’t know if it was feelings or just someone that looked like you, broken.

“No, I’m good, dad….” He made an understanding nod back, trying to smile when he didn’t even believe it himself, making me sigh. What the hell were we even doing this for? I was not the popular girl of Perryville that would get a crown; that part belonged to someone else, and…. I wanted to be left alone, lick my wounds and return when I felt like it, not when my mom did.

“Let’s do this, baby….” I was rubbing my belly; every part of me felt huge! I was this big planet with two feet and a stupid face that tried to smile when I knew it was fake. I wasn’t happier no matter what my parents believed just because I had gotten rid of the two men I loved. I thought freedom would taste sweet, but all it did was leave me bitter, knowing that I would be alone forever and crazy on top of that….

“Jennifer, finally! I have been waiting for almost twenty minutes; I thought you said you would brush your hair??” Mom looked me over, scrutinizing me like she was leaning back into her old ways, trying to make me better, but she couldn’t. Nobody could.

“I did.” My voice was weaker; hearing mom's nagging voice, she better not drag me around the whole garden to show everyone that she wasn’t ashamed. I knew she wasn’t. I was.

“Did you….? Oh, honey…” she sighed, coming around and picking up a brush along the way, not even trusting me to brush my hair correctly anymore.

“Mom, stop…” I was having my hand out when she got a slight pout on her face, looking perfect like always. I could barely tell she was pregnant compared to me, which was gigantic!

“Jennifer, I am not being overprotective just because I want to brush your hair, you missed half the length, and it’s kind of messy...” she was going again when I gave up, realizing my breath. What was the use? Let her brush my hair.

“Okay…” I didn’t say more. I didn’t want to talk right now; trying to work up the courage to even look anyone in the eyes was hard when mom could see it too. They all could, and that’s why they all were around me, even Mandy. No matter how mean she was to me, she was worried, making me feel even more guilty, being on constant guard duty around the clock from my family.

Mom didn’t say anything more either, just brushing my length slow and steady and making me close my eyes, it was nice, but it didn’t help me, or the hole in my soul that I had no idea how to close up never did. It was scaring the crap out of me for what would happen. As a mother, I would have to care for someone else. How in the world was that even going to be possible?

I was staring out into space when she patted my shoulder the slightest to my flinch. Seeing that she was done, she made another sweet smile, caressing my face like I was a toddler and not slightly taller than her.

“You are going to do just fine, you hear that baby, look at you…. I know you are going to be okay...” she was whispering to my face when I didn’t know if she was reassuring herself or me.

“Yes, mom…” I took her hand, and she made a genuine smile, now feeling me squeeze it, showing her that I was still here and so worried she was about to break open over me, the same as dad would.

“Yes… yes …. I love you, Jennifer….” Mom was wiping away the mist in her eyes when I smiled at her for being so silly. I loved her too.

She let me go smiling more, comforting me when my phone had been going off for the last ten minutes; when I was finally looking at it, frowning seeing my sister's many, many messages and emojis over the fact that she was going to kill me for not telling me that Liam was in her eyes, fine as hell, and a lot of stupid emojis following that made no sense to me.

"Oh god...." I wasn't ready for that, him coming here and still, I had invited him, how stupid was I?!

"That boy is a friend, and you need friends Jennifer..." Mom looked like she didn't understand that Liam wanted more than being friends, no matter how stupid it sounded.

I didn't answer her this time. She was right, and I do need friends and... I just hated everyone, absolutely everyone, in this stupid town, and I hated Dylan and Grant on my good days.

"So, let's finish up the last decorations and get you dressed..." I stared back at her pretty face. What was wrong with what I was wearing anyway? It was a perfectly good dress that I could fit into!

"Jennifer, that thing looks too big on you...." Mom wasn't giving me any quarters when I didn't fight back, never did when she took my hand, led me back up the stairs, and sat me down on the bed, staring to pick out a new dress to my sigh. This was going to be a trainwreck.