Chapter thirty
Maggie
Iloved my baby. I loved my baby. I loved them more than anything else.
Really, I did.
What I didnotlove was them tumbling on my bladder like it was a freaking trampoline and giving me the worst aches in every part of my body. Or my swollen ankles, the puffy cheeks I tortured with ice daily, or the constant, itching hunger for every food in sight that never stopped. As excited as I was to have this baby, being pregnantsucked.
Although pregnancy did have its perks. I wouldn’t miss the way strangers offered a warm smile when they saw my belly, or offered to carry my bags at the grocery store. While it was a growing town, Golden Meadow never failed to display its small-town charisma and charm. People were warm and helpful and so kind. Only once had I gotten myself into a yelling match with someone in the coffee shop parking lot because they scratched Jack’s—our—truck, and I was having very bad mood swings that day.
Nevertheless, it felt homey. I was never alone because I always had our little baby hanging around in my stomach. Jack hardly liked to leave me alone for too long anymore because he was concerned for me and the baby. I already knew how wonderful a father he was going to be.
The front door opened and closed quietly as I rolled to my side and adjusted the covers in our bed. Ever since the night we saidI love youto each other, we hadn’t spent a night apart, save for the ones I paced the house with pregnancy insomnia. The locks clicking everywhere downstairs told me Jack was home. My heart jumped at the idea of him sliding into bed with me and curling up against me with his warmth, and, if I were lucky, maybe I would get a massage to relieve the back pain that would end me.
“Hey,” I whispered as he entered our bedroom, trying to be quiet.
He started at the sound of my voice. “Hey, I didn’t know you’d be awake.” He sounded…accusatory? Like I wasn’t supposed to notice the time he got home, which was only ten-thirty.
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep.” Usually, that was the case, but I always waited up for him when he was out. Or at least stayed up as late as my body allowed.
Jack began shedding his clothes and tossed them in the hamper in the corner. Though it was dark, I tried to read his expression. His eyes were distant.
“How was Mike’s? Did you guys get a contract figured out for next season?”
“Uh, yeah. Everything’s worked out.” I disliked how quick and closed-off his sentences were. He never was a good liar, and the ticks he displayed when he wasn’t telling the truth flashed like red alarms.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. Did something happen? Was there a falling out? Did Jack have a contract for next season? Was he okay?
“Oh…well, that’s good.”
“Yeah.” Sharp. Quick. Disinterested.
He slid into bed at the edge of the mattress. It was a king, and Jack was huge, so there was usually no way we didn’t touch. I turned to face him and attempted to scoot closer to his body, but my lopsided figure made it challenging to do so smoothly. Jack’s back faced me.
“Hey,” I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “If something happened, you can tell me.”
He didn’t turn or speak. Just reached his hand up to cover mine.
I didn’t want him to be distant. I didn’t want to keep secrets. I wanted to be open with each other like we had been the last few months. I wanted to hold each other and say whatever came to mind without hesitation. “Jack–”
Without warning, Jack flipped over and pressed his body on top of mine in a rushed motion. My bump separated us more than I liked, but the action shifted my focus nonetheless. His elbows rested above my shoulders on either side of my head, his dark eyes intense. My eyes searched his for some reason for his change in behavior. He tucked my hair behind my ear and cupped my face. I could feel the tension between us—not just sexual, but emotional—and I knew something was wrong. This wasn’t the best way to handle it—I knew that—but if it was what Jack needed at that moment, I was willing to give it to him.
Right after trying one more time.
“I can tell when you’re lying, you know.”
The accusatory tone his voice held a few moments ago appeared on his face. He quickly covered it up and gave me his sex eyes.
“And I can tell when you’re turned on,” he teased, looking above me to the left.
Still lying.
I didn’t know why my mind went to the place it did, but the idea of disloyalty popped into my head. Sneaking off to some other woman’s house and giving her the same treatment he gave me…
Stop it. Jack would never go back to that. This isonenight. He’s not your dad.
Was I going crazy? Why were all of these horrible thoughts infiltrating my mind?
