‹ Prequel: Vengeance Banks In
The Gates of Hell
Pain
“Oh!” Zacky clapped his hands, he thought the only news I had to share was the news of us buying a piece of land right beside ours shared how with the guys and girls, the empty lot of trees would be our own home, we’d be neighbors with everyone.
“Zacky and I have bought a piece of land beside yours, the empty lot where the woods will be cleared off, two or three acres and construction will start soon so we can move in by next year,” I barely begun and yet no one had a clue, except the trouble twins and their sidekick crazy Caty. They all gasped, the entire table and started congratulating us, commenting while I thought of a way to say the other announcement, nothing seemed better than bluntness. “And…”
“And?” Zacky stopped smiling to show his confusion, it didn’t help that I pushed him back into his chair, you know, because he has a tendency to faint in stressful situations.
“And—“ I took a deep breath and looked at Caty, Val and Michelle for some moral support, they lent it to me happily. “I found out this morning that I am pregnant.”
Zacky didn’t faint thankfully, but he did look like someone sucker punched him in the gut, so did Brian. But everyone else cheered, Matt made it to me first and hoisted me in the air to kiss my stomach and proclaim that he was Uncle Matty, oh and that he would show the baby how to play football when it got old enough. Everyone took their time congratulating me, Brian was last. He didn’t say anything, just hugged me and walked away. “I’m going to be a father?” when Zacky spoke, I turned and cautiously smiled at his stunned figure, he was scared stiff, literally.
“Zacky,” I whispered kneeling in front of him, everyone suddenly went quiet, listening. “Are you happy that we’re going to have a baby?”
“Yes,” he said after a minute, he looked up from the floor with an expression that looked close to appalled. “I’m so happy, I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.”
“But are you happy?” I questioned him again, my courage was slowly crumbling.
“Of course I’m happy, the love of my life is having my child,” he slowly started to look like Zacky again when he smiled. “I love you so much!”
“I love you too,” I whispered with a grin, letting my lips press against his for a second before he pulled away and lifted my shirt to press a kiss to my stomach, at least Matt didn’t pull my shirt up.
Several Months Later—
“Good morning, bitchface,” I groaned and covered my face with Zacky’s pillow, it was pulled off my face by Gena as Caty bounced at the end of my bed.
“Get off, she’s pregnant—stupid!” Gena shouted and threw Zacky’s pillow at her head, she fell off the bed with a grunt. “Okay then, Briony get up babe.”
“Why should I get up?” I grumbled opening one eye to glare at her, my other eye just wouldn’t open—rebel bitch-lid.
“Because Brian and Johnny are here with the crib and changing table, you have to come and see it,” she teased with a grin, I glared with a frown.
“I’m coming,” I groaned and climbed out of bed, my protruding eight month along belly kind of—well beyond sticking out of my shirt. “I want Zacky…”
“He’s still in Jersey visiting Gerard and his family,” Gena reminded me, why he left I wasn’t sure but he wouldn’t let me since I was with child as he put it. “And yes, Matt is still with him so your morning breakfast is so out of the question, chick.”
“You fuckers suck,” I said like a stereotypical surfer, since no one in the house but Zacky and Matt could make breakfast like I liked it. That means not burnt and crispy… “We’re really delayed on the crib, Gena.”
“I know, we have to go get sheets when you check it out, your mom picked out the crib,” Gena explained as I walked through the nursery door, the crib was already set up and the changing table was close to it, Brian was under it tightening screws, Johnny was supervising, laughing as Brian cussed every time he hit his head.
“Zacky should be here doing this shit, not me!” he didn’t know I had walked in, a hand covering my stomach absently as I watched with interest to what he would say next. “Its his kid, not mine!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Johnny shouted when he spotted me glaring at the changing table, he gave me a sad look before he kicked Brian in the leg.
“What the fuck!?” Brian hit his head on the bottom, he climbed out from under and spotted me standing at the door, his eyes widened with understanding. “Oh fuck…Briony I’m sorry.”
“Mhm,” I murmured with a nod before I walked out of the room. I changed into my day clothes, a sun dress before I went downstairs to meet Gena, Danielle, Caty, Val and Michelle. We were all going shopping, I let Gena drive Zacky’s car since I couldn’t while Val drove hers to the nearest baby boutique. As soon as I walked in, I spotted the prettiest baby bed sheets I’ve ever seen, they were little angels. It would be perfect for my first daughter, Haven Mae Baker. “Guys, look its so pretty.”
We ended up getting the angel like sheets, three baby pillows, a changing table mat that was lavender colored and a couple other things I probably shouldn't have gotten. We were leaving the store when the first pain struck me, I gasped out a shriek and clutched Caty’s arm while wrapping my other arm around my stomach, she called out for help as I fell to my knees. “Bri, calm down, is the baby okay, do you feel anything?” Danielle asked holding one of my hands, I had found out when I had announced my pregnancy that she had been pregnant before but she had lost it unfortunately, it was a stillbirth. “Sweetheart, you need to answer me.”
“All I feel is pain,” I gasped again, I must have blacked out a couple times because the next time I remembered looking around, I was in the all too familiar hospital bed. “Zacky?”
“No baby, its your momma,” I heard my mother whisper. I opened my eyes at the sound of her voice; it seemed so far away, she was standing, leaning over my bed brushing the hair out of my face. “You’ll be okay baby.”
“Zacky and I have bought a piece of land beside yours, the empty lot where the woods will be cleared off, two or three acres and construction will start soon so we can move in by next year,” I barely begun and yet no one had a clue, except the trouble twins and their sidekick crazy Caty. They all gasped, the entire table and started congratulating us, commenting while I thought of a way to say the other announcement, nothing seemed better than bluntness. “And…”
“And?” Zacky stopped smiling to show his confusion, it didn’t help that I pushed him back into his chair, you know, because he has a tendency to faint in stressful situations.
“And—“ I took a deep breath and looked at Caty, Val and Michelle for some moral support, they lent it to me happily. “I found out this morning that I am pregnant.”
Zacky didn’t faint thankfully, but he did look like someone sucker punched him in the gut, so did Brian. But everyone else cheered, Matt made it to me first and hoisted me in the air to kiss my stomach and proclaim that he was Uncle Matty, oh and that he would show the baby how to play football when it got old enough. Everyone took their time congratulating me, Brian was last. He didn’t say anything, just hugged me and walked away. “I’m going to be a father?” when Zacky spoke, I turned and cautiously smiled at his stunned figure, he was scared stiff, literally.
“Zacky,” I whispered kneeling in front of him, everyone suddenly went quiet, listening. “Are you happy that we’re going to have a baby?”
“Yes,” he said after a minute, he looked up from the floor with an expression that looked close to appalled. “I’m so happy, I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.”
“But are you happy?” I questioned him again, my courage was slowly crumbling.
“Of course I’m happy, the love of my life is having my child,” he slowly started to look like Zacky again when he smiled. “I love you so much!”
“I love you too,” I whispered with a grin, letting my lips press against his for a second before he pulled away and lifted my shirt to press a kiss to my stomach, at least Matt didn’t pull my shirt up.
Several Months Later—
“Good morning, bitchface,” I groaned and covered my face with Zacky’s pillow, it was pulled off my face by Gena as Caty bounced at the end of my bed.
“Get off, she’s pregnant—stupid!” Gena shouted and threw Zacky’s pillow at her head, she fell off the bed with a grunt. “Okay then, Briony get up babe.”
“Why should I get up?” I grumbled opening one eye to glare at her, my other eye just wouldn’t open—rebel bitch-lid.
“Because Brian and Johnny are here with the crib and changing table, you have to come and see it,” she teased with a grin, I glared with a frown.
“I’m coming,” I groaned and climbed out of bed, my protruding eight month along belly kind of—well beyond sticking out of my shirt. “I want Zacky…”
“He’s still in Jersey visiting Gerard and his family,” Gena reminded me, why he left I wasn’t sure but he wouldn’t let me since I was with child as he put it. “And yes, Matt is still with him so your morning breakfast is so out of the question, chick.”
“You fuckers suck,” I said like a stereotypical surfer, since no one in the house but Zacky and Matt could make breakfast like I liked it. That means not burnt and crispy… “We’re really delayed on the crib, Gena.”
“I know, we have to go get sheets when you check it out, your mom picked out the crib,” Gena explained as I walked through the nursery door, the crib was already set up and the changing table was close to it, Brian was under it tightening screws, Johnny was supervising, laughing as Brian cussed every time he hit his head.
“Zacky should be here doing this shit, not me!” he didn’t know I had walked in, a hand covering my stomach absently as I watched with interest to what he would say next. “Its his kid, not mine!”
“Shut the fuck up!” Johnny shouted when he spotted me glaring at the changing table, he gave me a sad look before he kicked Brian in the leg.
“What the fuck!?” Brian hit his head on the bottom, he climbed out from under and spotted me standing at the door, his eyes widened with understanding. “Oh fuck…Briony I’m sorry.”
“Mhm,” I murmured with a nod before I walked out of the room. I changed into my day clothes, a sun dress before I went downstairs to meet Gena, Danielle, Caty, Val and Michelle. We were all going shopping, I let Gena drive Zacky’s car since I couldn’t while Val drove hers to the nearest baby boutique. As soon as I walked in, I spotted the prettiest baby bed sheets I’ve ever seen, they were little angels. It would be perfect for my first daughter, Haven Mae Baker. “Guys, look its so pretty.”
We ended up getting the angel like sheets, three baby pillows, a changing table mat that was lavender colored and a couple other things I probably shouldn't have gotten. We were leaving the store when the first pain struck me, I gasped out a shriek and clutched Caty’s arm while wrapping my other arm around my stomach, she called out for help as I fell to my knees. “Bri, calm down, is the baby okay, do you feel anything?” Danielle asked holding one of my hands, I had found out when I had announced my pregnancy that she had been pregnant before but she had lost it unfortunately, it was a stillbirth. “Sweetheart, you need to answer me.”
“All I feel is pain,” I gasped again, I must have blacked out a couple times because the next time I remembered looking around, I was in the all too familiar hospital bed. “Zacky?”
“No baby, its your momma,” I heard my mother whisper. I opened my eyes at the sound of her voice; it seemed so far away, she was standing, leaning over my bed brushing the hair out of my face. “You’ll be okay baby.”
