Sequel: Tied Together

This Wasn't Suppose to Happen

Part 11

Climbing in the BMW, I looked around at the interior. Sidney obviously spared no expense, I hit the button to open the sunroof and put the car in reverse to pull out of the parking spot. Driving out into the bright Pittsburgh day, I headed in the direction of UPMC to begin my day.

8 hours later, I climbed back into the SUV so exhausted that I wasn’t even sure how I was going to drive. I was suppose to meet Nate for dinner and the last thing I wanted at the moment was to sit in a restaurant. Picking up my cell phone, I dialed a familiar number. “Nate, can we do takeout instead? I’m too tired to even blink”, I told him. Nate agreed that he would meet me at my apartment in 30 minutes with a pizza and I thankfully drove home.

I was already on the couch in my pajamas when Nate opened the unlocked door. “Yo, J, unlocked doors? Maybe you shouldn’t be so inviting”, he said as he kicked the door closed with his foot.

“Knew you were coming”, I replied as I held out my hand to take the pizza box from him. I didn’t even wait for him to come back with napkins or plates, I bit into a piece of pizza and the cheese burned the roof of my mouth. “Owww”, I said as I tried to chew it as fast as possible and fanned my mouth with my hands. Nate tossed me a bottle of water and I gulped it down as fast as I could.

“Hungry?” Nate asked as he flopped on the couch and grabbed a slice. “So, how’s it going with the boy?” he asked taking a mouthful of pizza.

“Okay, I mean, we’re being civil to each other. He checks in once a day with a text message and that’s it. He is busy with hockey you know”, I muttered as I took another bite of my slice.

“Have you jumped his bones again? That boy is so fine”. Nate took a long swig of his Pepsi and looked at me expectantly.

“No, that was a one time thing”, I replied.

Nate’s laughter echoed off the walls, “One time thing? Why? I mean you’re already pregnant!” he exclaimed as he doubled over.

I rolled my eyes, Nate had the habit of saying something and thinking it was hysterical and would spend minutes laughing so hard and wiping the tears from his eyes. True to form, I watched as he tried to catch his breath and wiped the tears.

“God, I crack myself up”, he muttered as he stifled another giggle. “Seriously though, you think you guys will make something out of this?”

“Make something out of this? Nate we just made a fucking baby, I think that’s about as much as we can make at the moment”, I said as I tossed the crust of my pizza into the pizza box.

“God, J, that’s so gross”, Nate said as he used a napkin to pick up my discarded pizza crust. “I was thinking more along the lines of a relationship, like girlfriend and boyfriend”.

“Oh hell no, me and homeboy wouldn’t last a week. Living a life where your every move is documented and being ripped apart with every statement you make, no thank you. Its going to be hard enough to keep the baby out of the spotlight, I’m going to step out into it”, I explained to Nate. He glanced at me and raised his eyebrows.

“I’ve thought this over Nate, I might be traditional, but I don’t need to go and marry the father of my child. We don’t love each other and I’m not using this baby as a way to weasel myself into his privileged life. That’s not me; I’m not going to be with a person unless I love them and want to be with them. End of story”.

Nate nodded, knowing that the subject was not open for discussion. Once I had come to a conclusion on something, there was no talking me out of it. Stubborn should have been my middle name.

I shifted to get more comfortable and felt something in my stomach. Clutching my bump, I made a face as I tried to figure out what happened.

“Oh. My. Gosh, what is going on Janelle? Do you smell something bad?” Nate asked as he looked at me.

“Shut up Nate… I think the baby just kicked”, I explained as I felt it again. I couldn’t even explain the sensation that I felt.

“Is that normal?” Nate asked as he jumped up off the couch as if I told him the baby was going to attack him.

“I’ve never had a baby before”, I told him. “Where is your book?” Nate asked as he walked over to the bookcase

Book? What the hell was he talking about? Nate glanced over his shoulder. “Book Janelle, where is your book?”

“What book?” I asked as he continued to scan the titles of my bookcase contents.

“What to expect when you are expecting, that’s like the bible to knocked up chicks”, he said as he turned to face me. “What?”

“Nate, you are…. Special”, I finally said as I shook my head. Sometimes it was better to just let him do his thing.

“It’s a good thing I came prepared”, he said as he moved towards the chair where he tossed his jacket. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a movie. “What’s a pizza night without a movie?” he asked as he put the disc into the blu ray player.

“What is it?” I asked as I curled my legs in under me.

Handing me the case, he flopped next to me. “It’s the next best thing”, he said as I glanced down at the title of the movie. Great, just great.