Jessica's Breakdown [Journey of a Thousand Miles 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (16 page)

“
You have twelve messages…
” the recorded voice stated.

“Shit.” She groaned, pushing the button and listening to the first message.

“Hi, Miss Jessica, this is Mason…” She hit delete, not wanting to hear the rest of the message.

“Jessica,” Bella’s voice whined, and Jessica could tell that she was crying. “I–I um…” she cried, and Jessica held the phone tighter, wondering what she would say. “I had a miscarriage, turns out I was pregnant. Call me.” She sniffled, hanging up, and Jessica slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Jessica, this is Clint.” He sounded a little choked up and Jessica bit her lip, preventing herself from crying. “I know you’re on vacation, but when you have a minute please call. Thanks.”

Clicking
end
and ignoring the rest of her messages, Jessica called Bella’s house, hoping to talk to her.

“Hello.” It was one of Bella’s men, but Jessica didn’t know which one. It was either Cody, Clay, or Clint.

“Can I speak with Bella please, this is Jessica.”

“Hey, Jess. This is Cody. Bella’s sleeping right now.”

“What happened? Is she all right? I’m packing right now.” Jessica jumped up and threw everything into her bag. Running into the bathroom, she grabbed all her cosmetics and tossed them into her bag. Normally organized and anal about her packing, the only thing on her mind was Bella and her well-being.

“A couple of days ago, Bella woke up with severe cramps and she said her back hurt. We didn’t know what to do. She was in a lot of pain so we took her in to see the doctor. She was bleeding real badly, too.” He cleared his throat and Jessica knew that he was probably crying. Her shoulders sagging, she zipped up her bag and left the hotel room. She needed to get to the airport and to Bella.

“The doctor said she was having a miscarriage. We didn’t even know she was pregnant.”

“I’m going to the airport now. It might take me a little while to get there, but I’m on my way. Tell Clint I heard his message. Damn it! I didn’t have my phone. Shit, I’m sorry, Clay. Take care of Bella. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hit
end
before he could say anything.

Running toward the front desk, Jessica felt like she was on the verge of hysterics. Looking down for a minute, she tried to clear her head and make a plan. A large hand reached out and grabbed her, and Jessica shrieked, falling back.

“Shhh, it’s just me. What’s going on?” Mark asked, looking a little more concerned than she expected. “What the hell did Beau and Chase do?” he growled, and she shook her head, knowing that he had obviously jumped to the wrong conclusion.

“No, it’s not them. My friend Bella, she’s having a medical emergency and I need to get back to Coltmann County. Do you have the number for a cab?” She was panting, completely frantic and she wanted to kick herself from not having her phone attached to her. She never ever thought that anything bad would happen. Tears leaked down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them, not wanting to feel weak. Bella needed her to be strong.

“I have something better than a cab. I have a helicopter.” He grinned and Jessica wanted to grab him and kiss him. This man was full of so many wonderful surprises. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out the front door and they jogged together across the property, her bag trailing after them.

“Oh shit!” she yelled. “Beau and Chase, I need to tell them I’m leaving.”

“I’ll tell them for you. Come on, let’s get you back home.” Mark opened the door to the helicopter and Jessica climbed in, quickly buckling the straps. She was scared. She really didn’t like the idea of being in the helicopter, but she wanted to get to her friend.

Mark climbed in on the other side. He took the pilot position, “What are you doing?”

“I’m the pilot.” He smirked, starting the engine.

He pushed a few buttons and the helicopter came to life, the large propeller moving faster and faster. He handed her a pair of earmuffs and Jessica put them on. She could hear Mark talking to someone, but she had no idea what all the codes were. Closing her eyes, Jessica held onto the seatbelt straps across her shoulders and tried not to panic as they lifted off the ground.

“You can open your eyes, it’s safe. I’ve been flying for years.” When she didn’t open her eyes, he laughed, “Or you can keep your eyes closed for the next hour.”

Slowly opening her eyes, Jessica stared at the horizon, refusing to look down at the ground.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking about Bella. I’m so mad at myself. I should’ve had my phone. I was so caught up in everything with Beau and Chase that I wasn’t thinking.”

“Don’t do that. Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve. Those will kill you if you focus on them. As soon as you found out about your friend you jumped in a helicopter. Don’t beat yourself up.”

“When you get back, you’ll talk to Beau and Chase, right? I don’t want them to think I just left.”

“I’ll handle it. Focus on your friend. I’m sure they’ll be home right after you.”

Nodding, Jessica looked outside back at the horizon. She thought about her friends and how much their lives had changed over the last year. Bella was married to three men. Hannah had come out of her shy little shell and was married to Logan and Reece. Alyssa was married and expecting a baby. Everything had changed and all because of a road trip.

She thought about both Chase and Beau and wondered if they knew how much they meant to her. Ever since arriving in Coltmann County, she had tried to stay friends, fighting a losing battle. Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without them. They were both so romantic, and they knew how to manipulate her body. No other man had been able to do that. They were perfect for her and she knew that she needed to tell them.

After about an hour, Jessica felt the helicopter lowering, moving closer to the ground, and she looked over, feeling frantic.

“We’re here.”

“How the hell did you know where the ranch was?”

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know.” He winked and smiled sadly, and Jessica wondered what his story was. He knew Beau and Chase, and it seemed that he knew the Colton brothers as well.

Once the helicopter landed in the open field, Jessica started unbuckling. Handing the earmuffs to Mark, she squeezed his leg, telling him how grateful she was with her eyes. Leaning toward her, he gave her a quick hug before ducking his head and climbing out of the helicopter. He opened the door and took her hand, motioning for her to slouch down a bit. She followed his lead and they walked quickly.

Putting the handle of her bag in her hand, Mark gave her a tender smile before turning and heading back.

Jessica grabbed her bag and pulled it over the rough terrain, moving to the house as quickly as she could. Looking down, she realized that she looked like hell. She was in one of the slip dresses that Beau had given her and a pair of flip flops. Luckily, she had on panties, but she wished she would’ve grabbed a bra. She had been in such a hurry that she hadn’t bothered to get dressed in something a bit more conservative.

Dropping her bag, she ran up the porch stairs leading to the house. Without knocking, Jessica stormed inside.

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs, down the hall,” Clay said, pointing toward the stairs, and Jessica moved quickly, kicking off her shoes.

When she reached the bedroom door, she looked in and saw Bella in the middle of a huge bed, Clint spooning her from behind. Raising his head, he looked at her and smiled sadly. Jessica sniffled, holding in her tears. Walking to the other side of the bed, Jessica climbed up and moved in close, wrapping her friend in a hug.

Blinking open her eyes, Bella looked at her and bit her lips, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jessica wiped her tears and kissed her forehead.

“I’m so sad.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t even know I was pregnant, but I can’t stop crying. I just keep wondering…” Her voice trailed off and Jessica wiped her cheeks.

“You are going to be a wonderful mommy, and I know that Clint, Clay, and Cody are going to be great daddies. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, and it’s hard to deal with. I do know that with three men, you’ll have tons of babies crawling around here in no time.”

Sniffling, Bella smiled sadly and nodded, wrapping her arm around Jessica’s waist. They laid there for a while, Jessica holding onto Bella until her friend fell back to sleep. Clint moved then, sitting up and made eye contact.

“I’m glad you came. She really needed you,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be here faster. Where are Hannah and Alyssa?”

“Bella didn’t want them to know.” He shook his head and Jessica arched a brow, waiting for him to continue. “Alyssa hasn’t been feeling well, so Bella didn’t want to bother her. Hannah has been helping Diana get adjusted and settled at the guest house. I don’t know. She just wanted you.”

“When we were eighteen”—Jessica swallowed hard, unsure if she really wanted to share another personal story. She knew the reason Bella wanted her. They depended on each other. “I got pregnant. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I ended up having a miscarriage, and Bella stayed by my side the whole time, holding my hand so that I wouldn’t be alone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be, it was for the best. I was way too young to be a mother.”

“I’m just glad you’re here. She’s been waiting for you.” He cleared his throat, his eyes tearing up and Jessica knew at that moment that the Colton brothers were perfect for Bella. The three of them loved her so much.

“You’ll have a baby.”

“I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about Bella. I want her to smile again.” Rolling from the bed, Clint kissed Bella on the head before walking out of the room.

Jessica lay there, holding Bella and wishing she had been with her, but at least she had three good men she could depend on. She wondered if Mark had made it back to the Iron Gate and if Beau and Chase were angry with her. She also thought about missing Diana coming into town. Luckily, she was getting help moving into the guest house. So many thoughts ran through her mind and with the cool, gentle breeze coming from the air conditioner and the quiet room, she closed her eyes and dozed off.

* * * *

Jessica woke up, stretched, and opened her eyes. Looking around, it took her a minute to remember where she was. Turning to her other side, Bella was smiling, cuddling with her pillow.

“I’m glad you came.”

“Me, too. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. I’m not in any pain. My men have been taking real good care of me.” She smiled dreamily and Jessica knew exactly what she meant. “I—I did want to ask you about Chase and Beau.”

“What about them?”

“Um…you see…at the wedding they asked where you were going on your vacation, and I…uh…told them.” Jessica nodded and Bella rushed on, “It’s just that they both really care about you and I was hoping that maybe they would be able to prove it to you.”

“They did.”

“Really?” she squealed, her eyes growing large and a huge smile spreading across her lips.

Her whole face lit up and Jessica wanted to groan, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t ruin her friend’s sudden happiness after such a sad time. She wanted to tell Bella that she shouldn’t have told Chase and Beau, but the truth was she was grateful that her friend did butt into her business. Nodding, Jessica let Bella do her happy dance on the bed. She shook her hip and did a few fist pumps.

Turning back toward her, Bella looked around the room before whispering, “How was it? You know, the S-E-X.” She spelled out the word and Jessica couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Seriously, you spelled it? I mean, you have three men, you should be way past spelling at this point.”

“Fine. How was the sex, the horizontal mambo, copious amounts of booty sex, doing the nasty, going all the way, the fucking?” With each phrase, Jessica’s eyes widened and she smiled, shaking her head.

“Great. I have no complaints.”

“That’s it? That’s all I get? Come on,” She sat up and stared at her with pleading eyes.

Exhaling loudly, Jessica sat up as well, “Fine, what do you want to know?”

“Everything. What happened when you arrived? Did Beau and Chase find you right away? Where are they now? I want sex details!”

“All right.” Jessica went through the whole story, telling her BFF all the details of her wild, albeit short vacation. She didn’t leave anything out, loving each and every one of Bella’s facial expressions. One thing she loved about Bella was that the woman acted so innocent. How was that even possible when she was probably having kinky sex with three men every night?

Biting her bottom lip, Bella listened, paying close attention to every detail, and Jessica wondered if she should really be telling her friend intimate details. Normally, she wouldn’t care, but she didn’t want to cheapen her experience with Beau and Chase by making it seem like their time together didn’t matter. It did. Every moment they spent together made her feel more loved.

They were both completely romantic, wining and dining her through the day, and at night, when they were alone, they did things to her body that she never dreamed were possible.