Piecing Together Sydney (A Sydney West Novel Book 3) (9 page)

For the first time since Daniel’s return to the King family, I could sleep and my dreams were peaceful. Our wedding wasn’t going to be cancelled after all. Jason was broken like I was. We were tossed away by those who claimed they loved us. It was their loss, for we found each other and I was never letting him go. He was my peanut butter and I his jelly.

It was two in the afternoon and I was covered in sunscreen. I got the boys to let Amelia and me put sunscreen on them too so no one would burn. The ocean was perfect, warm and inviting. The seagulls cried overhead, and in the distance, there were a few sailboats.

There were some other surfers among us, but they were down the coast more. We had about ten yards of beach to ourselves and were taking full advantage of that rare treat.

I stood up on my board, riding another wave. Jason passed me and entered the barrel. He was such a showoff. As for me, I was happy being on the top of the wave, seeing the world around me and feeling the natural high in life once more. Amelia and Hunter took the next wave in.

Jason sat on his board floating, smiling like a wicked devil. “I bet I could beat you, Syd.”

I shook my head. “Have you ever won a surfing contest? Because I have and—”

He put his hand up like a stop sign. “Please, not that again. I’ve never entered any, otherwise I’d have a few trophies.”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “Fine. You’re on. What’s the bet?”

Jason looked over the horizon as the ocean pulled in and out. The water reflected the sun like a mirror of the sky. “Three waves: the first one, a barrel roll, second, a handstand, and the last one is to catch some serious air.”

I rolled my shoulders back and grinned. “Easy!” I paddled away to the incoming wave to start.

I dove into the barrel and did a perfect one-eighty, even running my hand along the wave. Amelia and Hunter clapped afterwards; Jason crossed his arms. Jealous much?

For the second challenge, I got a medium-sized wave and rode in doing a handstand with my legs up in the air. When my board hit the sand, I tumbled off and stood up, bowing. Hunter whistled, and Amelia cheered. Jason looked nervous.

“Last one, baby.” I winked at Jason before grabbing my board and diving back in.

It was the last wave, and I was totally amped for it. I stood and flew up, getting some massive air. I grabbed the surfboard like a skateboarder would and then went down before the wave crashed.

Jason paddled up to meet me, shaking his head. “Damn, Syd. I can see why you won. You’re incredible.”

I bowed my head, giggling. “So true. The waves are cranking today, so go get some and we’ll see who the best is.”

He cracked his knuckles and was off to prove who should have the title of the best surfer. I hung back watching as he lined up with the edge of the water and entered the belly of the wave like a pro. Jason would do barrels all day if he could. I clapped, and he remained focused on the waves rolling in, not breaking character.

As he did a handstand, his legs bent a little too much to the left, and he had to bail before being slammed onto the shore. His head poked up out of the water and a sour expression crossed his face. I puffed out my chest and examined my nails as he swam by to get his board. “So who is the best, again?”

“Shut up,” he muttered, looking like a drowned rat.

“You know I love you, right? It’s just fun to give you shit sometimes.”

He got on his board and ran a hand through his messy hair. “I love you too. You’re one of the best surfers I ever came across. It’s hard to remember you’re from the desert.”

I laughed. “You are right on me though. I have to keep my edge with you or I might…” I lowered my voiced. “Lose.”

“God, Syd. You’re hilarious.”

“I know, and you get to keep me all to yourself.”

Hunter cut in and took Jason out again, trying to help heal his buddy’s ego. Amelia remained on shore and waved at me, wanting me to come ashore.

I got out of the ocean and dug my board into the warm sand. “What’s up?” I asked, wringing the salt water out from my long hair.

Amelia sat on her purple beach towel and motioned to the empty blue towel next to her. “Can we sunbathe and talk?”

“Of course.” I settled myself on the towel and watched the boys as they disappeared with the rising of another wave.

She laid down on her back and slid her sunglasses down to cover her eyes. “Can I tell you a secret, Syd?”

I laid down and propped myself up using my elbow. “Yes, you’re like my sister from another mister. You can share anything with me.”

My best friend nodded and swallowed. She didn’t laugh though, meaning this was more important than I thought. “Well, I’ve been feeling strange lately, always going to the bathroom. My breasts grew and always hurt, I gained some weight, I’m tired randomly, plus some other things got me thinking last night.” She paused and let out a shaky breath. “I realized I haven’t used any tampons for about six weeks…”

My eyes widened to the point where I thought they’d roll out of my skull and into the sand. “So you think you’re—”

She nodded briefly. Her face was sketched in despair and the sparkle in her eyes was dim at best. “Yeah. I took a couple of pregnancy tests this morning after sneaking out, and they were all positive.”

“Oh my God!” I sat up and crossed my legs. “I can’t believe this. Are you sure you peed on the stick right?”

She rubbed her eye and sighed. “I think there’s only one way to pee on those. Have you ever had this scare?”

I bit my lip in thought. “Oddly, no. I always had my period on time, so this has never happened to me.”

I prayed to God it would never happen to me because I always dreaded having children. Now it wouldn’t be so bad if I got a positive sign on one of those sticks, but I’d still like to graduate college first. A knot built up in my stomach. That’s Amelia’s future now. We weren’t little girls dreaming anymore. I was getting married and she was possibly having a baby.

Amelia sat up and hugged her legs to her chest, rocking back and forth. “Will you go to the doctor with me to confirm? I don’t want Hunter to know until I know for sure. This was not my plan.” Her voice broke. She sounded like she was about to cry.

I sat up too, giving her my full attention. “Of course. What are best friends for?” I tossed her a loving smile and touched her knee to show I cared. “Until then…” I eyed the boys laughing as they surfed. “Are we playing dumb?”

She nodded. “Yeah, let’s just sunbathe. I don’t like surfing if…you know.” She wiped her eyes quickly and returned to the position of lying down to soak up the sun.

I laid my body back down, staring up at the fluffy white clouds in the sky. “It’s going to be okay, Amelia.”

A sob came from my left side. “No, it’s not! I don’t want to waddle around to class like we were talking about. My breasts are sore right now, and nothing is touching them but my top. My bras don’t fit right anymore. I can’t take this!”

“Hey.” I sat up again and reached over, touching her arm. “It’s fine. Everything will work out. It wouldn’t hurt to take a break from school if you need to.”

She got up and dug in her bag, pulling out a pack of tissues. “Says you. All you have to do is wear a ring and be called Mrs. King. I have to get fat, and then I have to—”

I crawled over to her beach towel and laid her head onto my shoulder. “Shh, let’s not panic until we know for sure.”

“Okay. We can go tomorrow. What will we tell the boys?”

I looked up and saw Hunter and Jason high-fiving each other. Jason looked over at us and waved. I waved back and wrapped my arm around my best friend. “We’ll say it’s a girl’s day. All about the spa and wedding stuff.”

She sniffed and grabbed another tissue. “Can we change the subject now, please?”

I rested my cheek on top of her head and thought of something to say. “I’m worried about Jason. He’s become like I was last summer, all cold and hard to read.”

She broke away to study my face. “What do you mean? He looks fine.” She motioned to Jason finally doing a successful handstand on his surfboard.

“He hates his father like I hated mine, maybe more so. I’m not sure. He can’t let go of the hatred, and it’s been buried for so long. With his father back, I’m afraid of what it’s doing to him. What he is hiding from me, from everyone.”

Amelia grabbed my still damp hair and braided it. She always liked to mess with things when she was nervous. “What got him through it last time?”

“Surfing all the time and his sister. But now she’s over the moon her dad is back and Jason is…lost.”

“No, he isn’t.” She squeezed my shoulder. “He has you now. Plus, you’re going to be a therapist in a few years, so it’s perfect. You both had crappy dads, and you know how to listen and relate.”

“Yeah, I am pretty good at listening.” I looked down at my nails. “But it’s weird. I never thought I’d have to find a way over someone else’s walls. It was hard enough to take mine down.”

Amelia bumped me with her shoulder. “But Sydson can do anything.”

I smiled. “Same goes for Amter.”

A grim smile tugged at her lips. “I hope you’re right.”

We laid back on our towels, getting tanned as our boys continued to surf for the rest of the afternoon. The future was a mysterious place. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared of what laid ahead for me and for Amelia. Part of me wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, that piece of me was excited. Finally, I could outgrow the old me, the one who saw Malibu as a party place and Hollywood as another place to get messed up with strangers. I wanted to see California in a new light. Just good summer nights with friends, nice surf, and unforgettable stories. I’d remember every moment due to remaining sober, for most nights. After all, a girl who loved whiskey was always trouble.

Amelia and I got out of the house talking about maid of honor dresses and table decorations for the reception. The boys only wanted to go surfing and kissed us on the way out. We jumped into my Charger and drove to the gynecologist who had an opening and could squeeze Amelia in.

During the drive, we were silent. The radio muttered songs and commercials as buildings, cars, and signs flew by. The traffic was heavy, yet not bumper to bumper into Los Angeles. I found a parking spot on the first level of the parking garage. Amelia followed behind me as we walked to the machine to pay for parking. She hugged herself and looked over at the five-story building like I was taking her to a place where she was going to get all her teeth pulled out.

I bumped her shoulder with mine. “Hey, it’s not the end of the world. Either way I’m here for you, and so are the boys.”

She nodded and hooked her arm with mine as we walked across the street to the building. “I’m nervous, Syd,” she said in the elevator.

“I know.” I hit the button for the fourth floor and gave her a side hug. “Take deep breaths. We’ll know soon.”

The doors opened, and we walked down the hall to the OB/GYN’s office. The waiting room had three pregnant women waiting, all looking at either their phone or a magazine. Amelia spotted them and their round bellies in various stages and backed toward the door.

“No, you need to know.” I gave her a friendly push toward the receptionist who spotted her and smiled. Now she had no choice but to sign in.

“Hello. What’s your name?” the receptionist asked.

“Amelia,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“Okay, please sign in. Have you been here before?”

She signed her name. “No.”

“All right. I need you to fill out some paperwork.” She rolled over to another desk, grabbed a clipboard, and put some papers on it. “Here you are. Please fill it out and bring it back. The doctor will be with you shortly.”

Amelia took the papers and sat down next to the magazine stand. I sat by her side and watched her trying to spell her name on the forms with a shaky hand. “I’ll fill this out. Just give me your insurance card.”

She got into her purse and dug around for a bit before handing me her card. I knew most of her info. I had to ask her about the family history with diseases and such, but it wasn’t too bad. I got up and turned it in for her. The receptionist gave me a small smile. “Poor dear. She in shock?”

I looked over my shoulder. “We’ll see when the doctor confirms or not.”

“She’s not the only one. I see them a lot, but either way I think it’s good news.” She flashed me a bright smile.

I gave her a polite grin and nodded, not wanting to continue the conversation. It wouldn’t be world-ending if my best friend was knocked up, but it wouldn’t be time to celebrate, either. We were almost at the end of our undergraduate life. Amelia wasn’t planning on going on for her masters, but she still had plans. Last summer, she told me how Hunter was going to propose, and when they got married and settled down, they’d get ready to have kids. To get pregnant now without even getting hitched was unsettling. Why was life like this?

Amelia laid her head on my shoulder when I sat back down. A doctor on the TV in the corner talked about giving birth and it made her cringe. A woman in her late twenties rubbed her huge stomach and smiled at us. “Who’s the lucky one?” She nodded to Amelia. “You, sweetie?”

She licked her dry lips. “How did you know?”

“Your eyes. You’re tired, bloated, and probably have to pee. Your first?” Her voice was airy, like we were talking about the latest summer fashion.

Amelia looked down at her flat stomach. “It would be if…confirmed.”

The lady laughed and awkwardly moved to sit up more in the chair. “This is my third. I love being pregnant, but each one is different. This one never lets me get comfortable.”

I pressed my thighs together and wondered if two condoms at once would increase the odds of me not getting knocked up. Maybe we’d have to do other positions, because I was so not ready for that change.

My phone vibrated. I looked down and saw a new message from Jason.

Jason: How’s the dresses & table stuff going?

Me: Pretty good. How’s the surf?

Jason: Amazing! Wish u were by my side.

Me: Same but someone needs to plan this wedding.

Jason: Isn’t that what Amelia is 4? ;)

I laughed and remembered where I was. Amelia gave me the stink eye as I slid down in my chair. “What’s so funny?”

“Jason.” I clicked my phone off so she couldn’t read the messages.

“Hmm.” She turned her head. “What does he have to say?”

I shrugged. “Only saying he wishes I was surfing with him.” I gave her an innocent look, but my smirk ruined it.

“What am I going to—”

“Amelia?” a woman in white scrubs holding a clipboard called out.

“That’s you.” I nodded her toward the door.

She stood up and grabbed my arm. “You’re coming with me. I would for you.” I was pulled past the girl and through the doorway. It seemed I had no choice in the matter.

We followed the nurse back to an exam room after she checked Amelia’s blood pressure, height, and weight. Honestly, I had no idea what was happening. I sat down in a white plastic chair to text Jason back.

Me: Baby, I need to make sure it’s perfect 4 us. <3

Jason: I just want my bride in front of me. Don’t care about anything else.

Me: Oh really? No table stuff? Maybe I can cancel the food too, who needs food?

I loved fucking with him.

Jason: Wait! Never mind! I like food. I bet the table things will be awesome!

I suppressed my laugh. I could so see him freaking out. Damn, I loved him too much.

Me: haha I know, baby. Was just kidding. I’ll see u 2nght.

Jason: U little devil. Can’t wait, I’ll punish u later…

Amelia cleared her throat. I looked up to find her in a paper gown with her feet in stirrups. “You’re supposed to be my support, Syd.”

“Right. I’m here.” I slid my phone into my back pocket and took her right hand.

The doctor came in a few minutes later. “Hello, Amelia. You ready to see if you’re expecting a bundle of joy?” Her lips were soft pink, and she flashed too much of her teeth. She was too happy. Everyone here was. Was it in the water?

“Yeah,” Amelia said, not hiding her nervousness.

“I’m Doctor Arnold, by the way. This will be a little cold.” She got a wand looking thing and sat down on the stool in front of Amelia. I remained by her head as we watched the monitor. Amelia squeezed my hand as the doctor moved the wand around inside her.

“Aw…there we go.” She pointed to the machine. “Right there is your baby. You’re about seven weeks along. Congrats!”

Amelia stared at the screen and fell back against the chair, weeping. I squinted at the screen. “It’s that?” I pointed to what was the size of a blueberry.

“Yes, that’s the baby.”

“Wow. That’s incredible. It doesn’t even seem human.” I looked at the screen and then Amelia’s stomach. She shielded her tummy and gave me a murderous look.

“Syd, that’s not helping.”

The doctor stood up and put the wand away. “You can make an appointment to come back in to check on your baby in a couple of weeks. When you’re about four or five months along, we can do an ultrasound and see if we can determine the sex of the baby if you’d like to know. You can sit up now if you like.”

Amelia took her feet out of the stirrups and sat up, crossing her ankles. “This is crazy.”

“You need to start taking pregnancy vitamins to keep you and your baby healthy. You can get them at any drug store over the counter. As for foods to avoid…” The doctor pulled out a piece of paper from a folder on the counter and handed it to Amelia. “Don’t eat raw or uncooked food. Avoid alcohol, unpasteurized juices, and caffeine.”

I swallowed too loudly. “So no soda or coffee?”

The doctor glanced over at me like I appeared out of nowhere. “Yes. Those and energy drinks.”

Amelia looked down at her flat stomach and sighed. “This is going to suck.”

Doctor Arnold shook her head and placed a hand on Amelia’s shoulder. “It does seem that way with your first, but there are parts of pregnancy that aren’t bad, and in the end, you have a beautiful baby. It’s a wonder of nature to give birth to a child.”

“I guess you’re right. What foods should I eat?”

“That’s on that paper too. I advise eating lean meat for protein, yogurt for calcium. Wild salmon is packed with omega-3, which is a good type of fat. Avocados are good for potassium. Vitamin B6 and vitamin C help the baby’s brain and tissues. Finally, drink plenty of water.”

Amelia looked down at the piece of paper in front of her. “All right. Getting a book or two might help…”

The doctor laughed. “Sweetie, there are apps now that can tell you your baby’s progress, but you should still come in for checkups because all pregnancies are different. You should also enroll in a Lamaze class soon. They can help you prepare for giving birth. Do you have any other questions?”

My best friend looked over at me. I was lost in all the new information and just stared back. Her once joyous hazel eyes were watery with worry. “I think I’m okay for now.”

“All right. Come back anytime if you feel concerned about something.”

We thanked the doctor and checked out before walking back out to the car. I sat at the stop sign waiting to turn onto the busy street. “Are you hungry?”

She crossed her arms over her torso. “A little. It will get worse in coming months. Ugh. I’m going to need more clothes soon. These are already getting a little tight.”

I gave her a grim smile. “I know, but a shopping spree will be fun. Right now, where do you want to get food?”

“I want a burger, don’t care the place.” She turned her head to look out the window.

“Okay…” I drummed my thumbs on the steering wheel, trying to think of closest places with burgers. It didn’t help that I knew every club and bar, but restaurants were a bit shaky in my memory.

“There’s a Burger Queen a few miles south. We’ll go there.” I turned left and merged into traffic.

When I stopped at the red light on Hollywood Boulevard, someone blared their horn at me and went around, running the light. I flipped them the bird. “Fuckers! Don’t you see I can’t go anywhere? Shit.” I shook my head.

Amelia clicked her tongue. “Sydney, you’re going to need to learn to watch your mouth during these next few months.” She gave me a stern look. Shit, she had the mean mother look down already.

“Sure thing.” I hit the gas when the light turned green. The blue car in front of me went ten miles under the speed limit. They had to be freaking tourists. I went around them and floored it to make the next light. A few blocks of stop and go went by before pulling into the parking lot of the fast food joint.

We got out of the car. I looked it over, making sure no one scratched her.

Amelia rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache. “Good God, Syd. You drive like a maniac!”

I shrugged, walking a few feet to the glass door of the restaurant and opening it. “You’ve been like my sister for most of my life. Shouldn’t you be used to my driving by now?”

She gave me a long look as she walked inside. “You’re not this bad back home, but geez, in California you’re so much worse!”

“You have to be aggressive here to get by. I mean, this place is intense, but I love it.”

We walked to the end of the line. There were about five people in front of us. I looked at the board of food and thought I’d get a single burger with an order of small fries and a drink. Amelia was in front of me and went up to the cashier after the elderly couple left. “I’d like a double burger with no onion but tons of tomato, a small fry, and a medium drink. Can I have ranch on the side?”

“Sure. Is that all?” the cashier asked.

“And a small vanilla shake.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “Syd, you want something? My treat for going to the doc with me.”

I closed the few feet between us. “I’d like a single burger with no mustard and some small fries and a small drink.”

The guy nodded and typed it in. “Okay. That all?”

“Yes,” Amelia said.

The guy told her the total and she paid with her debit card. We were given our cups and receipt. I got some Dr. Pepper, of course. Amelia got lemonade, and she never drinks lemonade because she says it’s too sour.

“Lemonade, eh?” I glanced down at her cup as I put the lid on my own drink.

She took a sip and licked her lips. “Yeah, it tastes so good now. Plus, I need to follow the doctor’s advice and avoid caffeine for…you know.”

“Yeah.” I handed her a lid.

“Thanks.” She snapped it on and grabbed a straw.

“So…how are you going to tell Hunter?” We moved to stand by the wall where catering menus were, out of the way of others who wanted drinks.

“Ugh, I do have to tell him, don’t I?” She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “I don’t know. I’ve seen the stories on Facespace of how girls make this big deal about it, but that’s when they wanted it, right? Do I just say it, or should I put a bit of thought into it?”