Unmistakable (15 page)

Jake says, “Didn’t I say this is all kinds of fucked up? Fucking shit!”

LT seconds it with, “We’re fucked more than I thought.”

Brian finishes it off with, “Well, what the fuck? We can’t give the fuck up!”

At that exact moment, Trish decides to come out. She’s waddling like a penguin, holding a damn banana.

“Why is everyone saying ‘fuck’? What is the fucking problem?”

We all have our eyes trained at the very pregnant, waddling Trish. Not wanting to clue her in on what’s going on, I decide to lighten the mood.

“The fucking problem is, your waddling messes up with our style of gangster dancing,” I say as I wink at her.

She gasps and raises her brow at me. “I can still drop it like it’s hot!”

Jake answers quickly, shaking his head as he puts his hands on his head, “No, babe! No, dropping it like it’s hot!”

Just, then Tami, Summer, and Roxy walk out and stand next to Trish.

I rub my hands together. “Alright, let’s see you ladies shake your asses!”

I know, I need to cover up what she just walked into, so I decide to sing Whoomp, There It Is to distract her.

“I’m kickin’ the flow…I’m kickin’ the flow, and it goes a little somethin’ like this. Crazy girls back again, drivin’ us crazy so let’s begin. Party on party people let me hear some noise. Cody’s in the house, let’s jump, jump, rejoice. There’s a prego lady here, a crazy lady there, wave your hands in the air. Shake it everywhere. These three words mean you’re gettin’ busy. Whoomp, there it is. Hit me.”

“Whoomp, there it is. Whoomp, there it is,” The guys echo back as they all point to the girls.

I cup my hands over my mouth. “Come on, ya’ll….a little louder.”

“Whoomp, there it is.” The girls sings back, and Trish uses the damn banana as her mic.

“Prego waddling, prego waddling, prego…boom!” All the guys are singing pointing at Trish.

We’re singing while the girls are dancing with their hands up in the air. Well, at least the three girls are dancing, Trish looks like a penguin who needs to pee. My eyes swing to Roxy, and my heart skips a beat, seeing her laughing and having fun; just like that, my mood changes somewhat. I need to play it smart, and not allow my emotions to overpower me. That thought calms me down a bit. Now, I need to focus on getting her to understand the importance of telling me everything, and that veering off course is not an option….at least not for me.

As the crazy singing and pee-style dancing continues, I look at our group of deliriously crazy individuals. As we dance for a while, were trying to forget the fucked up situation that’s facing us.

Seeing Cody smiling and acting like his goofy self is priceless. After what happened in the bedroom, he needs this…
we
need this. Being able to just forget about it for a while is such a nice reprieve. This is how it should be anyway, my friends and me hanging out without the added drama. It’s still hard to wrap my mind around the fact I’m really going to be doing something in secret that might eventually break Cody’s heart and hurt the people I love, but it will save him…save them.

They’re on to you, girlfriend! So, you’re not fooling anybody. They’ll have you on lockdown before the night is over, and you, my dear, will be a sitting duck.

It’s not as if I don’t know this. Of course, Cody knows, so everyone knows. During a time such as this, I wish he didn’t know me so well. If I were being honest with myself, I wanted him to catch me in a lie, because no matter what, I’m deathly afraid of what I’m about to do. For all I know, I’m being double crossed. I’ve never done anything as bold as this in my life.

What I do know is, this would only be the second time, in my whole existence, the need to act is imperative. Compared to the first time, though, the intensity is much stronger…the urgency much greater. I feel it pulsing from the depths of my soul, flowing in waves straight to the center of my heart. The first time was when I called Uncle Jack that night to pick me up, but that was to save
me
…now, this time, it’s to save
him
…to save
them
.

Tami breaks my thoughts. “Alright, party people, let’s get dinner ready.”

I help Tami in the kitchen to give Cody space since I know him well enough to know when I can push things, and when I can’t; right now, isn’t the time. After a very calm and quiet dinner, Jake tells us we’re playing BINGO. Why we agree, I have no clue, but apparently, Trish likes to play; and whatever Trish wants, Trish gets according to Jake.

“I’m calling the numbers!” Cody yells, as he grabs the bingo wheel filled with round white balls with numbers.

“Okay, people, one dollar per card. Put your money right here, please,” Trish says, as she shakes the bowl.

“A dollar a card? This is highway robbery!” Summer complains.

“Huh? You’re a nurse, girlfriend. You make mucho dinero!” I tell her, shaking my head.

LT sighs loudly. “Why do we have to play, again? This isn’t productive.”

“Easy there, big brother, if you want kids, you need to learn how to relax, or your balls will be scrambled; and there goes the chance to procreate,” I say, as I kiss him on the cheek.

He shakes his head and smirks at me. “One round, that’s it.”

“Jake, you got your card?” Cody asks, as Jake gives him a thumbs up, then looks at Brian. “How about you, bro? You got your card?”

“Yeah,” Brian answers, not a hint of excitement in his voice.

“What? You guys only have one card?” Tami asks.

“Ugh! Can we start this already? We only want one card, okay? Please, don’t say men can’t multi task that has got nothing to do with it. One card is enough to give me a damn headache!” Jake replies.

“Babe, you don’t like to play?” Trish asks, while rubbing her belly.

Jake instantly smiles at her. “Of course, I do, babe. Can you give me my kisses, please?”

“Oh gosh! Not again!” I protest, giving Jake the stink eye.

“Trish, please just kiss my brother before he mauls you in front of us,” Tami pleads as she fans herself with her cards.

Trish eventually gives in. She always does. Why she’s playing hard to get is crazy because she’s knocked up, baking, and set on a six month timer or however long the quads are going to stay in. Cody starts turning the bingo wheel, picks the first ball, and smiles at me. Wearing a stupid grin on his face, it’s clear he’s going to do or say something funny with a hint of sexual innuendo.

“First letter is O, party people. The number is, Tami and Brian’s favorite position. O sixty-nine!” Cody says, with a naughty grin.

Tami claps. “Yes!”

Summer gasps. “Geez, Tami. For real?”

Tami looks at her smiling. “That’s how we roll, right, honey?” She faces Brian and smiles beautifully at him.

Brian leans toward her and gives her two slow sweet kisses on her lips, as he holds her face with both hands. Such a sweet gesture, it makes my heart hurt just a little, knowing I might only have a few days to enjoy Cody holding me like that…kissing me like that. The rattling of the balls inside the wheel snaps me out of my Cody trance.

“Are we doing an X, or you guys want to do a blackout?” Trish asks.

“A what, Trish? I’d rather do a sixty-nine if you ask me,” Cody answers, winking at me.

I wink back, satisfied that his mood improved and my heart quivers, knowing he wants me. The heat caused by his stare permeates my body in a slow, sensual, and straight to my core arousal. It leaves my lips thirsty for his wet, hot kisses...every inch of my skin is itching for his touch, and my entire being craves the connection I want so badly.

Tami and Trish start shaking their heads, and I know what’s coming. If they say something I don’t want them to, it’s a free for all, and no secrets are safe. Pregnant or not, I’m taking her out!

“Sorry, Cody, but you should know by now, Roxy doesn’t like giving BJs,” Trish says, as she pouts and pats Cody’s shoulder.

Tami seconds, “You know, her TMJ might act up.”

Cody’s face scrunches up in a scowl aimed at my two best friends, who at the moment, I want to bitch slap. Meanwhile, the guys look back and forth between Cody and me wondering if this bit of information is true or false.

Well, it’s true and false….so it’s tralse! The TMJ part is true, but I still attempt to give him one every couple of months, or when my jaw cooperates with me.

“Dude, FYI that sucks!” LT says, while laughing so hard he’s about to fall off his chair.

“Ugh! Guys, that’s TMI!” Summer complains, covering her ears.

“Roxy, you gotta try it because YOLO,” Brian starts taunting me.

Jake says, “I’m just SMH and LOL!”

I point at every single one of them. “You guys are SOBs!”

Cody rolls his eyes in resignation and sits down. “FML! I’m not liking this game anymore! Can we play strip poker, instead?”

Trish stands up and objects. “Hell to the no! Unless you guys want to see Shamu up close and personal, that game is a no go!” She sits down, wearing a sad face.

Jake is quick to comfort Trish. “Hey, babe, look at me. You’re the most beautiful preggo woman I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he says as he puts Trish’s hand over his heart and continues, “Nothing’s changed, babe.”

Everyone’s looking at Trish and Jake, while they stare at each other as if they’re communicating with their eyes alone. I find myself staring at Cody….really staring. Oblivious of what’s going on around me, I’m trying to remember his face, how he smiles, and the softness in his eyes, how his nose scrunches just a bit before he lets go and laughs uncontrollably. I’m committing it to memory, so when that time comes, when I’m taking my last breath, his face will be vividly displayed in my brain.

“How can nothing change when I’m huge? I’m as wide as a door,” Trish says slowly.

“You’re not as wide as the door, Trish. How about we call it a night since this damn bingo game is giving me a headache.” LT says as he looks at everyone, waiting for our answer.

“I agree. Honey, let’s go to bed,” Tami says, wiggling her brows at Brian.

“Trish, let’s go. I need you to rest now,” Jake says, wrapping his arms around Trish guiding her toward the stairs.

As I walk up the stairs my mind races, my palms sweat and my heart beats rapidly, knowing Cody and I will be alone without our friends as buffers. I’m almost one hundred percent positive, we’ll talk about
the
problem as soon as he closes the door. I sit on the bed, facing the window, praying hard to win this argument. A couple of minutes later, I hear the door close, and the mood in the room changes from green to red. It’s hitting a critical-sirens-blaring-you-need-to-run stage.

Cody, almost always, never talks to a person whose back faces him, so him standing right in front of me didn’t surprise me at all. His closeness sends a chill down my spine, not because I’m afraid of him, but because I don’t want to lie to him. I’ve put so much weight on trust, and here I am breaking his. At this moment, I’m hating myself. I’m hating how I’m slowly becoming like my father.

With his feet firmly planted on the floor, his stance rigid as a Marine standing at attention with his arms over his chest, and an unreadable mask covering his handsome face, he finally opens his mouth.

“Out with it, Roxy. This will be the last time we’ll talk about this, so make it count. There’s two things I want to tell you before you decide on whether to tell me the truth, or blatantly lie to me. One, I love you, completely. Two, I hope you love me enough not to lie to me. So, go ahead and talk, Rox. I’m all ears.”

I couldn’t even look at him. I don’t know what to say, where to start, and how to lie. I stay quiet, playing with my fingers and looking at the floor. Well, I’m looking at his feet. Cody is wearing jeans, black shirt, and his feet are bare. Nothing is sexier than that, and my eyes can’t resist him. My eyes start at his feet, then travel upward, landing on his package. I stare at it for a couple of seconds, and my eyes continue their exploration while I lick my lips in appreciation. He may not be naked, but I know his body like my own. Every bulge, every defined muscle, every solid, hard surface, every inch of him belongs to me. Ever so slowly, my eyes move up toward his chest where his shirt is stretched tightly, and I remember, vividly, the last time I ran my fingers on his chest as he made love to me. My eyes travel north and land on his kissable lips, while my mouth waters needing to taste him…wanting to taste him. Finally, giving in to what my heart wants to see, my eyes waste no more time and gaze at his. His baby blues thaw the thick iceberg size boulder I try to cover my heart with, to do what needs to be done.