Sweet Cheeks by J. Dorothy Read Free Book Online Page B

when I first found out I was pregnant.
    She widens her eyes, and bites her lip. “You know.”
    “I don’t know the details. I only know you have a big secret you’re keeping from Cam.”
    “And you haven’t told him?” She bites her lip harder.
    That is a good question. I wonder why I haven’t told Cam. I’ve been so caught up in all things Tanning, I haven’t thought about planting that seed. Most unlike me.
    “No. I haven’t said anything. I don’t want to hurt him.”
    Bailey wipes a tear from her eye and takes a big breath looking up to the ceiling. “Yeah. I don’t want to hurt him again. I hurt him enough. That’s why I haven’t been able to tell him.”
    This is the big moment. And I don’t know if she’ll answer the question, but I have to ask it.
    “Tell him what?” I say softly.
    She sucks in another breath then looks at me and blinks away more tears. “That when I was in Chicago …” She takes another deep breath, and my insides start to squirm. “I … I … um got pregnant and then I … I … lost the baby…”
    The following silence, while I pick my jaw off the floor, is palpable, until a glass falls, breaking it. I’m still in a bit of shock, so it takes me a minute to register we're not alone, and that it isn’t either of us who’s just smashed a glass all over the polished floorboards.
    Jesus, Cam.
    And I’m betting from the devastated look pasted all over his face he just heard the same words from Bailey’s lips as me.

SeVeN
    _________________________
    Cam doesn’t hang around. He storms off down the hall slamming the door to the kitchen and then the front door. Bailey is sitting rigid, except, her hands are shaking and she’s turned a really pale gray color.
    I’m still in a bit of shock myself, not sure who I should be with right now. My allegiance is with Cam, but he looked too pissed to try and talk to. I don’t think he’ll be listening, and I’m not really the one he needs to talk to. I’m snapped out of my daze when Tanning stumbles into the room, shirtless of course, which always renders me speechless, but right now I have other things on my mind distracting me. Then I realize he doesn’t have anything on his feet.
    “Tanning. Stop. There’s broken glass.”
    “Broken glass? What the hell happened?” he says with alarm, looking at both me and Bailey.
    Bailey isn’t moving and now the tears are streaming down her face. I’ve made up my mind.
    “Um … you need to get dressed and go find Cam. You need to look after him, he’s had a bit of a shock.”
    “A shock?” he asks, then narrows his eyes at me. “What have you done?”
    I really want to scoff at that remark. Typical. So, he thinks this is all my fault. Well let him, I’m a little pissed myself right now. “Just go, and go quick. Cam … well he might do something …” I decide not to finish that sentence as I hear Bailey’s breath hitch and she chokes back another sob.
    I move closer to her and put my arm around her, and she grabs on to me and leans into my shoulder. Her sobs are gut wrenching. She’s really hurting. Wow, I never thought I’d ever be the comforter, but it actually feels kind of nice to be needed like this. Must be the pregnancy hormones making me all nurturing or something. I’ve certainly never experienced this before.
    I hear Tanning mutter a few curses as he hurries off down the hall and disappears into his bedroom. I wait till I hear the front door slam shut and breathe a sigh of relief. I know Tanning will find Cam and look after him. He needs a good buddy like Tanning. Just like Bailey needs a friend. Now Gerry is living in Chicago, she really doesn’t have anyone else. We are more similar than I thought.
    And with that thought, my plans change. I want to help her. I want Cam and her to be happy. He would never look at me the way he looks at her. And when I think about it, it was always just a dream to have Cam for myself. A dream that would never be a reality