Crazy in Love (Lovestruck Series) (12 page)

Reagan

One morning during the first week of sleeping in my childhood bed at my parents’ house, a twin size for christsakes, I get a humdinger of a surprise.

I assume I’m dreaming when I hear a man’s deep voice, but then the smell of cooking bacon hits me in the face like a fucking frying pan. The initial heave catches me totally off guard. I mean, I haven’t had animal meat in years, but it’s never actually made me physically ill.

That’s the thought I’m contemplating with my head hanging in the toilet when some dude appears in the bathroom doorway.

“Hey, you must be Reagan.”

My head snaps up in shock to glare at the small, brown-haired man wearing jeans and a blinding bright orange polo. Where the fuck did he come from? The heaves are back in full force before I can ask.

“Oh, no. Hey, Nance! You’re daughter’s throwing up in the bathroom! You said she didn’t eat meat, but you didn’t say it made her upchuck!”

Jeez, who the hell is he, and what’s with the vomiting? Ugh. Josie got sick as soon as she drank the love potion. Maybe it just took a while to work its magic in me. Although, it hasn’t actually worked
any
magic since I’m alone, and Gage is…still married.

“She doesn’t usually throw up around meat,” I hear my mom say when she joins the bathroom party. I really don’t need an audience for this.

“Maybe she’s pregnant,” the random asshole in my mother’s house suggests, followed by a chuckle.

“Don’t be silly,” my mom quickly responds in my defense. “I told you, Reagan’s a smart girl. She wouldn’t do something so careless. Right, sweetie?”

“Oh my God,” I mutter right before another wave of retching hits. Once I can breathe again, I start counting the days backward, and then forward. No, it was just that one little time, so surely there’s no way…

“Do you want me to see if I’ve got some Phenergan or something for nausea in the medicine cabinet?” my mom asks.

I shake my head as the realization starts to really hit home because my first thought is to say no to any medicine.

“I…I’m not sure if it’s safe for the baby,” I say, the words sound so foreign, but I know they’re true.

“Baby!?!” my mom exclaims. “You are? You…you’re pregnant? Jesus, Reagan, when were you gonna tell me? Who the hell is the father?”

Grabbing tissues, I blot at the tears on my cheeks. “I dunno, Mom. When were you gonna tell me who this fucker is?” I snap back at her.

“Reagan! Watch your mouth, young lady!”

“I’m not a young lady,” I counter. “I’m gonna be a…I’m gonna be a mother.”

“Oh, sweetie,” she says when I break down into full out sobs, and then her arms are around me, comforting me.

After a few minutes, when I can finally speak again, I tell her, “I need to take a test to be sure, but…”

“Okay,” she says, getting to her feet. “Roy will go to the store and get one right now.”

“Who the hell is Roy? Is he Roy?” I ask, pointing at the strange man still standing there in a shirt brighter than the sun. “Why is he in your house so freaking early?”

“He came over so we could have breakfast and he could finally meet you,” my mom says as she walks over and stands next to him. “We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks.”

“Like dating?” I ask in confusion.

“Um, well, yeah,” she answers.

“Sorry to meet you under these circumstances,” Roy says softly.

This is all too much to comprehend. My mom is dating another man? I want to be happy for her, but it makes me feel like a traitor to my dad. Deep down I know this is good for her and makes me feel…hopeful, like maybe you can find love more than once in a lifetime.

First things first, I need to be certain that I’m not overreacting on the baby issue. And if I am pregnant…oh fuck. How do I tell Gage? And what is he gonna tell his wife?

…

A few hours later, I leave the doctor’s office with a piece of paper that not only says I’m pregnant, verified from a blood test after a positive home test, but it also says the baby’s due February fourth. That’s right, in less than a year, I’m gonna be a mother, and that is…mind blowing.

Getting in my car, my entire body is shaking with nervousness, so bad that my teeth are chattering. I’m on my way to campus to tell Gage the news. No more Professor Daughton. I think being his future baby’s mama means we’re on a first-name basis.

Honestly, trying to figure out how to deal with him is scarier than the thought of having a baby. I think I’ll be a great mother, and I’m certain Gage will be a wonderful father. It’ll just be...excruciating to have him in our life but not be with him in the way I desperately want.

The drive to campus passes in a blur, and then I’m standing in front of his dark office. Fuck, he’s not here. I wander around the mostly empty building since it’s summer break until I find another woman who works in the journalism department.

“Do you know when Gage…I mean, Professor Daughton might be back?” I ask the white-haired lady I snuck up on, nearly scaring her to death when she jumps in the copy room.

“Professor Daughton is no longer employed here,” she replies with her wrinkled nose in the air once she recovers.

“Ah, what?”

“He resigned. The pervert was screwing around with some student. Good riddance.”

“Oh my God,” I exclaim and then slap a hand over my mouth.

“Yeah, talk of the department. Last I heard he ran off on his wife and took a job as a fill-in reporter up north.”

“Wow,” I mutter in shock. Someone found out…or Gage told them? But apparently they don’t know who I am, or I would’ve been contacted by the university, right?

“I knew something was going on when his wife showed up the week before exams, looking madder than a hornet,” the lady says with a shake of her head. “Everyone was certain they had split months earlier, but there she was. And then the day of graduation he up and turns in a resignation admitting to his adultery.”

Suddenly things start to make a little more sense. The week before exams…that was when Gage came to my apartment and ended things. Maybe it was after his wife showed up. But then why did he resign and tell them about us? If he wanted to leave, he could’ve just walked away clean and clear.

Unless…unless he didn’t have a choice because someone knew about us and was threatening to turn us in unless he confessed.

That bitch! He resigned for me, to protect me from going down with him. And now he’s gone. 

Luckily I’ve learned a little bit about social media this semester. Time to put my lessons to the test and see if I can track down my baby’s daddy.

Gage

For the fifth time today, I pull up one social media app after another, checking to see if there are any updates. But like yesterday and the day before, and so on, there’s nothing. Nada. Reagan hasn’t posted a single thing since graduation. No angry women memes or articles about chopping off a man’s dick. Nothing. And it’s driving me fucking insane! Didn’t I teach the woman anything? Oh, right, I taught her how it feels to be utterly devastated by a man. I’m sure that lesson has stuck with her.

“Ready?” Dave, the cameraman asks, telling me we’re about to go live. I have to admit that this job is much more exciting than teaching lectures. Although, today’s scene not so much. An ATM randomly exploded a few hours ago. Thankfully no one was injured, but the police have had a time with looters trying to scavenge through the debris looking for money.  What can I say? It’s been a slow news day. Still, even with the lower pay, I feel like I’m where I belong, reporting the news. I only wish I weren’t alone.

I run a hand over the top of my head, making sure there're no random cowlicks sticking up before grabbing my mic and getting into position with the ATM wreckage behind me.

“And in 3…2…1,” the cameraman nods, and then we’re live.

“Earlier today, local residents and business owners were shocked when…holy fuck…” My mind shuts down, and my mouth goes dry at the sight of her standing at the front of the crowd of people gathered around the parking lot. Wait, maybe she’s just a figment of my imagination. But that doesn’t explain the blonde woman next to her, Josie since I wouldn’t have included her in my fantasy reunion.

“Ah, crap,” Dave may have muttered, but only Reagan matters. Especially when I realize she’s smiling at me, such a vast contrast to the hurt, scornful look at the end of our last conversation and then at graduation.

What the hell is she doing here?

How did she know where…?

She stalked me on social media. Thank God I’m not the only one.

“I’m so glad to see you,” I tell her when my legs carry me across the parking lot to her. When I reach for her cheek to make sure she’s real, it feels damp underneath my thumb, which doesn’t make sense since she looks happy. “Are you okay?” I ask her when she doesn’t say anything.

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

Ah, so she’s somehow figured out about Trish’s blackmail. I don’t know how, but I’m glad she no longer seems to hate me.

“Because you had worked too long and hard on a degree for me to ruin it,” I tell her.

“She threatened to report us?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“And you really were separated?”

“Almost divorced, and it
will
be finalized soon,” I promise her. “I was gonna tell you after everything calmed down, once I knew she couldn’t hurt you.”

“I can’t believe you resigned and left…”

“I didn’t want to leave you like that, but I didn’t really have a choice.”

“You did it to protect me?” she asks.

“Yes, and I’m sorry. Every second since I left you that day…I’ve missed you so damn much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she says followed by a sniffle. “But there’s another reason why I’m here.”

“Oh?” I ask. “You didn’t just want to see me?”

“Well, yeah, but there’s something I need to tell you…um, are you supposed to be on camera right now?” she asks, nodding over my shoulder. When I look behind me, Dave’s camera is still propped up on his shoulder, and his hand is on his hip in an obvious expression of aggravation.

“Oh yeah, I was sort of in the middle of a live broadcast…”

“Gage!” Reagan exclaims and slaps me on the shoulder. “Go. We can talk later.”

“Good,” I tell her before stealing a quick kiss from her lips. “Please don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t,” she promises, so I take my place, getting back into position.

“Sorry,” I tell Dave.

“Going live in two minutes. You better be glad we’re on a thirty-second delay, and I warned them to go to the traffic report instead,” he says.

“Thank you, and it won’t happen again,” I assure him, exhaling in relief that I’m not out of another job and that thankfully everything might work out with Reagan and me after all.

I try and calm my racing thoughts before Dave gives the cue, and we go live.

“Earlier today, local residents and business owners were shocked when they heard an explosion. Thankfully no one was injured, but the damage to the neighboring shops will likely cause them to have to shut down while they undergo repairs. Meanwhile, officers are still on scene trying to determine if the blast was the result of a bomb or malfunctioning equipment.”

Hold on. Reagan said she missed me, but that there’s another reason why she’s here. Something she needs to tell me. It must be something pretty damn important if she drove all the way up here to say it face-to-face instead of over the phone.

My eyes cut back over to Reagan, and as soon I see her palm lovingly caressing her lower belly I know without a doubt…

“Oh my God. She’s pregnant,” I mutter aloud when it hits me. “You’re pregnant?” I ask Reagan as I gravitate toward her again. Her eyes widen, and she looks at her friend and then to me again. Everyone at the scene is silent, except for Dave, who I hear whisper-yelling my name, but this is more important.

“You…you’re…and it’s mine…and we’re gonna have a baby?” I stammer.

“Yes,” Reagan says with a tearful smile. And hearing that one word sends me sailing through the clouds. I hand Josie the microphone so I can pull Reagan into my arms, likely crushing her from the force of my hug.

“What the fuck?” Josie asks. “You’re pregnant and didn’t tell me?” she asks.

“I’m sorry,” Reagan says in response to her friend’s question or to me.

“I’m not,” I assure her. “This is…wow, I don’t know what to say. I love you more than anything, and this is absolutely incredible.”

“Really?” Reagan asks, her voice muffled by her face still buried in my shirt.

“Yes, definitely.”

“Good,” she says, and I relax my hold on her just a little so she can breathe and talk. “I wasn’t sure how you would feel…”

“You and I are perfect together, and I can’t wait to have a family with you, even if it is sooner than expected.”

“Oh, good,” she says on a heavy exhale. “I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. You’re my soulmate, and I love you, even if it took a stupid love potion to finally bring us together.”

“A love potion?” I ask with a chuckle, and Reagan blushes.

“Well, yeah. I drank it right before the pineapple incident, and then we had to have sex within a week for it to work.”

“So your rush to be with me, it was never about your grade, but a…love potion?”

“Yes.”

Thank fuck. Now her urgency is starting to make sense, even if it was all because of her silly superstition.

“Sweetheart, you and I never needed a potion,” I tell her. “You’ve always been mine, you just didn’t know it.”

“Now I do,” she says, tightening her arms around my neck. “And I have no doubt that we’re gonna get our happily ever after.”