Laid 2 Rest Two Halves of a Whole (28 page)

We walked around until the wee hours of the morning, popping in and out of casino after casino. By the time my feet hurt, everyone but the
pregnant
women were too drunk to drive back to our hotel, so I drove one car while Viv drove my brother’s truck. No one was ready to go upstairs but me. I was tired and my back was starting to throb. I told Jay to stay downstairs and have fun with the others, but he insisted on at least walking me upstairs to our room first.

I plopped myself down on the bed with my legs dangling over the edge. Jay took my shoes off for me and then stripped me out of my clothes with ease. Scooting back, I crawled under the covers and made myself as comfortable as I could. We had slept naked every night since I had woken up married to him, so I didn’t think too much about putting pajamas on now. He laid himself behind me spooning and stroked my belly, but the warmth of him alone was enough to put me straight to sleep.

Jay got back as the sun was coming up. I felt him slide into the bed next to me as he pressed the front of his bare body against my back and draped a hand up, over and around our unborn child. He held both of us in his long strong arms; protecting us even in our sleep. “We missed you,” I whispered.

“I’m here, love. Go back to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you,” he whispered back into my ear as he drifted off.

I never knew marriage could feel like this. I regretted my other two within weeks of saying “I do” but with Jay, the thought of being apart from him scared me to death. Now that I have him, I wouldn’t be able to function if we were ever separated. I guess if you are lucky enough to be married to the right person; marriage is a blessing, not a curse like I had once thought.

Who knew!

By morning, I felt revived so I decided a drip in the pool would be a nice way to start off the day. Everyone slept in or had a hangover except for Vivian, so she came with me. “I’ll sit with you, but I’m not getting in the water,” she told me before we went downstairs.

It was early morning, but I could already feel the blazing Vegas sun on my skin. Viv sat hunched at the edge of the pool while I slowly eased my way in… the water was freezing cold in contrast to the sun.

She looked grim, the complete opposite of the girl I grew up with. She had a sadness about her… she was distant… maybe even scared of something. “Viv, talk to me. I know there’s something bothering you. What is it? Maybe I can help.”

“No one can help me,” she said, hopelessly staring off into space.

“I would like to try, if you’d let me.”

I paddled around in silence for a while until she said, “How did you know about the baby? I just found out myself. You cannot tell from just looking at me. So how did you figure it out?”

“Lucky guess,” I said, shrugging my shoulders out of the water.

“I guess it doesn’t matter, not really. I don’t know what I want to do about the baby. I don’t even know if I want to
have
a baby. If I’ll make a good or semi-decent mom,” she confessed with vacant eyes.

“Can I ask where the father is?”

“I don’t know… jail maybe,” she said nonchalantly.

“Viv, you have to do what’s best for
you and only you
. Do not let anyone make this decision for you. Listen to your heart. Let that be your guide. You’re the one that is going to have to live with whatever decision you make in the end. Being a mom is not easy. I’m still getting used to the idea myself. I don’t think it’s something that we are ever fully prepared for. It changes you; you become a different person… a better person because of them…
for them
. You realize that you live for them as your world starts to revolve completely around them.

You’re a strong, smart, and caring woman. You’ll make the right choice for yourself. Just don’t make any hasty decisions right now. Trust me on this, this is not something you want to be forced or pressured into. You don’t need a man around to be a good mother. You do, however need a good Godmother. Hint, hint.”

I couldn’t believe that she was in the same position I was in all those years ago. My one wrong decision almost killed me; I refuse to let Vivian go through what I went through. I learned it the hard way enough for the both of us to benefit from. What I told her, was exactly what I would have wanted to hear when I was in the same predicament. I would have given anything to have someone who didn’t judge me in my corner back then. Viv would know that I was here for her regardless of the outcome if it was the last thing I ever did. I refuse to let her feel the loneliness that I was forced to endure once upon a time.

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Jazz and how can you still be getting used to having kids? Aren’t the twin six now?” she said, lashing out at me.

Shoooooot
, did pregnancy make her ass more observant?
Just brush it off
… do not become defensive, I instructed myself. “Look, don’t think about it right now. You finally came home after being on the run for all these years. Spend some time with your family, your friend’s, maybe stepping back for a few days is all you need in order to see things from a whole new prospective.”

“Whatever… maybe!”

Viv ended up ditching me the first chance she got and headed off to have breakfast with Joel, Maya, and Bobby as I went up stairs to rinse off. Jay was already is the shower so I jumped in with him.

“You’re a little red, you know,” he said, checking out my shoulders.

“It’s really hot out there already,” I informed him while I rinsed off most of the chlorine smell.

“No more sun for you, Mrs. Bishop… we’ll have to put something on this so you don’t peel.” Jay pulled me close and kissed my shoulders, which lead to kissing my neck, which lead to a whole lot of foreplay in the shower.

Since my belly got in the way a lot, we resorted to making love in all types of new and interesting positions. Jay did not want to add any of his weight to my stomach what so ever since I was technically considered a high-risk pregnancy, but that didn’t stop us. If the sex didn’t hurt, we were having it…
all the time.

We never made it to breakfast.
Or lunch!

We spent the bulk of the day curled up together. Everyone must have been out doing their own thing considering no one even bothered to call and check on us. By the afternoon, we were heavy into round three of my birthday sex when the suite door opened. Thank God, our bedroom door was shut or else we would have been caught in the act. We could hear a guy and a girl laughing and talking dirty to each other in the living area.

It was Maya and Bobby for Pete’s sake.

Jay and I remained very still as we strained to listen with our bodies still connected as one. We heard another door close and then some loud moaning started up soon after that.

Oh My God!
They were doing it.
We were doing it.

It was funny and erotic all at the same time. Jay must have agreed with me as he started pumping again, but much slower and deeper this time. We were teenagers trying not to get caught again. I bit down on the sheets trying not to moan myself, alerting the other two that they had an audience.

The others were done with their secret quickie and left long before Jay and I were remotely finished. When we heard the front door slam shut, leaving us in the suite alone once again, Jay’s strokes picked up more speed and depth. Our moans grew louder and louder until we came at the same time like always as we both fell out laughing onto the bed.

At dinner that night, neither one of us could hold a straight face. Maya and Bobby were acting perfectly normal, but I could see the secret little looks they would give each other when they thought no one was paying any attention. I wonder how many quickies these two have actually had while we’ve been here.

Well, one friend is happy at least.

I say mission complete, patting myself on the back. It would be up to them where their relationship went from here… I just set it in motion. Now I have to try to help Vivian, which was definitely more of a challenge.

On Sunday, Viv rode back with Joel while Maya rode home with Bobby. She had cancelled her plane ticket, claiming that it would save her some money, but I knew better than that.

I didn’t tell her that Jay and I were in the next room and knew everything. I assumed she didn’t want to jinx herself in case things didn’t exactly work out when they got home. So, I figured when she was ready for me to know… she would pick up the phone and call.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I
T WAS THE BEGINNING OF
August and I still had three weeks left until my due date, but my body was tired. If this baby decided to come early, I would gladly welcome it. My doctor had put me on bed rest two days ago and believe me…
it wasn’t fun
. How do people just lie around in the bed all day when you have kids, a husband, and a business to tend to?

I am not a happy camper and down right bitchy! Remaining stationary was not my forte.

Having to keep in contact with my staff via cell phone or e-mail, my laptop had easily become my new best friend. Maya and Bobby were still going strong, but I decided against informing her that I already knew about the secret quickie thing in Vegas. There was no need to embarrass them. I will let them enjoy each other and their newfound happiness in peace.

Vivian on the other hand, did another one of her disappearing acts so no one could get in contact with her...
once again!
I was a little pissed about that, how am I supposed to help someone who didn’t want to be found? With my hands tied, I tried like hell to be patient and waited for some sort of sign on what my next move was supposed to be where she was concerned. I just pray that she resurfaces some time soon and doesn’t allow another seven years to pass us by.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!! I screamed.

Retching in extreme pain, I curled into a ball, almost sending the computer crashing to the floor. Breathing hard, I clinched my teeth to keep from screaming again. Sweat started to bead on my forehead as Jay burst thru our bedroom door like a mad man, rushing to my aid.

“Jazz…. Jazz what’s wrong? Is it time?”

I couldn’t answer him… I couldn’t even catch my breath. I was panting extra hard, trying to breathe in what little oxygen I could while holding my stomach. It felt like the baby was trying to claw their way out of my belly button. He made a call and then scooped me up, and carried me out to the car. After getting me buckled in, he headed back into the house, but was back within two minutes and was now speeding towards the hospital.

“Jazz, you’re going to be okay. Mrs. Marshall from next door is with the twins. Love, stay with me. Do you hear me? Stay with me!” he said, clutching my hand.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!
Fuck this shit hurts
. I kept my teeth locked shut as another contraction ripped thru me, causing my grip to tighten on Jay’s hand until it passed. I couldn’t speak to let him know what was happening… I was afraid I would throw up. The smell of car exhaust was making my stomach turn. Doubling over in pain from every little bump in the road, Jay kept trying to sooth me by telling me that everything would be alright soon.

Well, maybe his ass should try giving birth then!

“
UHHHHH GROSS!!!
My water… my water just broke.” I choked out, unlocking my jaw as I sat in the warm, gooey substance that just gushed out of my bloated body. Nausea claimed me finally and just as I thought, I threw up all over the glove box in front of me.

“We’re almost there, love. Just hold on… I’m begging you to hold on for a few more minutes.”

He never let my hand go, no matter how hard I squeezed.
Damn
… I probably crushed a few of his carpal bones. At the hospital, everyone exploded into action when he carried me thru the emergency room doors. They had me redressed in a hospital gown with my legs up in cold metal stirrups before I knew it. I stayed focused on Jay’s face the entire time. I neither saw nor heard anything else around me. I locked onto his orbs to help pull me through this ordeal.