A Little Bit of Truth (Little Bits) (33 page)

So I sit on the floor with Evelyn on my lap who seems content to chew on my finger with her two top teeth that have a tiny gap in between them and her hard bottom gum. It hurts but when I stop her she cries. The pain is better than that noise. Shudder.

“Are you and Auntie Marie dating?” Amelia asks me ten minutes into the movie.

“Umm…”

“Because Auntie Maya told Uncle James that Marie said she’s dating you.” She does not look happy.

“No princess, I only have eyes for one girl,” I give her a smile and hold open my arm. “But don’t tell Marie because she might get jealous.”

“Okay,” she leans into my side and sighs. “Love you Jacob.” I want one. I so fucking want one. If this is how Lucas feels every day then he’s the luckiest ass in the world. Maybe I’ll just take this one. I’d take Maya’s but
I’m scared of Evelyn just a bit, too much brain for such a tiny child. Amelia is intelligent but she’s not devious. Everything about this baby screams devious beauty. I feel sorry for James when she reaches her teen years.

I was right before, this kid needs a brother to keep her out of trouble.

Don’t get me wrong, Evelyn is great, I love her to pieces. She’s an awesome kid and would be my second choice in the list of kids I can kidnap and attempt to raise.

Two Barbie movies later, Evelyn, after going through her toys and beating me and Amelia with too many objects to count, is now crying. And by crying I mean screaming. I’ve fed her, she spat it at me, I tried again but she knocked it on the floor. So I got her some organic baby juice, she threw that away too. Amelia is stood in the corner of the room with her hands pressed to her ears.

“She needs to nap,” who’s the guardian at this current time? Me or the
five year old? I’m going with Amelia. Why did I agree to this?

“Really?” I ask the
five year old.

“Yep. She needs to sleep. Auntie Maya puts her to sleep when she’s grumpy.” Well, the kid is definitely grumpy. Okay, I can handle this. “Or maybe her diaper needs changing.”

So that’s what that smell is. Oh god. I’m going to vomit.

“Want to change her diaper?”
I ask with my most charming smile.

And she’s gone. Amelia I mean. Faster than the speed of fucking light.

“Guess it’s just you and me kid,” I sigh to Evelyn and hold her at arm’s length in front of me.

I set her on the changing table in her bedroom and strap her down around the waist so I can grab the stuff I need. Do I need baby powder? Nah, I think they just use wipes and diapers and this weird white creamy stuff.

Okay, got it. Now to take off the tights. Ugh, that stinks.

Now for the diaper.

It’s alive! “AMELIA! Is it supposed to be this… runny?”

“How should I know? I’m five!” Amelia shouts back as I empty the pack of wipes and attack the baby’s bum with them.

“No, don’t kick, oh now it’s on your foot. Brilliant.” Maybe a bath would be a better idea. “This is foul. You are foul. Anybody who makes shit like this is foul.”

“MOOOOMOOOON!” Evelyn squeals, her baby face lit up with a smile.

“You’re a moron.” Now I’m arguing with the kid? What the hell is wrong with me?

“MOOOMOOON!”

“Keep still,” And I finally get her bum and legs clean
, last time I changed her diaper she’d only peed and I put it on the wrong way, this time I’m going to do it perfect.

I flip her onto her belly just to be sure
I have it all and laugh at her chunky little cheeks with dimples in them. Now we’re past the bad bit, I have to admit I wouldn’t mind doing this again. Maybe with my own. Not yet though, definitely not yet. I clothe her in a pretty red dress and white tights and place her in her activity center in the room before cleaning up the mess I made on her changing table.

“Don’t forget to wash your hands,” Amelia calls.

“Who’s the adult here?” I snap playfully and I do as my mini mother tells me and wash my hands.

“I’m hungry.”

“Chinese food?”

“Awesome!”

This is why I always do my Christmas shopping with Maya, because she has people to take her bags to the car after every store. And some stores even deliver them to her car for her. Money does make the world go round. Also, I have Jacob’s credit card and I’m trying to do his Christmas shopping with Maya as well as my own.

I love shopping, especially Christmas shopping. I also love wrapping. Especially Christmas wrapping, with the little ribbons and the bows which you stick on top.

“I’m almost done,” I announce and my belly grumbles angrily. “I’m also starving.”

“Me too,” Maya says and pats her stomach. “Plus, we better get back to Jacob. It’s getting late.”

“He can handle it.” I have total faith in him.

“She didn’t tell him Evelyn has the runs,” Loryn laughs and I cringe.

“If you ever do that to me,” I state, pointing a finger at my best friend. “I’ll kill you with the diaper you forced on me.”

“Duly noted.” Maya giggles and leads us into a café across the street. “I’m totally craving a cheese and tomato pesto Panini.”

“Duly noted.” I respond and wave Jacob’s credit card at them. “Lunch is on the celeb.”

They both share my wicked grin and we order a lot more than we should. Although it doesn’t come up to more than fifty dollars so I doubt he’ll mind.

I notice Loryn bought a few pregnancy tests from the pharmacy we passed an h
our ago. Neither I nor Maya have commented. She didn’t do it discreetly but it’s a sensitive subject for Loryn. After she had a disastrous pregnancy that left her with only one working ovary, her chances of becoming pregnant again are very low.

I hope she gets to have a baby with Lucas before they have to go through something like IVF. They won’t think about surrogacy or adoption yet. Loryn wants to experience pregnancy. They haven’t been trying for too long yet so there’s still hope.

In all honesty, I think that’s the reason why Maya won’t have another baby right now. She doesn’t want to get pregnant before Loryn and rub it in her face. Maya has a strange working mind, I know Loryn would probably get jealous but her happiness for her friend would override that completely.

This is why I have the IUD, kids are not my thing. Maybe one day but that one day will be far in the future. Very far. Far enough for me to not see it yet. Like when I’m thirty five or forty or the year before I’m destined to have my very last cycle.

Fuck it, maybe I’ll just get a puppy.

Or a cat, they’re easier.

Actually, I think I’ll stick with a pet rock named Herbert.

“Don’t want to alarm you but there’s a guy with a camera out there hiding behind a blue car, he’s pointing that camera directly at you,” a woman says as she places our drinks on the table. “Would you prefer a table out of sight?”

“Nah, that’s okay, let him get a few shots in,” I say with a shrug. “What harm could it do?”

“Yeah, the more discreet you are the more they hound you,” Maya sips her drink and takes a bite of her Panini. “Hot. Ouchy.”

“How are you getting on with the press thing?”
Loryn grabs a caramel cupcake and takes a large bite. How attractive.

How am I getting on with the press thing? “It genuinely hasn’t bothered me yet. You know me. I have thick skin. There’s already a page dedicated to my ugliness.”

Maya starts laughing, when she realizes nobody else is laughing with her she stops and starts whistling a Christmas tune.

“And there’s a page dedicated to your awesomeness,” Loryn flips out her phone and starts surfing the web. “They like the fact he’s with a normal girl.”

At this Maya starts howling with laughter again, then she stops when she realizes yet again nobody is laughing with her and continues whistling the Christmas tune she began before but didn’t finish.

“Are you trying to say I’m not normal?” I feign offense.

Maya wags her brows at me, “Babe. If you were normal Jacob wouldn’t be interested.”

“
Ain’t that the truth,” Loryn agrees with a slow nod. “He’s completely in love with you. That much is obvious. Even with all of your ugliness.”

“Bitch. And he’s not in love with me. We’re just in a happy relationship.”

“Mason told me you two got into an argument the other day,” Maya beams and Loryn’s brow quirks in interest. “Yep, apparently Jacob is demanding that Marie move in with him. He’s sick of her paying her own way when he should be doing it for her.”

“Aww, Jacob’s gone all romantic,” Loryn coos, her eyelashes fluttering.

I throw a spoon at her. “He hasn’t gone all romantic. He’s gone all caveman, there’s a big difference.”

“I love it when James goes caveman, it’s sexy.”

“Yeah, Lucas is rarely not a caveman. He got angry at me the other day for trying to change a light bulb. Anything that requires tools or standing on a chair is his job. I can make the coffee while he does it,” Loryn snorts at the end and waves her hand flippantly in the air. “He drives me crazy on a good day.” This last part is said on a wistful sigh that shows just how much love she has for her man.

My lips twitch, this is sort of sweet. Even I can’t help my heart melting a little at the amount of love she has for him.

“They get away with everything when they’re as sexy as our men,” Maya sighs wistfully. “Especially when James does this thing with his…”

“Dude. Here? Really? Right now?” I snap playfully. “I’m all for exhibitionism but that’s not an image I want
in my head, thank you.”

Maya throws the spoon at me, the same one I threw at Loryn. It hits my left tit. Ouchy.

“So, what’s going on with Summer? I’ve hardly seen her.” Loryn asks and Maya and I share a knowing look.

I opt for the truth, it’s not my business to tell but the more girls we have looking out for our friend the better, “She and Chris are having problems. Chris doesn’t realize they’re having problems though.”

Maya’s brow furrows, “I know Summer’s been a bit depressed lately but I don’t know why. She hasn’t said anything to me.”

“I can’t say Maya,” I shake my head, my determination set. “If she wants you to know she’ll tell you.” They both nod, I’m glad they don’t push me for more information. “Just keep an eye on her and go to her when she needs it.”

We all agree on this and half an hour later we go home.

Sleepy

Stop poking me. I swear to god I’m going to break your finger. Leave me alone.

“This is adorable. Stop it Maya I want to get a picture,” is that Marie? Click, click,
click. “Okay, go ahead and poke him.”

The not so heavy warm weight on my chest is slowly and carefully moved. The one tucked into my side is slowly and carefully moved.

“Sleepy,” I hear a grumpy Amelia mumble as Loryn shushes her, “I know baby. Let’s get you home to daddy now.”

“Stop poking me,” I grouch while batting away the finger prodding my cheek. “Sleepy.”

A heavier weight than the one that was moved moments ago, but still not that heavy, slowly rests on my chest. I know that smell. I smile and wrap my arms around her and rub my cheek against her soft hair.

“Hey baby,” she says and I hum in response. “Did you have fun?”

I hum again.

“Miss me?” To which I press my pelvis into hers, she laughs quietly, her body shakes with it. “That didn’t take long.”

It never does when she’s near. “You smell like coconut and fresh winter air.”

“You smell like sleepy Jacob.”

“If you two start screwing on my couch I’ll hurt you,” Maya advises us from somewhere in the room as my fingers trail lazily up and down Marie’s back. “Aww, that’s actually kind of sweet. How do I work this thing?”

“It’s a basic digital camera Maya,” Marie laughs. “Just switch it on and press the button.”

“I knew that,” Maya mumbles and then I hear, click, click, click. “Beautiful.”

I peek an eye open and watch her move away in the darkness. Marie raises herself off my chest and presses her lips to the corner of my mouth. “Good trip?” I ask, my voice gruff from just waking.

“Be better when I get you home and inside me.”

I stand immediately, practically throwing Marie from my lap before I grab her and toss her over my shoulder. She squeals and laughs then sinks her teeth into my ass
, I barely stifle a grunt as pain shoots down my thigh. “Foreplay baby, foreplay.”

“You’re so weird,” I love hearing
her laugh. I also love hearing her squeal so I slap her ass pretty damn hard. “Do that again and I’ll pluck your grapes.”

“Now that’s an image I definitely want!”

“Weird.”

“Bye guys,” Maya shouts, I forgot about her.