I started shaking my head. “Everyone thinks we’re together. Do you know how many times I’ve kissed you? And I’m carrying another man’s child. I…I…”

“God, Jessie, stop this. You didn’t know, and we didn’t do anything wrong. Most of those kisses were friendly pecks. Please…don’t get upset like this. It’s not good for the baby. Come on…let’s get out of the restroom and find somewhere to sit.”

We made our way through the lobby, and Trey guided me over toward empty chairs in the bar area. I looked around at everyone laughing and drinking while a terrible storm was going on outside. I closed my eyes and thought about the terrible storm going on inside me. I sat down in a chair, and he bent down as he pushed my hair behind both of my ears.

He smiled that sweeter than sweet smile at me. “I’m going to get you some water, love. Just try to take some deep breaths, and I’ll be right back.”

He placed his hand on the side of my face, and I leaned my head into it. His touch had become such a calming force to me. My body betrayed me with the shiver that ran through it. I watched as he turned and walked up to the bar. I noticed all the women looking him up and down. One bitch licked her lips and nudged her friend, who started laughing.

Bitches. He’s mine.

I sucked in a breath of air and covered my mouth. What? I started shaking my head. No! No…he’s not mine. We’re only friends—just friends.

I looked back at Trey. He was now talking to one of the ladies who had been eye-fucking him as he’d walked up to the bar. The insane jealousy I was feeling was very confusing. All I wanted to do was get to Scott, so I could beg him to forgive me and tell him how much I loved him. Yet, I also wanted Trey to stop talking to this bitch and come back to me. I needed to feel him near me. I needed his touch again.

What is going on with me? Why am I feeling this way toward him? I don’t love him. God, please…please just clear my head of these feelings.

I turned away and began watching everyone in the lobby. Little kids were chasing each other as their parents kept telling them to slow down. A little girl with curly brown hair was playing hide-and-seek with a little boy who looked to be about a year younger than her. I smiled, thinking about the child I was carrying.

I’m carrying Scott’s child. What will our baby look like? Will she have Scott’s beautiful blue eyes? Will she have blonde or brown hair?

I felt Trey touch my shoulder, and it was like a warm blanket enveloped my whole body. I looked up at his tender smile. I couldn’t help but glance back at the woman he had been talking to at the bar. She was giving me a dirty look, and a part of me felt triumphant.

As I watched Trey sit down and get settled in the chair, I wondered what his children would look like. Whoever he ended up with was going to be one lucky lady.

“Jessie, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I have to say it.”

I nodded.

“If it turns out that Scott did cheat—”

“He didn’t.”

“I know, but if he did, I want you to know that it would be my honor to take care of you and your child. I’d do everything in my power to make you both happy.”

Tears flooded my eyes as I looked into Trey’s eyes.

How can I care about someone so much when I only just met him, not even two months ago?

I got up, crawled onto his lap, and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Trey,” was all I could say. Right before I fell asleep, I whispered, “I love Scott. I’ll always love Scott.” I drifted off to sleep where images of little girls with curly hair took over my dreams.

All I could hear was banging. What in the hell? My doorbell was ringing, and someone was pounding on my front door.

“I’m coming! Holy fuck, hold on to your pants!” I yelled out.

I opened the door, and Drake pushed his way past me.

“Well, hello, Drake. Merry Christmas to you, too,” I said as I shut the door.

Is it too early to have a drink? I looked at the clock. It was just after midnight.

“Where’s your phone? Your cell phone, Scott. Turn it on.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “You came over here in the middle of the night to tell me you want to use my cell phone? Buy one, old man,” I said with a chuckle.

I made my way into the kitchen. I needed coffee.

“She called.”

I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him. “Jessie?”

He smiled and nodded.

“Holy fuck. What did she say?”

“It was a really bad connection, but she said something about being in a tropical storm.”

A tropical storm? “Drake? Are you sure you weren’t dreaming or something?”

“Yes, of course, I’m sure. I asked her where she was, and she said something, but I couldn’t hear her. She mentioned a tropical storm, and she also said she’d left you a message.”

“Did you tell her it wasn’t me? Did you tell her I didn’t cheat on her?”

Drake smiled and nodded. “I did, but I don’t know how much she heard before we were disconnected.”

I turned and quickly walked into the kitchen. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone. I turned it on and waited for the longest forty seconds of my life for that bitch to start up.

I had twenty voice mails. Jessie’s messages were the last two to come through. I hit Speaker and listened to the first one.

“Scott, um…hey, it’s Jessie. I, um…I really need to talk to you. I don’t have my phone, so I’ll try to call you in a few minutes or so. I, um…I love you, Scott. I love you, and I just need to talk to you.”

The second message started to play.

“Hey, it’s me again. I’m in Belize, but I have a flight coming back on the twenty-ninth. There’s a bad storm, so I’ll call you when the phone lines come back up. I’m using the front desk girl’s cell. I love you, Scott. I love you so much, and I’m so sorry.”

I looked at Drake as he stared at me. “Belize?” we both said at the same time.

“Holy fuck. She’s not even in the country, Drake. She’s in fucking goddamn Belize. And who’s the guy she’s with?”

“Scott, she said she loved you. Wait—what time did that first call come in?”

I looked at my phone. “Right before nine.”

Drake smiled and shook his head. “She called you before me, Scott.”

“So? That’s supposed to make me feel better when all I can think of is how she has a friend helping her get over me?”

“No, you ass. She didn’t know yet about you and Chelsea. She must have either talked to someone else, or she figured it out on her own. Bryce said he’d called out after her. After thinking about it, maybe she realized it wasn’t your voice she’d heard.”

My heart started pounding. “Do you think? Fuck. I can’t wait until the twenty-ninth for her to come home. I have to get to Belize.”

“Did you not hear that they’re in the middle of a tropical storm? No airline is going to fly into that. Let’s just wait until morning, and we can call the airlines and see about flights to Belize.”

There was no way I could wait, but I nodded my head to reassure Drake. “Okay. We’ll wait until morning.”

I showed Drake up to one of the spare bedrooms and made my way back down to my room. I crawled into the new bed I had bought, and I lay there, looking up at the ceiling. I wasn’t going to be able to sleep. Drake had said Jessie was about to tell him where she was staying when the phone died.

I sat up in bed and grabbed my cell. I wrote down the number that Jessie had called from earlier, and I dialed another number. If there was one person I knew who could help me…it would be him.

I had already had four cups of coffee, and it was only six in the morning. I heard Drake walking into the kitchen. I turned and smiled as I held up my coffee cup.