Forever & Always (Always & Forever Book 2) Read online

  “I don’t care. You have no right to turn up here like this.” Jake reminds her coldly, glowering at her in contempt.

  “Jake, what’s going on?” I ask, placing my hand on his shoulder so he knows I’m beside him.

  “Bethany, go back inside. I’m dealing with this?” He commands firmly, refusing to look away from our unwelcome visitor.

  “Are you her?” She enquires, her eyes widening in surprise. “Are you Jake’s girlfriend?”

  “Why do you want to know?” I fire back at her, wondering what on earth is going on between the two of them. “Who are you?”

  “She’s no one.” Jake answers curtly, still refusing to tear his gaze away from the girl in front of him. “And she’s just leaving.”

  He tries to shut the door on her but she stops with her foot, placing it in the doorframe so he can’t close it.

  “I’m not leaving. There’s things we need to discuss.”

  “Believe me, Marissa… we don’t have anything to talk about.” He retorts dismissively, attempting to slam the door in her face once again.

  She exhales slowly and then removes her coat, revealing a heavily pregnant stomach beneath her clothing. Jake takes a step back, clearly astonished and more than a little unnerved by her disclosure.

  “You’re pregnant.” I murmur, holding onto the wall beside me.

  I’m scared to let go of it in case I fall down, no longer able to remain standing by myself.

  “Eight months.” She explains, watching my reaction closely. “I’m due in four weeks.”

  Jake places himself between us in an attempt to protect me. He instinctively knows how difficult it is for me to see another woman pregnant and the fact that he’s now acting as a human shield against something which stirs up so much pain proves how strongly he wants to protect me. The sight of her is an excruciating reminder of what we might have had and I’m grateful that Jake recognises this.

  “Why are you here?” He demands gruffly, losing his patience with the trembling young woman before him.

  “I’m here because it’s the right thing to do.” She whispers, grappling with emotions as she speaks. “I’m here because I want my child to know its father.”

  Silence follows, descending upon us as we try and process what she just said.

  “What did you just say?” Jake blurts out incredulously.

  “You’re the father of my baby and I think you have the right to know.”

  It feels like a knife has been plunged into my chest, tearing my heart so shreds until all I can do is bleed. I thought I knew the true meaning of heartache... and now I’m certain of it.

  “Is that true?” I ask, using every ounce of strength that I can muster.

  “Of course it isn’t.” Jake intervenes, turning around to face me. “Don’t believe her, Bethany. Don’t listen to a word she says.”

  He grabs hold of my shoulders and shakes me roughly, trying to convince himself it’s all a lie.

  “So you didn’t sleep with her?” I ask him, sounding desolate and lost.

  “What?”

  “Have you slept with her before?”

  “Don’t ask me that.” He begs. “Please don’t ask me that.”

  “Why not? I deserve to know the truth.”

  He lowers his head and exhales slowly. I watch his shoulders slump as he admits defeat and nods his head in acknowledgement.

  “It was several months ago.” He answers hoarsely. “It was before I met you”

  “So you did have sex with her?”

  “Look, you know I’m not proud of who I was before I met you but I’m different now. You made me different.” He whispers, taking hold of my hands.

  He’s pleading with me to listen and understand, desperate to get through to me.

  “I can’t believe any of this…” I groan, pulling away from him.

  The girl behind him stays silent, clearly unnerved and overwhelmed by our reaction to her news. Her presence makes me uncomfortable and a huge part of me just wants her to get the hell out of our apartment and leave us alone.

  “Bethany, this might be a lie. She could be lying to us.” Jake states boldly, following me across the room when I walk away from him.

  “Are you lying?” I demand, spinning around so I can look her in the eye.

  “No.” She replies with confidence, staring at me without flinching.

  “Jake, I believe her.” I confess, switching my gaze back to him.

  “Baby, you don’t even know her. How can you trust her so easily?”

  “The one person I don’t trust right now is you.” I snap, storming away from him in fury.

  “Don’t walk away from me, where are you going?”

  He chases after me, ignoring my protests when I order him to leave me alone. I head straight for the bathroom, picking up my phone which has been there since this morning following my conversation with Callum.

  I grab it and stride past Jake, shoving the girl to the side as I push her out of my way. I race down the flight of stairs and out through the main door to our building, trying to block out Jake’s cries for me to stop.

  The cold hits me like a thousand knives, prickling my skin and forcing me to accept that this isn’t a dream which I can wake up from. This isn’t something I can forget about in the morning or a horrible nightmare which I can make a joke about and forget.

  This is my life and it’s actually happening.

  I can’t wake up.

  Ever.

  Chapter Six

  There’s only person I can call. One person I can turn to and he’s also the same person I pushed away this morning…

  Callum.

  Reaching for my phone, I switch it on. My hands are trembling so badly, I can hardly keep hold of it. I rake my fingers through my hair and pace back and forth on the deserted street as I wait for him to answer.

  He only takes a few seconds to pick up and I feel a lot calmer the second I hear his voice, soothing the madness I was consumed by just a few seconds before.

  “Bethany, are you ok?” He asks, breathing heavily.

  He can’t hide his concern, sounding extremely worried about the reason why I’m calling.

  “Callum, I need you. Can you come and get me?”

  “Where are you?” He demands. “Do you need me to pick you up?”

  “I… I don’t know where I am.” I wail, tugging on my hair in frustration. “I just stormed out on Jake and now I’m lost.”

  “Ok, tell me what you can see. Is there a street sign or a building that you recognise?”

  “I don’t know!”

  “Calm down.” He instructs me, using his authoritative voice. “It’s going to be alright. I just need you to help me out so I can find you, ok? Now take a deep breath and look around, what do you see?”

  I finally notice a sign to the right of me and reel of its name. Callum assures me he knows where I am and that he’s on his way. He tells me to stay exactly where I am and I agree to do so, switching off my phone so I don’t have to keep ignoring Jake’s messages.

  He’s been bombarding me with phone calls since I left, ignoring the fact that I’m ignoring him. I just need space from Jake so I can sort out some of the chaos which is going on inside my head, threatening to explode if I don’t put some distance between us.

  Callum shows up ten minutes later, pulling up right in front of me in his car. He jumps out and joins me, taking in my harrowing appearance before pulling me into his arms.

  “I was terrified you wouldn’t be here when I showed up.” He admits, stroking my hair as I sob against him.

  I can hear his heart beating, hammering against his chest with adrenaline and fear. I can’t help but cling onto him for dear life, using him as my anchor in an attempt to keep myself from drowning.

  “I’m so sorry about this morning.” I apologise, managing to speak through my tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Shh… none of that matters now. All I care about is you.”
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br />   “I can’t go home, Callum. I just can’t.”

  “I know that and it’s ok. You’re coming back with me.”

  “But what about your housemates? Won’t they mind?” I enquire timidly.

  The last thing I want to deal with right now is a group of strangers firing questions at me and wondering who the hell I am.

  “None of them are there. They’re all at home with their families this weekend.”

  “How come you aren’t?”

  “I guess I just wanted to be alone tonight, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all day.”

  I pull away from him so I can look up into his eyes, struggling to understand how I could even make that phone call to him this morning.

  “I really am sorry.” I murmur, wiping away my tears. “I’m a terrible friend.”

  “No, you’re not.” He assures me, placing his hands on my shoulders like Jake did earlier. “Now come on, you’re coming home with me.”

  The journey only takes a few minutes but we still spend most of it in silence. Callum seems to understand that the last thing I need is an interrogation and respects my need for some privacy.

  He pulls into the driveway of a large house, switching off the car’s engine before he turns to look at me. The soft hum of the engine was a strange comfort, almost lulling me to sleep during our ride here.

  “Are you ok to go in or do you want to sit a while?” He asks gently.

  “I like your car.” I whisper, stroking the leather seat with my fingers. “Do you mind if we sit a while?”

  “Sure. I can always grab a couple of sleeping bags if you want.” He jokes, chuckling lightly.

  “Thanks but I draw the line at sleeping in here.” I reply, smiling weakly.

  It takes so much effort to do so, battling my exhaustion and despair.

  “So… you going to tell me what happened?”

  I wait a few moments, not sure where to start.

  “Some random girl that Jake slept with turned up at our apartment tonight.” I reveal to him. “She’s pregnant and told us that it’s Jake’s.”

  “Wow.” Callum exhales slowly, struggling to get his head around my news. “Not what I was expecting.”

  “Tell me about it.” I murmur, staring out the window beside me.

  Rain starts to fall outside, pelting against the glass until I can no longer see anything outside. I trace the raindrops with my finger, trying to guess which one of them will win the race and fall first.

  “What does Jake say about it?”

  “He doesn’t want to believe it and neither do I.”

  “But you do believe her?”

  “Yeah, I do. That’s why I ran away.”

  I remember her eyes and how honest they seemed. I don’t doubt her but a part of me wishes that I could. It would be so much easier to believe that she’s making the whole thing up just to come between us.

  “Listen, even if the baby is Jake’s, that doesn’t mean it has to be the end of your relationship.” Callum states, taking me by surprise.

  “Why would you say that? You’ve never wanted me to be with Jake.”

  “That’s true but I do care about you, Bethany. All I want is for you to be happy and anyone can see how much you love him. You’ve never felt that way about me and you never will… I need to accept that.”

  He lowers his head, reminding me of how Jake looked earlier. He seems so dejected and almost… hopeless. I long to reach out to him but hold back, fighting against my instincts.

  “Wow.” I say, mirroring the response he made earlier. “Can we go inside now?”

  “You want to make a run for it?” He propositions me incredulously, glancing out the window at the torrential weather outside.

  “On the count of three, ok? One… two… three!” I squeal, wanting to beat him by making it to the house first.

  We both open our door at the same time and speed forwards. We’re both soaked by the time we reach his front door and then he starts to yell because he can’t find his key. The rain continues to pour down on us while he’s searching, resulting in hysterical laughter once we finally make it inside.

  “What the hell are you going to wear?” He asks, unable to control his laughter. “You’re soaked.”

  “Do you have an old T-shirt I could borrow or something like that?” I suggest, aware that I’ll get sick if I stay in my wet clothes. “I know you have housemates but I’d feel a little weird about wearing something of theirs.”

  Callum has already mentioned a couple of people that he lives with before so I know there’s two or three girls who stay here. I’m sure I could find something to wear but I’m just not comfortable about it seeing as I’ve never even met them.

  “Of course, I’ll go and find you something.” He assures me, heading up the stairs. “Would you like to take a bath before you change?”

  “That would be great, thank you.”

  “Ok, I’ll be down in a second.”

  I’m left alone downstairs, cautious when it comes to exploring any of the rooms. I know Callum would tell me to make myself at home but it wouldn’t feel right being so nosy. I choose to wait in the hallway instead, refusing to look in the mirror which is hanging on the wall beside me.

  I don’t think I could stand to see my own reflection right now…

  Callum returns a couple of minutes later, startled when he finds me waiting in the hall.

  “What are you still doing here? You should have followed me upstairs or gone through there.” He says, indicating the door to the living room behind me.

  “It’s alright. I thought I’d wait for you.”

  “Ok, well your bath is almost finished if you want to go on upstairs.”

  “Thanks, Callum.”

  I brush past him as I make my way to the bathroom, avoiding his heated gaze and the warmth I’m consumed by at the thought of touching him. I know it’s wrong but I can’t forget how comforting it felt when he held me in his arms. I long for it again but don’t know how to ask him or even if I should. I know that Callum has feelings for me and don’t want to play around with his emotions or give him mixed signals.

  I lock the door behind me once I’m in the bathroom, sighing with relief now that I’m alone. I can hear Callum pottering about downstairs and quickly remove my clothes so I can take my bath. He might want to use the bathroom himself and don’t want to outstay my welcome.

  I have no idea where I’m going to go tonight and daren’t bring myself to ask Callum if I can stay the night. However, the fact that I have nowhere else to go is far too frightening for me to ignore and I know I’ll have to broach the subject with him before too long.

  Leaving the bathroom with damp hair, I collide with Callum. I’m now wearing his T-shirt which was left for me in the bathroom and Callum’s blue eyes take in my appearance, gliding up and down my body in appreciation.

  “Thanks for leaving me your shirt.” I murmur, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

  “It’s… it’s not a problem.” He stammers, averting his gaze from my legs.

  “I need to ask you something.”

  “Go ahead.” He urges me, leaning back against the wall behind him.

  “I need to know if I can stay the night.” I say, awaiting his response. “I know it might not be appropriate but I have nowhere else to go and I can’t go home… not yet.”

  “Of course you can stay here. I want to keep an eye on you tonight anyway.” He replies flippantly, as though it doesn’t matter whether I stay the night or not.

  I don’t know why this angers me but it does and I frown at him in annoyance.

  “I’m not a child.”

  “I know you’re not… anyone can see that.”

  His eyes wander up and down my body one final time before he smiles and heads into the bathroom. I grab hold of his wrist, preventing him from closing the door behind him.

  “I’m pretty exhausted, is it ok if I make myself a hot drink before I go to bed?”

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sp; “Please stop asking me if everything is ok. I want you to make yourself at home and treat this house like your own.” He reminds me, giving me a pointed look.

  “Thank you.”

  I turn to leave but he calls me straight back, startled when I find that he’s now standing there shirtless.

  “Hey, can you make me a hot drink too? I’m just going to jump in the shower before I join you downstairs.”

  “S-sure. I’ll see you in a minute.” I stutter, quickening my pace down the stairs.

  I cover my face with my hands, making my way into the kitchen. I open a few cupboards before I find what I’m looking for and grab two mugs, placing them on the counter in front of me. I know Callum will want a hot chocolate because that used to be his favourite drink when we were in college. I used to tease him about it but it never seemed to bother him and I smile to myself, looking forward to surprising him.

  I pour some coffee for myself and take a seat at the kitchen table. There’s a huge floor-to-ceiling window in front of me and the curtains are wide open. The rain outside is now torrential, still pelting against the windows like it was when we were sitting in the car.

  I realise I must have left my phone in there because I haven’t had it on me since entering the house. I can only imagine how many missed calls there will be from Jake on it and dread to think about the repercussions I’ll have to face sooner or later.

  “You remembered how much I love hot chocolate.” Callum announces, taking me by surprise when he enters the kitchen.

  “How could I forget?” I joke, rolling my eyes at him in a playful manner.

  He takes his drink and sips it slowly, glancing out the same window I’ve been staring out of for the past few minutes.

  “Damn, it’s pretty bad out there.”

  “Tell me about it.” I retort drily. “It’s kind of scary.”

  “Are you telling me you’re afraid of thunderstorms?” He asks, chuckling lightly.

  “Sometimes.” I murmur, struggling to conceal my smile.

  “That’s cute.” He teases me, joining me at the kitchen table.

  “It’s weird being here.” I admit, taking in my new surroundings.

  “How come?”