Chapter Fourteen
Brianne
My cell ringing has me awake and alert, I reach over and grab it and see that it’s 8:03 and Livie’s calling me. I’m not due into work today until eleven so this call already has me on edge, and I haven’t even answered it yet.
“Are you going to just stare at it or are you going to answer it?” The sleepiness of Jaxon’s voice has me answering the call; I completely forgot that he was next to me. In my bed. Naked.
“Hello.”
“About flipping time Bri, look I know you’re not meant to be in until eleven; but I need you to come in now. Some dick has vandalized the front of the salon.” Livie’s angry, and I can just picture her standing there; hand on hip while she taps her foot.
“I’m on my way; I won’t be long. Did you call the cops?” I ask as I jump out of bed and start searching for clothes to wear, both mine and Jaxon’s from last night are scattered on the floor. I rummage through my wardrobe and get something new, knowing Livie if I wore what I was wearing last night she’d know that Jaxon and I had sex. Great sex.
“Of course, I did. Bri, I should warn you that it’s graffiti about you. When I get my hands on whoever did this, I’m going to murder them.” Wow, she’s spitting mad.
“I’m on my way; please stay calm. It’s only graffiti; it’ll come off. I won’t be long. Is there someone there with you?” I quickly grab a dress from the wardrobe and rush into the bathroom. Thankfully I had a shower last night with Jaxon, it was amazing and awkward all at the same time, and I think we will try it when I’m not pregnant. I bet there won’t be any awkwardness then.
“Yeah, your mom and brother are here. Carson has been looking for Jaxon since last night, and your mom told him if he steps foot near your house she’d break his computer console. So, the big baby has been sulking all night and morning.” Livie sounds stressed out, and I hate that I’m not there yet.
I quickly throw on my maternity dress, thankful that I have something that makes me feel comfortable. “Yay for mom, did he cry? The last time he was threatened with that he actually cried like a baby.” I put my cell on speaker and quickly wash my face and brush my hair. I can’t walk into my salon where there will be potential clients having my hair look like a bird’s nest.
“No, but he did pout all night. I’ve got to go; the cops are here. I’ll see you soon.” She ends the call, and I quickly brush my teeth, I wonder what’s written on the front of the salon to have her so angry?
As I walk back into my bedroom, I’m shocked to find Jaxon dressed and waiting for me with car keys in hand. “Come on; I’ll drive you, you can explain what’s going on while we’re on our way.” I nod as Jaxon takes my hand and I smile; this is what I want for us. I want us to be a couple, to be able to hold hands and be comfortable around each other.
Jaxon helps me into my car, and I wait for him to get into the car, so I can fill him in on the details of what’s happening. As soon as he starts the car he looks at me expectantly, “So when Livie got to the salon, she found it vandalized, there’s graffiti on it, and she said it’s about me. She’s called the cops, and they’re there now with her. That’s all I know.” I say it all without taking a breath, wanting to get out as fast as I can not wanting him to wonder what is written about me as I’m worried enough about the two of us.
He laughs at me but thankfully doesn’t ask what is written; he, however, does bring up another topic. One that I thought we’d have when we’d have time to have a full discussion. “So last night…?” He sounds so serious, but there’s a hint of anxiousness in that loaded question.
“It was amazing.” I gush like a teenager, and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I think of last night and his hands all over me, I didn’t feel like his pregnant baby momma, I felt like a woman he cherished, and that made everything so much more sensual.
“That it was, but that’s not what I was talking about. Was this just another one-time thing that may happen again, but it won’t be anything more?” Not the time to be getting into this conversation but he’s brought it up, and I can’t let it go unanswered. “It doesn’t matter; we can talk about it another time.” He sounds defeated, and I hate it.
“I wanted to have a proper discussion about this, but I can’t leave it like this. I want more than us just having sex. I want us to try a relationship and hope and pray that it works out so that we can become a family.” I tell him just as we turn the corner and come to a stop outside the salon.
“Bri…” He stops, and I have no doubt it’s from the look on my face. I’m looking out the window and can see what’s written on the salon. ‘Whore’, ‘Homewrecker’, ‘Liar’, ‘Bitch’ and the one that hurts the most ‘you’re trapping him’. There isn’t an inch of the shop front that hasn’t been left untouched.
I get out of the car and rush toward the salon, well more like waddle toward the salon. I can hear Jaxon muttering under his breath, and it doesn’t take long for him to catch up with me, he takes my hand yet again, and I instantly calm as I grip his hand tightly. “We’re going to work out Bri, make no mistake. Me, you and our babies, we’re going to be a family.” He whispers in my ear as he kisses my cheek.
“Oh, Bri honey!” My mom gushes as she rushes over to me and pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry that you had to see that, I did tell Olivia that you shouldn’t see it, but she had other ideas.” Oh wow, mom is in protective mode, and poor Livie is on the receiving end of it.
“Momma B, I didn’t want someone to say something to Bri and have her blindsided, you of all people should know that.” Wow, Livie never talks to mom this way. I get it, they’re all angry, but they shouldn’t be taking the anger out on each other.
“Enough, mom, I’m glad Livie called.” Mom nods and gives me a sad smile, and I know she’s just trying to protect me. I turn to Livie whose arms are crossed, and she looks like she’s ready for a battle. “Livie, are you okay?”
She runs over to me and wraps her arms around me just as the babies start to move; they sure love to mess with their aunty Livie. “Nawwwww, Oh God, that’s creepy. They’re definitely Satan’s babies.” She screeches and pushes me aside in horror.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling them that!” I actually stamp my foot at her.
“Wait, she’s been calling my children Satan’s?” Jaxon’s horrified voice filters through my mother's gasps of outrage.
“They are Satan’s spawn. Have you not seen them move? They’re like aliens or something. It’s disgusting.” I feel arms clamp around my arms as I go to hit Livie for calling my babies Satan's spawn yet again.
“She’s not worth it Bri baby,” Jaxon whispers in my ear as his hand slip around my waist and rests on my ever-growing bump. I lean into his embrace and rest my head on his shoulder. “You okay?” He asks quietly so only I can hear him.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I just don’t know who would do this, why would they do this? I’ve never done anything to anyone.” I’m on the verge of tears; I can’t believe that someone hates me enough to do this. To vandalize my business, something that Livie and I worked extremely hard to make successful.
“Oh, those hussies!” I turn my head to see Livie spin and go toward the back room.
“Who’s a hussy?” I hear Loretta’s voice, and I cringe, she’s someone that I don’t want to have to deal with today. The last time I saw her, she implied I was a whore and that Jaxon was better off with Sabrina.
Jaxon manages to turn us, so we’re facing the door, yet still in an embrace. Loretta looks over us with disdain, and she has a snarl on her face. “Ma, what are you doing here?” I look up at the clock and see that it’s almost nine thirty and Livie’s appointment will be here soon, and the salon front is still vandalized. Something Loretta has yet to mention, any normal person saw that the first thing they’d ask is what happened.
“I was just passing, and I saw your car, so I thought I’d come in.” She’s a damn liar; this woman makes me so angry.
“Funny thing ma, I didn’t drive my car here. In fact, it’s parked outside Bri’s house; I drove Bri’s car here. So why are you really here?” It’s hard to miss his pissed off tone.
“As I said I was just passing and I thought I saw your car. So, who’s a hussy?”
“I’ll tell you who the hussies are… Shyanne and Sabrina. I swear I’m going to kill them. We all know that they are the ones who vandalized our salon and I’m going to have them arrested.” Livie’s back and her temper hasn’t diminished at all. In fact, it just seems as though she’s keeping an extremely tight reign and she’s about to explode at any second.
“Now, I hardly think there’s any need for the name calling. Sabrina and Shyanne are really lovely ladies; they don’t deserve to be tarred with the same brush as some I won’t mention.” She actually looks at me as she says it.
“Ma…” Jaxon starts but is cut off by my mom.
“Loretta, this is the second time that you have insinuated that my daughter is a whore and it had better be the last. You have no right to judge anyone; you have been having an affair with mayor Ashwood for almost fifteen years!” My mom shouts at her while wagging her finger at her. Livie is trying her hardest to keep mom calm. Holy shit, Loretta’s been sleeping with Sabrina’s dad for years! No wonder she’s so set on Jaxon and Sabrina being a couple, Mayor Ashwood loves his daughter, and he abuses his authority to make sure she gets what she wants.
“I knew it, didn’t I tell you, Bessie! I told you that she was a hussy, I knew it from the moment I set eyes on the woman that she was a floozy and having an affair with her best friends husband. No morals whatsoever, luckily Claire and Forrester raised that lovely young man of hers.” I hear Mrs Clarkson say and I can’t help but giggle.
“That’s right Sylvie you did, and Jaxon is a fine young man if only I was twenty years younger I’d be one of those Tigers. But he and Brianne make a wonderful couple.” Mrs Johnson says, and this time it’s Livie that can’t contain her laughter.
“Cougar not Tiger Bessie, and you’re right the two of them make a wonderful couple. It’s a shame they have to deal with those shameless hussies trying to sabotage everything.” Mrs Clarkson says and damn if she hasn’t got those bitches pegged. I feel Jaxon tense, and I know that it’s time to try and diffuse the situation before his mom starts on the newcomers.
“Mrs Johnson, Mrs Clarkson. If it isn’t my favorite clients, are you here to book your next appointment.” I know full well that they’re not, they’re here to get the gossip or tell us it.
The mischievous smile that Mrs Johnson has tells me that she’s not even begun annoying Loretta yet. “We certainly are, well that and to find out when you and Jaxon are going to find out the sex of those lovely babies of yours?” It hasn’t taken long for news about Jaxon being the father to spread like wildfire, one of the many perks of living in a small town.
“Hopefully next month, that’s when my next ultrasound is,” I tell her and realize that I’ve never actually told Jaxon that though. Oops.
“Oh wow, exciting times ahead. Are you going to do one of those gender reveal things?” Mrs Clarkson asks, “Oh Jaxon, come here and let me congratulate you!” The smile that Mrs Clarkson has warms my heart. It’s genuine and full of love, she walks over to Jaxon and me. I leave Jaxon’s embrace so that Mrs Clarkson can give him a hug.
I walk over to Livie who’s looking at Loretta as if she’s the devil incarnate. “Why do you look as though you want to kill someone?”
She gives me a look that tells me it’s a stupid question to ask as if I should know what’s wrong with her. “Loretta, that’s who I want to kill. You’re carrying her grandbabies, and she’s calling you a whore. I can’t and won’t stand for it any longer Bri; you don’t need or deserve to be treated like that.”
“I won’t stand for it either, I’ve been extremely well behaved, and I have been nice and polite to her, but that stops now. When I told your father about what she said the other day, he got so mad he wanted to find Loretta and hit the bitch.” My mom tells us as she stands next to us.
We stand and watch as both Mrs Clarkson and Mrs Johnson hug Jaxon and congratulate him. He looks a bit lost with all the attention he’s receiving. “Loretta, congratulations on becoming a grandmother.” The teasing tone of Mrs Johnson makes me smile.
“They aren’t my grandbabies.” The disgust in her tone has me instinctively reaching out to my bump and cradling it protectively. “I don’t want my son around that family.”
“Enough Loretta. This family is all the family your son has ever had. While you were sleeping around, I was looking after your son. Don’t project your own bullshit onto my family!” Mom shouts at her, and I pull mom back to me and into a hug, Livie hugs her too, this is what a family does; comforts one another in times of need, not put each other down.
“Well, I never. You are an ungrateful bitch Loretta! Claire and Forrester practically raised that boy while you became one of that tomcat Mayor Ashwood’s many floozies. You’ve been sleeping with poor Sophia’s husband. Your so-called best friend.” Mrs Clarkson gives her a dressing down as Mrs Johnson tsks at her.
“You’re sleeping with my dad? What about Jaxon and me and our baby?” My head swings to Sabrina as she says this, her hands caressing her non-existent bump just as I was doing to my own not that long ago. When the hell did she get here?
My heart sinks as I look to Jaxon and see that he’s staring at Sabrina with pure hate.
Can this be true? Why is this happening to us? Just when we finally get together, this happens. How are we going to deal with this?