my face.
“Ah, you love it when I speak my mind. It’s what everyone’s thinking anyway, so it only makes logical sense to air it all out. You know I’m Team Ana and Jake, don’t you?”
I giggle a little as we get in the car. “Oh, yes,” I reply with enthusiasm, causing us to both laugh.
Once on the road home, my phone buzzes, so I take it out of my bag. It’s from Jake.
Jake: You know Jessie’s right, don’t you? If it wasn’t for your mom, we would be planning our wedding by now. She’s the only one standing in our way.
A small pang hits my stomach at the mention of him telling me we’d be planning our wedding by now. I only wish with all that I have left in me that what he said was true. Closing my eyes on a sigh, I hit REPLY and start typing.
My mum’s not standing in our way, Jake. She’s not the important one. The baby is.
25
I am so glad when Saturday finally comes around. In the few days leading up to today, I did my graph and presentation, gave Matthew his presents—which he was thrilled about— and I also set about trying to avoid any situations which involved Jake and I being alone. I think my mum keeping him busy with the baby helped. Apparently, she’s been extremely needy and demanding of his attention since her stay in hospital. She was in for two days as they ran some tests, but they came up empty. Once her blood pressure came down, they let her go. By then, Jake had already packed her bags, and once he picked her up from the hospital, he proceeded to take her straight to her rented house. According to Matthew, she had whined and complained that she needed his help and care, but Jake put his foot down. She then cried and complained that he didn’t care about the baby. Poor Matthew was in the car with them when all this was going on. I can only imagine what that was like for him, witnessing that.
It also hurts my heart to think Jake had to go through that too. I’m sure it didn’t help that he read the article after Jessie and I left the hospital, and it sent him in to a blinding rage. The day after that, the article was released, and apparently, there are now hate Facebook pages about me. I daren’t look at them. Who on earth would want to? Suffice it to say, Jake was absolutely fuming at her for not only spouting the lies she did, but also because of the potential danger it could put me in if someone was to try and find me. I can’t say I relish that idea either.
All has gone quiet again with Alan, and I am starting to feel a little better about that. Maybe he got bored and decided to leave me alone. At least, that’s what I hope. It may have been that his encounter with me spooked him enough to make him want to lay low. To be honest, I don’t know whether his complete silence makes me calmer or unnerves me more.
Probably the latter.
Michael, however, did find a lead on Alan at an apartment in Reston, but by the time they got there, he was gone. I think he knew people were on to him, so he decided to flee. In any case, I should imagine he’s hiding now, and that’s good for me because at least that means he’s leaving me alone.
Despite everything that’s happened, the flowers and stars still keep coming for me—much to Jessie’s annoyance. I got some forget-me-nots, which I think speak for themselves, some pink geraniums, which represent comfort, hyacinths, which represent sincerity, and the last bunch I got yesterday were lilac syringas which represent first love. That was a hard one to take. He’s trying to tell me I’m his first love, and of course, who wouldn’t be happy to know that? I have star jewelry hanging from every nook and cranny of my body, and I must admit, I love his tenacity.
Today is finally the day of the birthday party. Jessie and I make the hour’s drive to Fredericksburg. We get there earlier than everyone else just so Jessie can keep herself busy with the organizing of it. It turns out that thirty-four people are due to come tonight, so I’m highly impressed with Jessie’s powers of persuasion. It would normally be very