This Man Confessed - Malpas Jodi Ellen - Страница 68

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I let out a frustrated protest and grab my water viciously. I’m going to lose my mind. I’ll be on Prozac by the time these babies arrive.

I’m so busy having a mental sulk, it takes me a few moments to register my parent’s stunned faces across the table.

Oh shit!

‘Do it in style, Ava.’ Jesse mutters, placing his menu on the table. I shoot incredulous eyes to him. Me?

‘You’re pregnant?’ Mum blurts, the information overload obviously registering.

‘Ava?’ Dad presses when I remain focused on Jesse, who is remaining focused on the menu that he’s just laid down.

I take a deep breath of confidence and bite the bullet. There’s no escaping this now, not that I ever dreamt Jesse would allow me to leave Newquay without telling them. ‘Surprise.’ I whisper, like a feeble cop out.

‘But you’ve been married for five minutes!’ Mum gasps. ‘Five minutes!’

I watch as my dad places a calming hand on her arm, but that isn’t going to stop her. I can feel a rant coming on, in which case, I also feel a Jesse style trample coming on. I can’t imagine him taking a critical speech from my mother too well. She’s right, though. We have only been married for a few short weeks. Not quite five minutes, but it may as well be. I dare not tell her how far pregnant I am. She’ll work out the timeframes fast enough and soon calculate just how soon after meeting this man I got myself knocked up. Coming to terms with the fact that I met and married him so quickly was hard enough, even if Jesse did delicately-ish trample them and gain my father’s approval.

I remain quiet, as does Jesse, as does my father, but not my mother. Oh no, she’s only just getting started. I can tell by the flex of her fingers on her wine glass and the drawing of deep breaths.

And then I get really worried because her eyes widen and swing towards Jesse. ‘It was a shotgun wedding, wasn’t it? You married her because you had to!’

‘Thanks!’ I laugh, thinking how obscene it is for her to say such a thing. She’s not thinking straight, and now she’s saying stupid shit. Even with her limited time with us, she knows how we feel about each other.

‘Elizabeth,’ Jesse sits forward, all stern, his jaw ticking. I fear the worst. ‘You know better than that.’ He sounds so calm, but I can detect the irritation in his tone, and I can hardly blame him. He’s insulted, and so am I.

Mum huffs a little, but Dad interjects before she can retaliate. ‘So you didn’t know at the wedding?’

‘No,’ I answer quickly, taking my glass with both hands to prevent my natural reflex from failing me. Yes, we both knew damn well, even if I was denying it.

‘I see,’ Dad sighs.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Mum whines. ‘A pregnant bride suggests only one thing.’

‘Then don’t bloody tell anyone.’ I snap, feeling immensely pissed off with my mum and her reaction. I can’t blame her, it is shocking, more so than she’ll ever know, but to suggest I was rushed down the aisle because of it? That just makes me fuming mad, so I don’t know how Jesse must be feeling. His twitching, tense frame should be a clue, and when he takes my left hand and starts twirling my wedding ring, I know that my mum is about to be trampled.

He leans forward, and I close my eyes. ‘Elizabeth, I’m not an eighteen year old lad being forced to do the right thing after a quick fuck about with a girl.’ He’s not quite snarling at my mother, but as I open my eyes to gage exactly how much fierceness we’re dealing with, I immediately notice him fighting a curling lip. ‘I’m thirty eight years old. Ava is my wife, and I’m not having her worked up or upset, so you can accept it and give us your blessing, or you can carry on like this and I’ll take my girl home now.’ He’s still twirling my ring, and even though he has just firmly put my melodramatic mother in her place, and quite harshly, I could kiss him. And slap him, too. He doesn’t want me worked up? Coming from him, that’s bloody hilarious.

‘Now, let’s all just calm down a little, shall we?’ My dad says, all calm and softly, ever the mediator. Not only does he avoid affection, he’s not all that keen on confrontation, either. I notice he gives my mother a sideway glace in warning, something rare from my father and only delivered to his wife when he thinks it’s absolutely necessary. It is definitely necessary right now because if mum doesn’t rein it in, Jesse will trample all over her, and it won’t be delicately either. He has been unusually tolerant so far, but then again, mum has been pretty tolerant of my challenging man, too.

‘Ava,’ Dad smiles at me across the table, keeping his hand on his wife’s arm, a subtle message to shut the hell up. ‘How do you feel about this?’

‘Fine,’ I answer quickly, feeling Jesse squeeze my hand. I need to find a replacement for fine. ‘Perfect. Couldn’t be happier.’ I return my dad’s smile.

‘Well, then. They’re married, financially stable,’ He laughs. It’s quite funny to say that Jesse is financially stable. ‘And they’re bloody adults, Elizabeth. Get a grip. You’re going to be a granny.’

I’m feeling pretty mortified. After what has just transpired, you would think we were a pair of teenagers. I smile apologetically at Jesse, who shakes his head in complete exasperation.

‘I will not be a granny!’ Mum chokes. ‘I’m forty seven years old.’ She fluffs her hair. ‘I could be a Nana, though.’ She muses thoughtfully.

‘You can be whatever you like, Elizabeth.’ Jesse picks the menu back up, clearly fighting to leave it there. I can tell he’s dying to trample further.

‘And you should watch your language, Jesse Ward!’ She reaches over the table and flicks the top of his menu, but he doesn’t apologise. ‘Wait!’ she shrieks.

‘For what?’ Dad asks.

Mum’s eyes are passing between me and Jesse, back and forth, again and again before finally resting on Jesse, who has raised brows, waiting for her to advise us on what we’re waiting for. ‘You said babies, plural. You said our babies.’

‘Twins.’ Jesse smiles brightly, all irritation and trampling signs disappearing in a split second. He rubs my tummy lightly. ‘Two babies. Two grandchildren.’

‘Well, I’ll be damned.’ Dad laughs. ‘Now that really is very special. Congratulations!’ His chest swells a little in pride, making me smile fondly.

‘Twins?’ Mum jumps in. ‘Oh, Ava, darling! You are going to be exhausted. What are…’

‘No, she won’t.’ Jesse cuts her off completely before she can dig herself any further into his trampling pit. ‘She’s got me. End of.’

Mum sits back vigilantly and shuts her trap, and I melt on a little sigh. Yes, I have him.

‘And you have us, darling.’ Mum says quietly. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s just a bit of a shock.’ She leans over and puts her hand out. I take it. ‘You’ll always have us.’

I smile, but realise instantly that I won’t actually have them. They live miles away from London, and with Jesse’s family well out of the picture, there will be no calling the grandparents to pop over and relieve me for an hour. There will be no popping in to see my mum for a cup of tea and a chat so she can see her grandchildren. I feel Jesse’s hand tighten around mine, dragging me from my unexpected, unwelcome thoughts. I look at him, and he gazes straight into my eyes.

‘You have me.’ he affirms, as if he’s read my mind. He probably has.

I nod, trying to convince myself that he is all I need, but with two babies to take care of and Jesse at The Manor, I can see loneliness looming—a place where adult interaction is limited because, let’s face it, getting out and about with two babies is going to be tough and relying on visits from friends will be what I’m resorted to.

‘Have you decided?’

I look up, finding a waitress armed with a pad and pen, ready to take our order. She’s smiling brightly, and she’s smiling brightly at Jesse. ‘I’ll have the steak, please.’ I say, my hand slipping onto his knee instinctively, indicating the beginning of my own little trampling session. She makes no attempt to write anything down and doesn’t ask how I’d like it cooked. She just hovers, all starry eyed and dreamy as her greedy eyes run continuous trails up and down my God’s seated frame. ‘I’ll have the steak.’ I repeat, minus the please. ‘Medium.’

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