The Crash Zone (The Zone Series Book 2) Read online

  “Nah, she had another dude she hooked up with.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Judy crosses her arms.

  “Should I just stop being friends with Nikki?” I ask, honestly unsure of everything at this moment.

  “I would. If this was Jude and I, I wouldn’t want those thoughts to get into her head, especially if we were to hang out just as friends. Then there’s the who fact of the origins of the not-relationship. I basically cut out the dudes I would party with, hell it killed me for a bit at the shop but I had to fire one of my lead mechanics. Even though I’m totally sober right now, I didn’t want the tainted past to conflict with my future.” Leo firmly states.

  “You’re just saying that because I’m sitting here.” Judy smiles while patting his arm.

  “No, I’m for real. Out of all my previous friends, and now Max is the only one you see me with.”

  “That’s because I’m ridiculously good looking and you’re trying to amp up your hot points.” I smile.

  “Yes. Exactly.” Leo deadpans as Judy laughs.

  “Max, if Tatum brought around a guy who she had done the deed with but says they’re just friends now, how would you feel?” Judy lays it out.

  “I wouldn’t like it. I’d be jealous and bothered by it. Fuck! Okay, I should go home. You guys are awesome. Thanks for the pep talk, and the delicious cookies.”

  Judy hands me a Tupperware. “Give them to Tatum.”

  One the way out of their house, I dialed for Nikki. I explained to her that it wouldn’t be fair to my relationship with Tatum and my continued sobriety if we remained friends. Luckily, I explained this to her voicemail.

  As I pulled into the drive way, my phone lit up. Nikki’s name was on the screen. Hesitantly, I answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, I missed your call. Sorry, I didn’t check the message. Just dialed, whats going on? Did you change your mind on hanging out?” She says.

  I take a deep breath and start. “Listen, this whole thing with becoming a dad has changed things, a lot. I’m giving this thing with Tatum a real chance and I think… I think that it would be wise for the future of my relationship for us to stop talking.”

  “Like completely?” She asks.

  “Yeah. It would be for the best.” I answer.

  “Seriously? Did our connection not mean anything to you Max? I thought that we were more than that!” She huffs.

  “Nikki, you’re a great chick, but I think I need to close that chapter of my life. I’m sober now, I’m going to be a dad, I want to be with Tate.” I further explain.

  “I don’t have time to deal with this shit Max. I can’t believe you’re just dropping me from your life like that… for a chick. Are you dumping all your other friends too?”

  “Nikki, Tatum isn’t just some chick. Listen, I’m sorry if you thought there would be something more. I didn’t intend for that to happen, but there won’t be. But I just need to do what’s right for me and Tatum. And I won’t let anything come between our future together.”

  “Screw you Max. Screw your idea of the perfect life you think you’re going to have. Don’t bother calling me when it all falls apart!” And she hangs up.

  I set the kickstand down and take a deep breath and disembark from the bike.

  I walk into the house, which was eerily quiet. I saw a faint light on in the 2nd bedroom with the door closed. I went into my bedroom quietly and changed out of my clothes. I gently knocked on the door as I opened it. Tatum was on top of the sheets, curled up in a ball, watching some black and white movie. She didn’t even look up at me as I came in. I sat down on the edge of the bed, grabbed the remote and turned it off. Only then, she looked at me. Her face was tear stained and I ran my hand over her cheek. I felt horrible knowing that I am the reason for her tears.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think that being friends with someone from my past like that would affect us in any way.” I whispered, my hand now brushing her hair off her face.

  “I’m a dumbass, but I promise to you, there is nothing for you to worry about, ever. That part of my life, is behind me. Completely now. I didn’t think it was a big deal if we stayed friends, but I know that wasn’t smart now. No more strings, no more anything.”

  “I don’t understand.” She finally speaks, her voice sounding raspy.

  “I told Nikki that it’s best if we left our friendship along with anything else if she was holding anything for me, in the past. I told her that you are my future and that I wouldn’t let anything happen to us.”

  “Oh Max, I don’t want you to give up your friends because of me.” Her glassy eyes meet mine.

  “I’m not. I don’t want anything to come between us. She would be something. Earlier, I didn’t think that could be something that was possible. I saw it as just a friendship. But I went and talked to Leo and Judy, and they helped me see it from a different perspective.”

  “Do you know that you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met?” She smiles faintly.

  “Like someone who is awesome?” My finger hits the corner of her mouth.

  “Something like that.” She smiles.

  “Come on, let’s get you into bed.” I saw standing and holding my hand out to her.

  “I am in bed.” She doesn’t move.

  “You’re in the guest room, I’m talking about the bed in our room.”

  I hold out my hand to help her up and I realize that I’m holding my breath until her hand is placed in mine.

  Chapter 33 – Tatum

  “Suck it brother!” Davis yells into Max’s direction as he rolls his third strike in a row.

  “You do realize that we’re here too, right?” Sammie questions peeking her head over the scoring station in our lane.

  “Davis gets a little competitive with me. He used to walk around the house when he was a kid asking me to whip out my penis so we could compare.” Max jokes.

  “But aren’t you like 5 years older than him?” Nic asks, completely serious.

  “Yup, and so I always won.” Max smiles, putting his arm around my shoulders.

  “Maybe we should check that out now, now that we’re adults and shit.” Davis slurs.

  “I’d still win.” Max boasts.

  ***

  Time is running away from me. Within the past month, I’ve grown exponentially to where my favorite pair of jeans no longer fit me. Max had moved all my stuff into his room, and we’re now completely cohabitating. His office, which he never uses has been emptied out and my bed along with other furniture that was previously in the room I originally was living in is now is the old office. The 2nd bedroom, which is across the hall from the master bedroom, our bedroom is currently empty, or at least it was this morning when I left to the grocery store.

  December is generally chilly, surprisingly for San Diego. I‘m sweating like a horse as I carry one of my re-usable bags full of fruits and setting it on the table when I hear power tools from the hallway. I never know what kind of crazy thing that Max would be doing lately. On the weekends, when he’s not just lounging around the house with my pregnant ass, he’s being functional. Last weekend, he was working but this weekend it’s power tools.

  I peek into the hallway from the kitchen to determine if it’s even safe for me to enter. It’s quiet right now, so I don’t know what to expect. I tiptoe to our room and it’s dark, I look across the hall to the 2nd bedroom and the door is closed. I lightly push open the door and Max is sitting on the floor, reading instructions. He has wood around him and immediately my thoughts drift to that Saturday morning when we implemented rule number one.

  “Hey babe.” He says noticing me standing in the doorway.

  I look closer as I walk in and my heart stills. He’s building a crib. I look up and I see that there is a changing table in the corner and the closet has two dressers inside as well that weren’t there before.

  “What… what’s all this?” I say choking back a happy tear.

  “I know that we find out
on Monday what we’re having, but I couldn’t stop myself when I was at the store.” He smiles, setting down the instructions and standing.

  “I wasn’t gone for that long, when were you at the store?”

  “Well, I had shopped online and had stuff saved at the store, then while I was there, I picked up a few other things. You have been gone for a few hours.” He pulls me to him, my belly is bigger now, so I no longer go flush against him.

  “Max, you shouldn’t have.” So much emotion is flooding within me right now.

  “I figure we can paint the room and you can decorate it and then we can get some baby clothes to put in the closet, do you know how tiny baby clothes are, and that’s a huge closet, so we’d need a lot, like a lot. Apparently, babies throw up so much, that we will need at least two of each.” He’s talking so fast, I don’t know if I can keep up.

  “I don’t know what to say, this is incredible. Thank you.” Tears are welling up in my eyes.

  “No, thank you. You gave me something to live for. You are something to live for.” He kisses me, his tongue spreading my lips as he dives in. My fingers tangle with the hair at his nape. I return his kiss like I’m starving for him. As if I didn’t get a taste of him this morning. He makes me so insatiable, it’s ridiculous. I had never been as overtly sexual as I am with him, granted I have some intense hormones right now, but even that night we first met, I was thinking dirty thoughts every time his leg touched mine, or even as he would smile at me.

  I break for air and as I open my eyes, something on a box on the floor catches my eye. I pull away from Max and move to the bag.

  Max starts laughing. Then runs in front of me and reaches for the bag before I can bend down for it.

  “What is that?” I ask.

  “I got the baby her first present.”

  “Um, Okay.” I look at him with a raised eyebrow.

  He reaches into the back and pulls out a little, pillow. Then he turns it around and shows me.

  “A pineapple!” I squeal.

  “I know it’s not until about 33 weeks until our baby will be the size of a pineapple, but since for the past 20, you’ve been non-stop pineapples, to where your skin smells like it – I thought this was fitting!” He smiles proudly.

  “You’re the best! This is a perfect gift for her.” I smile as I jump into his arms.

  “Tate? I… I love you.” He whispers against my neck.

  I freeze; all my thoughts have gone to silent. It’s almost like someone turned off all the lights on Christmas Eve. You may be able to hear crickets in the distance, because time has totally stood still. My slacked jaw forms into the biggest smile that I will ever have on my face, it’s almost like the play button has been pushed, but it’s starting in slow-motion. Sounds are coming back to me, I can hear my heart beat and I can taste again.

  “I love you too. Max, I love you so much!” I hold him tighter, while still holding onto the pineapple pillow. Crushing our mouths together, I grab onto him and start walking backwards toward the doorway. I hit the doorframe, however we don’t make any break in the kiss, thankfully Max takes over the steering part and soon my knees hit the bed in our room and he is softly lowering me. We break and take that moment to discard our clothes.

  I scoot up onto the bed and he comes between my legs, he’s stroking himself as he comes closer and my tongue lashes out to my lips to wet them as I watch his hand. His eyes zero in on that movement and he pounces like a tiger with a growl in his throat.

  His hand is suddenly between my legs and I’m whimpering with need. His finger breaches my entrance and linger slightly over my folds. I can feel the ghost touch and I can’t take it anymore as I push my hips up and his fingers sink deep into me.

  Max moans at the same time as I gasp.

  “I want in.” He whispers as he lines himself up and slowly pushes in. “Fuck, you’re so tight! So wet! Fuck Tate, this feels so incredible, I don’t know if I can last.” He pants against my neck as he pushes himself in and out slowly. He continues to talk as he languidly moves, yet his words are gibberish as well as the fact that I’m busy feeling all the feels with my body. He loves me!

  ***

  The past two months have gone by incredibly fast. We found out that we’re having a girl, and so the baby’s bedroom has become a Mecca of everything pretty. There are flowers, tiaras and teddy bears all over the place. Max wouldn’t settle on a theme other than girl, so I’ve just went with the flow.

  Max has been an amazing partner. I would have never thought that the guy I had a reckless drunken hook up with one night would become my baby daddy, let alone live with him and be in a relationship with him. Granted, we moved quickly in our relationship, it didn’t feel like we rushed at anything. We were still getting to know another, he was still dealing with his sobriety and he has been completely devoted to me and the peanut.

  I have roughly 10 more weeks to go, give or take. I was told by my OB that for my first child, he could be a late arrival, which I immediately groaned. So far, I’ve had no complications with the pregnancy, other than feeling like the size of the house, everything has been smooth sailing. But I’m ready for this girl to vacate my body lodging and get her own.

  “Are you even listening to me?” Sammie asks breaking me out of the space out that I was just in. That’s happening a lot more these days, I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy but I will find myself completely zoned out at the most random of times. It’s embarrassing when it happens during class.

  “Yeah, um I’m just… sorry no I wasn’t.” I admit biting my cheek.

  “It’s okay, I’m sure you’ve got a thousand things going on in that pretty little head of yours.” She teases.

  “Oh shut up.”

  “I mean seriously, you probably do. Like how the heck you’ll baby proof this bachelor pad, or how you will get the little one into your scary box of a car, or daycare.” Sammie rushed out.

  “Wait, what?” Why hadn’t I thought of any of those things? Has Max?

  “By that terrified look on your face, I would say no to all of the above.” Sammie sits back.

  “Well, this place doesn’t really need baby proofing until he is of crawling age, so we have time for that.” I smile, after thinking about that subject for a moment.

  “And your car? Or Daycare?” Sammie asks. “Please tell me these are subjects that you and Captain hotty-pants discuss?”

  “Captain hotty-pants?” I ask.

  “He’s hot, so it’s only rightfully that he’s a captain and have you seen his ass?” Sammie fans herself in exaggeration.

  “Well, I may have once or twice.” I smile feeling flushed suddenly.

  “Yeah, yeah. You’re playing house with the captain of hot pants, I get it. So?”

  “We haven’t talked about those things yet. Crap! I knew everything was too good to be true!” I smack my forehead lightly with my palm as I hear the door opening!

  Max appears a moment later, with his tie loosened and the top button undone. His jacket is draped over his arm as he sets his satchel down and empties his pockets on the counter.

  “The Captain is home!” Sammie loudly declares earning Max a chuckle combined with a questioning look.

  “Do I even want to know?” He steps into the living room and braces his hands at the back of the couch as he leans down to kiss the top of my head.

  “Probably not.” I mutter.

  “Everything okay?” He asks noticing my mood.

  “Um, I’m going to let myself out. Captain, take care of our girl here.”

  “Wait, does that make me the first mate?” I ask as she gets up.

  “Honey, you can be whatever your pretty head desires.”

  “You must sure think I’m pretty, since you keep saying stuff about my pretty little head!” I tease still seated.

  “I totally have a lady boner for you, especially now that you’re knocked up. I mean look at those boobs! Can I get an Amen!” Sammie jokes.

  “Amen!” Ma
x practically shouts.

  We all laugh as Sammie disappears and leaves.

  Max comes around the couch and sits beside me, he takes my hand and lowers it to his lap, clasping my fingers with his thumb circling.

  “Everything okay?” He asks concerned.

  “What are we going to do about Daycare?” I sighed.

  “Well, I think we still have time to figure that out. But maybe my mom or we can hire a nanny, or we can take her to a daycare facility. What would you like to do?”

  “I have no idea. Oh my god, we should have been talking about this a long time ago!”

  “Let’s call my mom tonight or something and invite my parents over for dinner. Maybe I can finally meet your parents?” He hints.

  “I doubt that would be a pleasurable thing. My parents are just weird. Crap! Oh my god, do we have any ice cream?” I whine as I push myself off the couch.

  “Yeah, I got some more the other day. I’ll call my mom tonight and we’ll have everyone over for dinner this weekend, that way it’s on our home turf and all. How does that sound? Then we can just casually bring up the topic. Do you think your parents would be able to come down?” He gently asks.

  “I think that would be great. I’ll call mine tonight too. Thank you.” I smile.

  “Everything else okay Tate?” Max is behind me now as I spoon ice cream into my mouth.

  “Is my car safe for a baby?” I don’t meet his eyes, afraid of him seeing me so vulnerable.

  “I don’t know honestly what would constitute safe, but if you think it wouldn’t be, lets trade your car in and get a different one? I was thinking of doing the same with my bike.” Max shrugs.

  “But you practically just got your bike!” I exclaim.

  “Babe, it was a purchase that I made because I was bored fresh out of rehab, feeling like I had nothing exciting going on. I’ve ridden it maybe twice since I got it. I’m going to be a family man now honey, maybe I might get a mini-van!” He smiles.

  I smile and then suddenly my mind stays stuck on his response of being bored, will he get bored of me and the baby and then go find himself someone else, who doesn’t come with baggage? I feel my smile become forced and I instantly turn around and busy myself by putting away the ice cream.