CHAPTER 50
AJ proudly waxed his Bentley Continental GT Speed gifted to him from his Grandfather. Part of AJ knew that his grandfather pulled strings to get him the car more than likely as the ultimate bribe to get him to move back to the mansion.
He played the conversation that he had with his grandfather when he presented him with the car:
'JR is leaving Pine Valley,' his grandpa Adam said. 'Come back home.'
'Where he is going?' AJ remembered more demanding than asking his grandfather.
'Sin City. Fitting, no? One can only take so much of being the town pariah before you want to heave ho.'
'Never stopped you,' He quipped at his father.
Adam chuckled loudly, 'That is because your grandpa's a stubborn bastard,' he held the keys up you AJ 'Bentley Speed just for you to sweeten the deal, Little A.'
AJ stared at the car behind his grandfather sitting on his grandmother's driveway, 'Grandpa, I want that car, I really do…but I can't move back.'
Adam frowned, 'Why not?'
'Living here with Grandma has been great, awesome. I don't know, maybe it's because Grandma was Marissa's and Mom's mother, but being with her and living with her fills that void for me of a mother having either one of them here.'
'The mother figure that you lack?'
He nodded, 'Yeah. I want to stay – I'll still see you all the time and visit. But I want to stay with Grandma.' He watched, as his grandfather seems to stew in angry silence. 'Are you mad?'
Slowly the elder Adam shook his head, 'Call me a softie in my old age, but I think you're stay here. If JR had Dixie growing up then maybe he wouldn't have…' He trailed off, not wanting to go any further on the topic. 'Stay then,' he took AJ's hand and gently placed the car key in his palm.
'Seriously? I can't keep it?'
He smiled, 'How else are you gonna visit me in the mansion?'
AJ hugged his Grandpa tightly. Adam merely chuckled happily, patting his grandson's back.
"I think you've buffed her enough," Krystal's voice called out. "You need to stop daydreaming and pick up my groceries that I ordered you to get an hour ago!"
"Yes ma'am," he muttered.
He tossed the towel into the garage. Just when he was about to get into the car, Miranda pulled into the driveway happily smiling as she got out the car.
'Nice wheels Rand!' AJ complimented.
'Gift from my Grandma!' she proclaimed
He whistled his approval, "I was going to say. I couldn't see Reese or Bianca getting this for you."
She slumped, "They wanted Grandma to not give me the car at all. They finally caved to allow me to have it, but not without stipulations. I have to be their errand girl, as well as pay for my insurance and future repairs."
He nodded, "I'm grandma's errand boy. When she saw the Bentley in the driveway, she was annoyed but being as how it's my grandpa, she wasn't surprised, but she placed the same stipulations on me, too. I need to find a job to pay for insurance."
"Why can't you ask your grandpa to pay for it?"
"I have my pride! Why can't you ask your grandma to pay for your insurance?" He countered.
"I have my pride!" AJ tilted his head, an expression of disbelief dripping from his face. "Okay, so my parents made the agreement with grandma that if I was to keep the car that I also had to pay of my own insurance."
Miranda was about to lean on the car when AJ quickly grabbed her arm to stop her.
"Whoa! Hey now! Try to stay off of Priscilla! I just waxed her!"
"Priscilla?!" She laughed loudly looking back between the car and AJ.
"You're just jealous cause I gave my car an identity."
"Identity? It's a car – its only purpose is to take you from point A to point B."
He waved a dismissive hand, "Whatever."
"AJ CHANDLER!" They suddenly heard Krystal's voice boom, "Why is it that you are still waxing the hell outta that car in my driveway! Get my groceries or lose Lisa Marie!"
"Her name is Priscilla, grandma!"
"I don't care if you call that god forsaken car, Elvis – get my groceries or it's mine!" The loud slam of the front door followed.
Miranda sucked her lips in, trying not to laugh. AJ narrowed his eyes at her, "I know that you wanna laugh."
"Na-uh," a grunt escaped her lips and soon enough she was giggling.
With the roll of his eyes he opened the car door, "Hop in and come to the store with me."
Smiling, Miranda got into the car with AJ. When she got inside, she saw a pair of women's sunglasses on the dashboard. She picked them up, holding them to her friend, "Don't tell me that you bought these for the car," she teased.
"Oh," he looked over at them, "Wendy must have forgotten them."
"Wendy?" She felt herself frown.
"Yeah. Wendy Halverson."
"You…gave her ride?"
He smiled, "Something like that. I took her out on a date."
"A date?" This sinking feeling immediately was felt in the pit of her stomach upon hearing that. "When was this?"
"Last night."
"Oh…do you…like her?"
"I do," he nodded keeping his eyes on the road.
"Are you…going out with her again?"
"Eventually," he turned to Miranda, "You aren't getting jealous are you?"
She quickly laughed of the accusation, "Of course not! I just was curious, was all." She heard nothing back from AJ; he'd dropped it.
Peering out the window Miranda felt her world feel that much less unsure. Was she developing feeling for AJ? AJ told her how he felt and she turned him down. Now that AJ was ready to move on with someone else this overwhelming pain came over her. No, she couldn't have feelings for AJ. He was her best friend, her rock, her other half, her…
"Shit," she whispered beneath her breath. She had feelings for AJ. What now?
oooOOOooo
The re-build of Gabi's ramp was underway and Reese had her guys Obie and Randy come over to help. Reese was carrying a plank of wood from the truck to the back of the house when Randy quickly ran over to her.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" He frantically waved his hands in front of her, "Bianca will have our heads if she knew we had to carrying stacks of wood!" He snatched the plank out of her hands.
Reese simply rolled her eyes, "I'm not fragile, Randy!" She called after him as he took the wood out to the back yard.
"He only worries because he cares," Obie soothed as Reese came back to the truck as Obie grabbed more wood.
"His worrying is annoying," she grumbled as she grabbed the blueprints for the ramp.
"Excuse me," they heard a small voice call.
Reese and Obie looked to the side to see a girl with raven black hair looking up at them.
"Is Gabi home?" She asked. "I'm Sia."
Reese kindly smiled to the girl, "Nice to meet you, Sia. Gabi is actually at the park for a competition. Did you want me to tell her that you stopped by?"
She shook her head, "No, I think I just might head there and meet her, but thanks."
"Sure," Reese smiled. "Obie, I'll meet you out back," she turned to the girl, "Nice meeting you again," she grabbed a plank of wood and headed to the back with it despite Randy's orders against it.
Obie shook his head, "Stubborn American woman."
Just as Sia began to walk away the moment she heard the French accent from Obie, she turned around. "You're French?"
"Oui oui," he humored.
"Could you translate something for me? I heard someone say this and I don't know what it means in English."
Obie smiled at the child, "Ok. What did you hear?
"Um…Toot… savior service…uh…rend mon cure….bat?."
Obie smiled, "Tout savoir sur vous rend mon cœur battait," he corrected.
"Yeah, that. What does it mean?"
"It translates to mean: Everything about you makes my heart beat fast."
She stood up a little taller, "Really?"
"Oui."
"Thanks!" Armed with the knowledge of what Gabi was trying to tell her, Sia wasted no time running all the way to the skate park to talk to Gabi.
oooOOOooo
After completing the last category for the rollerblading competition, Gabi waited along with Face and Wyatt to know how they had all placed. Wyatt gently nudged Gabi who looked a bit annoyed.
"You know that you have this in the bag," he encouraged.
"I wasn't as focused as I should have been."
"Even on your worst day you're the best. Stop sweating it."
"…Alright Pine Valley skate enthusiast and skaters, fans, and whatevers! It is time to announce our 2nd place finalist. In second place we have Briggs aka 'Face' Sweenum!"
Face smiled widely pushing his hair behind his ears as he rushed to get his trophy. Wyatt simply shook his head as he looked at the small 5th place trophy in his right hand.
"The kid could barely see his hand in front of face with all of that hair in this eyes and still he beat me. The world's gone mad," he shook his head.
"Cheer up and be happy for our friend." She adjusted the rollerblades hanging over her shoulder.
"Easy for you to say. You're a shoe in to win."
"No I'm not."
"…and coming up in 1st place – this skater has a brilliant future in this industry if they keep going and I really hope that they do – Gabi Williams-Montgomery!"
Wyatt arched a brow and a blushing Gabi, "You were saying?"
Gabi roughly pushed Wyatt before collecting her trophy and coming back to him.
"Nice win, Gab."
"Thanks. I shouldn't have won it. I wasn't at my best today."
"Stop being hard on yourself. Give yourself credit. What had you so distracted anyway?"
"I was thinking about Sia. I've ruined everything with her and completely blew it."
Wyatt smiled, "I don't think so."
She shook her head hopelessly, "Thanks for the supportive words, but you don't have to sugarcoat. I know that I blew it with her."
Suddenly the familiar voice called behind her, "No, you didn't."
Gabi turned around to see Sia standing behind her. "Sia," Gabi barely whispered.
"Can we talk?"
"Sure."
"That's my cue to go," Wyatt skated off quickly giving the girls needed space and distance.
"You forgot your iPod the day that you left my room," she handed Gabi the device back.
"Thanks," she pocketed the iPod.
"When you kissed me and ran and then didn't call me or text…you confused me and I was ready to just try to forget you even though I couldn't truthfully. I went to your house to give you back your iPod when I saw your mom and this French guy."
"Obie."
She nodded, "I told him what you said – I didn't tell him that you said it, but anyway…he translated what you told me."
"He did?"
"Yeah. Do you really feel that way about me?"
"Yes."
Sia let out the hugest breath of relief, "I feel the same about you," Sia closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against Gabi's gently.
Gabi smiled into the kiss, kissing Sia back. Automatic butterflies filled her stomach at the feel and knowledge of knowing Sia liked her and wanted to kiss her.
When they pulled apart, they both smiled to each other. Sia entwined her hand in Gabi's just as she had weeks ago at the skate park.
"Walk me home?" Sia requested.
"Yeah, but only if I could walk you back home as your girlfriend."
Sia giggled, "Is that your sly way of asking me if I could be your girlfriend? Ask me, don't be all slick about it."
A smile played on Gabi's lips knowing how Sia never would allow her to get away with trying to hide her true intentions.
She turned to her, pushing a lock of thick hair away from Sia's eyes, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
"That wasn't so hard, now was it? Yes, I will," she grabbed Gabi's trophy as they began to walk. "Congratulations by the way."
"Thanks…I was sure I wasn't going to win. I was distracted thinking about you and if I lost you."
She frowned, "So now that you have me will that cause you to lose since not having me got you first place?" She laughed.
"No. If anything I'm gonna be even better. I'm not looking at a first place trophy to make me feel like I'm ever good enough to stop practicing as if there isn't anyone better at what I do."
"Wow…my girlfriend's smart," Sia hip bumped Gabi playfully.
Gabi rolled her eyes laughing as she and Sia continued walking to Sia's place.
oooOOOooo
"The girls are asleep!" Bianca announced rushing into her and Reese's bedroom.
"Yeah?" Reese smiled at the feel of Bianca's arms around her. "Why feel as though you have to announce that to me?" She teased.
Already Bianca pushed Reese's hair away from her neck so that she could nibble and kiss on it. "Like you don't know," she said between kissing her neck.
"Mmm," she turned herself to face Bianca and captured her lips in a heated lip lock. "I love your mouth."
"You could love it even more in bed," Bianca began to lead them to the bed.
"Baby, I don't know about tonight. I'm a little tired after building that half pipe with the guys."
"You shouldn't have been carrying wood and picking up tools. You should have rested yourself."
"I'm fine," she assured. "Besides it's not like I was doing anything crazy like weightlifting well into my last trimester. Now those pregnant ladies are superwomen."
"You have a point. Why don't you let me massage your feet, hmm?"
"They do feel a bit swollen," Reese admitted.
"Good. Get in bed so that I could pamper you."
Reese uncomfortably stretched, "Let me go to the bathroom first?"
"Of course."
Reese turned the corner to the bathroom while Bianca began to prepare the massage oils for Reese's massage. As she was adjusting the blankets on the bed she heard Reese's urgent cry out for her.
Without a second though Bianca rushed into the bathroom, "Reese, baby are you ok?"
Nothing could prepare Bianca for the scared and horrified expression she saw etched on Reese's face as she cradled her stomach, holding on her palm up soaked in blood.
"Bianca," the tears were already rolling down Reese's face as her eyes shook in fear of the unknown and events unfolding before them.
"Let's get you to the hospital, now," Bianca quickly brought Reese to the sink and rinsed the blood off of her hand.
"What if-"
"No," she cradled Reese's head reassuringly, "no 'what if's' we aren't doing that. Not about this. We are going to the hospital and-and everything will be okay. Okay?" She assured trying not to sound frantic and scared too.
"RAND!" Bianca called. "Miranda!" Bianca hated to leave Reese, but she ran to her older daughter's bedroom to bang on her door when Miranda hadn't come.
The door opened with the tired teenager rubbing her eyes tiredly, "What's going on with the psycho knock?"
"I need to take your mother to the hospital."
"What?" the news woke Miranda up a bit more. Catching onto her mother's worry she knew it wasn't good. "Is mama ok?"
"I'll keep you posted later, but now I have to get Reese to the emergency room, ok?"
"Ok."
Bianca rushed back to Reese in the bathroom who was gripping her stomach as if in pain, "Bianca!"
"Don't worry baby, I've got you," Bianca draped Reese's arm over her shoulder as she led them downstairs to the cars. As brave as Bianca wanted to be for her fiancée, there was no faking bravery watching the woman she loved in agony or for the possibility of having this be something serious for the baby, for Reese, or for both. No…there was only fear.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone. Sorry about the wait I've been editing and re-writing this chapter a bit. I know I left you on an awful cliffhanger, but I won't leave you there for long – I promise! Thanks for reading, leave feedback for your thoughts because those are absolutely appreciated and thanks again.
