Much love to you all. Thank you so much for your support and kind words. Here is chapter 24!
TWO MONTHS LATER
Jimmy's POV
"Fuuuck..." I squeezed my eyes shut as my hand wove into her hair. Cindy dragged her tongue up my shaft while her nails gently grazed my balls. With the same hand, she pumped me slowly while her lips moved to tease the tip of my cock.
Using the slightest bit of force, I pushed her head down. She took me in her mouth again, repeating all she did a few moments ago. Slow and steady, with every movement of her head, I was closing in on that peak. Without warning, she hummed around me and I was all I needed. "Cin-." I gasped as I felt the familiar release.
I opened my eyes and saw Cindy sitting next to me, her body lined up with my waist and her blonde locks disheveled.
"Good morning," she tilted her head, innocently. As if I didn't just come inside her mouth.
"Really good morning," I groaned back to her. She crawled back up to me wearing nothing but her lacy underwear and I brought the sheet over us. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"
"I don't know what you were dreaming about but when I woke up, I noticed you needed some... help."
I chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you were here to assist me."
"Of course." She smiled. "And you know, a blowjob in the lab is kind of our specialty. We've been doing it forever."
"Very true." She snuggled into me as I placed an arm around her before I spoke again. "Are you excited for today?"
"Is it bad if I say no?"
"Cindy!" I laughed, not expecting her to say that.
"Well..."
"It's your best friend's baby shower. For her first born! That's really exciting."
"It is but... Libby's been a little... intolerable lately. Ever since we've been back, she's been so... grouchy and hormonal. I get that she's pregnant but she needs to calm down. Everything is going to be just fine. She has so many people behind her back, ready to help her. And I'm not just talking about the baby shower. I'm talking about this kid's whole life!"
"Libby's never really been the type to get stressed." I started while I played with the ends of Cindy's hair. "Is she okay, like, mentally, with all this? They weren't exactly planning to have this baby right now. Maybe now that unpreparedness is starting to take effect."
"I don't know. I-" she let out a heavy sigh. "Now I feel like an ass for not having thought of that. Shit!" In another unexpected move, she sat up and turned to face me. "And it sure as hell isn't helping that we're hiding this from her. Our... getting back together. I mean, yeah, she has no idea but how messed up is it that I told my mom I was sleeping over her and Sheen's place for last minute preparations and instead I come down here with you like we're fucking teenagers again?!"
"Okay Cin, relax-." I moved to stroke her arm, but she was too quick for me.
"I should be there with her. Doing whatever I can." She removed the sheet that was pooled around her waist and got out of bed, looking for her clothes. Off to one corner, I saw Goddard stir awake but put his head back down quickly when he noticed Cindy's near nudity. A few moments later, after zipping up her jeans, she sat back down in bed, with the shoes she was wearing when she arrived last night in her hands.
"Do you think she'll ask me to be the godmother?" She spoke as she adjusted the strap of her sandal after putting it on her foot.
"I don't think there's a better option." I spoke honestly.
"Thanks, but she could pick her cousin. Rachel. They're really close. Not to mention, she's been here. Literally. The whole pregnancy she's been here. I'm here for like, five minutes of the pregnancy and the baby shower. Fuck. No way is she going to ask me."
"You've been her best friend since forever. You were the first person to know she's pregnant after their parents. I doubt she won't pick you." After giving it a quick thought, she replied.
"I guess so, right?" She smiled. She secured the strap on the other foot before leaning in to kiss me and then getting up.
"I'll see you later then." I spoke.
"Yeah..." she trailed off, remembering that, to keep up our act of not being a couple, we wouldn't be able to arrive at the baby shower together and just be there as guests of the parents-to-be. "Soon. We'll be able to tell them soon. She's due in six days and we'll be back at school shortly after that. Give them some time to settle in and when we come back for spring break, on that weekend we're here together, we'll tell them. It's perfect."
"I know the plan. We've been over it..." I answered, deciding not to comment on how many times we went through our plan. "But what if something happens before then?"
"Like what?"
"Anything." I can't think of something when she puts me on the spot like that. "We're still not even sure if Carl knows." One of the tests Cindy and I had to endure to keep our reconciliation a secret happened the day after we arrived back home for winter break and the five of us went out for dinner. It was, as far as Libby and Sheen knew, the first time Cindy and I saw each other since the day they told us they were expecting months ago. But the truth was that we actually spent Christmas and New Year's together. Thanks to a few convincing and intricate lies, no one back in Retroville, our parents especially, suspected a thing. Given that Carl was the only person who might know what's going on with us, we had to be extra careful around him. Sitting on opposite ends of the table, never exchanging a word and avoiding glancing at each other as much as we could, did, we hoped, the trick. It sure gave us a laugh later that night though, when Cindy came down to the lab for the second time that day.
"Well, nothing has happened so far. And today all the focus will be on Libby, Sheen, and the baby. Ours should be too." I nodded, knowing she was, as always, right. She took a few steps closer and sat on the bed again. "But once the shower is over," her voice was low. Husky, so unlike how it just was seconds ago. "I'll come back down here and we can focus on something else." She kissed me then, not a deep one since I knew she needed to leave to help Libby. But it was still one that gave me something to look forward to. Still, she pulled away sooner than I would have liked. "Bye."
"See you."
Once she was up the stairs and I heard her footsteps heading to the door leading to the outside, I plopped down on my pillows and ran a hand through my hair, already knowing it was going to be a long day.
Since I was merely a guest at Sheen and Libby's baby shower, I wasn't expected or asked to arrive earlier to help with the preparations. For most of the day, I caught up on some errands that included, perhaps most importantly, working on some much needed upgrades for Goddard and putting the final touches on their baby shower gift. It was, of course, something of my own invention but that, as new parents, they were definitely going to need: a high definition and high range video and audio baby monitor, completely unlike anything you'll find in stores.
I finished all I needed to do quickly though and thinking I could be of assistance somehow, I made my way over to Libby's parents' house, where the shower was being held.
It was, just as the vibe felt during Libby and Sheen's housewarming and Fourth of July parties, comforting. I haven't been to Libby's parents house since we were in high school and the fact that we were gathered here to celebrate the arrival of Sheen and Libby's baby almost didn't seem real.
I quickly came across and shook hands with Libby's dad and thanked him for hosting. It was when I decided to look for Libby's mom that I heard an indistinguishable voice close by. At the threshold of the kitchen, I saw her.
Going across the top of Cindy's head was a braided crown while the rest of her hair ran down her back. On her feet were wedged high heels, though with the way she carried herself, you would never tell she was wearing elevated shoes if you weren't looking at her feet. She was wearing a short sleeve dress with soft pink roses scattered all over it with a flowy skirt. Still theorizing that her best friend will be having a baby girl, I see.
She was surrounded by some of Libby's extended family members and a couple of girls I recognized from the parties and Libby and Sheen's house earlier this year. Her college friends, I believe.
Though with the way Cindy was telling them off, I don't know if they'll want to be friends with Libby much longer. Without context, I didn't get much of what was being said. Based on how she looked, however, I didn't need to. To an outsider, it wouldn't make sense why seeing Cindy like this, barking orders and discreetly rolling her eyes every few seconds, filled me with a feeling so strong, I wanted to express it to everyone right then and there. There's really only a handful of people who would understand.
It felt incredible to see her command a room like that. Of course, it wasn't the first time I've seen it. But in this particular case watching her running around, doing all this for a baby that isn't even hers... I couldn't help but think what it'll be like for a baby that is hers. And mine.
Taking advantage of the fact that everyone but her was leaving the room, I approached her at the kitchen counter where she was frosting a cupcake.
"Hey." It came out in a way that was more than just a greeting.
"Oh great, you're here." She said as soon as she saw that it was me. Already she surprised me by not saying that I shouldn't be speaking to her out of fear someone could see. "Could you do me a favor? I need you to please go to the Candy Bar and pick up the cake. Apparently no one got around to doing that. It's a two-tiered ice cream cake." She started going into detail about the favor before I even had a chance to confirm that I would do it. "It's under Libby's name and it's all paid for. You just need to get it."
"Okay, yeah sure." I spoke quickly, only half paying attention to what she was saying. "I need to talk to you though."
"Can it wait Jim? There are-." Even though we were the only ones in the kitchen at this moment, the voices and footsteps from Libby's relatives on the other side of the wall were a clear reminder that we weren't entirely alone. She took a quick glance to make sure no one was in the room before looking back at me. "There's people around." She spoke, even though there weren't.
"It'll just be a moment. Come here." Tugging one hand, she put down the icing spatula on the counter and followed me. It wasn't until I closed the door behind us and turned the light on in the walk-in pantry that I spoke again. "Do you have any idea what it's like seeing you running around for this shower?"
"What do you mean?" She asked cluelessly.
"Just-" I tried to find the words. "It's... it's great Cin. I can't really describe it... but seeing you like this... It really makes me look forward to the day... when you do it for us."
"Us?" I shrugged sheepishly, knowing I've never really made a reference like that to our future. "You-you want to have a baby someday?" She said it slowly, like she was looking for each word at a time. "With me?" I chuckled as I brought my arms around her waist.
"Of course with you." She slid her arms around my neck as her eyes widened, like she really couldn't believe what I said. "I want to have everything with you. If you'll have it with me."
She smiled then, a full one and I know she knew what I meant. "Of course. Of course I do."
And maybe it was the feeling of nostalgia because we were where I remember Libby's good snacks were kept during our childhood or the fact that Cindy and I were here alone. Or maybe that we just made a pretty powerful and serious statement about our future that caused me to kiss her. All her cautions of not wanting to be seen with me here went away as her lips parted too.
We had to be careful not to mess up our clothing or Cindy's hair, since of course, this wasn't the time nor place. But when her back hit the shelves behind her and she let out a soft moan, I knew that was likely not going to happen. We've only been apart for a few hours but with the hunger of this kiss, you'd think it's been far longer. It was like we were teenagers again and the only thing we cared more about than not getting caught was giving into each other.
We were so into it, we didn't realize when the door was abruptly opened.
"Oh, shit!"
"Sheen! Hey, buddy..." As Cindy was the first one to see who it was and was able to react the fastest, she spoke first. "What's up?"
"Uhh..." I ran a hand through my hair, embarrassed, and I could feel his eyes darting between me and Cindy. "What's going on here?"
"We were just uhh... looking for more frosting for the-the cupcakes." Cindy lied as I subtly tried to adjust myself.
"In your mouth?" He replied and I knew there was no way he was falling for that. Cindy laughed in a way I've rarely seen her do, awkwardly and uncomfortably.
"Oh Sheen, you're so funny." More laughter, "The thing is-."
"Cin." I threw her a look, one that said she shouldn't even bother trying.
"Well, then help me out here!" She snapped.
"Hold on. Are you two back together?!" Sheen spoke, almost as sudden as his interruption.
"Uhh.. umm."
"Yes." I confirmed, finally being able to look at him.
"Jimmy!" Cindy yelled.
"But you can't tell anyone." I addressed Sheen and ignored Cindy, because there was no point in keeping it hidden anymore. "We wanted to keep it between-."
"Oh, there you are Sheen. Is Cindy with you too- whoa!" And out of nowhere, Carl appeared and thanks to Sheen having widely opened the pantry door, was able to see Cindy and I in here. I rolled my eyes, unable to believe how our luck was going. "What's going on here?" He spoke Sheen's exact words.
"Jimmy and Cindy are back together."
"Dude."
"We just said not to tell anyone." Cindy couldn't look more impatient.
"I kind of figured." Carl spoke.
"You knew?!" Sheen replied, incredulously.
"Yeah, a few weeks ago Cindy called me and-."
"Okay, now is not the time for this!" Cindy pushed her way through Sheen and Carl and stepped out into the kitchen again. "Yes, Jimmy and I are back together. I went to see him in Boston in November and we... made up. Carl suspected because I called him and asked for Jimmy's address since I knew I couldn't ask you or Libby without you two asking a million questions. We wanted to keep it to ourselves for now so that you guys aren't all freaking out about it. You have a baby on the way, after all. Speaking of which, we have a baby shower to set up."
"Well, that's why I wanted to come find you guys. I just got here and I saw Libby's mom really worried. Libby's missing. And she's not answering her phone."
"What?! What do you mean she's missing?" Cindy spoke without missing a beat.
"We drove over here together. She has to be around here somewhere." Sheen answered far more calmly than Cindy.
"Yeah, I think so too." Carl replied. "I think your mom's helping to look for her, Cin."
"Your mom is here?" I turned to her to ask, being almost more surprised at this news than the one about Libby.
"Yeah, I was going to tell you... Libby invited her. But okay," she turned to Sheen. "Did she say anything about going somewhere? Maybe she forgot something back at your place?"
"She didn't, but that could be it, I guess. Let me go find her parents. I'll see you guys later." And with that, Sheen dismissed himself.
"Okay," Cindy started again, and I knew she was going to start giving orders. "Let's split up. We're already behind schedule and when we find Libby, we should have everything ready. I'm sure she's fine." She didn't sound very confident during that last statement. "Carl, why don't you go help Sheen? I'm sure he's probably internally stressing about this too." With a quick, silent nod, Carl walked away in the same direction Sheen had left. "I'll try to call her and stay here to finish setting up. Maybe she really is out getting some last minute things." Even though she was speaking to me, I knew part of it was her trying to keep herself calm. "You should go get the cake. Two-tiered ice cream." She exhaled and took a step away. She didn't get very far before I stopped her.
"Hey." I put my hand on her arm. "I'm sure she's fine. She's probably just upstairs, hormonal and crying and doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. It's an emotional day."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right. She's around. Everything is fine." She gave a half-smile. "That didn't last very long, did it?" And with the gesture she made in the direction of the pantry, I immediately knew she was talking about Sheen catching us. I shrugged and took a step towards her.
"Maybe it's for the best. If they can share their happiness with us, we can share ours with them." She completed her smile and kissed me and I could tell she didn't care if anyone saw us this time.
"I'll be right back." I spoke as I pulled away and headed towards the front door. "Let me know if you guys find her!"
"I will!"
Making my way out the door and down the porch stairs, I quickly made my way to my mom's car that I was using for the day in front of the house.
By the time I was pulling into a spot in the Candy Bar's parking lot, the only updates I got from Cindy were that no one was able to reach Libby on her cell phone and that guests had already started arriving. I knew, for more than one reason, I needed to hurry with delivering this cake.
I pulled one of the double doors open and heard the familiar chime of the bell above me as I stepped into my childhood hangout.
In a few ways, it's changed over the years. What started out as just an ice cream shop has, over time, developed into one of the most popular casual restaurants in the area. The smell of cooking burgers and fries on the grill mixed with the scent of fresh baked goods. Pop music played through the speakers, the jukebox against the wall not having worked for years but still a fixture of the place. It was deep into the lunchtime hours and the crowd represented it well.
I approached the counter where the person ahead of me had just finished ordering and stepped away.
"Hi! How can I help you?" said the voice of the enthusiastic high school employee.
"Hi. I have to pick up an ice cream cake. It should be under 'Libby Folfax'. Uhh, or 'Estevez' maybe."
"Sure. I'll go check. One moment." With a nod from me, she walked and pushed open the swinging doors which I knew led to the kitchen and disappeared. I moved to the side and hoped this wouldn't take too long since I wanted to assist in looking for Libby if needed.
Having the baby shower at her parents' house made sense for a few reasons. But it was bound to involve Libby feeling a certain type of way since she is spending an extended period of time in her childhood home in an already vulnerable state. Of course, I can't possibly imagine how she feels but I wouldn't blame her for running off and wanting to take some time to herself. There's also always the chance that she forgot something at her and Sheen's place and went back without telling anyone. Though that doesn't explain why she's not answering her phone. Taking mine out of my pocket, I began typing a message to Cindy that I almost had the cake and would be back at the house shortly. As I put it back into my jacket, someone sitting in one of the red leathered booths along the windows caught my eye.
I approached the table as quietly as I could so I wouldn't be detected. I both couldn't believe it and yet found that I wasn't really too surprised.
"Libby?"
She turned abruptly and faced me.
There was a big mix of emotions in her eyes, the latest one being shock, surely due to the fact that I was standing in front of her.
"Jimmy." she answered as she exhaled a breath that she seemed to be holding onto for a while. "What are you doing here?"
"Picking up your baby shower cake." I heard the accusatory tone in my voice as soon as I said it and instantly regretted it. "What are you doing here?"
"I- Oh, I-." She sighed. "I guess there's no point lying to you Jimmy. I felt I needed some time off from everyone and everything before the shower got started."
"You know," I slid into the booth across from Libby, her cookies and cream milkshake being the only thing between us. "Everyone is wondering where you are and looking for you."
"Please don't say anything!" She pleaded, even though I made no move to do so. "I just... wanted to get away by myself. It's all... really overwhelming." And because I had seen it in Cindy's eyes on more than one occasion, I was able tell that Libby was on the verge of tears. Likely not for the first time today, if I'm not mistaken.
"Libby," I spoke in a serious tone. "What's going on?"
She took a deep but shaky breath. The braids that fell along her bust moved with her. She looked down to the table, as if she would find the words there.
"I'm going to be a mom." She spoke suddenly, before looking back up at me. "Soon. Very soon. It's happening so quick, Jim. And it's really fucking scary." Libby was breathless, like saying that took every bit of effort she had. "I-I don't think I can do this."
I knew I had to say something. But given Libby's emotional state and the fact that I could in absolutely no way relate, I had to choose my words very carefully.
"Do- do you want to talk about it?"
Look, I could have said something worse.
"I'm not ready for this. Like, at all." She shook her head. "I know it seems like I would be. I'm married to a wonderful man. I have my own house. I have my life together, you know? But- having a baby... It's like... Holy shit!"
"Okay Libby, take a deep breath-."
"I have to take care of another person for the rest of my life? How crazy is that?! I can barely take care of myself sometimes! And everyone's been telling me it's going to be amazing. That I'm going to just love being a mom. But what if I don't? What if..." Libby exhaled another huge breath and looked at me directly for the first time since she started talking. "What if this is all a big mistake?"
"I- I didn't realize you felt that way."
"I mean... how many people do you know that actually end up with their high school sweetheart for the rest of their lives? And starting a family? And we're so young! I... This is going to sound terrible but... What if I'm not supposed to be with Sheen? I sometimes feel like I settled down too quickly. Maybe I should have played the field and saw what was out there. I'm so, SO happy with Sheen. I love him more than anything. But maybe I wouldn't be in this position and so scared about this baby if we weren't together!" Libby drank more of her milkshake, though I could tell she wasn't done talking. "I'm so sorry," she continued. "I know he's your best friend and that sounds shitty to say. It's just this, all of THIS" she gestured to the space in front of her, "seems like it's going to be too much for me to handle."
Which, based on what I knew through Cindy, I already suspected. I couldn't tell her that though.
"Libby." And she drew her attention towards me. "It's okay to feel scared. I know I can't relate to what you're going through, in any way. But I promise you, everything is going to be okay. You have so many people that are excited for you and are willing to help you in any way they can. I was just at your parents' house and if the amount of effort being put into your shower is any indication, that kid will never not be loved." She smiled. I reached for her hand and took it in mine. "And in terms of what you, personally, are going through, there's people that can help you with that too. Professionals that are going to hear you and not judge you, okay?" Libby nodded and exhaled another soft breath. "You and Sheen are going to be amazing parents. I honestly cannot think of a child that will be better cared for or surrounded by more joy and love than yours."
"He's so excited. He's read every parenting book there is. Can you believe that?"
"Wow, this baby is already changing him." She laughed and it was good to know I made her feel better.
"Thank you Jimmy. I didn't expect to explode like this on someone, let alone you. But it felt good to let all that out. So thank you, so much."
"Of course. And if you want, we can keep this between us." She nodded at the same time she reached for another sip and I decided to ask something I've had my mind on since I saw her sitting here. "Aren't you a little uncomfortable in that booth?"
"It's more spacious than it looks. But I guess we should get going, huh? Can't keep everyone waiting and worried."
"Yeah." I got out of the booth and went over to help her. I could tell the hug she gave me once she was on her feet was for more than assisting her to get up.
It was being in such close contact to her baby bump that I realized something: Libby doesn't know that I know her and Sheen's plan on being surprised about the sex of the baby. So in case she ended up finding out, and considering our emotional conversation, maybe it was enough for her to tell me if I asked.
"So uhh... boy or girl?" I asked as we broke apart.
"Oh, umm. Well, actually we don't- OH!" She suddenly brought both hands to her stomach, a pained expression on her face.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. It's just-." She paused. Her look shifted to that of concern. Her eyes widened. There was a growing rosiness to her cheeks that wasn't just her makeup.
"What, Libby? What is it?" I was more alert than I was seconds ago.
She looked at me and spoke after a tense moment.
"I think my water just broke."
Oh my gosh, it's happening! Please share your baby predictions and what you think of the chapter in a review! Thank you for reading!
