Absquatulate

Chapter 30:

Joey's POV

Pete uses his hand to outline the curve of my waist as i get closer to him. "Pete?"
He kisses my forehead and allows me to ask my for my request.

My request is rather odd and i belive it would really have him shocked so i take one big deep breathe and look into his dark eyes.

"I want a baby."

He goes silent and slightly pushes me away from him as his eyes search for a place to rest in the room. "Pete...."

"I can't give you that." He is now standing on his two feet and putting on a gown to cover his naked body.
His face has a frown that also seems to show that i have unlocked something deep inside of him.
"Why not? You are able, right?"
"I can't."
He attempts to leave the room but i grab onto a towel, cover my body and stop him just by the door. "What's the matter Pete?" He just gives me one of those intense stares that imply he will simply not -or even ever- answer my question so i step aside and watch as he goes out the room.

He is able, So? What's the issue here?

My eyes go back to the bed we were making love on just on a few minutes ago and then it hits me.
' ...Pete ever told you about his past...'
He has...multiple times. He had a wife once who died in a car accident about 10years ago. The were young and inlove and they were planning on having a family. That's all i know when it comes to his love life.

I cover my face with my hands.

What did i miss?

Unless old age is finally getting to him...i mean maybe he isn't able to have kids anymore.
But then again...he is always making sure i don't get a hold of his seed. Even when using protection, he makes sure i don't touch it...AT ALL.
All this time i thought it was to just make sure i don't fall pregnant at any point, unexpectedly, but now I'm starting to think there is a secret behind his actions.

I definetly can't get a hold of his seed and there are only two ways to get it all out of him -either i intoxicate him and get it tested or test it on myself.

~Advantage of testing it on myself- I'll get the baby i want.

So i think I'll do that. Somehow, i will gradually...figure it out.

Wait...maybe Riley knows something. He did ask if i knew about Pete's past as if he wanted to tell me something important. I'll surely ask him, once he gets back home.

Riley's POV

I hold out my arms, allowing the cool morning breeze rush through me as i cycle to the park. Jala isn't here to cycle with me, but it feels like she's still here, blabbering and chattering.

I come to a stop at one tree and feel a bit more of the morning breeze.

Wasn't it just like 2-3 months ago when my life was a hot mess?
The arguments, the pain, the endless fights and the messed up accusations.

'Thank you God for getting me through the hell i was going through. Thank you for keeping us together even though we all didn't come out of the situation alive. Bless me with more strength to face more of the obstacles that i might face in life.

I finish off by saying "Amen" out loud and only realise a young child beside me once i snap my eyes back to my bike. He's licking a lollipop and seems to have all his attention on the birds that crowd around the bits and chunks of bread he has thrown around himself.

I slowly brush past him, observing him, and cycle my way back home.

"Mom, Pete. I'm back home!" I announce as i close the front door behind me and head for the bowl of fruits on the kitchen counter.
Pete's there, pounding so much on some thoughts that he doesn't realise i am even in the room until i clear my throat for the third time in a row.

"You good?"
"Yes." He says in a low voice so i just ignore him. Just as i attempt to make my way out of the kitchen he says, "can i take you to school today? That's if you don't mind."

I smile back at him and nod my head.

***
I sit on the passenger seat and buckle my seat belt as our car pulls out of the driveway. There's a long stretch of silence as we drive past a few our street of the neighbourhood.

"Do you want...siblings?" I stare at him for a while as if he's just insulted me. "Uhm...maybe." i say making sure he hears the uncertainty in my voice. "Why are you asking?"
"Nah. Nothing serious." He continues driving as if nothing happened so i just give back the same attitude and sit back on the seat.

Finally, we reach school and i open the door, gently, hoping he'll say something.

"I can't have kids." My heart skips a beat as my eyes trail back to his stern face. "Wha-t." He repeats it again, with more emphasis.

"What Adelaide's baby?" Pete's eyes snap back at mine and that's when i realise i just said something i wasn't supposed to say.
"I mean..."
"How do you know her?" His face is so hard to study but his tone gives me an idea he knows how i know her. And he's not happy about it.

"I uhm...heard-"

'Fuck it Riley, you're screwed. Just tell the guy the truth.'

"-i went through a photo album, saw a picture of you and her getting married and a picture of her pregnant."

Pete looks deeply from my left to my right eye, repeatedly. "We'll talk about this later." I grab my bag and get out of his car after struggling with the belt for a while due to fright. I don't even look back once my back's turned and my legs start  slowly racing towards the school buildings.

I take out my phone.

Me: Hey
      When are you free?
Her: not sure but I'll text you once i am.
M

e: can i text you... like now?
Her: yeah sure, hopefully my teacher won't notice I'm texting during his lesson.

Maybe talking to Jala would calm my nerves.

Joey's POV

I can tell Pete's home when the front door opens. He barges right into Riley's room, where i am. "Did you know your son's messing around with my stuff?"
"Which?"
"Riley!" I give him siren eyes and put the laundry that i was folding aside to clearly hear what he has to say this time. "What exactly did he do?"
"He knows Adelaide."

I feel a spark start at my toes and a flush on my face.
Riley couldn't....could he?

"I told him about her. Everything." His frown turns into a slight face of relief.

After a while of standing in awkward silence he finally apologises and leaves the room with only me to attend to it.

Thank goodness he didn't notice i was lying or else he would have surely lost his mind but there was something in his eyes...something like disbelief.

Maybe he does know i am lying about telling Riley.

Speaking of Riley, how the hell did he get to know Adelaide? When and why?
Does or did he have some motive or important use of such information?

I will surely have to discuss this with him and that's Immediately when he reaches home.