Savage (A Blood Feud Novel)

Chapter Seven

A Few Weeks Later

"James, I'm pregnant!"

The words stunned James Taylor like the sharp jab of a blade. He stood outside in the cold, his brown jacket not doing him justice as he held his left arm under his right shoulder.

It was an early afternoon and James' friend, Shea sat in the car waiting patiently.

James was talking to a girl named Alana. "Fucking what?" He asked thinking he had heard wrong.

There was a sigh, followed by a slight cough. Then the words, "James, sweetheart I'm pregnant. I've wanted to tell you for weeks. I'm pregnant."

James nearly fell over. He suddenly felt squeamish. This was not the news he wanted to hear. Not with his current girlfriend who was expected to return from a trip tomorrow. James silently cursed himself. He should have kept his hands to himself when she had approached him that night at the bar.

Shea looked at James worryingly. He wondered what was rattling that lad. He sat back and waited for about ten minutes. He wasn't in a hurry, but he asked what was holding up his friend.

"Alana, are you sure about this?" James asked. All times he had screwed he had used a condom so what the hell was she saying?

He almost sounded like he wanted to punch himself. No, knock her. He could hear Alana sigh again. She was composed while James was on a mini breakdown.

"I'm sorry James," Alana started to say. "I went to the doctor for a couple of times, I even asked for another look at the test. It's positive. James, I'm having your baby."

James muttered, "Fuck!" He didn't realize Alana on the other end had heard it. Alana quickly apologized then asked James if he'd like to come over.

"I'm not sure about that Alana," James told her.

It was not the answer Alana wanted to hear. She and James had been seeing each other for at least a couple months, but then James was already in a relationship when he had met her at a bar.

"James, you're not trying to ditch me all of the sudden, right?" Alana asked.

James took a deep breath. He quickly glanced at the car. Shea was on his cell phone with someone. He had to get himself out of the conversation he thought

"I'm not trying to run from you," he said calmly. "I'm trying to wrap my head around it, that's all."

This was a lie of course. James wasn't wrapping his head around it. Internally he was cursing at himself.

"Get back to me on time, we need to start making plans on how to care for this baby. It may seem like a long while but soon the baby would be here, and I can't start showing without being married. What will people say?" Alana said.

James clenched his fist. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He said goodbye to Alana and hanged up the phone.

He got inside the car and stared off for a moment.

"James, are you alright?" Shea asked.

James said nothing for a few seconds. For him, things with Alana had just been screwing. She was a young chick he had fancied; it wasn't every day he got to fuck someone like her.

Nothing else was supposed to come out of it until now. He was so screwed up, he thought.

Shea was realizing he was not going to say anything, so he turned the ignition, reversed the car, and drove.