The Broken Road - A Zac Efron Novel (18+)

Chapter 72 - Blackout

*Six Weeks Later*

The morning began like so many other mornings had.  I woke up and was lured directly to the kitchen by the delicious smell of breakfast being prepared.  I stumbled in, still rubbing sleep from of my eyes and took in the sight of Jess removing a skillet from the oven and sporting a very obvious baby bump that had seemingly appeared overnight.

"Holy crap!  Where did that thing come from all of a sudden?" I asked, suddenly wide awake. She jumped, startled, but thankfully managed to not drop the sizzling pan she was holding as she brought one hand up to clutch her chest. She laughed once she regained her composure and turned to show me her profile in a form-fitting black tank top.

"I don't know!  I just woke up, looked in the mirror and BAM it was there!  She decided today she was going to finally make her presence known," she said before she turned her attention to slicing an avocado.

"You're so sure it's a girl?" I asked her as I walked over to her and placed both of my hands on her stomach.  For weeks, any time she referred to the baby, it was always "she" or "her."

"Believe me, she knows what she wants, just like her momma.  She woke me up at six this morning because she was craving a frittata with peppers and onions."

"This feels so weird," I proclaimed as my hands cradled her bump.  "It looks like you swallowed a bowling ball. It's so...round," I laughed. "Can you feel anything yet?"

"Not yet, but soon."

"I won't be here," I said softly as I continued to rub the bump. 

"There will be plenty of kicks, don't worry."

"I wish I didn't have to go," I said, referring to the press tour I was leaving for in the next few days.

"One of us has to go.  Who do you want hanging out with Mikey and Miles 24/7 for two weeks?  You?  Or your girlfriend and your unborn daughter?"

"You don't always have to be right you know," I said, taking a seat at the counter. "So, what number is this today? 16?  17?" I asked as she put a plate of frittata in front of me.

"19 actually," she replied as she crinkled up her nose and took a seat next to me.

19 freaking houses.  Each one either too modern or too traditional to make both of us happy.  The houses with amazing views lacked the privacy and security I required for my new family.  The task of finding a house to bring our new baby home to became an all-consuming event. The hunt was over that day, I had made sure of that.

That weekend, we were headed up to see my parents and share the amazing news with them. I was two and a half months sober and we were 18 weeks pregnant.

House number 19 was going to be the one.  It had to be the one.  We were almost halfway through our pregnancy, and we were running out of time.

"I have my meeting for Pitch Perfect 2 downtown, but then I'll meet you and Josh over at the house around 1 o'clock?"

"Sounds good to me," I said as I finished my breakfast, which was as amazing as ever.

"What are your plans for the morning?"

"Nothing," I smirked.  "Absolutely nothing."

"Good for you," she kissed me softly. She had no idea. "I've gotta go get dressed," she said before making her way upstairs.

She reappeared 15 minutes later wearing a flowing maxi dress and high-heeled sandals.

"Baby, those are way too high," I said as I looked down at the 5-inch heels. "What if you fall?"