The Baby Project [#Wattys2018]

Chapter Eight ~ To who it may concern

Bleep! Cradling my phone in the palms of my hand, I glance down at the word vomit being sent to me.

Court: WTF happened? Message me ASAP!!

Luke: Orange might not be your color, but I'm not afraid of teaching someone a lesson.

Court: Hellloooo? Earth to Roseria Mitchells? You alive...?

Soph: Luke is on a rampage. Mark wants to cause bodily harm. What happened?

Me: Image attached. John gave me a black eye - accidentally.

Soph: We leave you all alone for ten minutes and he hurts you? Are you okay?

While one eye was squeezed shut, I tried to message the girls when Luke and Mark double-whammed me with more text.

Mark: Did he hurt you? Have they returned with the results yet? Rosie? Don't make me karate chop his ass back to whatever hole he came from. Talk to me.

Luke: I told you I didn't trust him. Let me show him my knuckle sandwich. Let me kick his ass. No one hurts you, Ro.

Luke: I know I'm an asshole and we haven't had the greatest relationship - but deep down you know I care. No one hurts you and gets away with it!

What do I say to a group of ragtag kids on their way to beat up John? Potential father to my son. No matter what I reply back - they will still find their way back to the room. Guardian Angels lurking in Rosewood, Florida.

Me: (Group Message: Court, Soph, Luke, Mark) Perhaps you shouldn't come back. Accidental shiner. I've got a handle on all of this. We need to sit down and talk though- there's some stuff that we need to discuss. No better day than let-your-secrets-out-all-in-one-day. And there's no easy way to say it ...Maybe you should go home? See the girls. But we all need to talk. I'll text you when we get the news about Jack. I'm okay. Let me fall down sometimes and I'll come back stronger than ever before. Cliche I know - but still. Love you all.

Sliding my phone into my right side butt pocket, I stare at these hooligans in the room with me. Inhaling loudly, I walk over to the door and peep through the blinds. Good. No one is on their way to toss us out like yesterday's trash. Phew!

John was massaging his jaw with his cocky ass smile, when the door flings open. Luke storms in and punches him. "Don't you know not to hit a girl?" Another punch to his face. This kid is going to need a plastic surgeon to fix this hot mess. "A coward. A liar. It's all a game to you. John Manning - the school's bad boy heart throb. It's a lie. A facade. You hurt everyone by being you." John wrestles to get Luke off of him, but his wrists go limp as he takes another blow to the face while spewing blood from his nose and lips. "Rosie and I - we haven't been close in awhile - but you don't get to hurt her. At least I don't have to be a douche like you." screams Luke with a sinister grin.

Eyes glazed over as I stared at a jock taking on the bad boy.

And the bad boy stands no chance at winning at this rate. Rolling my lips, I meander my way over to Jake and wrap my arms around his waist. Him being tall is a plus. Leaning his head into mine, he wraps his arms around me and holds me. It felt like home. I felt like it was where I belonged. Standing on my tip-toes, I whisper "I forgive you. If I had to make a choice - I'd pick you. It was you I fell for all these years - not him."

He looks down at me as he cups my face. The corners of his mouth turned up as his eyes glistened. The moment was stolen from us when we pulled away and stared at John and Luke. He can't kill John. John, as crazy as he is, could be Jack's father. And Luke being Luke doesn't need this incident on his record. Oh I can only imagine what Mr. Douchebag would say.