Anonymous(11)

The blood rushes from my face and I nod. “Okay.” My voice breaks and Jake peers down at me.

“You all right, cupcake?”

“Actually, I’m not feeling really well.”

His arm tightens around my shoulders and he kisses my head. “Then let’s get you home.”





Five





Ellie





Thanksgiving Day





My parents, including my sister and her family, are at my house to eat the lavish turkey Jake has been smoking on the grill for hours. Our kitchen is filled to the brim with homemade sides to feast on, not to mention the large assortment of desserts—pumpkin rolls, a lemon pie, a pecan pie, and my favorite fall dessert . . . pumpkin pie.

Jake brings in the turkey and sets it on the stove, his expression full of pride as he looks at it. He’s a master at grilling, I’ll give him that.

“All we have to do is let this rest for about twenty minutes and then we’ll be good to go.” He pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to mine. “Happy Thanksgiving, Ellie. The food looks delicious.”

I wink. “It tastes delicious too. I’ve already been sneaking a few bites here and there.”

My family’s in the living room, so they aren’t even paying attention to us. I kiss Jake again, only this time it’s deeper. Once Thanksgiving is over, he has to hop on a plane to head right back to Arizona. I’ve had him for three weeks straight, but that time is over.

“I’m going to miss you this weekend.”

He scoffs playfully. “I bet. Aren’t you and your mother going shopping?”

“Yes, but that’s not going to stop me from missing you.”

His gaze saddens as he looks down at my stomach. “I thought for sure you’d be pregnant by now.”

I touch his cheek. “It’s only been three months. I took birth control pills for years. We have to let it get out of my system. Besides,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck, “there’s still a chance I could be right now.”

“All right, you two, nobody wants to see that.” Owen chuckles and sets down a loaf of fresh bread onto the counter. He points to it. “Kimberly had made a few loaves the other day. I thought I’d bring one over.”

Jake lets me go and shakes his hand. “Where is she?” he asks.

Owen’s smile fades. “We broke up a couple nights ago. She flew down to Alabama to spend the holidays with her family. Apparently, she met up with an old flame. As she put it, he’s someone who can give her what she needs.”

“Owen, I’m so sorry,” I say, holding my arms out to hug him.

He sighs and lets me go. “It’s okay. I sensed it was going to happen eventually.”

Jake nods toward the living room where everyone else is gathered. “Come on, man. We’ll get your mind off it. Besides, we have football to watch tonight.”

“I’ll be right there,” Owen says, heading toward the door that leads to our garage, “I’m just going to grab a beer really fast.”

Jake kisses me again. “Your mother and sister already set the table. Everything’s ready when you are.” He slips away to the living room where I can hear him and my dad talking about which teams are going to make it to the Super Bowl. Since the turkey needs a few minutes more to settle, I start to head into the living room when my phone beeps.

Seeing the number, I know who it is, even if it’s different than before.

(xxx) xxx-6334: Happy Thanksgiving! You didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easily, did you? Also, it was nice seeing you on Halloween.

Just when I think things are going well, I get a curveball. Mouth gaping, I stare at my phone in shock. There are so many emotions running through me, but the one I feel the most is fear. It paralyzes me.

“Ells, what’s wrong?” Owen asks, rushing over.

Jake must’ve heard him, because he came dashing in as well. “Ellie?”

My eyes are so blurry from tears, I can barely see. Both Owen and Jake stare down at me and I swallow hard. To Jake, I look up at him and let the tears fall. “There’s something I need to tell you.” Then I turn to Owen and hand him my phone. “I need your help.”



* * *



What started out as one of the best Thanksgivings ever, quickly turned to shit. Instead of alerting my whole family of the texting problem I’d had the past few months, I ran through it quickly with both Jake and Owen. Jake’s eyes darkened and there was a lot he wanted to say, but he kept quiet, even through the dinner and the football game.

My family could tell something was wrong, but nobody said anything. At this point, I just want everyone to leave, so I can talk things out with Jake and see what Owen can do to help.

Luckily, once the football game ends, my parents gather their leftovers and say their goodbyes, staring at me awkwardly before going out the door. To them, they probably think Jake and I are having issues, which I guess we are, but not in the way they think. My nieces hug Jake and he gives them a dashing smile before they disappear out the door.

My sister hugs me and whispers in my ear. “Call me later, if you want to talk.”

I nod and hug her back. “I will.”

Once everyone’s gone, the tension in the air spikes. Jake storms off into the living room and Owen and I follow him. He runs a hand angrily through his ash brown hair and huffs. “This has literally fucked with my head all day.”