Page 26 of Big Baby
“Nice to see you so angry on her behalf,” Victoria said with a raise of her eyebrow. She leaned back in her chair and looked at me. “I swear something is up with her. I bet it has to do with the father of the baby. She said it was just some random from work, but I don’t know…”
My body seized, and I hoped Victoria didn’t notice. It was a random from work, at least at the point of conception. “Why would she lie?”
“I don’t know, but she had her sonogram today and didn’t invite me. Said she went alone. Why would she want to go alone?” Victoria’s face screwed up. “She needs someone.”
“Maybe she just wanted privacy,” I lied. I’d been there. I’d held her sister’s hand and laughed at the way she flinched when the cold gel landed on her stomach. And I’d stared in awe at the baby on the screen and sighed in relief when we were told everything was fine.
“Zora? The girl who has sex for money? Please.” Victoria’s tone was a little colder there, something that only came out in her on rare occasions when she was extra pissed. She’d never judged her sister before, never judged anyone, as far as I knew.
“What’s gotten into you?” I asked my fiancée, the farcical title like ash in my mind.
“I just don’t care for these secrets,” she whispered, ducking her head, giving her words the time to breathe for a second, before perking back up.
I should push it, find out what was bothering her. Instead, I shoveled some chilli into my mouth.
The conversation moved on, and Victoria chattered about her day, with a bit of tension in the air, talking about all the things she’d done before heading into the city tosurprise Zora. It was nice, seemed normal enough, which really only made me feel worse.
We ate the chilli, drank some wine, and I pretended this was okay.
“Hey,” Victoria said a little while later, after we’d cleaned up and settled on the sofa to watch a movie. “Do you have any cash on you? I promised Julia at work I’d donate ten dollars to her son’s sponsored swim.”
“Yeah,” I said, mind elsewhere. “There’s a few tens in my wallet.”
Victoria muttered her thanks and jumped up, ambling over to the dish where my wallet sat.
It took me a good few seconds to realize my mistake. Vital seconds that could have saved us.
Panic struck me at the same moment Victoria swore. “What the fuck?” she said. I turned to look at her, feeling like this was it. This was the time. “Why do you have a printout of Zora’s sonogram in your wallet?”
“You’re back.” It was Bellamy, Zora’s roommate, glaring at me from the doorway. They looked relaxed, dressed forsleep, but with clear suspicion in their eyes. They did not want to let me in.
Victoria and I had got into it deep, and I’d ended up telling her everything. Right from the club night I attended, that Zora was the one I fulfilled those desires with, that she fell pregnant that night but didn’t know who I was. Neither of us knew who the other was.
That would have been bad enough, but when I told her that we found out at that dinner, what we continued to sleep together after learning each other’s identities? She took that especially hard. I mean, of course she did.
She cried messy tears, shouted at me, threw the remote at my head and made many rounds of threats, but ultimately, just grew sad. Her anger wasn’t there yet; it was just grief. She slumped onto the sofa and waved me off, telling me to get out.
I packed a bag and left her there, promising to contact her soon so we could figure everything out. She called me a cunt as the door slammed behind me, and I came here. My mind and body were drained, but there was a glimmer of relief. I’d protected Zora from the horror, at least. Next time she saw her sister, the news would be out there.
“I am,” I responded to Bellamy, not up for any more judgment. I was so damn done. “Is Zora here?”
Bellamy stared at me a little longer. They knew what we were doing, had helped me escape after Victoria left here earlier. They very much did not approve, but assisted anyway. Zora mentioned how protective they were of each other. I expected Zora’d had an earful when I sloped off.
“She is,” Bellamy responded.
“Well, can I fucking see her?” I snapped, then shook it away. “Sorry, fuck. I’m a mess.”
Bellamy frowned but walked off, leaving the front door ajar as they disappeared to find Zora. The disapproval leaked from Bellamy in uncomfortable waves. We’d messed up so bad. We had to get used to the sour opinions and judgy looks — we deserved them.
“Harry?” Zora said, coming to the door in a baggy t-shirt and not much else, gesturing for me to come in, looking behind me. She guided me all the way to her room, and as soon as the door shut, I sank to my knees, defeated.
“She knows everything,” I blurted, my voice pathetic.
Zora sucked in a shocked breath and whispered, “How?” She stepped closer to me, and I grabbed her, nuzzling my face into her stomach. She steadied herself on my shoulders and waited for me to spill. I just needed to breathe her in for a minute, calm myself the fuck down.
“The sonogram, she found it in my wallet. I… I couldn’t lie. When she was holding the picture of my baby, I couldn’t deny it was mine. I’m so sorry.” I felt anguished, pained by it all.
Victoria’s heart had visibly shattered when I told her why I had the picture, who I was to the little bean growing in Zora’s belly. I winced as images of Victoria’s face flashed across my vision.
