Chapter 28

„Can it wait until the evening?" She looked up at him. „I want to enjoy the day, while it lasts. Besides I don't want anyone interrupting us."

„Whatever you want." He gave her a reassuring smile.

„You need to talk with Sophie. I hate to be the reason you guys are fighting."

„You're not the reason, Ann." He shook his head.

„But I am. You're in LA, because of me." She sighed.

„I'm in LA, because I wanted to." He corrected her. „Stop blaming yourself."

Ann sighed again and looked up at his hazel eyes. She studied his features admiring his long eyelashes and bushy eyebrows. She could never get bored by the view of his face. A smile crept onto her lips.

„There it is." Joe smiled, making Ann smile wider. „You look better with a smile."

Ann chuckled, looking down. Suddenly a realization hit her. She was in her bikini and talking to her bare chest ex boyfriend on her bed. Her heart skipped a beat. All she had in her head was Sophie. She knew they didn't do anything wrong, they were just trying to remain friends, but the connection between them was still visibly strong and it was hard to deny it. It was hard for Ann to be alone around him. She cleared her throat and crossed her arms, almost as if trying to hide her body.

„So... Mimosas?" She smiled, looking up at him.

„Mimosas." He nodded with a smile as well and they went downstairs. Ann's mom was in the kitchen, starting on the dinner.

„Oh there you are." She said noticing them. „Everything okay?"

„Yup." She walked up to her and grinned, seeing the ingredients spread around the counter. „Are you making your special lasagna?"

„Oh yes I am."

„What's so special about it?" Said Joe walking up to them and grabbing a bit of the shredded cheese.

„That's what makes it special. Nobody knows." Said Ann, grabbing some as well.

„Interesting... Can't wait." Joe wiggled his eyebrows. He rubbed Ann's back, before going to the backyard to finish the drinks he started.

„I would give anything to have a kitchen like this." Said Sophie.

„I promise you, one day I'll buy you a house with the biggest kitchen in the world." She smiled, hugging her from behind.

„Oh, baby." She laughed. „Why would I need that just for myself?"

„Mom, I told you're going to live with me."

„You know I hate to be trouble..."

„You were never a trouble to me." Ann said, resting her head on Sophie's shoulder.

They stayed like that, Sophie rubbing Ann's head. She felt nothing but love and warmness. And a feeling that maybe it was a good time to tell her.

„Mom..." she started.

„Yes, honey?" She turned around to grab milk from the fridge.

„I..." she stuttered, unable to find her words. Her mom frowned and walked up to her, putting her hands on her shoulders.

„What's going on?" She knew exactly something was wrong. Ann sighed as she gathered her words in her mind.

„Are there any fruits left?" Jazz came in, wiggling the empty bowl in her hand.

„Of course, sweetie! Let me make you some more." She ran up to her and grabbed the bowl from her hands. Ann rolled her eyes as Jazz approached her.

„What?" She frowned.

„Great timing, as always." She sighed, going outside.

Joe was just finishing on the Mimosas, topping them off with a slice of orange.

„They look so good!" She gasped. „Which one is mine?" He froze in place and eyed each glass individually, making Ann giggle. „Oh my god, you forgot?"

„No?" He frowned, still scanning the glasses. „It's this one." He picked one and brought it up to his nose. He raised his eyebrows and put it down. „Or not."

Ann giggled, watching him in amusement. He sniffed each glass, focusing on one that seemed lacking the smell of alcohol. To be completely certain, he took a little slip and nodded with approval.

„It's this one. Totally knew that." He said, trying to play it cool.

„Right." Ann chuckled, taking the glass from his hand and laying back on the sun bed.

He took the other two glasses and brought them inside for Jazz and Sophie. He then came back, smiling at Ann as he passed by. He took his drink and laid beside Ann, letting out a sigh as he got himself comfortable.

After a bit of silence, Ann heard Joe humming to himself, a melody she didn't recognize. She turned her head to look at him, but he had his eyes closed, tapping his finger on the glass to the rhythm. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes too, getting lost in the sound of his voice that she loved so much.

„That was nice." She said as soon as he was done, turning to look at him. He opened one of his eyes and smiled at her, before closing it again.

„Just a little something I had in mind."

„Do you have the lyrics to the melody as well?"

„Maybe."

„Don't be such a tease!" She whined. „Sing it."

„You wish." He smirked, still not opening his eyes.

The rest of the day flew by very fast, as they chilled by the pool, getting in it a few times to refresh from the heat. The day was filled with talk and laughter, making Ann almost forget all her problems. But it was always somewhere in her mind, the inevitable conversation that they were going to have. She was petrified of it, that's why she wanted to postpone it as long as it was possible.

The sun started to set as Ann placed plates on the outside table for dinner. Meanwhile, Joe was starting a bonfire and Sophie was giving finishing touches to the lasagna with the help of Jazz.

They enjoyed the food, discussing what could possibly be the secret ingredient over god knows what round of mimosas. Ann saw that they were all getting a little tipsy, as they laughed over small things. They moved to the bonfire, sitting on the couches that surrounded it. Joe ran inside and came back with a guitar, making Sophie clap her hands.

„This is so fun!" She squealed, making Ann chuckle.

„Any requests?" Joe said, while tuning the guitar.

„Where do I start?" She laughed, amused by the situation.

They played a couple classic songs, before Joe started strumming some melody on the guitar, that rang a bell to Ann, but she couldn't put it into any song. Until she realized it's the melody that Joe was humming earlier. She adjusted herself on the couch next to him, interested about the song he created.

„Come back to me, baby, I'll come back to you." He started singing quietly to the melody. „You know the place that I go running to. I get scared when you're scared, but what else can I do? Come back to me, baby, I'll come back to you."

She nodded to the rhythm, getting lost in his voice. He sounded amazing and she could see that he was singing from his heart.

„Wherever you are right now, know somehow, I'll be on the way like a bat out of hell. Heaven knows I'm proud, but I'll turn 'round. Baby, if you stay, then I won't to let you down."

He continued, his eyes closed the entire time. Ann scanned his face, searching for the meaning to those lyrics. Was this about her? She quickly pushed the thought away, realizing it's probably about Sophie and how he asked her to get back together.

„Whatever we've done, whatever we'll do. Baby, if you come back now, I'll come back to you." He finished slowly opening his eyes and locking them with Ann's. Her heart sank, but she gave him a reassuring smile.

„That was beautiful." Said Sophie, her hand on her heart.

„Just something I've been working on." He smiled down at his guitar.

„Sophie is a lucky girl." She smiled at him.

„Yeah..." He scoffed, looking at his feet.

The air started to fill with awkward silence and Ann cleared her throat, breaking it.

„I feel tired, I'm gonna go to bed." She stood up, taking a quick glance at Joe. She wished he got the hint, that she's ready for the talk.

„Good night." Sophie said as Ann hugged her and then Jazz. She gave Joe a high five, not wanting too much body contact.

She walked up to her bedroom and changed into more comfy clothes. She sat on her bed with crossed legs and stared at the wall as she waited for Joe. She could feel her heart racing. She didn't know what to expect from this conversation and where will it go. She heard a light knock on the door.

„Yeah." She sighed.

Joe went into the room, closing the door behind him and slowly walked up to the bed, sitting in front of Ann. She could sense he was nervous as well. She looked up at him, seeing his gaze lost in his hands.

„Hi." She said, bringing his attention to her.

„Hi." He replied, relaxing at the sight of her.

„I wish I could be drunk for this." She chuckled, making him smile. „Where do we even fucking start?"

„Let's start from the beginning." He took in her hands. She hesitated for a bit, but decided not to pull them away. „From us."

„You want to go first?" She said with a hopeful tone, as she honestly didn't know what to say. He nodded and sighed, brushing a hand through his curls.

„So... I'll start with saying that... I still love you." He looked up, locking eyes with her. She held a breath, not expecting those words. „I thought that going back with Sophie will let me forget about you, but I couldn't. It just made me more confused as I realized I love both of you. I don't even know if it's possible to love two people, but I guess, that's how it is. So... that's me. Now you."

Ann looked around the room, trying to make sense of his words. She shook her head and sighed, looking down at their joined hands.

„I'm a mess." She felt the tears starting to build in her eyes. „I love you too. And this pregnancy made me realize how much. I saw the soft side of you that I never got to meet and it's killing me." She felt him squeeze her hands. „But you know we can't go back into this. We can't go back into this destructive secret relationship that we were in, especially now in my state. It will be too stressful for me. Too much." She saw him nod his head in agreement, his eyes dropping.

„That's the fucked up part about it." He sighed, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand.

„And I meant what I said then. I can't be with you if you still love her. That leads us to the next topic: Sophie. How will you do this?" He looked up at her at the mention of her name and bit the inside of his lip.

„There's no right way out of it. I went over multiple scenarios in my head and there is no way she'll not hate me." Ann sighed, pushing her head back.

„See, that's what I'm talking about. I don't want that. I don't want you to loose a chance with her, because of me."

„Ann, it's up to her how she's going to react. Who knows, she might accept it." He shrugged, not believing in it himself.

„Okay. Baby." She sighed, getting to the most uncomfortable topic. „What are your feelings about it? Is all of this worth it?"

„Hell yeah." He whispered with a smile.

„Joe, I know you're enthusiastic about it, but I want you to think deeper on it. How's everyone going to react, how the world is going to react? We will have to spill everything, before I start to have a bump."

„Honestly? I don't care." He scoffed, shaking his head. „People will talk. Always. They will talk for a month and then forget it even happened. If they're real fans, they'll support it and be happy for me."

„I know, but-„ she started, but he put a hand on her mouth to stop her.

„Look at her." He took the ultrasound photo out of his pocket and placed it in her hands.

„Joe..." she sighed.

„Just look at her." He said again, a little quieter.

She looked at him, before staring down at the photo. She smiled seeing the little bean again.

„That's a real baby. We created that little human being." He said pointing at the photo. „I can already imagine her little face, her little curls... How she'll wrap her hand around my finger, when we'll walk the street. Teaching her to walk, teaching her to speak..." He started to tear up. „Her first day at school, when she'll be too scared to let go of me, as I will hug her goodbye. How she'll dance around the house to our music. Her little giggle when I'll play hide and seek with her and find her."

Ann's eyes started to water at his words. He was right. This was a literal human being.

„I love her already." He whispered, tears now falling down his cheeks.

She sniffed, reaching out and wiping the tears away from his cheek. She smiled as she caught his gaze and caressed his cheek.

„You're going to be the best dad." She whispered, letting out a chuckle through her tears.

His eyes lit up and he chuckled as well, before pulling her into a hug, hiding his face in her shoulder. They stayed like that, sniffing from time to time. They both felt a relief washing over them. The conversation could've gone far worse and Ann was happy it ended like this.

She repeated the words Joe said, imagining all those little moments she will have with the little one by her side. No matter if they'll be together or apart she knew they could handle it and be the best parents possible for her. Suddenly a certain word flooded her mind and she smiled to herself. It came out of nowhere, almost like a sign.

„Willa." She whispered.