Tagged & Ashed(41)
Her lips break free from mine, and she pushes me back slightly.
“I’m sorry, Tag. I can’t do this… whatever this is, anymore.”
Tears drip from her eyes, and she wipes them away while rushing to the bar. I start to follow her, but Crystal steps up to slap me across the face, shocking the fuck out of me.
“What the hell?” she barks as I rub the stinging side of my cheek.
“What the hell what? You’re a date to a benefit, not my damn girlfriend. Get over it,” I mutter with a cold tone I could never use on Ash.
“You brought me. You asked me. And then you kiss another girl? A girl with a pudgy belly?”
Pudgy belly? Okay, great. I brought a crazy girl to the party. The last thing Ash has is a pudgy belly.
“Get over it,” I repeat while walking off. “Enjoy the free shit, honey. I’ve got to mingle and take care of something.”
She rolls her eyes and huffs away. I shouldn’t have brought some random bitch.
***
Ashiara
“Tag just got slapped,” Erica giggles as she walks over to me.
“I saw. I guess his date didn’t appreciate our accidental kiss.”
“Accidental?” she asks suspiciously as she sips her gin.
I'm so jealous. I really wish I could have a drink right now.
“Yeah. It’s always accidental and rash with us. I’m not sure why I can’t seem to think straight around him.”
“It’s the same with him. I’ve never, ever seen Tag so out of control around a girl. He never kisses girls in public, but with you, he never stops. Perhaps our bachelor of the century has finally fallen for a girl.”
“No. What we had was just intense and hot. He’s still no different.”
The bartender walks over to finally take my order, and I smile as I say, “Can I get a bottle of water, please?”
He nods and quickly fills my request.
“Water?” Erica muses with a tilted head. “The whole point of spending the night is to get wasted.”
I force a smile.
“I’m just not in a drinking mood right now. Maybe some other time.”
My eyes flash over to Tag while he talks to the guy who bought all of my mother’s paintings. The skinny, pale guy smiles and nods before walking away. Tag’s eyes find mine, and I promptly look away before Wren joins him.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Tag is actually a little in love with you,” Erica says in a low, hushed tone.
My heart flutters and drops in one beat.
“I guess it’s good you know better," I attempt to say evenly, but the emotion in my voice gives me away.
“Oh, Ash, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much you-”
“It’s fine. I just need some air.”
“We’re outside,” she says in bemusement and I let a laugh out while holding back my tears.
She starts to hug me, but in her drunken haze, she accidentally staggers and bumps into me. Her hands press against my belly, and her eyes widen in shock.
“Holy shit! You’re pregnant!” she shouts.
Tag coughs and spews his drink all over the place, and then Wren’s glass drops from his hand to shatter against the patio.
“Damn it,” I growl while walking away.
Everyone - and I mean everyone - is staring at me as I try to make a hasty exit. Billy rushes to be at my side, and he wraps his jacket around my shoulders as we head to the house.
“What the fuck?” he whispers.
“Everyone, please get back to the party. It’s not like it’s something ridiculous to see a pretty, pregnant girl,” Melanie says to defuse the eyeing crowd.
The music starts playing again, and I keep my head down as Billy holds me tightly to his body.
“Damn it, why didn’t you tell me?” he growls.
“Because I didn’t want Tag to know.”
His breath leaves his lungs for a minute, and his face goes pale. I’m praying we can get out of here before Tag comes to question me about it.
“It’s his?” he asks in a higher octave.
"Not it, Billy. I'm having a boy. And yes. He's Tag's."
***
Tag
I don’t know if my heart is still working or not. How the fuck did I miss the fact she's pregnant? No wonder Carmen or Crystal - whatever her name is - thought Ash had a pudgy belly. She’s fucking pregnant!
“You breathing?” Wren asks, his own face a little pale.
I shake my head as I watch Ash rush into the house with Billy at her side.
“Do you think it’s yours?” he asks, more reservation in his tone.
“I know it is.”
***
Tag
I’m sick as I head up the stairs to find Ash. How could she keep this from me?
I don’t know what would be worse - to find out it’s mine or to find out it’s not.