My Girl

SAVANNAH

I wake up with the sun shining through my open curtains. I feel hot, the air is stuffy, and it has a very unpleasant smell.

I groan and roll over only to come in contact with another body. I freeze for a heartbeat before last night comes flooding back to me.

When we got home, I had a full-on breakdown, and Erin ended up coming to sleep in my bed.

“Erin.” My voice comes out raspy. My mouth is so dry. “Was it a dream?” I ask hopefully.

“Sorry,” she mumbles.

My heart sinks into my stomach.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Why would he come back? Why now?

“You hooked up with Mickey Clark,” I comment before bursting into laughter. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought Erin and Mikey would hook up.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m going to have to sanitize my body now.” She groans, burying her head into my shoulder.

“What are you going to do?” she asks, throwing a leg over my body so she’s snuggled right into mine.

“Avoid him. He had his chance four years ago,” I answer. “It should be easy, though, it’s not like we run in the same circles,” I add, picturing Tanner and his friends walking into the library, making me laugh again.

“Could you imagine them in the library?” Erin’s body shakes a little on top of me, obviously having the same thought as me.

“It’s like you read my mind.” I laugh.

“Are you going to tell old Petey boy?” she asks, making my laughter stop.

“He doesn’t know what happened,” I mumble. At my words, Erin shoots up and looks down at me.

“He asked once, and I just said her dad wasn’t in the picture, and we don’t talk about him,” I explain, pushing myself up onto my elbows. “Should I tell him?” I ask, chewing my bottom lip.

We’ve been together two years now, maybe he should know the truth. But then again, he’s never asked again.

“Do what you think is best for Rosie and you,” she answers, snuggling back into me.

“I don’t know.” I sigh. “Did you tell Rosie her dad punched people?” I blurt out suddenly, remembering what she said at the library yesterday.

“What? No! She never ever mentions her dad.”

“That Jax kid broke his arm, and she asked if he punched someone ’cause her daddy did,” I explain.

“What the fuck?” Erin snaps, sitting up right. “How the hell does she know that?”

“I don’t know.” I shake my head and sit up too. “Maybe she saw it on the TV or something.” I shrug, trying to think who else would’ve told her about her father.

The only people that know who he is are me and Erin. Not even Harry and Mallory know.

“I can ask her if you want?” Erin offers as I start grabbing some clothes.

“I think I better.” I sigh, not wanting to. Throughout our friendship, Erin has always been the one to have the awkward and uncomfortable conversations.

She even told my parents I was pregnant for me.

An hour later, we’re both freshly showered and dressed and walking into the Edwardses’ home. I can hear Rosie screaming and laughing.

I instantly smile at hearing her laughing. I walk into the living area only to see Harry holding her upside down by her ankles.

“You going to do it again, punk?” Harry laughs, swinging her gently from side to side.

“Yes!” Rosie squeals in pure delight.

“Uh-oh, what’d you do?” I tease playfully.

“Your daughter farted on me!” Harry hollers before flipping Rosie back the right way and gently placing her on her feet.

“And I’ll do it again!” she announces as she runs into my arms.

“Hi, Momma.” She smiles.

“Hi, baby.” I smile back, squeezing her little body into mine. “I missed you,” I tell her before placing multiple kisses all over her face.

“No! Stop!” She giggles, wriggling around trying to free herself from me.

“I missed you too, buttercup,” Erin says, kissing the other side of her face.

“No more kissies!” Rosie laughs.

I place one more sloppy kiss on her cheek before placing her back on her feet, and in an instant, she runs off.

“Good night?” Harry asks, flopping down onto his armchair.

“Eventful,” I reply, throwing myself onto the sofa.

“Is that meant to be code for something?” Harry asks, raising both his eyebrows.

“Something like that,” Erin answers for me. “Where’s Mom? I’m hungry.” She groans.

“It’s like you never left,” Harry mutters before nodding toward the kitchen.

“Mom! I’m hungry!” Erin calls out.

“Cook yourself something then!” Mallory yells back before appearing in the doorway, drying her hands on a hand towel.

“We already ate.”

“Ugh,” Erin answers, scrunching her face up.

“You can come to brunch with me?” I suggest, fighting back a smirk. Rosie and I are going to meet Pete for brunch like we do every Saturday, but of course, since Erin hates Pete, she always declines.

“Fine. But I’m not being nice to him.”

My mouth pops open. I wasn’t expecting her to agree.

“Rosie Posie! Get your shoes on!” Erin yells out as she heaves herself up.

“Are you coming with me and Momma?” Rosie asks, running back into the room, holding her shoes in either hand.

“Yup.”

“Yay!”

***

“Hey, babe,” Pete greets, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek, after arriving fifteen minutes late. “Hi, Rosie. Erin.” He nods.

“Hi, Pete!” Rosie chirps, not looking up from her scribbling on the kids menu.

“I’m having cakes today!” she announces as Pete slides into the free space next to Erin, much to her disgust.

“How was last night?” Pete asks, opening the menu and focusing his gaze on it.

I don’t even know why he bothers. He always gets the same thing.

Bacon and poached eggs. Black coffee.

“It was good,” I half lie. Most of the night was good, it just didn’t end well. Erin shoots me a questioning eyebrow, and I just shake my head at her and flick my eyes down to Rosie.

“I think I’m going to have the bacon and eggs.”

“Nooo! You should have cakes like me and Momma and Aunt Erin.” Rosie shakes her head, looking up from her drawing for the first time.

“I don’t like sugar,” he answers almost coldly.

“Well, I loves it,” Rosie snaps and goes back to her drawing.

“We really need to sort out her manners,” Pete says, looking directly at me.

We’ve had this argument so many times.

He says she needs better manners; I say she’s a kid and is doing well for her age. But somehow it always ends by me agreeing to teach her more manners.

“I’m not talking about this right now,” I snap, not in the mood for this.

“Just because you’re hungover doesn’t mean you get to be disrespectful,” he says between his teeth just as the waitress comes up to take our order.

Just to spite Pete, I order Rosie and myself both extra syrup. Sure, she’s going to have a sugar rush, but she hardly ever has sugar and a once off isn’t going to hurt.

We fall into a silence while we wait for our food. I’m about to open my mouth to ask Pete what he did last night when Rosie lets out an excited squeal.

“Momma, there’s Jax!” she squeals, pointing to the other side of the room, and begins clambering over me. I try to grab her to keep her here, but she is too quick.

I jump up and chase after her. I grab hold of the top of her arm just as she stops.

“Did you put it on your fridge?” she asks, bouncing up and down.

“Of course I did!” Jax answers happily. I look up to him and give him a sympathetic smile.

“Come on, baby, let Jax eat in peace,” I say, looking at the older couple he’s with, who I’m guessing are his parents.

“Don’t worry about it, we haven’t even ordered. You must be the little Rosie Jax has told us so much about.” The lady smiles sweetly, looking at her with adoring eyes.

“Yup. I’m free.” She smiles, holding up three fingers.

“I’m so sorry, she loves Jax to pieces as you can see.” I chuckle nervously, biting my lip wondering what Jax has said to them.

“Oh don’t worry about it, sweetheart.” Jax’s mom brushes it off. “I’m Ann, and this is my husband, Ian,” she introduces sweetly.

“I’m Sav—”

“Savannah?” I’m cut off by the same male voice from last night. My throat instantly goes dry. I swallow, trying to get some spit into my mouth, but it doesn’t help in the slightest.

“Yes.” I nod, turning slightly to see Tanner and so I could hide Rosie’s body with mine.

“Why are you talking to my parents?” he asks. He doesn’t sound or look angry. He seems confused.

“Oh, I was just saying hi to Jax,” I answer, nodding toward Jax who is pulling faces at Rosie.

Wait, did he just say his parents?!

That means they’ve just met their granddaughter for the first time, and they don’t even know.

And Jax.

Jax is Rosie’s uncle.

“Who’s this?” Tanner asks, looking down at my daughter who is peeking around my legs to look up at him.

“I’m Rosie. I’m free,” she tells Tanner, proudly holding up her fingers again.

Tanner is silent for what feels like a lifetime, looking at Rosie.

His green eyes widen as he stares at the little girl.

He knows.

“My momma said it’s rude to not in-toe, in-toe. Momma, what’s that word again?” Rosie sasses, looking up at me.

“Introduce,” I mumble, feeling my cheeks redden.

“Momma, it’s rude to mumble.” She tuts me before turning back to Tanner, whose eyes haven’t moved off Rosie once.

“I’m Tanner. I’m twenty-two,” he answers after Jax clears his throat loudly.

“My momma is twenty-two!” she squeals before cocking her head to the side, making her curls bounce as she looks at him from head to toe.

“Is he your little brother?” she asks, turning her attention back to Jax and trying to climb onto his knee.

“Come on, Rosie, we better go back to our table. Aunt Erin and Pete might be eating your pancakes,” I tell her, grabbing her wrist. “And Jax wants to eat in peace,” I add when she clings to Jax’s good arm.

“But, Momma,” she whines, pouting her lip slightly.

“No ifs, ands, or buts. Butt back to the table,” I order, making her pout even more, but she does as she’s told with a sad “Yes, Momma.”

“Sorry again,” I quickly say before practically running back to our table where a furious Erin is sitting blocked in by Pete.

“What was that about?” Pete asks the moment I sit down.

“Rosie just met Jax’s family,” I mutter, hoping Erin gets it.

“Then why did Erin want to run over there the second that other guy showed up?” he asks, his neck starting to turn red.

“That’s Jax’s little brother,” Rosie answers, still pouting. “His name is Tanner, and he’s twenty-two.” She shares the information she just learned.

“We went to high school together, and he was an a-s-s-h-o-l-e to us,” Erin quickly answers, spelling out asshole.

“And you let Rosie be friends with his brother?” Pete accuses.

“It’s not like she knew,” Erin snaps as the same waitress who took our order places down our meals.

“And Jax is nice to her,” I add, picking up a knife and fork and beginning to cut Rosie’s pancakes up.

“I do it,” Rosie says when I go to pour the syrup on for her.

I hand her the small white dish, and she pours it all over the cut-up bits.

“Don’t forget to lick it off your fingers.” I wink at her. She gives me her cheesy smile before beginning to lick her sticky fingers.

“Seriously, does no one have manners at this table?” Pete huffs.

“Go fuck yourself,” Erin spits out, and Rosie’s ears perk up, making me inwardly groan. Lately, she’s been cursing like a sailor, and every time she hears a new word or phrase, she likes to practice using it.

The four of us eat in silence. I can hardly stomach anything. I’m not sure if it’s last night’s alcohol or the fact that Tanner is sitting right across the room.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Pete excuses himself once he’s finished eating his food.

“Now that Pissy Pete is gone, tell me what happened,” Erin says, scooting along the booth so she’s sitting in front of me.

“I’m positive he figured it out.” I sigh, throwing my fork onto my plate. “What am I going to do?” I groan, looking over to the Taylors.