Sound of Heartache ("Sound of" Book 2) (10 page)

“
Are those…” he paused and then started over, “Are those
granny panties
?” He whispered loudly. Aimee chuckled.

“
Yep!” She pantomimed handing them over to him and then pulled them back at the last second when it appeared as though he might actually take them. “I’m seventeen!” She mock-whispered back. “Not a granny!”

“
Oh thank God,” he breathed wide-eyed, before chuckling. Clearly he had been playing along with her. They looked through the racks together before both coming on some maternity panties that looked like regular boyshorts. Brent eyeballed her before grabbing several size mediums in different colors. He appeared deep in thought before grabbing a couple more in size large.

“
What’re those for?” Aimee squeaked out, offended that he grabbed the next size up.

“
Just in case our little basketball decides to turn into a beach ball before she makes her appearance,” Brent told her. While Aimee appreciated his practicality, the feminine side of her rebelled.

“
Will a beach ball bother you?” She asked him, as they wandered over to what looked like maternity athletic wear.

“
Only if it makes you uncomfortable,” Brent told her. He stopped Aimee with a gentle tug on her arm. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Nothing could ever make you less so in my eyes. Not any change to your physical appearance. The fact that you’re round with my baby makes you even more beautiful to me.” Aimee’s eyes watered as he pulled her into a tight hug.

When they finally shifted apart, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties was smiling at them. She was a little bigger in the belly than Aimee and was pushing a stroller containing a toddler.

“
First time parents?” She asked them sympathetically. They both nodded at her. Sharing in pregnancy experiences with other parents hadn’t happened for them. They were younger than most and trying to fly under the radar. Aimee definitely didn’t want to call attention to being underage, and if anyone asked, she planned to lie outright.

“
Any tips for us?” Brent finally asked, his arm curved protectively around Aimee’s bump. Aimee leaned back into her man, loving the solid feel of him behind her.

“
Oh, absolutely! If you want to get any sleep at all, there’s this thing that looks like a little hammock that sits next to the bed. It keeps the baby upright and helps them sleep. I can’t remember the exact name of it, but I wouldn’t have made it without it. When you go to the baby store you won’t be able to miss it. It looks weird but it works!”

“
We’ll definitely keep our eyes out for that!” Aimee said, grimacing slightly. Luckily the baby was coming during the summer when they’d be on break from school. Hopefully they’d have about three weeks of trying to get into a rhythm before going back. Still, the thought of trying to take some of the more advanced classes that were scheduled for next year with a new baby was intimidating as hell.

“
Thanks for the advice.” Brent told the young mom, and he turned the full power of his smile on her. She blushed a little before wishing them good luck. Aimee whacked him in the middle of the back, but she was grinning.

“
Shame on you!” She chuckled.

“
What?” Brent asked, face completely innocent.

“
You know what your smile does to us poor unsuspecting females when you unleash it!” She laughed again and spontaneously hugged his lean waist.

“
Hopefully our daughter feels the same way,” he replied. Aimee had no doubt they would be mutually wrapped around each other’s fingers.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Brent drove impatiently through the streets of Pacific Beach trying to get back over to see Aimee. She had an appointment with the obstetrician that afternoon and Brent had missed it because of band practice. The band was having their first gig as a unit in several days and they were practicing non-stop. He felt conflicted and he hated it. Aimee had reassured him that his absence was fine since he had made every other appointment.

“
Dude, she’ll still be there when you get home,” Eric commented. Brent shot him a sideways glance. Eric’s lanky frame looked much too long to be crammed in Brent’s Civic.

“
I know. I just hate like hell that I missed this appointment.” He wondered what, if anything, Aimee found out new today. It seemed like there was always a little something at each appointment.

“
Is she coming this weekend?” Eric asked him. Brent curled his fingers around the steering wheel. Normally Eric was privy to most of their business, but had missed the fight that had gone down when Brent told Aimee she wasn’t allowed to go to their first show. It was rare for Aimee to disagree with him and even rarer for them to actually fight about anything. The night he’d told Aimee she was staying home for the concert, she’d flipped her lid.

“
No.” He snorted. “She is not happy about it, either.”

“
Why’s she missing it?”

“
Are you fucking kidding me? She’s nearly eight months pregnant. Do you remember the last time we went out? The fight? You think I want to deal with that shit while Aimee’s pregnant? Nuh-uh. No way.” Brent felt more strongly about Aimee being safe than he did about Aimee seeing his first performance as part of the new band. She could see them any time after the baby came. She didn’t need to go now, while she was vulnerable.

“
Have you named it yet?” Eric asked curiously. His fingers were tapping a beat on his jeans-clad thighs.

“
It’s a girl. You don’t have to keep calling her ‘it’,” Brent snapped. Eric’s hands stilled and Brent could feel eyes burning into his head.

“
What’s going on?” Eric finally asked him.

Brent chewed on his lower lip. He and Aimee hadn’t told Eric their fears about Aimee’s parents and the possibility the baby would be taken away without their consent. They were already so freaked out about it that it didn’t seem fair to draw a third person into their drama.

“
Seriously,” Eric pressed, “what’s going on? You and Aimee haven’t named the baby. There’s hardly any baby gear at home. There are no baby clothes. It’s weird and it’s not like there’s a whole lotta time left before it comes.”

Unfortunately, Eric was spot-on. For someone who didn’t seem to be all that observant, Eric sure saw a hell of a lot.

“
Aimee seems pretty certain her parents will force her to give up the baby if they find out about the pregnancy before Aimee’s birthday,” Brent finally admitted, the words rushing out of him.

“
That’s not even legal!” Eric protested. For once, the normally calm drummer was clearly agitated.

“
Apparently in some states there’s this thing about mentally incompetent teens and the parents being able to get rights over the baby. I don’t fully understand it, but Aimee has researched the hell out of it and says it’s not impossible to do.” As they sat stopped at what felt like the hundredth red light since leaving practice, Brent chanced a look at Eric. The man looked devastated.

“
That’s why you haven’t bought anything,” Eric muttered. Brent nodded.

“
Yeah. I mean, we want to. We want to name the baby and be excited and take Lamaze like any normal couple expecting their first baby would. But we’re so afraid it’s like we’re paralyzed.”

“
Jesus. Fuck. Would they really do something like that?” Eric asked, referring to Aimee’s parents.

Brent shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never met them but Aimee sure seems to think so and she’s the one who knows them. I have to listen to what her gut instinct is telling her. I’d be stupid not to.”

Eric’s large hand was suddenly gripping Brent’s where it rested near his knee. He held on tight and wrapped his lean fingers around Brent’s.

“
Whatever you guys need from me, you’ve got it. I don’t know what I could do to help but if there’s anything, you tell me. Don’t wait.”

Brent squeezed his best friend’s hand back tightly. Words were choked up in his throat. To have someone like Aimee by his side and a friend like Eric who would do anything for them was incredible and Brent knew how blessed he was.

“
Just, if everything goes to shit…” Brent exhaled shakily. Eric gripped his hand even tighter and Brent’s bones protested. Still, Brent did nothing but grip his hand back. “Don’t let me get too stupid, okay? Because she’ll come back. No matter what happens now, I know Aimee will come back. You’ll have to help me keep my shit together until that happens.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Brent’s arm was wrapped securely around Aimee’s waist and rested just at the side of the swell of her stomach. They had just finished finals and were headed back to Aimee’s apartment to gather some of her clothes. Brent wasn’t sure why she didn’t just move everything in with him, but she insisted she keep her own space. Her refusal to move in confused and worried him. She said it was because of her parents and what they’d do if they found out but sometimes he wasn’t so sure. He worried about Aimee’s readiness to have a life together. She was incredibly mature, however, the fact of her age remained.

Trying to hide his ever-growing fear, Brent tugged Aimee in closer and pressed a kiss against her forehead. She smiled up at him and stopped on the sidewalk.

“
I just want you to know you’ve been an amazing boyfriend to me. A lot of guys would’ve bailed when I found out. You not only didn’t bail but you’ve done everything possible to make me comfortable. Thank you.” Aimee leaned into him and pressed warm lips against his. Her belly bumped into his and he grinned against her lips. He gently nipped her bottom lip and buried his face into the curve of her neck.

“
I’ve never been happier, Aimee,” he told her gruffly. It was still hard for him to admit how much she meant to him because handing her so much power just seemed dangerous, but Brent was trying. He pulled back and pressed another brief kiss to her lips.

“
I can’t believe you still find me sexy,” Aimee told him, her hand fitting against Brent’s stubbled cheek. Finals week had taken its toll on him and he knew he looked like hell. “This morning, I had to put on those size large panties you bought me a couple of months ago.” She smiled up into his eyes but he could see the insecurity lurking there.

Brent guessed it was probably natural for any woman who was in the final stages of pregnancy to be somewhat insecure. Aimee’s body was changing at a rapid rate. Her stomach was ripe and rounded, her breasts full and heavy, her hips just a little curvier than normal. And, to her despair, she had popped a couple of stretch marks just above her pelvis. It was all beautiful to him.

“
You’re sexy as fucking hell,” he told her, and pulled her up against a tree to kiss her. Aimee wrapped her arms around him as best she could, the bulge of their daughter preventing them from getting too close.

“
Still, I can’t believe what we did last night,” Aimee murmured against his lips. Brent’s cock immediately hardened. Unfortunately for him, Aimee’s belly made it so that he had nothing to grind himself against.

“
You were amazing,” he praised her softly. He wanted Aimee to know how beautiful he found her.

He’d arrived home after practicing for several hours with the band. He’d been sweaty and stressed to the limits between studying for finals, practicing with the band, and preparing for the baby. He’d dropped Eric off at a bar a few blocks away to blow off some steam so he was alone when he walked through the door. The apartment had been dark and quiet, which was odd because he knew Aimee was home.

“
Aimee?” He called.

“
In here.” Her voice was muffled through the walls, but Brent could tell she was in their room. When he walked down the hall, he was surprised to see their door closed. Aimee didn’t usually close it unless they were going to bed for the night and it was barely eight o’clock. He pushed the door open and his heart stuttered in his chest.

Candles were lit on every surface of the room, giving it a soft glow. Some of them must’ve been scented because a lightly spiced scent filled the air. Aimee sat on her knees in the middle of their bed, some sort of sheer nighty floating around her.

“
Christ,” he’d croaked. His dick was instantly hard. Although he and Aimee were still having sex, it had tapered off considerably the more awkward she felt.

“
Is this okay?” She had asked him hesitantly. Her hands rose to rub her belly. “I know this isn’t the most sexy thing, but it’s what I’ve got to work with.” Her beautiful lips turned up into a shy smile that sent any remaining blood southward.

“
More than,” he’d reassured her, coming to his senses. He shut the door behind him and locked it. They were alone in the apartment, but there was no telling when Eric would be back home. Brent didn’t plan on any interruptions.

“
I want to try something,” Aimee told him, after he’d stripped down and knelt on the bed in front of her. His erection was red and swollen, the tip leaking pre-cum. With both of them on their knees, he hovered above Aimee and could see the ripe swells of her breasts spilling out of her nightie. It was sheer enough that her nipples, darker with pregnancy, were clearly visible.