I had been down in Connecticut all day with Teddy, she had picked me up at the crack of dawn and promised me a day of fun and retail therapy, and as always, Teddy delivered.
"You can't buy me that" I protest as she pulls me into the baby store, we had been admiring a nursery set in the window.
"I can" she says defiantly, leading me in to the open plan store with twenty or so nursery's set up to look at and admire.
She led me straight to the one we had been admiring, a stunning white painted oak, with small carved little bird details on the chest of drawers and the crib.
"Fit for a little Wren I reckon" she says turning to me with a smile.
"Teddy no" I argue turning the price tag over in my spare hand "it's far too expensive... and she will only need it for a couple of years"
Teddy rolls her eyes "Don't listen to your mama Wren" she says bending down and talking to my bump "you can have it even if you spend a month in it... because it's fit for a princess and that will always be you"
"A princess is she" I ask teasingly "I thought you would have her down as a little tomboy"
Teddy laughs "look I can't deny I would love a little tomboy to play ball with but she's being birthed by a queen and that's how titles are bestowed... she's a princess whose going to ball... not go to the ball...just...like....me" she says flicking her hair and turning up her chin with her hand.
"Okay well we shall see..." I say and she looks back to the nursery set and takes my arm in hers and walks us to the desk.
"I want the bird song nursery furniture, do you deliver within a certain time frame" she asks the sales girl.
I shake my head, I couldn't believe she was buying it.
The young assistant nods "we can deliver in a month" she returns, and then she flutters her eyelashes really subtly and she's clocked who Teddy is, and now she's flirting. "I hope you don't mind me saying this but you were incredible at last nights charity game. I was there with a date, she likes the game but I admit I go for you, you're incredible" she says and she's trying to hide her blushing cheeks.
I want to roll my eyes, the pain it takes to hold it back is ridiculous. I couldn't go anywhere with Teddy without someone stopping us and more often than not, drooling over her.
Teddy looks to me for my reaction but I raise my eyebrows at her defiantly, nope I'm not giving you the satisfaction of my response.
"Thanks" she replies turning back "it's great to meet a fan" she says returning the compliment and she smiles and her dimples pop and the shop assistant looks as if she may pass out. I couldn't blame her, Teddy's dimples were an instant way to drop a girls walls and her pants in one pop.
"A month is perfect" Teddy says and she takes her card out of her pocket "lock it in" she directs handing the card over. "This kid is going to be out on good behaviour in three months"
The assistant laughs, the kind you know is louder to stroke the ego of the person telling it. I sigh and turn to walk away. I couldn't handle another second of it.
I take a step, Teddy's fingers catch my wrist and she gently pulls me back to her side and looks to me with raised eyebrows "don't be jealous" she whispers as the assistant walks away to get the paperwork.
"I'm not" I whisper back. Lie. Her lips lift into a knowing smile.
The assistant comes back and hands Teddy the paperwork with the delivery information. "What are you having" she asks me.
I smile "A girl" I reveal.
"Wonderful" she returns.
"A girl with an aunty who has expensive taste and won't stop buying her things" I add.
"Well you are one lucky girl to have Teddy Nomikos as a friend." she says "and a friend who spends this kind of money on you too" she adds.
I look to Teddy quite purposefully teasing "oh I earned every dollar of that... with sexual favours"
I wink and walk away.
Teddy fumbles for words "she's ... not wrong"she says and she grabs me by the arm quickly as she waves and we exit.
"Harper" she squeals as we leave the store and begin to laugh. "I can't take you anywhere"
"Then don't...let's go back to yours" i suggest because I wasn't quite done with this phase of pregnancy yet and Teddy's presence was still making me horny as hell.
"Okay" Teddy says seeing the glint in my eyes and the playfulness of my tone.
***
As we walk over to the car in the quiet car lot a voice that sent chills down my spine echoed from behind us "Well look who it is"
I stopped walking immediately and froze.
Teddy looked to me with concern and turned to see who it was. "Shit" she said quietly and she got her keys from her purse and forced them into my hand "get in the car" she said pushing me toward it.
I take one step "don't you walk away from me" he says and I swear I hear Teddy growl.
I gulp, my palms are sweaty, and I turn, my hand instinctively covering the bump over my dungarees.
"Max" I acknowledge.
He whirls his finger around in the air towards me "shit I've forgotten your name" he says with a guttural laugh that makes me grit my teeth.
Teddy's hand moves across and she guides me more behind her hoping he would not see, but of course it was obvious. I was getting huge.
He looks down to our hands, practically both trying to make Wren invisible to him, and he frowns "oh fuck" he says agitatedly "are you ... are you carrying my baby" he says with aggravation. "For fucks sake have you never heard of the morning after pill... it was a one off... you are hot but fuck I don't want to parent with you. I don't want a kid"
"Did she ever contact you and say that" Teddy asks through her own gritted teeth.
"No" he returns "no but she's expecting money right" he asks.
I shake my head "no I don't want money" I say my voice faltering a little with the emotions flooding me, the need to protect my child.
"What are you having" he asks.
"None of your business" I spit back, my chest now aggressively thrusting in and out with my flight response kicking in.
"I have a right to know" he says so spitefully that I was not surprised Teddy made moves toward him and he held out his hands "whoah" he calls out "steady on Teddy" he says and I frown at how he knows her and yet cannot remember my name. But of course he knows, she's famous now.
"You know, Teddy..." he begins "I have your woman's health pictures in my bedside drawer..." he adds and my guts drop knowing what he is going to say.
He walks closer to her, his dark eyes trained on her like he wants to get to her, he wants to torment her, no doubt for breaking his arm and his ego. "I whack off to you every fucking day" he says and he closes his eyes and moans "fuck you are hot"
I can feel her hackles rise from here. "Get in the car now" she calls back to me.
"Protective over her aren't you" he says menacingly.
"When is our child due" he asks me again.
"It's not yours" I state calmly.
He laughs "of course it is" he says looking at me with raised eyebrows, his strong jaw moving side to side as he considered what to do.
"It looks like it's about right to be mine" he fired back.
"I'm eight months pregnant" I lie "I only slept with you six months ago and if you want a report from my sonogram I can get that sent to you" I spit back with confidence.
"Eight months" he says frowning.
And to be fair I probably did look further along because Wren was popping, she was large for her gestational age, just like I had been and my belly had certainly expanded to watermelon status this last week. How I would do another three months, I wasn't sure.
"I don't believe you" he returns with a wicked grin and I realise he's playing with me now, he's loving the fear he is stoking. I guess he didn't feel the fear that Teddy was getting ready to stoke right back.
"In the car" Teddy demands turning to meet my gaze with a forceful look "now" she finishes and her tone makes me turn instantly, my hands fumbling with the keys, almost dropping them as I hear words being shared behind me.
Teddy was furious. I unlocked the car and got in the passenger side, my heart threatening to burst from my chest.
***
"Do you think I will let you fuck with her a second longer" I ask him now Harper is safe in the car. My eyes narrow on him, if I could slap the smirk off of his face, I would gladly.
"I might just find out where she lives and serve some paternity paperwork... can't have my child not knowing their father"
I feel my temper snap. I reach into my purse and walk toward him, he grins like he thinks I'm going to hit him, his hand raises as if he thinks he's going to fucking hit me but his eyes clock the piece in my hand and before he can register it I've pushed it so far against his tragic penis that it's paining him.
The sound of the gun being cocked sends a look of terror into his dark eyes, he gulps, all teasing has washed from his face, returned with absolute terror "if you think I wouldn't go to jail to protect them...you are wrong" I state and he nods "I think I would do pretty well in there Max... life for taking a rapist off of the street, the girls would love that... another vermin exterminated. Let's not forget my fans, a sea of lesbians who would not mind at all sending me mail... and I mean, I may not even get caught and I bet I could find a lot of girls who would help me to bury you for things you've done" and I smile and press the gun harder against his dick, he winces "I could just shoot your dick off and let you live with it. Then we can get all the girls you've ever taken advantage of and bury you in the courts instead... what would you prefer you fucking piece of shit"
He starts to shake a little, he actually thinks I'm going to do it, he had no intention of coming to claim Wren he just loved to tease people like a cat with a mouse, he loved to be cruel but he couldn't handle a woman with a gun, apparently.
"I'm sorry" he begged "please" he pleaded "I won't ever even think about her again I swear to god" he said hands up in the air.
"Max I'm going to need more than that" I say pulling my hand back with the gun before thrusting it back hard against him.
He doubles over and falls down onto his knees and I can't help the way it makes my lips twitch upward as I bend down and force the butt of the gun back into his chest.
"Please stop" he begs and if I'm mistaken he whimpers.
"Im going to need you to forget both of us exist... throw away my pictures from your bedroom drawer, make a two thousand dollar donation to planned parenthood... and make sure you add your name to it because I will be checking the fucking donations... and then the last thing Max... are you listening" I ask through gritted teeth and he nods and I stand and stick my foot in the centre of his chest and kick him backward onto his back, tucking the gun under my jacket to hide it from view "I'm going to need you to start asking girls at every step of the way if they still want to have sex with you... every... fucking... step... infact why don't you stop fucking girls entirely, that would just make me super happy"
He nods " I didn't know she didn't want to" he states.
I shake my head "because you didn't... fucking... ask" i shout "are you understanding that.. am I educating you" I say and he nods.
"Go" I direct and he looks to me "fuck off then" I scream and he stumbles to his feet and runs off faster than I've ever seen a person move and I put the safety on and put the gun back into my purse and walk back to the car.
Harper looks way more than concerned, she looks pale, sick even. I open the door and shut it as I sit down in the drivers seat and I am pained to know the question that is coming.
"Teddy" she says in complete shock, her voice faltering "is that a gun" she asks pointing to the black metal sticking out of my purse.
I push it back down to the floor. "Depends whose asking" I add starting the car.
"Theodora Nomikos I don't know whether to be furiously mad at you for having a gun and using it to threaten people...or to just kiss you" she admits.
I turn and gulp as her hazel eyes take me in with relief, her heart slowing to know he is gone "I'm sorry... I just want you to feel safe" I whisper.
She cups my face "you don't need a gun to make me feel safe" she says her eyes wildly trying to make me believe it " Teddy please get rid of the gun" she begs.
I nod "I will lock it back away Harps, but I do have a gun license and I do own a gun... Do I casually carry it around with me? No! I just happened to have it today because I went to a shooting range with Jay yesterday"
She sits and lets that information settle and then she bites her lip, her hand placed on my thigh "is he gone forever" she asks.
I nod "believe me when I tell you he ain't coming back"
She sighs and leans in, her lips softly meeting mine, my lips part and pull her in briefly, sending butterflies through my belly before she breaks away "I love you Ted" she confesses.
"I love you too... you know that" I say with a loving smile "let's go" I suggest and I put the car into drive as we finally make it back to my apartment.