34

"Oh my, God. Oh my, God. Oh my, God. Oh. My. God." I feel like I'm about to hyperventilate after seeing the news.

How could they have found out about this is completely beyond me. I swiftly put Jake into his bouncer and continue talking to Adriana.

"I have no idea how they found out. I saw it and had to call you immediately." she says to me.

"Can they even do this? This is such and invasion of privacy; Lucas', Jakes and mine. How on earth did they even find out this much detail? Gosh some of it isn't even true! I was never an actual stripper, it was more of a contemplation."

"I would tell you if I knew. Do you think either of your parents have seen this yet? Or Lucas' for that matter?"

"God I hope not. If my mother finds out about this, through the gossip channels no less, instead of me. There might be a birth and a funeral. Oh God, Lucas' family is going to be so disappointed that we lied to them, everyone is going to be." I started to think of all the repercussions of doing this. I could feel my stress levels rising and I start to do some breathing exercises to try calm myself down.

As if sensing my distress Jake lets out a little coo, lifting his chubby little arms up. I pick him up and let him sit next to me on the couch, I change the channel to something Max & Ruby because that was stressing me out to much.

"Adri, are you still there?"

"Yeah, is there anything you need? Easter weekend is coming soon for the school year, I could fly down if you want me to?"

"Oh no, don't do that, really enjoy your break doing something fun. Not spending all your time with a pregnant lady who can only walk in intervals." I laugh a little.

"Well, that pregnant lady just so happens to be my best friend, and we can walk in intervals together. I'll see you soon." she says in a final tone and hangs up the phone.

"Stubborn git." I mutter.

I grab my phone and go to dial a number I now know by heart. "Hey, Jake guess what? Guess who I'm calling, guess who I'm calling. I'm calling your daddy. Yes I am, yes I am." I say in a baby voice as I rub our noses against each other, waiting for Lucas to pick up.

"Hello? Jess, is something wrong?"

"Lucas, it's really bad."

"Is it the twins? You? Jake? Do you need me to come home? I will if you need me too, you know what I'm just going to come now. Hold on I'm leaving now." I hear some rustling on his end of the line.

"No, no, no. Lucas are you listening to me? Can you hear me? Don't you dare leave work right now, Lucas we can talk when you get home, okay? I just called to let you know what's going on."

"Alright, tell me what's going on."

"Just, try to stay calm okay?"

"Now tell me."

And I did.

*Meanwhile in North Carolina* Third Person P.O.V.

Mary could tell something was off the moment she heard the frantic knocks on the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. This had better be important, I have book club in an hour." she says walking to the front door. Opening the door Mary smiles as she sees her daughter Jasmine.

"Hey mom." Jasmine gives a strained smile walking in the door with her four month old daughter, Liliana, sleeping in her carrier.

"Hello dear make yourself at home as usual. Not that I don't love you coming by but why are you here shouldn't you be picking the boys up from school?"

"I was going to but Michael said he would pick them up and spend some time with them. Take them to an arcade or something." Jasmine walks into the living room and sits down on the couch and puts the carrier down in front of her.

"Well that's very nice of him wanting to spend time with the boys." Mary sits down on the couch next to her daughter.

"Have you talked to Jessica lately mom?"

"Well, I spoke to her a few months ago but that was it. Why, has she said anything?"

"Not her exactly. Have you turned on the T.V. at all today?" she asks getting up to get herself something to drink from the kitchen.

"No, I don't have much free time, but when I do it won't be spending it watching television. It's nice every once in a while though."

"I think now is a pretty good once in a while." Jasmine says coming back into the living room with a glass of orange juice. She finds the remote and turns on the T.V. to the right channel.

Mary sits and listens to this gossipmonger say these things about her daughter. Who even knows if any of this is true and who is this inside source they say they got this all from?

"Is this true? Do you know?"

"No, I'm not quite sure mom. I hope not." Jasmine tells her mom while rocking her barely awake daughter back to sleep after her bottle.

"I'm not quite sure what to do Jasmine."

"Well you said that you called her a while ago to see if she was coming down. Why don't we pay her a visit. It could be an Easter break vacation."

"I think that could work. Make it a nice vacation, visit Jessica and have a nice Eater dinner." Mary nods her head in agreement.

"Great, I'll call and make the arrangements then I'll get back to you." she says pick up the carrier and walking out the door.

Mary was excited to see her daughter, but for some reason she was dreading this trip.

*****

Jessica P.O.V.

Lucas came home later in the day, barreling through the door like a mad man and talking on the phone.

"I want you to fix this do you understand? I will not have this going around about my wife, child, and unborn children! I don't care how, just get it done and over with! While you're at it figure out who relayed this and if we can get it taken down for a serious invasion of privacy." Lucas ended the call with a huff and turned towards me and Jake with a solemn look on his face.

"Wife, huh?" I asked as he walked towards me, taking his suit jacket off.

"Oh yeah, wife." he kisses Jake's cheek and my engagement ring before sitting down on the couch and laying his head on my shoulder. Jake leaned towards his father making a grabbing motion with his hands and Lucas gladly obliged taking in his baby smell.

"Who is this wife you speak of? Because last I heard I wasn't actually proposed to." I say jokingly remembering the moment he knocked on my apartment door with the ring I'm wearing today, the same moment that started this whole thing.

"If I remember correctly, you asked me to marry you so that isn't even my fault." he replies with sass.

"Who's the sassy pants now huh?" I laugh running on hand through his hair.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while you can." Lucas smiles

We're both quiet before I decide to speak again.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah, Jess?"

"What're we going to do? About this whole thing, it's just one big mess."

He sighs before responding. "I'm not completely sure to be quite honest. I'm trying to get the media off this story as soon as possible, but I really want to know who the hell told them this?"

"The only people who know other than the two of us are Adri and Maggie. I really doubt either of them told the press because some of it wasn't even true. Maybe someone overheard us talking about it one day?" I proposed.

"For now let's worry about doing family damage control. I know for sure that my mom and John do because they get a google notification anytime my name is in the news, do you think that either of your parents know?"

"My dad probably does because of Isabelle and I'm not to sure about my mom but if Jasmine knows then so does my mom."

"So what you're saying is that it is more than likely that both of our families know about this whole thing."

"Yes."

"Shit." he lets out a big breath of air before sinking into the couch taking Jake with him.

I lean my head on his shoulder and start playing with his hair with on hand and let the other rest on my enlarged stomach.

After a while of just sitting there enjoying each others company Jake decides to let out a wail more than likely because it's almost dinner time and he's hungry. I attempt to get up so I could get his dinner, but the key word here being attempt seeing that I couldn't even lift myself off the couch due to my stomach.

Lucas sees my problem and gets up to help me, leaving Jake on the couch, chuckling to himself a little.

"So you think this is funny huh? I'd like to see try and get from the couch with a stomach so big you haven't seen your own two feet in months. Once you have then and only then are you allowed to laugh." by the end of my little spew I was already standing.

I let out a hard sigh, pick up Jake, and make my way to the kitchen to get his dinner and some for myself. I hear his footsteps follow behind me, pretending I don't hear him I put Jake in his high chair and give him a sippy cup of water until his food it ready.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset, okay? I'm sorry for laughing at you." he wraps his arms around me, his chin resting on the top of my head as I mix Jacobs food together.

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to snap at you like that, it's just that everything going on right now I'm pretty stressed and agitated. I just snapped I guess, and I'm sorry."

He doesn't say anything just gives me a kiss on the top of my head and brings Jake his food to start feeding him.

"We're going to get through this okay, together."

****

Some odd days later there was a knock on the door little while before Lucas was supposed to be home. I open the door only to find a nervous Lisa standing at the door. It was a surprise to see her because Lucas and I still haven't spoken to them about everything that's happened, Lucas has been busy at work and trying to get the media away from us.

"Lisa, hi. Um, what are you doing here?" I let her inside and walk to the living room where I left Jake in his jumper.

"I've been wanting to come by for a while and John told me to wait but I just couldn't anymore." she sits down next to me."

"Well would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you dear I'm fine." she smiles at me.

"Obviously you heard what the media has been saying about Lucas and I and how we starting seeing each other, they even talked about Jake."

"Yeah I heard. Look dear, I know by now not to trust everything that the media says but every story has to come from somewhere. You have a become like another daughter to me; family, and families are supposed stick together through thick and thin. So whether what the media has been saying is true or not I won't judge you I still need to know."

"Alright. Well most of what they said is true but believe me, Lucas and I never wished for you guys to find out this way." I say feeling the tears coming.

"Well how much is true?" she asks me handing me a tissue.

So I explained everything that has happened from us meeting in a bar until now. By the time I'm done Lucas is walking through the door and Jake is sucking on a bottle, being fed by Lisa.

"Mom! What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry, Jessica already told me everything and I'm not mad, just disappointed."

"Mom we were going to tell you I swear."

"I know. Since I am here we are having Easter at our house this year and I don't want either of you feeling unwelcome." she starts to burp Jake as he finishes his bottle.

"Thanks mom, that really means a lot."

"Have you guys figured out who told the press yet?" she asks.

"No idea. Maggie was telling me the whole thing like it was a story one day, but nobody else was there but us and Jake and I highly doubt he went and called up the press."

I take out my phone to call Adri. Going to my recent calls I search for her number but stop when I see a name. I don't remember calling her but apparently we spoke for quite some time which is unlikely seeing that she hates me. I look at the date of the call and start to feel sick.

"Jess are you okay?" Lucas walks up to me noticing my distress.

"I think I know who called the press."

"Who!?"

"Your sister. God, I must have butt-dialed her while Maggie was saying everything that day."

"I can't believe it, I need to call her and hear it from her."

There's a knock at the door and Lisa put Jake in his bouncer and goes to open it. To my surprise it's Jasmine and my mother at the door.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We heard about what the media has been saying and decided to hear it from you."

"How did you know I lived here?"

"We called your friend Adrianne or something like that."

I can feel my stress levels rising when there's another knock at the door. Lisa opens it again and there stands my father and his wife. In the corner of the room I can hear Lucas yelling at a very loud Liz. With the support of the couch I walk over to him and that is when Jas and my mom notice my stomach.

"Oh my Lord!" my mother screams, that's one of the few times I've heard her use the Lord's name in vain.

"What she never told you?" my dad asks making everything so much worse.

"You told him, but you never told me. Your mother, the one who raised you and didn't abandon you for some, some floozy!"

I feel like it's getting hard to breath, so much going on around me right now.

"How could you Liz? I thought you were my sister? Family doesn't do this to each other!"

"What are you even doing here last I heard you were busy getting her knocked while still married to me."

"He's just trying to be supportive for his daughter since they reunited at Christmas."

"She spent Christmas with you instead of me!?"

Suddenly there's a sharp pain in my lower abdomen the just keeps getting worse. I grip onto Lucas' arm for support when suddenly I get the feeling you have when you get your period. I look in the mirror on the wall and see droplets of blood staining my pants.

"Lucas!" I shake his arm to get his attention. After a few shakes he looks down at me.

"What's wrong?" he asks seeing my weakened state.

"I'm bleeding." I am able to mutter out before the world goes dark.