Broken Horse

Chapter 20 - Jacey

The silence already settled into the house for the night by the time I finally returned to my sister's. My stomach knotted a little as I looked around at the place. It could use a good cleaning and knowing Jacki, she didn't have time to do it. And tonight, Sergei was out hanging with his friend, the one that he hadn't seen in a long time, so I wasn't about to interrupt him. The talk with my parents hadn't gone so well, but it was a start and they were willing to meet Sergei.

My heart jumped hard as the lights had flickered in the front window. If Jacki said that she wouldn't be home, she probably had a change of heart, or change of man.

The loud knock just about brought me to my knees. I told her to call me if she did need a ride, but Jacki was Jacki and she was the wild child. When I opened it, Sergei had his arm leaning on the doorframe, his jacket unbuttoned and his shirt showing underneath. His hair was messed up and the smirk was spread across his face.

"Well I would have to say that you look like something that any guy would take over his shoulder and haul off to the bedroom." The alcohol poured from his breath as he rubbed his mouth with his hand.

"Sergei, get in here before you get hurt." Reaching for him, I smiled shaking my head. I couldn't wait to meet this Tommy if he had Sergei completely trashed. He better have been a good friend and not let him drive.

Stumbling in, he plopped down on the couch stretching his arms across the back. "Why not come here and give me a little something?"

"No, you are pretty drunk and I can't." Picking up the mail on the table, I piled it all on the kitchen counter by my sister's phone charger. At least it hadn't been that bad staying with her. Not after I cleaned up the place. Now, it was only a few minutes to get over to Sergei's place instead of a half an hour. "You can stay here with me. My sister won't be home tonight."

"My guess is that she will not be either." His eyelids were heavy as the blues swirled. This was a new look. A new one and it made me nauseous. My chest clenched hard as he pressed his lips together. I didn't know him when he was that drunk, but the clenching in my stomach that I was getting wasn't good. I could have Nikolay come and pick him up, but with that broken leg, it would be hard for him to get out to the garage.

"Come on. I will take you home." Waving my hand, I smiled as I looked at him. Something was different. A lot different. Something was... wrong. Reaching over to him, I caught a new smell, a feminine smell. A sweet and sexy perfume. My stomach crashed hard. That was what it was. He had been with another woman. My heart was pulverizing my chest and my stomach was clenching even harder, as if the muscles were ripping apart. I couldn't breathe. "Were you...were you with another woman?"

"And if I was?" His expression hadn't changed, but the dancing in his eyes told me that he was fine with it, that he was happy with having been with someone else.

"Sergei!" Taking a few steps back, I cupped my forehead trying to focus on breathing. In just a couple of days, we would have the first baby appointment and he had been so happy, so thrilled. Now, he was telling me that he slept with another woman and he wasn't even upset about it. "I thought that...."

"That I was going to stay with you?" Licking his lips, he shrugged as he glanced around. "This is a nice place your sister has. Fits her well."

"That is not... How could you knowing that I was here waiting for you? That we are going to have a baby..."

"Ah, two liars can make a life now?"