All Of Me

Chapter 31

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After spending the weekend in that giant luxurious mansion, full of such lively people, my apartment seemed so tiny and quiet. I got back to Gracetown about 9 o'clock Sunday night so I could make it back to work on Monday. No matter how tiny and quiet my apartment was, I still loved it. It was my first real taste of freedom, and in a few months, it wouldn't be so quiet.

I smiled at the thought of a crying baby as I turned the light on in the spare room and stood against the door frame, thinking about all the different ways I could decorate it.

Race cars? Football? Teddy bears? I wondered what he would like. What he might play with when he was older.

I wondered how it would be when I knew who his father was. If it was anyone from that party, he obviously wouldn't be a very good dad, judging from the funny smells coming from inside, and the obvious amounts of underage drinking going on.

I'm not really one to judge, since I ended up pregnant over underage drinking, but I was speaking of people who did it regularly. Not me, who had done it one time. One very dumb time. Though I regretted being irresponsible and putting my life at risk, I could no long say I regretted the pregnancy, no matter how it happened.

Tripp, and others, had suggested several times that I might have been raped, but I didn't think so. I never experienced any pain the following morning, or any days after that, and obviously I would have been in pain. I obviously l obviously had consensual sex with someone and was too drunk to remember.

I had wondered for a while why no one had come forward to say it was them, but then they'd have to claim a child, and no man there wanted a baby right now, I could tell. If I never found out, it wouldn't bother me. I was fine just raising Luke one my own.

Tripp's words to me echoed in my ears, like they had the whole ride back from Adamsville.

Tripp made me happy. Lately, deep down, I knew that being with Tripp would make both me and Luke happy. But as simple as I'd like it to be, that wasn't all that mattered. Clint was also in the picture now, and cared for me and Luke.

I would have to at least wait and see what Luke's father had to say, once I learned who he was.

I turned off the light and went to bed. Hoping to get enough sleep to get through school tomorrow, and work tomorrow night.

Tripp's POV

That afternoon, I took a break from work, and headed straight to Gracetown cafe. It was 4:30, and Brooke would be here at five to start her shift.

Carol smiled and held the door open for me as I walked in with several bags in my hands. "She's going to be so excited!" Carol clapped her hands together as fast as a hummingbird's wings as she helped me pull the clothes from their bags and hang them up around the shop. From shelves, from the light fixtures, laying some over the chairs.

Long dresses, shorts, jeans, a couple of formal dresses, a few things she would need for the rest of the pregnancy that I didn't know what they were, sat on a table. Mom and Aunt Sherry apparently knew what they were and insisted she would need them. I just agreed and paid. That's what men do best.

I thanked Brooke's boss again for helping me and allowing me to do it. I left when Brooke was due to be there any minute, and headed back to work. I was like a teenage girl, giddy and waiting all afternoon for her phone call thanking me.

And of course I would swing by her apartment later, via invitation, to collect my whopping hugs of love.

Brooke's POV

Clint texted me duing class and told me he was sorry he wouldn't make it to class today, something had come up, but of course he would come by to see me later on.

I didn't think much of it, and quickly left school to get to work on time. I tied my apron around myself before I left the campus, and headed to Gracetown Cafe.

When I arrived, my head was pounding from all the thinking I had to do that day. Too much of it. I crossed the parking lot and pushed my way through the front door of the cafe, and what I saw was enough to take my breath away.

Beautiful dresses, rand new jeans and shorts, even some pretty skirts, hung and laid all around the cafe. My mouth hung open as I took it all in. Carol was smiling brightly from behind the counter and I suspected her until she spoke, "Did he tell you he was doing this?" She asked excitedly.

He.

Clint.

This is why he couldn't make it to class.

I was so touched by his kindness, and listening to me complain about not having anything to wear must have made him want to do this.

I felt tears start to brim my eyes as I walked around and touched the material of all the gorgeous outfits. I had something to wear to Brian's dinner now, and anywhere else I needed to go. I couldn't believe Clint would go to such extremes.

Carol helped me pack all of the clothes back into the mall bags they came out of, and talked about how beautiful each outfit was as we placed it back into it's bag.

"He is a very sweet young man." Carol beamed, and I nodded. "Indeed he is."

I floated through work that day on cloud nine, and felt like nothing could bring me down. I couldn't wait to get home and call Clint to thank him. Carol was right, he is a very sweet young man.