BEST FRIEND'S BABY (Book Three) Read online

  Contents

  TITLE: BEST FRIEND'S BABY #3

  Hunter

  Victoria

  Hunter

  Hunter

  Victoria

  Hunter

  CONNECT

  BEST FRIEND’S BABY

  (BOOK THREE)

  By

  LAYLA WILDE

  COPYRIGHT © 2016

  All Rights Reserved

  Hunter

  I woke up in my own bed. I didn’t even remember walking home, but somehow I had made it back to Chestnut Street. My head throbbed, and I groaned, feeling the hangover that had settled into my skull. Why had I drunk so much last night?

  Memories from the party were nothing more than a blur. All I could remember was the bombshell blonde who had tried to seduce me. I touched my cheek, feeling an almost burning sensation. That’s right, she had slapped me when I rejected her. I grinned and chuckled. Girls were so needy when they were drunk.

  Eventually, I rolled out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen. I grabbed an apple and started to munch on it, just standing there letting the loneliness of the house settle in. I was about to go back to bed, ignoring my homework for the day, when I noticed my phone on the counter. I grabbed it, looking at the time. Was it already four in the afternoon? I sighed, going through my phone, and my eyes widened when I saw I had five missed calls from Victoria. They were all around the time I had been at the party. The music had been too loud for me to hear.

  I dialed her back quickly, but it went straight to voicemail. That was strange. It wasn’t like Victoria to turn her phone off. She was one of those people who always had it charged, just in case. I furrowed my brow and tried again, thinking maybe it was a fluke, but all I got was the voicemail notification. The feeling in my gut told me something was wrong, so I quickly got dressed and hurried across campus.

  I managed to slip inside her dorm building by following another student who swiped themselves in. I remembered exactly where her room was, navigating toward it with ease. When I knocked on the door, there was no reply. I sighed and tried again, but still, I was met with only silence.

  “Are you looking for Victoria?” I tensed, hearing a voice behind me. I turned around to see the lacrosse player standing behind me, a towel wrapped around his midsection. His hair was wet from a recent shower. I narrowed my eyes at him. Why would he know where Victoria was?

  “Yeah,” I finally answered.

  “Well, I saw her leave with a suitcase a few hours ago. She probably went on a trip or something,” he informed me, shrugging.

  “A suitcase?” I repeated, dumbfounded. What would Victoria be doing with a suitcase? “Are you sure?”

  “Pretty sure. I mean, I had just woken up, but it’s kind of hard to imagine something like that.” He shrugged again. “You’re her boyfriend. Don’t you know where she went?”

  I locked my jaw and turned my back to him, trying the doorknob. To my surprise, it jiggled open. I stepped inside and slammed the door behind me. The room was empty. Clothes had been taken off hangers and the bed was a mess of sheets. Victoria’s desk was scattered with different books, notes, and writing utensils.

  Fear crept into my soul. Where had she gone? What did she want to tell me last night? I felt guilty for going to the stupid party. If I had stayed home, I would have been able to answer her call. I searched the room quickly for clues, looking for anything that might tell me where she was. Her laptop was gone, as well as her violin. Wherever she went, she was planning to stay there for a while.

  I grabbed my phone to call her again, desperate for her to answer, but she didn’t. “Where are you, Vic?” I asked the empty room as if Victoria would appear out of nowhere.

  Tucked away under the bed, I found her tiny printer. She had no room for it on her desk so she kept it under there on top of an old Home Depot box. There was a sheet of paper still in the tray. I snatched it up, reading it. My fingers shook. It was a receipt for a plane ticket. She had gone back to Maine! Why? It seemed ridiculous. She had classes on Monday. Why would she go back to Maine and waste her money on a plane ticket when she would have to come back in just a few days? Had something happened? My mind ached with the possibilities, some worse than others.

  I contemplated my options. I could just keep calling her, hoping she would pick up, or I could go after her. I bit my lip. But the big game was next Saturday. What if I couldn’t get a returning flight that would get back in time? I couldn’t miss that game. I ran my fingers through my hair, torn between my options. What was I supposed to do? Finally, I made up my mind. I had to go after her. I loved her.

  ***

  In a few hours’ time, I was back in Maine. The weather was cooler than in Ohio. I zipped up my jacket and left the airport, hailing a taxi that waited at the terminal. I guided him to my house, looking for any signs that she might be home. The driveway was empty and the lights were off. It didn’t look like Victoria’s mom was home either.

  I sighed, paying the driver and getting out. I glanced at my own home. I could see Natalia cleaning my room through the window. Her body moved back and forth as she vacuumed the carpet, so caught up in her task that she didn’t see me run behind the dividing fence, making my way toward Victoria’s window.

  I looked up at it. The room was dark, and the window was closed. Still, I had to go inside and get to the bottom of this. I tugged on the trellis, making sure it was still sturdy. It didn’t budge. I took a deep breath and started to climb, ignoring the dull pain in my side. When I reached the window, I tried to open it, but it was obviously locked. I nearly lost my balance, using both my hands to try and force it open, but to no avail. I sighed and settled for pressing my face against the glass and looking inside.

  The room seemed untouched. Everything was exactly the way we had left it a few weeks back. I tried to find any signs of her coming back, but there were none. Her bed was made. Her desk empty. Her walls held the same posters that had hung there for years. In the corner, a small bulletin board displayed photos of all of Victoria’s friends and even a few recent pictures of us as a couple. I sighed. She wasn’t here.

  Slowly, I climbed back down. Where could she have gone? The only person I could think of was her friend, Norma. They had been best friends in high school, doing almost everything together, but I hadn’t talked to her in years. I grabbed my phone to look through my contacts. Of course, I didn’t have her number anymore. I quickly checked Facebook, but her profile had been deactivated.

  Seeing no other option, I rounded the fence and approached my house. I could tell that my father wasn’t home. I opened the front door and entered the lavish house. My footsteps echoed through the large entryway. The marble shone with newly applied wax, and I had to be very careful not to slip as I ventured further inside.

  Natalia appeared at the top of the stairs. “Mr. Baxley! I thought you were going to be away on that business trip for another week,” she called out, not realizing I wasn’t my father. “We were just in the process of cleaning your room… if you give us but an hour, we can have it ready for you.” She said the words with a hint of fear in her voice.

  “Natalia, it’s me,” I called out, stepping into view. Her face contorted into one of surprise.

  “Hunter?” she asked in disbelief. She walked slowly down the stairs as if she were apprehensive about approaching me. “What are you doing here? I thought you were in school until the winter holidays,” she said, her thick accent coming into play. “Did something happen?”

  I nodded. “Yeah…”

  “Oh dear.” She frowned.

  “I went to a party last night and Victoria tried to call me, but I couldn’t hear the phone so I never answered.”

  Na
talia gave me an accusatory look. She didn’t like it when she found out I went to parties and got in trouble. “And?”

  “Well, when I woke up this afternoon, I noticed she had called, and I’ve been trying to call her back ever since but she hasn’t picked up the phone yet,” I answered, worried. “I’m scared something happened because I found a receipt for a plane ticket back to Maine in her dorm room, but she’s not home.”

  “Oh my, that’s not good.” Natalia’s big brown eyes looked wrought with concern. “And you have no idea where she might be?”

  “Well… my only hunch is that she would be with her friend, Norma, but I don’t have her contact information anymore. To make matters worse, Victoria didn’t leave me any sort of a message. No note. No voicemail. I’m really scared,” I admitted. As I stood there, all I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs. I had never been so worried in my entire life. Where was she? Why had she stormed off without telling me? Why hadn’t she just left me a voicemail or a text? Anything.

  “Do you have any way of getting in touch with this Norma girl? Do you know any of her friends? Surely, they have her number?” Natalia suggested, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the kitchen. She sat me down in one of the chairs and started making some tea. I wanted to tell her not to worry about it, but I didn’t have the energy to do so.

  “I’ve thought about that, but I’ve lost touch with that crowd over the years. I don’t even know if she’s still in Maine.” I frowned.

  “Oh, well… Is she the really skinny girl who comes to visit Victoria sometimes?”

  I nodded, my eyes lighting up with a hopeful spark. “Have you seen her? Do you know anything about her?” I pressed, nearly getting up off my seat.

  “All I know is that she always wears a lot of jewelry, most of it owl-themed.” Natalia tried to rack her brain for any other details that might help.

  “Owl?”

  She nodded. “Yes, owl necklace, earrings. She even has little owl stickers on her car. She’s quite fond of those birds,” Natalia explained as she poured a cup of tea.

  I grinned and got up suddenly. “I’m not sure, but one of my friends owns a custom jewelry shop that specializes in animal-themed jewelry. Maybe she’s a customer! I’ll give her a call. Maybe she can give me Norma’s number.”

  Natalia smiled, happy that her information seemed helpful. She placed the cup of tea in front of me. “But first, drink this.”

  I looked down, seeing the tea leaves floating around in the yellow-tinted water. “Do I have to?”

  “Yes, of course.” Natalia placed her hands on her hips, looking determined. I sighed, knowing I couldn’t refuse. She was the closest thing I had to a mother, and I couldn’t disappoint her.

  I nearly burned my tongue on the liquid, forcing down the bitter taste. “God, what was that?”

  “Herbal tea,” she said proudly. I made a mental note to never drink herbal tea again.

  “Well, thanks!” I said quickly, rushing out of the room before she made me try anything else. I grabbed my phone, already out the door, dialing my friend’s number and praying he could help me get one step closer to Victoria, wherever she was.

  Victoria

  “Maybe you should rest or something.”

  “I’m fine, Norma. I just need a place to stay for a little while before I get things sorted out,” I told her, nibbling on the pop-tart she had given me. I sat on my friend’s couch, my laptop keeping my legs warm.

  “I don’t know. I just feel you’re working yourself into a frenzy. This is all so sudden. Shouldn’t you talk to Hunter or something? I know you saw him on Facebook with that girl, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s cheating on you.”

  I glared at her. I couldn’t believe she was defending him. “Well, he should’ve answered his phone instead of posting pictures to Facebook,” I answered tersely.

  “You’ve been in love with this guy for a long time now. I just can’t understand how you can throw that all away without even talking to him. You have no idea what he was doing last night. He could have just been at the party, dancing. You shouldn’t be so quick to condemn him.” She sat down on the couch next to me, taking my hand in hers. “I just don’t want to see you so glum. C’mon now.” She tried to get me to laugh, but I simply wasn’t in the mood.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ve already made my decision. I can’t go back now. I’ve already declared my leave of absence,” I told her.

  “You can always go back. I’m sure they’ll understand,” she said, trying to encourage me. I looked down at the large beaded bracelets around her thin wrist.

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to go back. What’s the point? It’s not like I can do anything while I’m pregnant. My career is over.”

  “Don’t say that. A lot of girls have been able to get a degree, even with a baby. You shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Stuff like this happens all the time.”

  “Yeah, well, it doesn’t happen to people like me,” I spat, my eyes blazing. I didn’t want to have this conversation. I could feel my emotions getting the best of me. I started to ignore her, looking down at my computer where I had pulled up a job search for the area. If I was going to quit school, then I needed some sort of income to sustain me. My nightmare came rushing back to me, and I focused on the search. I couldn’t allow that nightmare to become a reality.

  Norma just sighed, got up, and stepped into the next room. I listened to her movements before silence took over the house. I sat there, rethinking my actions, but I quickly pushed anything that felt like regret out of my mind. I had made my decision and had to live with it. So what if Hunter didn’t want me anymore. I would move on and so would he.

  But no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t going to let this get to me, it did. My heart tightened, and it felt like someone was driving a sharp knife right through it, slicing it into pieces. It became hard to breathe, and my chest ached like never before. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be in Hunter’s arms with his fingers running through my hair. He would tell me everything would be okay. I just had to accept that it wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t want me anymore.

  Trying to get my mind off this, I scrolled through the job listings, trying to find something I was qualified for. I couldn’t stay with Norma forever. I bit my lip nervously. Most of the jobs were for cashiers. I didn’t want to be on my feet all day if I could help it. Besides, a job like that didn’t come with anything better than minimum wage or even health insurance.

  Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by all the things I had to worry about now that I was pregnant. I closed my eyes, praying silently that this was some sort of nightmare and that I would wake up any moment now. But as I opened them and saw the tiny living room I was in, I knew I wasn’t dreaming.

  Frustrated, I closed my laptop loudly, tossing it onto the couch beside me before I wandered into the kitchen. Norma was eating a celery stick.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Eating.”

  I raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Celery sticks aren’t food. They’re just crunchy water.”

  Norma just shrugged at me. I looked her over, noting her bone-thin figure. She had always been on the skinny side, but she was severely underweight. “Have you lost weight?” I questioned, my voice full of concern.

  “No,” she said quickly, stuffing the rest of the celery into her mouth.

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Are you eating?”

  “Yes,” she answered, a guilty look in her emerald eyes.

  “Why don’t I believe you?” I questioned with my hands on my hips. I sat down next to her. “You have to eat.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She got up to walk away.

  “Wait.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Talk to me.”

  “If you won’t listen to me about your pregnancy, why should I listen to you? There are online universities and plenty of other different options
, but you decided to run away from your problems and come here. I didn’t pester you when you curled up on my couch and ignored me a few minutes ago, did I?” My friend’s words were harsh and well-calculated, as if she had been meaning to tell me all of this. I shrank back.

  “I… I didn’t mean…”

  “Yeah, well, you should’ve thought about what you were doing. Did you ever stop to consider how this would affect other people? Can you imagine what Hunter must be going through since you left without a word? I doubt he cheated on you. The guy’s been crazy about you since the second grade. You panicked, and you’re going to regret it.” Norma put me in my place with her yelling. She eyed the last piece of celery on her plate before picking it up and throwing it away. “Sort out your own problems before you try and talk to me about mine.” With that, she left, leaving me shocked and wide-eyed.

  I couldn’t believe how upset she was with me. Had I really made the wrong decision, coming back to Maine? I bit my lip and grabbed my phone to turn it on when there was a knock on the door. Norma wasn’t coming out to answer it. The knocking continued, so I walked up to the door and opened it.