Thirty Three

**Joel's POV**

"Hey, prof. Glad to see you feeling better." Danny reached forward, pulling me into an unexpected hug, before releasing me almost immediately.

"Thanks for coming." I smiled calmly, moving for her to enter. I had lived a pretty quiet life thus far, so having Isaac, Danny, and Isabelle over made me anxious. Especially when I thought about the reason we invited them. I had only had a day to process the news myself, but Jennifer proposed the idea of telling them over dinner and I couldn't say no.

I was almost certain that I could handle Isaac's response, but the girls were wild cards. I think they liked me well enough, but knocking up their best friend might change that.

Ha.

It was still crazy to me. When I first saw those familiar tests sitting on the bathroom counter, my mind instinctively braced for disappointment. Not Pregnant. They always said 'Not Pregnant'. I had to step closer, pick it up and read it over and over again before it finally clicked. She was pregnant.

I was ashamed at how quickly my mind jumped to June. Had she slept with him after she left me after all? But then why would she be showing pregnant so soon? It didn't add up. So I asked.

I could see the hurt on her face through the mirror, and I immediately knew that I was wrong. She hadn't slept with anybody else. But shit. It was a hard pill to swallow.

Five years. We tried for five years to get pregnant. On the third, we saw specialists. They tested Callie first, but when they found her to be perfectly fertile, I was brought in. They ran three separate studies on my semen before sitting us down to say I'm infertile. Apparently my sperm count was low enough that they didn't think I could get my wife pregnant through sex. That's when IVF started. Two years, almost a hundred thousand dollars later, and they still couldn't give us a baby. I had never felt more useless, more broken in my life. It was hell, waiting for a call that never came.

After the fifth failure to inseminate, we gave up. Callie grew distant. She started staying out all night, and I knew that she was having an affair, but I couldn't bring myself to speak up. I thought I deserved it. I had failed her.

I wasn't surprised when she asked for a divorce. However, I was surprised when my attorney told me she had claimed grounds for it. The papers read adultery. Fucking adultery.

I hadn't even looked at another woman while I was with her.

Naturally, once she found out that she would have to prove it, she changed it to 'no fault.' But the damage had already been done.

My parents hadn't spoken to me since hearing about her claims. Even they believed her over me. The only one who trusted a damn thing I said was Isaac. He saw Callie for who she was before we even got married, but I didn't want to believe him. I loved her.

At least, I thought I did.

But I didn't know what love was. Because now, watching Jen, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, handing out drinks and smiles made me feel more than I ever did with Callie. I was so fucking glad that I couldn't give Callie her child, now. My only baby was right there in Jennifer's belly. My baby.

We had a dating ultrasound scheduled for the following Monday before my classes. My little miracle. I couldn't wait to see the little bean wiggling around on the monitor.

I needed to talk to Dr. Sutton. He was our department chair. I needed to come clean about my relationship with Jennifer. There was no way we could hide this. Not when June sat next to her every day. He would start to notice changes in her. He would ask questions. Also, it was only a matter of time until Callie found out. The last thing I needed was her going on some psycho revenge plan, telling the media that I impregnated my student.

Well, I technically did. I impregnated my student, three fucking days after meeting her. I should be ashamed. I should be fearful of the consequences.

But much like everything else when it came to Jennifer, my feelings weren't normal. They were expedited and intense. I loved that she was pregnant. I couldn't wait to see her belly grow and her cravings start.

Hell, I'd travel across the world to give this woman what she craved. She could wake me up at three am and ask for tacos and I would find a way to give her the damn tacos. Because she was mine and I loved her.

I crossed the room, catching her hand on her way back to the kitchen.

"Baby."

"Hm?" She stopped, the most gentle of smiles on her face.

"Let's do it now." Her brows shot up.

"Are you sure?" I nodded. I couldn't sit on it any longer. I wanted them to know. My confidence was growing steadily. I refused to pretend to be ashamed of it, when I wasn't. I was proud.

"Yea. They already know something's up. We might as well."

"Oh. Okay, yea. Let me grab a drink and I'll be right out." But I followed her into the kitchen. As soon as I saw the red can in her hand, I snatched it away. If looks could kill, I'd be dead five times over.

"Baby, you know you shouldn't drink caffeine." She scowled, tugging the fridge back open and grabbing another one, but I took that, too.

"Joel, I swear to God, I will hurt you." I bit back my laughter. This was sweet payback for every time she took my cigarettes from me after my heart attack.

"Jen, just get some water." I reached into the fridge, placing the cans back and pulling out a bottle for her, but she pouted, crossing her arms like a child.

"I drink plenty of water. I want a Dr. Pepper." She was challenging me and fuck, it was turning me on. I wanted to bend her over my counter and fuck her senseless, but I couldn't. It would traumatize the guests, and I hadn't gotten my stupid test done.

"But the baby." I argued, shutting the heavy fridge door with my leg.

"Oh my God." A familiar voice muttered. Shit. Jen's eyes widened, confirming what I already knew. Isabelle heard me.

"Isabelle, we were just about to-"

"You got her pregnant?" She growled. I turned to face the sassy little latina woman. She looked fucking furious.

"Jennifer is expecting, yes."

"Danny!" She shrieked, making me flinch. Great. This was not how this was supposed to go.

Jen grabbed onto my arm, holding it against her chest for comfort. I placed my free hand over hers, kissing her head as Danny came storming in.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked, scanning Jen for injury. Isaac followed close behind her.

"This asshole got Jen knocked up." Both their jaws fell slack.

"Don't say it that way. And don't call him that." Jen scolded, and I smiled at her coming to my defense, even when her friends were pissed.

"Fuck, Joel. Really?" Isaac asked, but he didn't seem mad. He was smiling. Which, naturally, made me smile wider.

"Why the hell are you acting like it's a good thing?" Isabelle nearly screeched. I couldn't blame her for her outburst. She didn't know the chances.

"Isa, it's okay." Danny stepped forward, placing both hands on her friends shoulders so she faced her directly.

"Danny, did you know?"

"No. But it's okay." Isabelle frowned, but Danny turned her to face us again. "Does Jen look upset?"

It was a rhetorical question, of course, because Jennifer looked far from upset. I had never seen her so happy and lively before. Her hand was even instinctively resting on her belly. It was fucking beautiful.

"Damn. Congratulations, man!" Isaac broke the silence, stepping forward to give me a handshake and hug. My pride swelled. Before pulling away, he added, "I told you it'd happen when the time was right." And he did. He was there through it all, coming over for beers while Callie was out just to help me make it. Maybe that was why his response made me so damn happy. It meant more.

The time was right.

The woman was right.

"I'm sorry, mija. I didn't mean to freak out like that. I was just worried about you." Jen stepped forward to hug her friend.

"It's okay. I know it's fast, but I really am happy. Happier than I've ever been, actually." Damn. How'd I get so lucky? A couple weeks ago I thought I'd lost her forever. And now she was here, literally barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen, talking about how happy she was.

That heart attack was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I'm sure there was something poetic in it. A broken heart healing a heart. Sounds like the premise of a sappy love story.

Shit, what would've happened if she didn't take me back? She would be pregnant and alone. Would she have even told me? I shook my head, clearing my mind of the what-ifs that hurt like hell to consider.

I needed to do so much. We had to pack her apartment. We had to plan for the baby. We had to tell our families and the University. All while I worked and she finished college.

We could really use some more money. I owned my home, but babies were expensive as hell, and between the divorce and IVF bills, I didn't have much left in savings.

I needed to have a show.

A show would give us enough cushion to live comfortably. Hell, Jen could even quit her part-time job. She needed to have as little stress as possible for the baby.

I wondered how she would take that suggestion. She was so stubborn, so determined to do things herself. I loved that about her. That fire was one of the reasons I fell for her in the first place. It was fun to fan the flames and watch her go with it.

That energy was what led to our first kiss. Now, it was pretty weird that me antagonizing her over fucking my best friend started our entire relationship, but it was what it was. That night, he wasn't the one in her bed. He didn't hold her after. And he didn't get to see the cute way her lips followed along with the lines of her favorite show as she drifted off to sleep. No, those were my memories to cherish.

The girls were giggling, talking about names and nursery decor at high volume when I excused myself to the living room. Those friends of hers had too much energy for me on a good day, and it had been a stressful one. Isaac followed me out, throwing his arm over my shoulder as we headed for the sectional.

"So does this mean I can call you Daddy?" I snorted, shoving him off playfully.

"Fuck no. I'm not your Daddy, asshole." He tsked, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"You're gonna have to work on that mouth of yours. You don't want baby Becker coming out with your bad manners."

"Trust me, his mom is just as bad as I am. It's part of her charm." I smirked, the memory of her telling me to fuck off the day after we met replaying in my head. She'd been a little more tame since the split, but I hoped she brought it back in the bedroom. Cause fuck, I loved that fiest. And I knew she liked it rough.

"I don't think I want to know what that smile means." Fuck. I shifted, reaching for the controller so I could put on some music.

"Shut up. I'm going fucking crazy over here. At least you're still getting laid." He chuckled. The asshole.

"Speaking of, you think Kitten would scratch if I took the blonde home tonight?" Christ.

"Why don't you ask her yourself? I'd love to see you get your ass kicked." I didn't think she would actually hurt him over it. Hell, she'd probably die of embarrassment if he asked her that. Then again, she was pregnant and going through severe Dr. Pepper withdrawal, so anything was possible.

"Hm. I might just take my chances. You think she'd want to play?"

"I don't fucking know. I haven't asked Jen if her best friend likes being chained up while being fucked." Just another reason I was glad Jen hadn't gone home with this freak. She didn't belong in his sex dungeon. His smile grew into a mischievous grin.

"I bet Kitten would like it."

"Do you want to die?" He laughed loudly, crossing his arms in front of him.

"No, not with me, man. With you." The image of Jen chained to the ceiling flashed in my head, making me queasy. He noticed my unease, relaxing his shoulders. "Not anything heavy. There's light stuff, too. Bed cuffs. Nipple clamps. Plugs-"

"Okay, okay, Jesus." I peeked behind me, making sure she wasn't here listening to this shit. She was a stealthy little thing.

"Hey, I'm just offering ideas to make things a little more exciting. You told me she likes being restrained."

"Yea, and I shouldn't have told you that much." Shit. Maybe he would work well with Danny. They both had a knack for drawing out way too much information and not minding their own damn business.

"Come on. Learning her kinks would be fun for both of you. You know yours, but she's new. Don't you want to satisfy her?" I clenched my jaw. Jennifer strapped to a bed, a blindfold over those innocent brown eyes. Trapped. In my complete control.

"You're the fucking devil, you know that?" He grinned, pulling his tongue piercing between his teeth.

"It's part of my charm."