All these characters belong to Brenda Hampton. And I'm not making any profit out of this :)

Chapter One

Amy's POV

Some women say that there's no such thing as 'women's intuition'.

Yeah, well maybe those naysayers are just too scared to listen to that little voice in their heads… the one that tries to give them the heads up on a situation.

Okay, maybe I didn't have this intuition before. Case in point, I didn't hear any alarm bells when Ricky was flirting with me at band camp. I didn't hear a voice in my head telling me 'he just wants sex, he doesn't want YOU'. There was no 'gut feeling' that I was about to lose my virginity to the guy, or that our momentary lapse in judgment was going to change both of our lives in a seriously EPIC way. No, I thought everything was fine.

Maybe I have women's intuition now because I've had a baby. Like, had sex and had a child. I don't think you can get more 'womanly' than that, can you? So if women's intuition is something that needs to be activated, I'm pretty sure giving birth to John was enough to trigger it.

Anyway, I'm positive that I have this sixth sense. Don't laugh, sometimes women just know things. There's no logical explanation for the way we get that inkling, that niggling feeling that something is about to happen. That something is up.

That someone is lying.

Maybe you think I'm simply being paranoid. That I'm on edge because I'm a teenage mother. No, I assure you, something is up.

Ever since Ben got back from Italy…actually, even before then…I knew something was wrong. And yeah, since I stand up for myself these days, I directly asked him whether he had cheated on me when he was overseas. He said he hadn't…but…

I didn't buy it then and I still don't buy it now.

Something is about to happen.

I just know it.

***

Ricky's POV

I knew something was up when Ben called in sick for work at the last minute. The guy wasn't sick. Sure, he had looked a bit pale when I bumped into him in the hallway at school earlier…but that was the way he always looked. Skinny and subdued, like a gust of wind would take him down in an instant. He was flaking out. Probably taking a stance against the whole earning money thing.

In my book, unless he accidentally sliced off his hands in a tragic cymbals accident, he was not excused from his shift just because his old man owned the place. And if there had been an accident with the cymbals...well he better not have gotten blood on my drum kit in the band room.

What a wuss.

Speaking of slicing, I was preparing a meat tray when Bunny walked over to check my progress. I had only started my shift twenty minutes ago so I wasn't really sure what she was expecting. I wasn't a miracle worker, although I did work hard. Anyway, she raised an eyebrow good-naturedly and smirked.

'You look a little cranky, Ricky,' she remarked. She pointed a finger at me. 'Take it easy or you'll end up pulverizing the meat.'

I set down another slice of ham before responding.

'Well, maybe if the Sausage Prince were here I wouldn't be so annoyed about doing all this work by myself.'

'You'll manage.'

'Thank you for the vote of confidence.'

'Ha, I said you'll manage not you're in line for my job,' she laughed dryly. 'What's going on with Ben anyway? He called in sick at the last minute.'

I rolled my eyes. Couldn't help it.

Not that I was trying to help it.

'Maybe he went to see Amy and John at the nursery. She'll be working until dinnertime,' I shrugged.

'Well, he sounded a little agitated on the phone. Did you get into a disagreement with him?'

She put her hands on her hips like she was a teacher telling off an elementary school kid. Okay, so a teacher wearing a hairnet and cap over her red hair…but yeah.

'No,' I said slightly defensively. 'Well, not today anyway.'

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and I heard the particular message tone which indicated I had just received a text from Amy. Bunny heard the noise and frowned. I wasn't meant to have my phone switched on during my shifts.

Sometimes the rule worked in my favor. Any more clingy texts or needy voicemails from Adrian and it was possible that I would throw my phone into the grinder. It was my own fault she was being extra, extra needy. Ever since I let her stay the night at my place…

I had said one of the things she had wanted to hear. That I loved her. It wasn't a lie, really. I do care about her. But the other thing I knew she wanted to hear? That I would someday marry her and have kids with her? Hell no. I was definitely not saying that. I would take a meat cleaver to my tongue before I said anything like that.

I wanted to make sure she would continue having sex with me. Let's face it - that was partly why I said what I said. I didn't think she was going to step up the stalker routine once I said it though. I thought she would get some security out of me saying those three little words.

Maybe she's extra paranoid about me leaving ever since she spilt her guts out about that Antonio guy. I hope we don't have to go to joint therapy again. Couples therapy is for old people…

I was jolted out of my thoughts by Bunny.

'Turn your cell off,' she warned. 'You know the deal. You don't get concessions just because Ben isn't here.'

'Aw, but it's Amy texting me. I know because I set my phone to have a certain message tone when I receive either a text or an email from her. I got a new phone which lets me check emails as well. It's convenient,' I said. 'I'm so glad I upgraded. Cheaper plan too.'

'What is this? A Verizon commercial? Just turn your phone off, Ricky.'

'Yeah, yeah.'

I wiped my hands on a nearby cloth and took my phone out of my jeans pocket. Bunny had turned away so when I was in the process of 'turning off my phone' I just opened the text message anyway:

Why am I hearing that Adrian thinks Ben doesn't love me anymore?

'What?' I asked out loud.

'Phone away, Ricky!'

'Okay, okay.'

I held the off button and then shoved the phone back into my pocket. Hadn't Adrian said something to me about not being sure if Ben was still in love with Amy? What was going on here?

The strange thing about the Grant High gossip mill was that the gossip had an unusually good strike rate when it came to the truth. I would know because I've spent a significant amount of time pretending that the talk was just that, talk. Maybe the rumor was the reason Ben bailed on his shift. He probably figured I had heard the same rumor and was going to grill him about it.

Dammit. Now I had no choice but to follow up on this rumor. Amy had her suspicions about Ben and Italy…but Adrian had told me Ben hadn't told her anything. Right?

The last thing I wanted was an upset Amy. Her household was busy enough, even busier now with her brother just being born. I tried to imagine the errands I would be sent on…hellish, annoying errands, ones where she was punishing me instead of taking out her anger on whoever actually deserved it. Ricky, we're out of diapers. Ricky, we need more baby wipes. Ricky, move my house a little to the left. Although, by Amy's assessment, I deserved all the punishment I could get…

I really hate you. Do you know that? Ugh, her words. Not mine.

Damn Ben the Sausage Prince. What was he up to? He better be at a florist or something, buying the girl some roses or whatever. He better not have cheated on Amy in Italy…

He better not be breaking up with Amy.

I will kick him into next Tuesday if he breaks up with her.

I shook my head and tried to focus on the task at hand. Slice the ham. Simple.

Nothing was simple around here. I was suddenly struck with a sickening feeling that something bad was about to happen.

I almost laughed out loud at myself. My gut instincts weren't that great. If they were…well, Amy wouldn't have gotten pregnant.

To be perfectly honest, sometimes I think I know a few other truths…but I'm not going there…definitely not going there…

I muttered a few choice words about Ben under my breath. Wasn't he supposed to be John's step-father?

'Ricky!' Bunny called out. 'How's that meat tray coming along?'

'I'm working on it, I swear.'

But the work I would have to do to calm down an upset Amy?

No one was going to pay me wages for that.