Unbelievably, his face aged ten years in ten seconds. Suddenly he was a man with the beginnings of wrinkles fanning from his eyes. And I was ... huge. I checked myself out. A wedding ring dug into my swollen finger. My stomach was round and full. And moving. We were both naked. Naked!
My gaze snapped back to his, finding his face in transition again. Light reflected off his bright blue irises, splitting into a prism of colour before swirling and blending into a muddy dark brown. A colour that could swallow you whole if you let it.
“Emmeline.” I saw his mouth move, but it wasn’t Ben.I was staring at a young man with scruffy brown hair, sweat and dirt smeared on his neck. “Emmeline,” he pleaded.
Who was Emmeline? Who was he?
I didn’t get a chance to find out. My body jerked as I was abruptly brought back to awareness.
I screwed up my face, recoiling at the sight before me. Spewart. Fuck.
“Space cadet. Hellooo. Where’d ya go?” He clicked his fingers in my personal space, his ugly mug pulling a stupid expression.
“Rack off, Spewart.” I gripped my stomach and squeezed my legs together, feeling like I’d lost something. Where had my mind gone? When had my mind gone? I could’ve sworn ... Patting my flat tummy, I frowned. It just felt wrong. I chanced a glimpse around my brother’s fat head. I wanted to sink under the table as the pinpricks of everyone’s scrutiny bit into my skin.
Tiny bits of food sprayed from Dad’s mouth as he barked at my brother. “Sit down, Stew. Stop being an idiot.” Wiping a hand over his mouth, he turned to me. “Eat your lunch before it gets cold.”
I checked the table in front of me. Sure enough, there sat my meal, steaming itself into a soggy, inedible mess. Mm. Tasty. “Thanks. Did you ask for minus the pickle?”
He nodded, speaking through another mouthful. “Yeah, but you know it’s potluck.”
I shoved a fry in my mouth, not wanting any more attention. Chewing was also a way to stop my mouth from scowling as I became painfully aware that Ben had moved to sit with Stewart, Lee, and a triplet of leggy wannabe WAGs. I should’ve been relieved at the waning of that swirling, sucking energy beside me. It was still there, but with his attention diverted I had space to breathe again. Adam and Will had moved tables to sit across from me, shovelling food into their gobs.
Downing a mouthful of fizzy drink, I gave myself a minute to recover. What the hell had just happened? It was like I’d been in another body. A much rounder body. I sized up my B-cups, ridiculously disappointed at their inadequacy. I was just shy of fourteen—they were perfectly decent. But they’d been huge. And my stomach ...
The tease of Ben’s attention stroked the side of my face. It was as strong as the bump of his elbow had been. Unmistakable in its intention. Glancing in his direction, sure enough, his eyes darted away a second after our gazes collided.
My face flushed. Oh, my God. I’d just had a sex dream about my crush in front of my family and friends. Not to mention the star himself.
There he was with his mates—girls fawning all over him.
And here I was ... at the kiddie table.
Andrea
Brisbane, Australia
24th December, 2016, 6:06 p.m.
Rubbing my hands across my face, I yawned before stretching my stiff limbs. I fell asleep again? The rain outside continued, but the thunder had died down to a distant rumble.
“Welcome back. What do you feel like for dinner?” Ben’s face crossed my vision, albeit upside down from my reclined position on the lounge.
“Aw, are you offering to cook for your pregnant wife?”
“It’s easier than hauling you off the couch.” His dark eyebrows headed towards his hairline.
I released a gasp, more for theatrics than anything. “I cannot believe you just said that. You’ll be sleeping on this couch tonight.”
“Can’t. There’s no room.”
This time I gasped for real. “That’s just mean.”
“You know I love you, babe. And I think your huge belly is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Smooth talker. My heart skipped a beat as Ben shifted beside me, kneeling down and raising my tank dress so he could kiss my stomach. Our baby. I loved it when he did that. His eyes lit up every time. Lumps and bumps surged in waves across my stomach as the baby moved to the sound of his daddy’s voice. It was freaky and beautiful at the same time. Even seeing the evidence, it was still hard to get my head around the fact that I was growing a human.
I grunted as the baby landed a kick to my liver. “Jeez, kid. There’s not enough space for you and my organs. Get out, already.”
“Behave yourself in there, Seb.”Ben’s hand rubbed circles on my tummy before going lax and sliding off the slope to land in my lap. His palm flattened over my bare pelvic bone. “You’re not wearing any underwear.” His nostrils flared. “You know, I’ve heard that sperm can bring on labour. So can orgasms. And if I suck on your giant boobs, I’m pretty sure junior is gonna come out and tell me to back off. Wanna try?” A wicked glint shone in his eyes as they crinkled at the corners. One side of his mouth tipped up before he buried his face in my cleavage.
I let out a sigh as he kissed and sucked his way along the neckline of my dress. “Do what you gotta do.”
He tugged my
