Imperfectly Bad by A. E. Woodward Page A

side of the cop car. My voice cracks. I’m seriously nervous, and worried about my future. My parents are going to kill me for this. I’ve been so stupid. But Jenny has that effect on me. Bringing out the worst in me. The decisions I make when we’re together are never the best.
    She continues to freak out until the cops finally have to use force. I watch them drop her to the ground and finally cuff her. Her body goes limp like a ragdoll and they throw her into the back of the cop car. I tense, fighting every instinct telling me to go to her. Seeing me twitch, the cop standing to my right glares at me.
    “Don’t even think about it, buddy.” He opens the door to the car and I get in, so alone and full of regret.

    The taxi pulled up to the curb of Shane and Em’s building and I paid and made my way up to their condo.
    I flung open the door, announcing my arrival with, “Party’s here!”
    “Unc Wob!!” Felix screamed as he launched himself at me.
    “Hey you, little terror!”
    I caught him and picked him up just as he squeezed my cheeks together causing my lips to pucker. “Have you done anything naughty today?” I asked through fish lips.
    “Rob,” Emma scolded, “don’t encourage him to act like you. He’s a handful enough as it is.”
    I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Being naughty is fun, isn’t it, Felix?”
    There was no way Emma was going to let that one slide and I ducked just in time to avoid the dishrag that she hurled at my head. Chuckling to myself, I flipped her the bird behind Felix’s back.
    “That’s a dollar, Rob!”
    “What? I didn’t swear!”
    “Gestures count now, dude,” Tyler added as he walked past me with a beer in hand.
    At this rate I’ll be putting both kids through college , I thought to myself as I pulled out my wallet. “This is bull—” I began but stopped myself when I caught sight of Emma’s death glare. “Sorry, Em, I’m a little rusty at the kid thing. It was much better when I had you around to keep me in line all the time.”
    “Whatever. Beers are in the fridge.” She held her nose high in the air as she waddled past me.
    I laughed. “Shane give you a good one last night, Em?”
    She spun around and shook her head. “Will you ever grow up, Rob?”
    I reached into the fridge and grabbed myself a beer, shooting her a wink as I popped the top off. “Probably not.”
    She laughed. “Good.”
    By the time everybody was ready it was almost 8:30. The pregnancy was taking its toll and Emma was moving seriously slow which was quite the change for her seeing as she prided herself on always being the first ready to go out. Hell, she was even the last in the pack as we walked down the sidewalk. Shane was so busy chatting to Tyler and Elizabeth that I didn’t think he even noticed that she couldn’t keep up with him.
    “You’re like molasses, Emma.” I dropped back with her and offered her my arm.
    She sighed as she linked up with me. “I know it. I feel like I was drop kicked in the crotch.”
    “Sounds painful.”
    “Yeah, it is. Thanks for the reminder.” She placed a hand on her lower back and rubbed. “So, I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since the Jenny thing. That was crazy. You gonna let me in on that?”
    “Not tonight, Em.”
    She nodded in understanding. She knew better than the others that I was just not big on talking. “Well, when you’re ready Rob you know I’m always ready to listen.”
    I smiled. “Looks like you’re the sober bitch tonight, huh?”
    “God, don’t remind me. I’d kill for a beer right now.”
    When we made it to the door of the bar, I opened it for her. “I’ll be sure to drink one, or ten, for you.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks.”
    “Anything for you.”

    Unfortunately for us, it seemed as though everyone and their mother had had the same idea as us. Let’s go out tonight. To some new bar. We’ll relax . Yeah, considering the crowd, that wasn’t about to happen.
    The place was packed