Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
I was hiding out. I live in a small town, I’m pregnant, and I’m not married. I’ve waited for the people in town to talk about me. I’ve waited for the stares or the righteous people to tell me everything I’m doing wrong, but it hasn’t happened yet. If anything, everyone in town has been really supportive. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that my best friend is Austin Blaze. No one is going to go against a Blaze. At least no one around here.
The server comes and starts setting out appetizers. Every empty spot on the table is soon filled with french fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, and potato skins. She takes the last item off the tray and sets it in front of me. “And last but not least, a grilled chicken salad with ranch on the side.”
Natalie groans and points her fork at my food. “Good for you, but I’m going to enjoy all this fried, cheesy goodness.”
I look at the little plate she’s filling from the appetizers and I’m instantly jealous. I would love to eat that, but I’ve already been warned by my doctor that I needed to rein it in because my blood pressure is high. My last visit, I had a ten-minute talk on the importance of nutrition, so to avoid bed rest and other ailments, I’m doing my best to eat what he recommended. Especially since I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow.
“Congratulations, by the way.”
My fork is midair, and I try not to tense at the server's words. I look at her name tag and read the name there. I see her in here all the time. Heck, I’m pretty sure she’s helped me out a time or two, even holding my hair the night I turned twenty-one all those years ago. She’s smiling at me, and it looks sincere. I run my hand along my belly. “Thank you, Megan.”
Her forehead creases. “Oh, I mean congratulations on the baby too, but I meant on your engagement. I hear you’re marrying Austin.”
I sit up a little taller. I can feel everyone at the table staring at me, waiting for my response. I never talk about my relationship with Austin, but obviously it’s been on everyone’s minds. “Oh, uh, thank you, but—”
Natalie leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder. “We’re going to be sisters, and our kids are going to be cousins. I mean, how cool is that?”
I force a laugh even though what I really want to do is roll my eyes. Natalie knows that Austin and I are not getting married. She is married to Austin’s older brother, and she knows that Austin and I are just friends. Well, I shouldn’t say just friends. Truth is, we’ve been best friends since we were in middle school so yeah, over half our lives. I thank the server again, and when she walks away and is out of hearing range, I turn to Natalie. All eyes are on me still, but I address my friend. “You know that Austin and I are not getting married.” I cup my hand across my belly. “Just like you know that this baby is not Austin’s.”
She gasps as if I’ve said something awful when I’m only speaking the truth. “Ally, don’t say that.”
I lean toward her. “Why? It’s true. I’m not marrying Austin, and this baby is not his. I don’t know why he insists—”
I cut myself off because I don’t even know what to think anymore. I got pregnant, and the dad wants nothing to do with me or the baby. I waited to tell Austin, because I know how he is. Any time I ever have a problem, he fixes it. In my mind, this wasn’t something he could fix. Or so I thought, anyway. It was barely out of my mouth before he told me, “You and I are getting married.” And then he pointed at my then flat belly and said, “And that baby is ours now.”
I argued with him, and quite honestly, I’ve always gotten my way with Austin. It’s a common joke around his family that if any of them want something from him, they go through me to get it. But this was not something I could talk him out of. From the day I told him, he has said we are getting married and having a baby.
It’s only when I shake my head from being lost in thought that I realize all my friends are looking at me. Olivia is the first one to speak. “Okay, so you’re telling me that the baby’s father wants nothing to do with you or the baby?”
Natalie swats her friend on the arm and admonishes her. “Olivia!”
I drop my fork on the napkin beside my salad. I know she doesn’t mean anything by it. I’ve been around Olivia enough to know that she just says it like it is. We work in the same salon, and even though we’ve never really hung out together outside of work until recently, I do know how she is. “No, it’s okay. Yes, Olivia, that’s right. Gregory, the biological father, doesn't want me or the baby.”