Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“I love toast,” I share with him cheerfully, hoping it cheers him up, “with peanut butter and jam.”
“I have that.” He walks away and puts two pieces of bread in the toaster. “Is there anything else you can’t eat since you got pregnant?”
“Not really.” I put my hand on the counter. “I mean, I crave burgers more.” He just nods at me while the toast pops up. He places both on a plate before walking over, putting it in front of me, and then walking off to get the peanut butter and jam.
“Thank you,” I say as he hands me both before getting me two knives. He pulls out a stool beside me and sits down.” Are you not eating?”
“I ate with Penelope,” he says before taking a huge inhale. “We need to tell your parents.” I look over at him, not sure what he means. “That I’m the father.”
“Oh, that,” I say, looking down at the toast on the plate in front of me and suddenly not feeling hungry. Instead, my stomach fills with nerves.
“Yeah, that,” he reaffirms. “That I’m going to take care of you and the baby. That I’m not an asshole who just knocked you up and didn’t care. That I’m in it for, well… ever.” I try to process his words.
“We can either fly down for dinner tonight, or we can go tomorrow morning,” he says, and I can feel him staring at me. “Or we FaceTime him right now, and I speak with him.”
My finger starts to tap the counter as I try not to panic. It’s one thing for him to know, but it’s a totally different thing to tell everyone. “Why the rush?” I look at him, and I know the minute the words come out of my mouth, he gets angry.
He pushes away from the counter, going over to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water. “Why the secrecy?” His tone is tight, and I know he’s angry.
“It’s not a secret. It’s just…” I try to think of the words to say when he just stares at me, and I can’t look away, even if I wanted to.
“I’m not supposed to be happy I’m having a baby with you?” he asks, and I want to kick myself.
“It’s not that,” I say softly. All the words feel like they are jumbled up in my head.
“The best thing I’ve ever done in my whole life, up to three days ago, was Penelope.” He puts the unopened bottle of water on the counter. “I didn’t get to celebrate it. I didn’t get to tell people about it.” He just stares at me. “I didn’t get anything, and now I feel like I’m doing it again.” He shrugs now. “Well, I guess I have no choice… again.” He shakes his head. “I have to get ready for practice.” He slowly walks away from me and goes to the stairs.
“It’s not that,” I say as my heart breaks for him, and I watch him walk up the steps with his head down. I can’t even fathom what he is feeling. What if the roles were reversed? What if he didn’t want to tell people right away?
“It is what it is,” he says before walking to his bedroom and closing the door softly behind him. My stomach sinks even lower than before, knowing how hurt it would make me feel. I push away from the counter and walk up the steps to the door he just closed.
I take a huge, deep breath before I hold up my fist and knock on the door a lot softer than I intend to. I wonder if it’s because I’m scared of what he will say next. I’m also scared I will hurt his feelings again. My hand knocks on the door before I can tell it to walk away.
This time it’s louder than it was before. The door swings open, and he’s standing in front of me wearing nothing but his black Calvin Klein boxer briefs, and I swear my mouth waters.
“Um,” I start nervously, and I think I even stutter as I avoid looking at him. “Um.” All the water that flew to my mouth before when I looked at him is now gone. Now my mouth is dry, and all I can say to him is, “Can you put on a shirt?” I look around him, to each wall around him. I look at anything but him.
“You’ve seen me naked,” he reminds me, and I can see from my peripheral vision that his hands are now on his hips. Hips I wrapped my legs around, hips I want to wrap my legs around again. Hips I want to squeeze with my thighs while he eats me.
I roll my eyes, pretending I’m not affected by it. I fold my arms over my chest so he can’t see how my nipples are peaked, wanting him to play with them. Fuck, being pregnant has made me a horny schoolgirl. “In the dark.” I turn back and only look into his eyes. I make sure I don’t let my eyes linger anywhere else.