Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
"I mean"—I close my eyes—“we have sex once a day."
He pffts out. “You mean two or three." He puffs out his chest.
"Relax, Romeo, there is no one here, so no need to whip it out." I look at the ceiling now. “What the …" I close my eyes now. “I can’t believe this." I mean, we were never ever careful, not one time. Who gets pregnant this fast? I look down at my hands. I look over and see that Reed has left. “Reed." I call his name, and then he walks back into the room, his shirt now on.
"Only one way to find out,” he says, holding out his hand to me. “Let's go get some tests."
"How are you not freaking out right now?" I ask, and he comes over to me, pulling me up.
"Because together everything is going to be okay." He kisses me, and I nod. “Oh, fuck,” he says, turning and running back to the bedroom. He comes out now. “I might as well do this now," he says. “And if I do it after the test, you are going to spin it in your head that it’s for a completely different reason." He starts mumbling, and I look at him, confused.
Until he gets down on one knee. “Reed Billy Barnes," I say his full name. “I will gut you like a fish if you don’t get up."
He smirks now and looks down at the brown box in his hand. “I had this whole thing set up, but …" He smiles now. “But just like us, we like to do things just a touch backward." I put my hands to my mouth now. “I’ve loved you since I was eighteen years old." His voice dips. “For six years, you were locked in a box, and I knew if I opened it up, I knew that it would be the same all over again." The tears stream down my face now. “You opened that door, and it was as if I could breathe again. It was as if I had died six years ago, and I was now coming to life."
I put my hands on his cheeks, kissing his lips. “Reed,” I whisper.
"You gave me our little girl," he continues. “There is no one I would think of living this life with besides you. Hazel"—he opens the box—"will you marry me?"
"Reed,” I say, getting on my knees in front of him and burying my face in his neck.
He hugs me in his arms. “Is that a no?" I can hear the humor in his voice, and the only thing I can do is say one word.
"Yes." I close my eyes as my tears fall. He peels me away from him and slips on the ring that was in the box. I look down and see the huge round diamond and the pink gold with little diamonds all the way around.
"This ring is huge,” I say, looking at him.
"Sofia picked it out," he says. “This was the smallest one she picked out," he says, getting up, and all I can do is look at the ring. He walks me out of the house, putting me in the truck, and when we get out, I walk in and buy fifteen tests.
"Um, shouldn’t one be enough?" he asks when we get back home, and I look at him.
"No, because if one is not sure, you have a backup," I say, opening the boxes.
He picks up one box. “This says two lines is positive, and this one tells you yes or no," he reads. “How are you going to do this? Just pee in a cup and stick them all in like they are stir sticks?" I look at him, thinking that might not be a bad idea. "Go pee in the cup, and I'll get the stir sticks ready."
"Um …" I shake my head. “You aren’t going to touch my pee,” I say, and he laughs.
"It’s just pee," he says. I grab two sticks, walk into the bathroom, and he follows me.
"Stay here,” I say when I close the door. “I’m going to pee on these two, and if anything, we can do two more later." I pull down my pants and grab the two sticks, holding them together.
I place them on the counter and flush. “Can I come in now?" he asks, opening the door.
"Three minutes,” I say, walking out of the bathroom and pushing him out with me. “We wait three minutes."
"Should we watch them?" He points at the tests.
"They’re not a cake. You don’t watch them. You sit down and wait for three minutes, and it’s going to feel like it’s eighty-four years,” I say, sitting on the bed.
"I don’t know if I can wait three minutes,” he says. “It’s been, what, a minute so far?"
I laugh. “It’s been ten seconds."