“I’m at the doctor right now,” I remind him. We discussed this and agreed using birth control until I graduate would be smart.
“Shit. I forgot about that.” He sighs over the line. “I had a meeting in Lindon Hall today.” That’s the building where my afternoon accounting class takes place. “I waited after class to walk you out, but you weren’t in the classroom, so I was worried.”
Oh. My heart melts thinking about him waiting for me to finish my class. I’m not sure flaunting our relationship on campus is a good idea, but Dane doesn’t think it’s a problem. “After my appointment, I’m going to run to the store to get a few things for dinner tonight,” I explain to him. “Do you need me to pick anything up for you?”
“Nope. You’re all I need.” His voice drops low and sends my blood roaring through my veins. I hear someone talking to him in the background before he growls, “I have to go, baby. I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”
I’m slightly curious what caused him to rush off the phone, but I brush it off, figuring it’s a student problem.
I’m texting my mother when the nurse calls my name. After slipping my phone into my purse, I follow her to an examination room. She instructs me to strip and pull on a thin hospital gown, causing me to cringe. Dane is the only person who’s ever seen me naked, and I’m not sure about this. Swallowing my reservations, I wait until she shuts the door then follow her instructions.
I’m staring at the chip in my toenail polish when the door opens. The cheery, middle-aged doctor walks in and smiles. “Hi.” She holds out her hand. “I’m Dr. Melton.” After I shake her outstretched hand, she sits across from me on a rolling stool and questions me.
Her gray eyebrows shoot up when I reluctantly admit we haven’t been using birth control. “We will do a pregnancy test before I prescribe anything,” she states then walks over to the sink to wash her hands. “Lay back, and we’ll get this examination out of the way.” She smiles and I take a deep breath to ease my discomfort. Dr. Melton talks to me the entire time she’s examining me, and I’m able to mostly relax in her calm presence.
After removing her gloves, she looks over at me. “Lindsey will get a quick pregnancy test, and then we’ll talk in my office.”
An hour later, I walk out of the door in shock. Oh. Boy. I bite my lip, trying to wrap my mind around what just happened. The doctor didn’t give me a prescription for birth control pills. Instead, I got one for prenatal vitamins.
My mind is blown. As I’m driving by the store, I remember our dinner. I pull into the parking lot at the last minute and park in the back of the lot. Sitting in my car, I take several deep breaths, trying to get my emotions under control. I head into the small grocery store and reach for a basket. As I’m walking around picking up items from my list, my mind is swirling. How is Dane going to react to this turn of events?
I’m driving down the road when my phone rings and Dane’s smiling face flashes across the screen. My heart drops, but I pull myself together. There’s no way I can tell Dane about this turn of events before dinner. A rock of emotion sits in the pit of my stomach as I answer. “Hi.” Is my voice shaking?
“What’s wrong?” He picks up on it right away.
Biting my lip, I blurt out, “I’m just nervous about tonight.” God. It’s the truth. I don’t know how he’ll handle this.
After unloading my car, I work on making dinner. Time is flying by, and I need to rush if I’m going to be ready when Dane and Nick arrive. A while later, the sound of the garage door sends my heart racing. Show time. I paste a smile on my face and turn to meet Nick.
“Hi.” I hold out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” Dane looks at me funny, and I realize my act isn’t fooling him.
“Same,” Nick murmurs and shakes my hand.
Dane makes drinks, and I ask for an iced tea instead of my usual glass of wine. He frowns a little but doesn’t comment.
Although Nick is quiet at first, he warms up as the night progresses. He tells me stories about the stunts they pulled growing up. “The great scissor incident was all you.” Dane shakes his head.
“True,” Nick agrees. “But painting the panther on our school’s main sign pink was your idea.”
By the time I serve dessert, we’re all relaxed and laughing. Pushing my news to the back of my mind, I attempt to enjoy the evening. “I love strawberry cheesecake,” Nick comments as I set the plate in front of him.
“I heard.” I smile at him before glancing at Dane, who winks at me.
They insist on helping me clean up after dinner, and I’m actually thankful for the assistance. I’m not sure if it’s all in my mind, but since I found out about the pregnancy, exhaustion has hit me hard.
While Dane walks Nick out, I drop onto the sofa and sigh. My heartbeat accelerates as I practice my speech one more time.
9
Dane
What the fuck is going on? Worry slices through me as I flash Nick a fake smile and wave goodbye. I jog back into the house before his engine starts. When I called Lexi earlier, I thought I detected unease in her voice. I assured myself it was nervousness, but a whispered warning in the back of my mind kept nagging me. God. She had a doctor’s appointment today. Fuck. Is my girl sick?
Throughout the night, I noticed a tenseness running through her shoulders and worried something is seriously wrong. Surely, she isn’t concerned about impressing Nick. It’s easy to see the moment my friend fully accepts her and our relationship. After relaxing, he ended up enjoying the evening, but my girl remained tense and on edge.
Walking into the living room, I find her sitting on the sofa staring at the wall. After dropping to my knees in front of her, I take her soft hand in mine. “What’s wrong?”
She swallows several times, and my heart seizes in my chest as tears leak from her beautiful golden-brown eyes. “I’m…” She pauses, and I nearly explode waiting for her to continue. “I’m pregnant.”
What? Jumping up, I pull her into my arms and spin her. “Really?” I have to make sure. I don’t remember ever being this happy. I suddenly realize I’m bouncing my pregnant woman around and force myself to gently place her back on the sofa.
“Are you okay?” I ask. As countless emotions blast through me, I wait for confirmation she isn’t in danger.
“I’m terrified,” she admits. “I have three more semesters left, and we’ve only been dating a couple of months.” As she lists all the odds stacked against us, one thing keeps roaring through my thoughts. My whole world is in this room.
“I love you,” I interrupt her. Placing my hand on her soft tummy, I smile. “And I’m going to love this little guy.”
Lexi lays her hand on top of mine and gives it a light squeeze. “But—” I place my finger across her lips. I don’t her worrying about anything right now.
“No buts.” I lean over to kiss her nose. “I’m going to take care of everything.” The first thing I’m doing is tying her to me. After making her my wife, everyone will know she’s mine.