Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 36002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Whatever else she says gets ignored when I hear Abby retching upstairs. “I’ll come by tomorrow. Promise. I have to go now, though. Dad, uh, needs me.”
She buys the lie and then I end the call. Seconds later, I’m taking the stairs two at a time. I find Abby kneeling in front of the toilet and the room smells of stomach acid.
“You okay?” I ask, panic swelling up inside me. “It’s not morning. Why are you sick?”
She weakly raises an arm to flip me off. “I think I get more morning sickness at night than I do in the morning. Go away.”
I don’t listen and set to finding a washcloth in the cabinet. Once I have it wet with cold water and wrung out, I place it on the back of her neck just under her hair. Her skin is extra pale and another shot of worry zaps through me.
“What can I do?” I ask as I squat beside her. “Tell me how to help.”
“Riko has Sprite,” she mutters. “It helps when I feel gross.”
I make a note to have Amazon deliver her a case tomorrow. For now, I’ll go steal everything in Riko’s fridge.
“I’ll be right back.”
I’m there and back within three minutes. When I return, she’s no longer throwing up and is curled up on her bed. I take a cold Sprite bottle over to her and then disappear to put away the rest.
“Your color is returning,” I say when I make it back upstairs. “I’ll order more Sprite.” I walk over to the dresser where I’ve loaded clothes I bought in her approximate size and pull out some sleepwear. “Do you want me to run you a bath?”
Abby frowns as she watches me set the sleepwear on the end of the bed. “Why are you being so nice?”
“I don’t know,” I admit with a sigh. “I just want you to be okay.”
“Why?”
Since I don’t have the answer to that question, I leave the room to run a bath for her. Then, I slip out without even saying goodbye.
Today was weird. This whole thing with Abby is way out of my element. Now that she has a safe place to stay with food and Sprite, I can go back to regular life.
Will my life ever be regular again?
Or is it forever split in two?
That’s a question for another day.
Chapter 6
Abby
“Do you know what that sound is, Daddy?” the doctor asks, grinning at Rhett.
His eyes are wide like saucers. He swallows and shakes his head.
“That’s your little baby’s heartbeat. Very strong.”
Something akin to wondrous awe transforms Rhett’s usually frown-marred face. My own heart skips a few beats. Hearing that the baby truly does exist and is seemingly healthy is such a relief. But seeing Rhett’s reaction makes it all the better.
I’m really not alone in this.
I reach for him, needing connection, and am surprised when he takes my hand. He gives it a squeeze but doesn’t let go. It’s so wild being here with him and meeting our baby for the first time.
After the doctor goes over appointments, vitamins, and other information, we leave the facility and head for Rhett’s car. He opens my door and heat creeps up my cheeks. This isn’t the first time he’s done this. Is he a gentleman to everyone? To Angela? Or is it special to me because I’m carrying his baby?
Rather than reading too much into it, I talk his ear off about the nursery when he gets in the car.
“We need to get the crib. Stat. And probably need to start stocking up on diapers. I really want to buy clothes but until we’re sure it’s a him, I don’t want to.”
He chuckles and it warms me to my core. “He won’t be here for a while. I think we have time.”
“And names,” I say, grinning at him. “We have to start thinking up names. What about Buck?”
“I’m not naming my son Buck. We’re not rednecks.” He snorts. “What about William?”
“William came out of the womb with a country club membership,” I say in a snooty voice. “He can also discuss stock options with you.”
“Fair enough,” he mutters with a grunt. “What about Jackson?”
“Too common.”
“Finnick?”
“Not common enough.” I smirk at him. “You’re horrible at picking baby names.”
“Says the girl who likes the name Buck.”
I find my shoulders relaxing for the first time since I took my pregnancy test. Even though I have the townhouse Rhett’s renting for me, it still felt temporary. Being with him today and hearing our baby’s heartbeat gave my life some permanence.
Don’t get too used to it. You’re his dirty little secret.
The voice in the back of my head is a bitch who likes to remind me of reality. The truth is, he’s with Angela. After he drops me off, he’ll go to her.
Am I jealous?
I shouldn’t be. We hooked up and I took home a souvenir. That’s it.