Inseparable_A Second Chance Romance

by Mia Ford

  I had missed him so much, and now that I had him, I never wanted to leave his side. It was an amazing night, and I hadn’t even been to the reception yet.

  Chapter 26

  Nathan

  The sound of my phone alarm stirred me from my sleep. I reached over with my free hand and hit the button, groaning as I remembered that I wasn’t at home. I turned quickly and saw Amanda laying there in my arms, smiling up at me. I had thought it was all a dream, but there she was, safe and sound, wrapped in the blankets, and clinging tightly to me. That was better than any bottle of whiskey ever could be.

  She moaned softly and yawned, rolling to the side and stretching her arms high over her head. The sun was shining brightly outside as it did most days in LA, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in that moment. She turned back to me and snuggled in, groaning, knowing we couldn’t stay like that forever. I could feel the love between us bursting from our skin. Not only were we back together, but we were going to become a family, with a child that was conceived in complete love and would be raised in a home with that much love as well.

  I reached down and grabbed her waist, pulling her up so that her head was resting on the pillow next to me. We faced each other, our hands entwining between us and our eyes locked on one another. When I looked into her eyes, it was like I could see everything in my life from the past, to the present, and even into the future. I could feel her stomach pressed against my side, and I thought about the small life inside of her, growing every day. It was my child, the child that would be just as much part of me as it would be of her. I hoped that it got her heart because I didn’t know anyone else as loving and caring as she was.

  “I want to tell you again how sorry I am,” I whispered. “You are the most precious thing in my life, and you are carrying our child. It is so beautiful, and I wish you could have told me sooner. I would have never turned you away, no matter how hurt or angry I thought I was. This child is the embodiment of our love. It is a symbol of everything that is beautiful in this world. Everything that is beautiful about you and about us.”

  “I tried to tell you several times,” she said. “I actually called you as soon as I found out, sitting in the parking lot of the doctor’s office, but you always rejected my calls. I thought about coming to your office, but I was afraid to be rejected in public. I felt exposed and vulnerable, so I just came to terms with the idea of raising this baby by myself. I didn’t want to, I wanted you to be with us, but I never thought it would actually be possible. I thought I had lost you forever, and there was nothing I could do or say to make you change your mind. It was a very hopeless feeling.”

  “I know,” I said, kissing her on the forehead. “I didn’t know what to do, what to believe, or what to say. I was completely drowned in a bottle of whiskey and my own self-pity. I hated John for being the one to tell me, I hated Jordan for being so happy, and I hated every single person that I saw living their life for love. Every time you called, I fought with myself, trying to decide whether to answer or not to answer. My fear won out every time. I promise I will never screen your calls again.”

  “I’m not a girl with a lot of enemies; I’m really nice to everyone,” she said, making me smile. “But sometimes, you can’t help who likes you or doesn’t like you. What Sarah did, I have never seen another human being do, but now that I know what people are capable of, I know that I need to protect myself better. I need you to promise me that the next time you hear some weird rumor, no matter how hurtful or damning, you will come to me and talk to me about it. Give me a chance to clear my name before damning me to that sad existence we found ourselves in.”

  “Seeing what Sarah did opened my eyes, too,” I said. “Seeing just how manipulative she was, putting my best friend in a position where he hurt me and you because he trusted someone he never should have, made me realize that things are not always as simple as they seem. My time without you was the worst time in my entire life. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die, and all I had to do from the start was actually open my eyes and ears and take in my surroundings. I promise that if I ever hear anything about you again, good or bad, I’ll come to you and talk to you about it. I will presume you innocent, instead of assuming your guilt.”

  “Oh,” she said, excited. “Now that you are back in the picture, I can tell you about the doctor. I had my initial checkup where they told me that I was pregnant, and I scheduled my next visit, my first real visit, for a week from now. They will most likely be doing an ultrasound, and we will get to see the baby for the first time. They did one when I first went in, but the baby was too small to see. We should be able to hear its heart beat, too. It’s going to be really exciting.”

  “That sounds amazing,” I said.

  “Would you like to go with me and experience all this as a family?” she asked. “You can meet the doctor and learn all about what we are to expect in the coming months. For the first time since I found out I was pregnant, I actually am feeling excited about this. It’s also the first time since I found out that I haven’t woken up sick to my stomach.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said, kissing her gently.

  We laid there for a little while longer and then pried ourselves out of the bed. Both of us had luckily brought a bag with us in case we wanted to change at the wedding, so we didn’t have to go down to breakfast in our fancy clothes. When we were dressed, we headed down to the restaurant for the brunch with the bride and groom before they were expected to leave on their honeymoon. We had missed the entire reception, but I was pretty sure that since both of us were missing, they knew exactly what was going on.

  “Yay,” Lindsey squealed, jumping from her seat and running over to Amanda. “I’m so happy to see you, and you look pretty happy.”

  “I’ll tell you about it all when you get back,” she whispered with a smile.

  “Duh, you better,” she said. “Does he know?”

  “Yep,” she said, smiling brightly and turning to John, Jordan, and Lindsey’s cousins. “And I guess it’s time everyone found out. Nathan?”

  “Yes, yes,” I said, smiling. “Amanda and I are expecting a baby.”

  Everyone cheered and clapped their hands, truly happy that the two of us were back together and stronger than ever. We sat down and started to eat, realizing how famished we were after missing dinner. Lindsey smiled big at me across the table and turned to Nathan.

  “So, Mr. Robertson,” Lindsey said, clearing her throat. “I would like to request something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If you hear any weird things ever again about Amanda, I want you to believe me when I tell you that they are complete bullshit,” she stated. “I have known Amanda my whole life, and I know her better than anyone. If you need to know the truth about something, you can come to me, and I’ll give it to you straight. No more of these guessing games, especially not with people like my sister running around, causing all kinds of problems.”

  I smiled at Amanda and rubbed her leg, feeling loved by everyone in the room. I always took Lindsey with a grain of salt and treated her with the utmost respect. It was something that Amanda loved about me. I knew how important this girl was to her, and I would never mess it up.

  “Well, I will always trust Amanda when she tells me the truth about something,” I said kissing her cheek. “But I promise that if I need to come to you, that I will take your word as the truth.”

  “Good,” she said, smiling. She glanced over at John and cleared her throat.

  “And I have to be the bigger man here,” John said. “I want to tell you both how sorry I am that I brought that load of bullshit into your lives and tore you apart like that. If I had used my big brain and not my little brain, I would have realized right away what kind of woman I was dealing with. But I didn’t, and I hope that the two of you can forgive me. Nathan is like my brother, and I could see every day how much it tore him apart to be without Amanda. That makes me feel terrible.”

&nbs
p; “Of course, brother,” I said, reaching over and shaking his hand.

  “You were acting in the best interests of Nathan,” Amanda said. “And though your truths were misguided, it makes me feel good to know that a man of such strong character is standing beside him, watching out for him. I think that you will be able to teach our child some fantastic things about being a stand-up friend. I hope that one day, you have my back like you have his. He is a very lucky guy. So, of course, I accept your apology. We made it back together, and that is all that matters in the end.”

  “Thank you,” he said with a smile.

  “And as far as Sarah goes, trust me, I know how manipulative the girl can be,” Amanda said. “She has taken some of the best people I know and turned them into monsters. I hate that she got ahold of you like that, and I’m sorry that she used you. I know that doesn’t feel good. I just hope that you have learned your lesson in all of this. Stay away from that girl, and try not to judge them by their looks. She may be pretty on the outside, but she is rotten on the inside.”

  “Trust me, I won’t be seeing anymore of Sarah ever again.” He chuckled. “I definitely did learn my lesson. In fact, I am going to start being a little more selective of the women that I bring into my life.”

  “Wow,” I said, shaking my head. “It seems this wedding has changed all kinds of things, even the people that we thought were written in stone to be douche bags for an eternity.”

  “Hey, hey,” he said. “I deserved that, but everyone can change.”

  “Well, here is hoping,” Lindsey said, raising her mimosa in the air.

  “Here, here,” everyone repeated with laughter.

  I sat back in my chair and watched as everyone talked and joked. The girls cuddled up and whispered, the food steamed hot, and the mimosas bubbled in their glasses. My eyes met Amanda’s, and she smiled, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. I felt like I hadn’t been happy for a very long time, but there, sitting with the people I cared about the most, I could feel the depression just evaporate away. Amanda did something amazing in my life, and I would spend the rest of it showing her just how much I loved her and that baby in her belly.

  Chapter 27

  Amanda

  I reached over and took Nathan’s hand in mine, squeezing it tightly and smiling at him. My legs dangled over the edge of the examination table. We were at the first doctor’s appointment, waiting for the ultrasound tech to come in. I was really nervous, but I was excited to see our baby for the first time. Nathan had been talking about it all morning, and I found it so adorable how well he adjusted to the idea of being a father. There was never any pause, and he had jumped right in with both feet, researching, looking online, and finding out everything he would need to know in the coming months. He was the first person awake that morning and had rushed me out of the house because he was excited to see the baby.

  We looked up as the door opened and a small older woman walked into the room. She smiled kindly at the both of us and walked to the back, grabbing my file. I looked over at Nathan and squeezed his hand again, giving him an excited grin.

  “Good morning,” she said. “My name is Eleanor, and I will be your ultrasound tech today. This is your first well visit, correct?”

  “Yes ma’am,” I said, smiling.

  “Exciting,” she said. “You will get to see that baby for the first time and, hopefully, hear a heartbeat.”

  “Will this hurt her?” I asked.

  “No.” She smiled. “I’ll be super gentle. Just go ahead and lie back on the table, and I’ll get you all set up.”

  She turned on the machine and got the wand ready. I laughed to myself, watching Nathan’s eyes grow big as she rolled a condom down the stick and lubed it up. Once she was inside, she moved it around quite a bit, measuring different things and taking pictures of the inside of me. Finally, it was our turn. She turned the monitor toward us and pointed to what looked like a little bean wriggling on the screen.

  “There’s the baby,” she said excitedly.

  Instantly, my whole body went calm, and I looked up at Nathan with tears in my eyes. He had teared up, too, and bent down, grasping my hand and kissing it. We watched as the little life inside of me moved to the beat of its own drum. She clicked a button, and we could hear a muffled beating.

  “And that is its heart beat,” she said, smiling. “So, strong.”

  “Do you hear that?” I asked through tears.

  “I do,” he whispered. “It’s perfect.”

  She took a couple pictures of the baby and printed them out for us. We sat there staring down at the little baby on the paper. She finished up all of her measurements and then cleaned me up, letting me know I could get dressed and get ready for the next part. I pulled myself up on the examination table, and Nathan got up, bringing my clothes over and helping me get dressed. He was always so careful and caring toward me, and I could tell that he was going to make an amazing father.

  After I had gotten all my clothes on and washed my hands, I sat down in the chair next to him and looked at the pictures in awe. Neither one of us could believe how much of a miracle it was to be pregnant. Everything seemed so real at that moment, but instead of being nervous or scared, I was really excited.

  “Can you believe we are going to have a baby?” he asked, shaking his head. “It looks so funny, but I love it already. When do we find out whether it’s a boy or a girl?”

  “Not for a few more months,” I said. “Everyone says the time flies by, though.”

  “I’m sure that it does,” he said. “I just want to enjoy every moment of it with you.”

  I smiled and leaned in, giving him a kiss. I looked up at the door as the nurse stuck her head in and smiled. Nathan put the pictures in his wallet and helped me up out of the chair. I was perfectly capable of functioning on my own at that point, but he was very attentive. It would definitely come in handy when I was too big to lift myself out of chairs.

  “You ready to get your blood taken?” the nurse asked.

  “Is anyone ever ready for needles?” I laughed nervously.

  “It won’t hurt,” she said, leading me down the hall into another room.

  The nurse was gentle and quick, and before I knew it, we were heading in to talk to the doctor. Nathan introduced himself and shook the doctor’s hand excitedly. The doctor looked pleased that my mentality had changed so much since the last time he saw me. We learned about what to expect at the appointments, the different tests that could be performed, and then Nathan asked him a barrage of questions. It was really adorable, and I appreciated how much he wanted to be involved. He wanted to know every detail of what he was supposed to be doing. I could see the amusement on the doctor’s face. He ended the conversation by promising Nathan he would talk to him about the delivery in detail when the time got closer.

  When we were done, they gave us a bunch of reading material and set our next several appointments. We walked out of the doctor’s office on cloud nine, heading over to a café down the street to eat lunch. I was starving by the time we got there, and I was really glad that I had my appetite back. In fact, it had come back times three. We sat down and ordered our food, and Nathan pulled out the pictures again.

  “I can’t even express to you how excited I am,” he said, beaming. “Seriously, this is the best thing ever, besides you, of course.”

  “Aww thanks, honey.” I smiled. “And I am finally excited about it as well. It is definitely a different experience having you here with me.”

  “Have you thought about baby names at all?”

  “Not really,” I said. “I was still trying to get through the nausea when I finally got to tell you. I have always liked the names Nicole or Ava for a girl.”

  “I like Ava,” he said. “That’s nice, and Nicole is great, too. I’ve always liked Brant, Preston, or Nicolas for boys’ names. They always seemed to be really nice guys with their heads on their shoulders.”

  “I really like Nicolas,” I said. “Th
at was my great grandfather’s name.”

  “How about Elva?”

  “Oh, God, no.” I laughed, thinking about that guy that Lindsey set me up with. “That is a disaster waiting to happen. You might as well name him Brock if it’s a boy. He will be a jock with a big head.”

  He laughed and choked on his coffee. “My dad wanted to name me Brock, but my mom wouldn’t have it.”

  “That is because she is apparently a very smart lady,” I said. “I don’t think I could have taken you seriously if Brock was your name.”

  “That’s because I would probably drool on myself.” He laughed.

  “I really think that Ava or Nicolas could be our winners,” I said, smiling. “I thought it would be really hard to pick out names, but it seems that we are on the same page as usual. Well, except for the whole Elva thing, but I’ll pretend that you never said that.”

  “I appreciate it.” He laughed. “And I agree. Ava if it is a girl, and Nicolas if it is a boy.”