Ties That Bind Us

by Nicole Knight

  The next day, Nick was up before me and headed off to work. I had a doctor’s appointment and then would head into the office too. My internship was going better than I ever could have expected, and I appreciated what a blessing in disguise turning down Mr. Bradford had been. I was finally doing something I felt really good about and that I enjoyed, and the best part was, I was doing it for me and not for anyone else. It wasn’t to please my father or Nick or anyone else.

  The law office was bigger than I thought, and served several areas of New York, and I was getting the opportunity to see a huge variety of cases. Sometimes I could see myself in some of the victims, and I was able to speak to them the way I wish someone had spoken to me years ago. I was able to give them the strength and faith to finally accept what was happening and heal from it, like Nick had given to me. I truly enjoyed it, and was proud of the work I was doing.

  My doctor was running late, and I had to wait forty minutes once I got there. Finally, she took me back, and a nurse took all of my blood and vitals. I waited a few more minutes, and the doctor came in to see me.

  “Good morning, Ava.” She smiled, washing her hands and then taking a seat in the chair.

  “Hi, Dr. Chapman.” I smiled. She had been my doctor for as long as I could remember. We probably had a closer relationship than most doctors and patients because I was in here every three months to see her for my birth control shot. That’s why I was here today. I had briefly considered not getting it this time; after all, I was married and the idea of kids was starting to grow on me. I hardly recognized my thoughts, but it actually made my stomach flutter a little bit. I could only imagine how adorable a little baby boy with his father’s eyes would be. Eventually, I decided to go ahead and get it, though. It only lasted a few months, and Nick and I had a lot happening in the coming months. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to hold off a little bit longer.

  “How are you doing?” Dr. Chapman asked.

  “Good.” I grinned, “Great actually. I, um, Nick and I got married in Saint Lucia.” I hadn’t meant to tell her, but I’d been aching to tell someone. It was hard to keep this kind of secret to myself, even though I knew Nick was right and it was for the best.

  “Ava, that’s wonderful!” She beamed and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thank you.” I blushed. “We haven’t really told anyone yet.”

  She patted my knees. “Well, your secret is safe with me.”

  I smiled with relief. It felt nice to have it off my chest, even if it was just telling someone as simple as my doctor.

  “So, we need to talk about why you’re here today.” She changed the subject. “The birth control shot, correct?”

  “Yes.” This had been our routine for the last six years. I couldn’t take the pill because of my hormones, but she went through other options with me each time I came in. We still always settled on the shot because it was the most reliable.

  Her lips formed a tight line. “Ava, when the nurse ran your blood work today, there was a little problem.”

  My stomach dropped. Was there something wrong with me?

  Reading my mind, Dr. Chapman continued. “Nothing is wrong, you’re totally healthy. I just can’t give you the shot today.”

  I frowned. “Why not?” We had doing this for years. If everything was fine and I was healthy, what exactly did she mean by a little problem?

  “Ava, you’re pregnant,” she said cautiously, waiting to gauge my reaction.

  My throat got dry, and I let out a sharp cough. “I must have misunderstood you—I thought you said I was pregnant.”

  She nodded. “You are. About twelve weeks.”

  All the air left my lungs and I started to feel dizzy. That wasn’t possible. I couldn’t be pregnant. I had been on birth control, Nick and I were careful. There was no way. There had to be some mistake. Twelve weeks was a long time, had I really not seen it? “Are you sure you didn’t get my test mixed up with someone else’s?”

  She gave me a sympathetic smile. “We are very careful about that sort of thing, Ava. I’m positive.”

  “But I was on . . .” I lost my voice in the middle of the sentence.

  “Birth control is effective, but it’s not always a hundred percent,” she said.

  I knew the statistics, I just never imagined I would be one of them. My mind was swirling, but I couldn’t make sense of anything.

  Pregnant.

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. How had this happened? I knew literally how it had, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. There was a life growing inside of me. A baby. Nick’s baby. Half of me and half of him wrapped into a tiny little body.

  Shouldn’t this be a good thing? Shouldn’t finding out you’re pregnant be one of the greatest days of your life? Why was I absolutely terrified?

  Having a family with Nick had been a wonderful thought when it was in the future, but now that it was a reality, right in front of me, literally right inside of me, it was slightly debilitating.

  Chapter 34

  Ava

  Once I finally made it into work, I sat down at my desk and put my head in my hands. Pregnant. How could I be pregnant? My life was spiraling in a direction I had never even imagined, and I was powerless to stop it.

  I wasn’t worried about telling Nick—I knew he would be ecstatic. This is what he wanted from the beginning, and I felt a tinge of resentment. He was getting everything he wanted, while I was having to adjust all of my dreams to fit that. I knew that was an incredibly selfish thought. Nick had been nothing but wonderful to me, and had probably saved my life in more ways than one. Whether it was the shock of the news or my hormones, I was already starting to feel emotional.

  I hadn’t even put my purse away when I got my second big surprise of the day. I looked up to see my father standing in front of me.

  “Dad.” My voice hovered somewhere between a greeting and worry as I stood up. “What are you doing here?”

  He smiled widely and set a bag of food on my desk. “I brought you lunch, I wanted to come see your new office. Mom and I are so proud of you.”

  “Oh!” I responded, trying to hide my shock and suspicion. My dad rarely did something nice for another person, let alone his own children. And he definitely never took an interest in what I was doing, unless it was somehow beneficial to him. “Well, thank you!” I smiled, doing my best to not appear ungrateful. Nick’s words echoed in my mind, and I felt so uneasy about my dad being here.

  This was the first time I had seen him since Nick told me everything in Saint Lucia. Even looking at him now, I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe he was being genuine. That he actually was proud of me, and just wanted to say hi. It was never quite that simple with my father, though.

  “How was your trip?” he asked, making himself comfortable in the chair on the other side of my desk. “I didn’t realize you guys were going.”

  “It was kind of last minute, but we had a good time.” I smiled, sitting down apprehensively across from him. “The weather was beautiful.”

  “Good. I’m surprised Nick could sneak away, I’m sure he’s busy prepping to take over for Gio.” He paused and studied my face, looking for some type of reaction. I remembered Nick telling me how my father was using me to get information on them, and chose my words carefully.

  I nodded. “He’s been busy, but I don’t know much about it. Just that once we’re married, he’ll take over.”

  My dad chewed on his cheek, mulling over my answers. It was like he could tell that I knew more but I just wasn’t telling him. I had always been a bad liar, especially when it came to him, so I just kept my mouth shut.

  “Why don’t you come over for dinner this week? Your mom and I would love to see you. It seems like it’s been a while since you’ve come around. With or without Nick, I know he’s busy.” I had certainly been avoiding my parents’ house since Nick’s revelations. I didn’t tr
ust myself not to say too much, mostly because I didn’t know what was okay to share and what wasn’t. It had been easier to stay away and avoid talking altogether, but I missed my mom and sisters.

  “That would be nice.” I smiled, placating him. “I’m a little busy this week, though—I’m helping Nick’s mom plan the fundraiser, and we’ve got a few other things we’re committed to. Maybe next week.”

  “Don’t forget who your real family is, Ava. You may be his fiancé by name, but you’re still my daughter first and foremost.” His words were venomous.

  “I thought this was what you wanted. For Nick and me to fall in love and . . .”

  He scoffed, cutting me off abruptly. “This has never been about love, Ava. It’s purely political. If he has you conned into thinking it’s something more than that, you’re sadly mistaken. This is business for him.”

  “What do you mean?” The longer he stayed here and this conversation went on, the more uncomfortable I was getting.

  “Nick is too green to run his family. He needs to hand over the reins to someone with more experience. And I’m confident he’ll realize that, with your influence,” my dad retorted, like it was the craziest question he had ever been asked.

  “I think he’s perfectly capable of running the business,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. My dad was trying to back me into a corner, and I wasn’t going to let it happen.

  “I don’t need your assessment, Ava. I’ve made up my mind, and you’ll help me.”

  “I’m not a child anymore,” I spat, sticking up for myself for one of the first times in my life.

  “No.” My dad grinned evilly. “You’re certainly not, so you should know by now that it’s in your best interest to follow my orders.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath, absorbing his brazen threat. I was frozen, unsure of how to respond. I was an adult; I was married. He didn’t have any right to make me feel this way. It was easier said than done, though.

  “With all due respect, Dad, you can’t have it both ways. I’m just as much a part of the Caponellis as I am a Moretti now, and I’m fully capable of making my own choices. I intend to stay out of whatever business dealings you have with Nick; after all, that’s how you usually prefer it. If you have something to say it, you’re welcome to take it up with him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. Please tell Mom I said hi.”

  “Come out of your glass house sometime and tell her yourself,” he hissed, standing up so fast he nearly knocked the chair over. He stomped out of my office faster than he came in.

  We were both equally shocked that I had stood up to him. I had no idea what came over me, but it felt good. Really good.

  The rest of the day went by quickly, at least it had that going for it.

  “Hello?” I called, walking into our penthouse. I kicked my shoes off and turned my head in the direction of the kitchen, where I heard some noise.

  “In here babe!” Nick called. I couldn’t help but notice the hint of smoke in the air. Oh no, was he trying to cook?

  “Hi.” I chuckled as I stood in the doorway, watching him standing shirtless at the stove, stirring something unrecognizable in a pot, a cloud of smoke just above his head.

  “Hey!” Nick smiled widely. He pressed a kiss to my cheek and then turned back to what he was doing. “How was your day?”

  “Uh, it was interesting.” I bit my lip, not wanting to jump into all that had gone on right off the bat. I wanted to enjoy the sight of my husband cooking dinner for a few minutes. Husband. God, I loved how that sounded. He certainly was a sight to see; I was a lucky girl.

  “Interesting bad or interesting good?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. Once he turned the burners down, he turned his full attention to me.

  “Just . . . interesting.” I smirked. “What’s for dinner?”

  “Uh.” Nick glanced back over his shoulder and then gave me a playful grin. “How do you feel about burned enchiladas?”

  Just hearing the words made my stomach turn. Oh no, please not now. I had heard stories of the nausea that came with pregnancy—my sister-in-law Sophia was nearly bedridden with it when she had my niece. My cheeks flushed, and I did everything I could to fight it.

  “It sounds like we might be ordering takeout.” I smirked and took a seat at the counter.

  “Oh, we’re definitely ordering takeout.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry, I really wanted to make a romantic dinner for you.”

  “That’s very sweet of you. I appreciate the thought.” I smiled, putting my hand to his cheek.

  “Although—” He slid a wine glass at me and then poured a hefty amount into it. That was exactly what I needed after a day like today. “If you get drunk enough, you might not even notice the taste.”

  “I like your thinking.” I smirked, and pressed the glass to my lips.

  Wait a second, what the hell was I thinking? I couldn’t have wine. I couldn’t drink anything. I was pregnant.

  “What’s wrong?” Nick looked at me strangely. I’m sure he had never seen me turn down a glass of wine.

  “Uh, I think I would just like to start with water. It was a long day.” I pressed my lips together.

  Thankfully, Nick didn’t press me and took the conversation in another direction.

  “Tell me about this interesting day of yours, you’ve got me on the edge of my seat.” He took a seat next me, turning my stool so I was facing him.

  “Well . . .” Where should I even start—the baby or my father, my father or the baby? There really was no good place. “I had a visitor at work today.”

  That piqued his interest even more, and I think he half expected me to say it was Jimmy.

  “It was my father.” I bit my lip.

  Nick froze, and stared back at me emotionlessly. “How was that?”

  “He, uh.” I shrugged; I wasn’t even sure what he was trying to accomplish. “It was fine to begin with, but then it turned into him pressing me for information about you. And threatening me.”

  “Bastard,” Nick said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Ava. I know he’s your dad, but the man is so damn manipulative. This is getting ridiculous. What did you tell him?”

  “I didn’t tell him anything. I know you didn’t want me to tell him that we’re married, and I don’t really know much else. He wanted me to convince you to let him step in as Don because he has more experience. He also said this is just a business deal for you and that I’m a fool for thinking otherwise.”

  Nick scoffed and threw his arms in the air. “Ava, you see how manipulative he is. You don’t believe that, do you?”

  “Relax.” I held my hands up in surrender. “I don’t believe that, I was just telling you what he said.”

  Nick’s face fell and he grabbed both of my hands in his. “I’m sorry, baby. He just makes me so furious. I hate that he tries to manipulate you like that.”

  “It’s not a big deal. In fact, I’d like to forget it ever happened.” I sighed, shaking my head.

  “It might be time to tell him that we’re married. At least so he stops this whole vendetta. It’s getting ridiculous.”

  “Somehow I doubt that will stop him.” I sighed. “But I, uh, I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I have some other news.” I shifted my weight, suddenly overcome with anxiety about telling Nick I was pregnant. I knew he was going to be thrilled, but I was still processing it.

  “What’s that?” Nick took a big gulp of wine.

  I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to psych myself up. “Nick, I, uh . . . I went to see Dr. Chapman this morning to get my birth control.”

  He was looking at something on his phone, clearly not paying attention to what I was saying.

  “She wasn’t able to give it to me,” I continued.

  “Hmm, that’s strange,” he said, still preoccupied.

  “Nick, are you listening to me?” I asked, my frustration growing.

  “Of course, I’m listen
ing,” he said, finally setting his phone down and turning back to me. “You couldn’t get the shot, did she give you a pill?”

  “Nick, she couldn’t give me any birth control because I’m already pregnant.”

  Nick’s eyes widened. I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he realized what I’d said. His face turned completely white and he took a deep breath.

  “You’re . . .” He trailed off.

  “Pregnant.” I finished his sentence for him.

  “Ava, that’s . . . I’m going to be a father?” He scratched his forehead.

  “I know the timing kind of sucks, we’re just getting used to this husband-and-wife thing, and with you taking over for your dad—”

  Nick wrapped his arms around me, then picked me up and spun me around. “That’s the most incredible news I’ve ever heard. We’re going to have a baby!” he shrieked, holding me with one arm and pumping the other in the air. I was unable to contain my laughter as he finally put me down. It was hard not to join in on his excitement, and eventually I gave in, giggling and watching his antics.

  “That’s why . . . the wine . . .” He had a goofy smile on his face as he processed everything.

  I nodded with a small giggle.

  “Ava, that’s amazing. You have no idea how happy I am. We’re going to be parents!” Nick eyes were wide with wonder, as he spoke a mile a minute. He dropped to his knees in front of me and lifted the front of my shirt, baring my stomach.

  “Hello, little baby. Your mom and I can’t wait to meet you.” He kissed just above my belly button, and I squirmed at the tickling sensation it caused. He grinned then stood up and kissed me roughly. “This is so incredible. I love you so much, and I can’t wait to be a parent with you. God, you’re going to be the best mother in the entire world, you know that?”