If only I’d paid attention, I could have bought the morning after pill but instead, here I was with my period two months late, butterflies of apprehension flitting through my stomach.
I stopped, taking a deep breath before I could descend into a full-blown panic attack. When the episode passed, I continued in search of a pregnancy test. This couldn’t be happening. Wake up, wake up, said the voice in my head.
But this was all too real. I stumbled to the aisle marked family planning, but to my horror, someone else was there already. A girl who couldn’t have been a day over sixteen stood rooted in place, her eyes scanning the boxes and boxes of pregnancy tests.
We edged around each other, both of us trying to discreetly browse through the products without making it obvious. Finally, she broke the ice. “Looks like we’re in the same boat, huh?”
Taking a deep breath, I met her eyes. Again, this woman couldn’t have been over sixteen what with those freckles and bright blue eyes.
“Um yeah,” I hedged.
My new friend continued, eyes scanning the shelves once more.
“Don’t you love it how the guys have their fun and then leave us to clean up their mess?” She shook her head. “They’re never around for this shit.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled again. What else was I supposed to say in this situation?
“Can you believe the morning after pill is fifty dollars?” she complained.
“Really?” I was flabbergasted. I’d thought it was five bucks, considering how crucial Plan B could be.
“Yep,” the blonde nodded importantly. “Five hours of babysitting before I can afford one dose of that stuff.”
Oh wow, this girl really was young. Babysitting? I hadn’t done that since high school.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” was my murmur.
She flashed me a grin.
“Consider yourself lucky,” she said, grabbing a pink-colored box off the shelf.
“Um, I feel really awkward asking this, but this is… um… my first time….” I took a deep breath. “Do you know which one of these is best to figure out if you’re pregnant?” the words came out in a rush. “I don’t mean that you’re more experienced than I am, it’s just that ….”
She laughed. “Don’t worry about it.” She handed me the box in her hand. “This brand has never failed me in the past. Try it.”
I blushed again, embarrassed.
“T-Thanks,” was my stutter, face aflame. Man, idiocy seemed to consume me whole.
“Good luck,” she said with a slight smile. “Hopefully, you’ll be one of the fortunate ones.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, taken aback.
“Sometimes these things are just a misunderstanding,” she explained. “It’ll all blow over.”
But I didn’t quite understand what she was saying. Despite looking like she was about ten years old, there was something about her that made her seem wise beyond her years.
“Um okay, thanks. A misunderstanding.”
And shooting me another smile, the girl turned and strode down the aisle, leaving me with my precious cargo.
***
I hurried back to my apartment, locking myself in the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet, my fingers trembled on the box top, hesitating.
This couldn’t be happening. Why was I doing this alone?
The box felt heavy in my hands as regret started to make my heart heavy. If only I had controlled my lust, none of this would have happened.
Without a choice, I pulled out the pregnancy test, carefully reading the directions. It seemed easy. All I had to do was pee on the stick, and one or two blue lines would appear. Fortunately, I’d had some water before going to the drugstore, pulling my panties down.
But I waited for the results, time seemed to come to a stand still.
I kept waiting for something to happen but nothing did. An oppressive silence weighed down on my shoulders, making it hard to breathe.
Unable to keep still, I started to pace around my bathroom. Because what would happen if I was truly pregnant? Would Travis help me raise the baby or would I become a single mother, struggling to support her child?
My stomach tightened, threatening to make me sick. This couldn’t be happening. This was all a nightmare.
Suddenly, the alarm jolted me from my reveries, and my heart leapt in response, a sweat breaking out on my brow.
I stared at the sink where I had left the pregnancy test. This was it. The moment of truth. The air in my lungs froze, my limbs heavy. But I had to find out. Ever so slowly, I tiptoed forward, picking up the wand, fingers shaking.
Two blue lines stared at me, wavering before going straight again.
Positive. I was pregnant with the handsome doctor’s baby.
Chapter 8
Travis
“Travis, wake up.”
I groaned, rolling on my side, trying to hide my face in my pillow.
“Seriously, wake up and go home.” Roughly, someone shook my shoulder, rousing me from my half-sleeping state.
My eyes shot open to find Harper hovering over me.
“And you owe me a ride home, remember?”
Oh right. Trust Harper to wake me up for that. Rubbing my head, I slowly sat up. “What time is it?”
“Three in the morning.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“What are we still doing here?”
“Well, we could have been home an hour ago, but I couldn’t find you anywhere. What gave you the bright idea to hide in here?”
My eyes closed with defeat.
“I’ve been working for nearly twenty-four hours. If I didn’t get some shut eye, I would have passed out.” With my limbs stiff from the hospital cot, I slowly rose to my feet, joints cracking with the movement.
“Right, I forgot you worked the shift before this. What made you want to take on a double? We both know it’s suicide. Forty-eight hours straight? A human can’t survive that.”
I shrugged. “There was no one around. I didn’t want to leave the ER empty, so it’s not like I had much of a choice.”
Harper grunted, shaking his head. “They really need to hire more doctors. This is getting ridiculous. With Saint Luke’s closed, we’re getting swamped.”
“I know, but I don’t want to talk about work right now. I’m too tired. Let’s just go home.”
“Are you going to be okay to drive?” my friend said with an air of hope, eyeing my sleep-crusted eyes and lethargic limbs.
“Nice try, but I’m not letting you drive the Beamer.”
Harper chuckled. “It was worth a shot.”
“You make just as much as I do. You can probably afford one yourself, you know,” I pointed out as we headed toward the employee lot.
He shook his head. “I was a dumb teenager. My credit is in the trash. They’d never trust me.”
“Hmm. That’s unfortunate.”
Harper shrugged.
“It is what it is,” he said, getting into the passenger seat of my car. Following his lead, I hopped behind the wheel, revving the engine.
For a while, we rode in silence. I took the opportunity to parse through my thoughts. After two months of nonstop work, I barely had time to think. Almost instantly, my mind wandered back to Janie. I felt horrible about ignoring her all this time. The brunette must think that I hate her or something.
I really needed to find the time to talk to her again because I missed the beautiful female. Those luscious curves. The way she’d moaned into my mouth as my cock pushed into that wet sweetness.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to drift off while I was driving.
“So, how’s life?” Harper broke the silence, looking my way. “We haven’t had much time to talk.”
“We haven’t had much time to do anything,” was my grumpy reply.
“That’s true. But still, how are things going? You still talking to that Janie girl you told me about?”
I shook my he
ad. “No, I haven’t found the time.”
He whistled.
“Man, that’s cold. It’s been two months, right?”
“I know, I know. But every time I get a day off, I end up sleeping for most of it. And besides, I’m not going to knock on her door at two in the morning just to say hello.”
“Who knows? Maybe she’d like that,” he said with a wink. “Or are you not looking for a relationship right now?”
I adjusted my grip on the wheel, thinking it over. On one hand, I really liked Janie. She was an amazing girl – smart and beautiful. But on the other, I really didn’t have the time for a committed relationship because of my crazy hours. I wouldn’t want any female to feel neglected, especially Janie. She deserved better than that.
So I hedged. “I don’t know. It’s tough. Maybe when things ease up at the hospital.”
Harper shot me a wry glance.
“That could take years, you know. Do you really think she is going to wait that long?”
I frowned. He had a point. For all I knew, Janie could have already found someone else. “I just don’t want to be a second-rate boyfriend.”
“You have a point,” Harper agreed. “It’s hard to take a girl out on a date when you’re working weird-ass shifts.”
“Exactly. How do you do it?”
He shrugged. “Priorities, man. We make the time. Kelsey’s pretty understanding. Plus, she works from home, so she can change her schedule around to spend time with me. I guess when you really like someone, you’ll find a way to make it all work out.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. I hope things work out for you two, whatever happens.”
A sigh escaped my chest. Fuck.
“Me too,” was my rueful grunt.
Our conversation died down, and I kept driving, barely paying attention to the road.
“Um dude, you just missed my street.”
“Huh?”
Harper pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “Mulberry Lane. You just passed it.”
“Shoot, sorry.” I jacked on the brakes.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re both tired.”
Quickly, I did a three-point turn and headed back in the right direction, this time swerving into the cul-de-sac. “Here you are.”
“Thanks, I owe you one,” he said, getting out of the car. “See you tomorrow.”
Oh fuck. Another double shift. Just my luck.
I groaned. “Don’t remind me.”
“Hey, at least we can maybe get six hours of sleep before then,” my friend said jovially.
“Speak for yourself. I have so much laundry to do.”
“Screw the laundry. Sleep is more important,” he laughed, slamming the door behind him. With a light jog, my buddy ran up to his house. And surprisingly, Kelsey opened the door, even though it was five a.m. Her female form reached out to embrace him, their lips locking in a deep kiss.
I averted my eyes, unable to look as envy seeped into my soul. Harper was so lucky. I needed someone like that in my life, and Janie would be the perfect fit, welcoming me home after tough days. But the thing was that it’d already been so long since we talked … did the curvy girl even remember me?
***
Somehow, I managed to get home safe and sound, despite nearly nodding off at the wheel a couple of times. I parked in my usual spot and sat there for a moment, admiring the inkling of light emerging along the horizon.
I should be in bed right now like the rest of the world. But instead, here I was, all alone in my car.
Sighing, I finally got up, trudging into the apartment building. At the desk, the security guard had his arms folded over his chest, head tilted back, and mouth wide open in a snore.
Maybe I should consider a career change. Seriously, this guy had a better life than me at the moment. But who was I kidding? As hellish as the schedule was, I loved my job. There’s no way to describe the feeling of saving someone’s life and making a difference. I wouldn’t give it up for all the money in the world.
As always, the elevator took forever to arrive. Growing annoyed, I opted for the stairs despite my fatigue. Halfway up the climb, I started to regret my decision. Why did I think this was a good idea again? My lids were heavy, every muscle aching from lack of sleep.
Still, I powered through, finally arriving at my floor. I pulled out my keys, about to open my door when I glanced over at Janie’s apartment. Was she sleeping? What would happen if I knocked on her door? For a moment, I was tempted by the idea. I just needed to talk to her – to see her pretty face. It felt like so long since the night I held her in my arms. I stepped forward, tottering on the idea.
But in the end, I opted to let the brunette sleep. I didn’t want to disturb her beauty rest when she probably had work in the morning and important things to do.
With another defeated sigh, I stepped into my apartment, letting the door close behind me. But before I could head to the kitchen, something caught my eye, stuck to the bottom of my shoe. Shit, had I been walking around with a piece of toilet paper the whole day? Why didn’t someone say something?
But instead, it was a small square of paper, already translucent from the moisture from the sole of my shoe. Shit. There’s a lot of dew in the mornings, and I’d cut across the lawn of the apartment complex in my haste to get to my apartment. Fuck.
Unfortunately, the ink had smudged from the moisture, making it impossible to read. I squinted, trying to decipher the faded blue lines. Nope, impossible. I frowned, hoping that whatever it was, it wasn’t important. But realistically, it was probably just an advertisement for something or other.
No big deal. I shrugged it off, throwing the piece of paper in the bin. Heading to the kitchen, I popped open a bag of chips. It was way too early to be eating something so salty but at this point, I really didn’t care. My stomach was angry with me and it was my job to get some calories in there.
After finishing, I skipped the bathroom and went straight to bed, collapsing onto the mattress. I didn’t even bother to take off my dirty scrubs, too tired to care.
But sleep wouldn’t come. Because what had Harper said? If something matters to you, you’ll make time for it?
With my hands folded over my chest, I stared at the ceiling. Janie’s face swam before my eyes with that lovely pout curved in a smile, her brown curls waving about that beautiful face.
How had she been these last few months? Did she miss me as much as I missed her? I desperately wanted to talk to her and hear that melodic voice again. Not to mention the emptiness in my bed would be gone once that curvy form lay beside me. Because our one night together had been perfect. Off the charts amazing. Something that I’d do again in a heartbeat.
But again, it’d been so long. I wondered if Janie felt the same or if she had already forgotten about our heady night together? With a feeling of dread, my eyes closed as sleep claimed my soul. Blessed darkness descended, and I fell into the abyss of a deep, restful slumber.
***
All too soon, a rude knock sounded on the door, jolting me awake. WTF? I jumped out of bed, heart pounding, thinking something was wrong. Someone needed me. A gunshot wound. An overdose that was potentially fatal. My heart leaped to a hundred beats a minute in mere seconds.
But disorientation struck me then as I glanced around, puzzled. What a minute? Where was I? It took me a second to realize I was in my bedroom.
Oh right. So many nights in the hospital had made me a stranger to my own apartment. Quickly, I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 8:00 A.M., the red numbers flashed.
Fuck! There was work in two hours, and yet the knocking continued. Who the fuck was it? Why would someone pound on my door at this time of day?
Like an angry bear, I stalked into the living room and jerked the wooden slab open. “Wha--?”
To my surprise, Tracie was standing there. My dear sister, younger than me by two years. We used to be close, but Tracie changed over the years. She’s always
been so beautiful that people bow to her every whim, and her personality’s suffered as a result.
“What are you doing here?” I stared accusingly. Somehow, she looked as fresh as a daisy despite the early hour. “When did you become a morning person?”
“Let me guess, you forgot I was coming.” Without another word, my sister breezed into my apartment like she owned the place, dropping her bags onto my couch. “I should have guessed as much.”
“Did you tell me you were coming?”
“Three months ago,” she said, standing there with her hand on her hip. “You didn’t put it on your calendar like I asked you to, did you?”
“I…” Fuck, it was way too early for me to be dealing with her. I took a deep breath, running my fingers through my bedraggled hair. “It’s just not a good time right now.”
“Why?” She raised an eyebrow. “You got a girl in the bedroom or something?”
“No.”
“Then what are you worried about?” she said airily.
Tracie would never understand. This girl was always about herself, never mind the inconvenience to others.
“I have work at ten,” was my surly reply.
“That’s fine. I know how to entertain myself. It’s not the first time I’ve crashed at your place,” she said with a careless wave of her hand. I rolled my eyes in response.
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
“There’s a new modeling agency in town. They sent me a job offer and I thought I’d check it out,” she explained breezily, already surveying my apartment like it wasn’t good enough for her queenly presence. “Could be worth a hefty sum.”
“So is that why you’re all dolled up?” I asked wryly, taking in the tight mini-skirt and high heels.
“That, and other reasons,” she smirked. “I have some people I want to impress later tonight.”
“Oh really?”
“Mmm-hmmm,” she purred smugly, dangling bait before my nose. I took it.
“Who?”
“I’m sure you’ll find out sooner or later,” she paused, eyeing me slyly. “By the way, are you still taking me out to dinner later?”
Dr. Travis, I Love You Page 6
