The Baby Bump

by Tara Wylde

  Keegan and the members of the hospital’s security team force themselves into the bathroom. Lucy climbs off Jenna and hurls herself into my arms.

  I hold her trembling body against mine as she explains what took place, right down to how she tackled Jenna when she wiped her eyes.

  Jenna, crying uncontrollably, doesn’t put up a fight as the hospital security team leads her away.

  Twenty minutes later, I finally find a quiet corner where I can enjoy some private time with Lucy. I sit on one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs and pull Lucy onto my lap.

  Still feeling shell shocked, I stroke her hair with trembling hands as she repeats what Jenna told her in the bathroom.

  “I’m so sorry.” I kiss her cheek, then her forehead. “I don’t remember telling her anything about not dating actresses. And I never, ever dreamed that she was in love with me. She’s always been nothing more than a friend, one of my best friends, like Stephanie.”

  “Love makes people do some pretty crazy things,” Lucy says, her voice shaking. “Speaking of which…”

  She places a hand on my chest and leverages herself up and into a sitting position. “I realized a few things while Jenna was waving a gun in my face.”

  The mental image her words conjure makes me wince. I came so close to losing her.

  “I love you too.”

  The words shock me.

  “What? But I thought you were still in love with Lance. You said that’s why you were writing, because you wanted to remember him.”

  Lucy takes one of my hands in both of hers and starts massaging it. “I did, and it did help me remember him, but it did a better job than I expected. It turns out that things weren’t quite as wonderful between us as I wanted to think. Lance was a great guy, but when I was writing his character, Dillion AKA The Manipulator, I remembered how he always tried to spin things so they’d go his way. Every single thing he did had an alternative purpose. It was actually what we were fighting about when the accident happened.”

  She takes a deep breath. “I loved him, and a part of me always will, but that’s in my past, and I need to stop living there. Lance is gone. I’m not. I need to stop thinking about my future and what I want.”

  My heart stops and then starts beating three times as fast. A small glimmer of hope flutters in my gut. Is it possible …?

  Lucy’s gaze meets mine. Her eyes are clear and confident.

  “I love you,” she says in a steady voice. “I realized that this morning, while I was writing. I think that’s why I want you to read my manuscript.”

  I lift my spare hand and cup her cheek.

  “I didn’t tell you this morning, because, well, I wanted a little time to figure some more things out, but then, when I thought Jenna was going to shoot me, it nearly killed me to think that if I died in there, you’d never know. It broke my heart.”

  I lean forward. “I love you,” I whisper against her lips.

  “I love you too,” Lucy responds. She releases my hand and winds her arms around my neck. “So, what do you say to turning this pseudo relationship into the real thing?”

  “Nothing would make me happier.”

  Epilogue

  Ryan

  Ten Months Later

  “Okay folks, that’s a wrap,” Jim Halston, my current director, yells at the top of his lungs. “Those of you are booked tomorrow, filming begins at eight a.m. on the dot. Be here or else.”

  Ignoring the headache that the relentless bright green of the special effects screen has left pounding behind my eyes, I nod goodbye to my co-star, an up-and-coming young actress who, thanks to make-up and contacts, bears a striking resemblance to Lucy, and turn to head toward the darkened area past the bright lights and cameras.

  “Hey, Ryan,” Nathan calls out from where he and Lucy are sitting on two directors’ chairs. “You were great.”

  “Of course I was. I always am.” I flip the baseball hat he’s wearing off his head.

  The way he scrambles off his chair to retrieve it makes me laugh.

  Three months after we filmed the organ donation commercial for Fletcher Hospital, Nathan got the good news that a kidney and pancreas had been found. The surgery and first few weeks after had been tense, a few times it didn’t look like he was going to make it, but in the end, his body accepted the transplants, and his health rapidly improved.

  He’s still smaller than most kids his age, but his energy levels are high and he’s full of life. He’s even talking about starting to play baseball soon, and he recently joined the school’s drama program, something I like to think I influenced.

  He returns the hat to his head and leans against the chair, careful to keep just out of my reach in order to avoid losing it a second time. “Is filming as much fun as it looks?”

  The headache hammering my brain is proof that it’s not, but I don’t want to discourage the boy. “Yes.” I shift my shoulders under the weight of the heavy leather that makes up my costume. “Although, the next time Lucy decides to write a superhero book and demands that I play the lead, she needs to come up with a more comfortable costume. I’m dying in this thing.”

  Lucy’s eyes rove up and down my costume. Her mouth bends into an appreciative smile. “You might not be comfortable, but you’ve never looked sexier.”

  “Or smelled worse,” I tease. “Each time I put this thing on, I do more sweating than acting.”

  “You are pretty ripe,” Nathan chimes, his nose wrinkling.

  “But that doesn’t stop me from kissing you,” Lucy adds, before putting her words into actions.

  “Hey, Nathan, my man.” Stephanie trots over to us. “When did you get here?”

  “Lucy picked me up about five hours ago,” Nathan tells her. “Tonight we’re going out to dinner at the ocean. Wanna come?”

  “Oh, sounds fun.” Stephanie purses her lips. “And you know what would be more fun?”

  “What?”

  “If you look like a zombie. You’ll scare everyone away. And it just so happens that in the makeup trailer I have everything needed to turn you into the best zombie ever. What do you say, want to get covered in blood and guts?”

  Nathan doesn’t have to be asked twice. With a whoop of pure boyish glee, he charges after Stephanie as she leads the way to the makeup trailer.

  I settle in the chair Nathan abandoned and reach for Lucy’s hand. I run my thumb over the diamond engagement ring she wears on her finger. In two days, I’ll slip a gold wedding band on the same finger. That’s why Nathan is here. He’s going to be one of my groomsmen.

  “So, what do you think? Does the movie fit your image?” Two months after she moved to Los Angeles, Lucy worked up the nerve to enter her manuscript in a contest. The response was so good that she not only got a publishing contract, but also sold the movie rights. Today was the third day we’ve spent filming.

  “Yes, I think it’s going to be exactly the way I envisioned it.”

  “So why don’t you look happier?”

  “I had a little extra time before I had to pick up Nathan, so I swung by Peaceful Healing to see Jenna.” She blows out a sigh.

  “Oh.” After a great deal of discussion and ultimately deciding that Jenna needed more help than she’d get in prison, no charges were filed for her attack on Lucy. Instead she’d enrolled in a long-term residential psychiatric treatment program. “How is she?”

  “Getting better, I think.” Lucy reaches up with her free hand and plays with her earring. “She seemed like she was in better spirits and said that they’re talking about releasing her into an outpatient program.”

  “That’s fantastic.” I’m genuinely happy for Jenna. Despite everything, I still consider her one of my best friends and seeing her so troubled, so hurt, caused me actual pain.

  “You’d think so,” Lucy agrees, “but she wasn’t thrilled. I think the idea terrifies her.”

  “We’ll help her though, right?”

  “Of course.” Lucy’s agreement makes my heart s
oar. Despite what Jenna did to her, she’s been wonderfully supportive to both of us. That support has been a huge part of helping Jenna get through her recovery.

  “And there’s something else,” Lucy adds, her voice tentative.

  “What?”

  “I took a test this morning.” She adjusts the hand I’m holding, drawing mine down and placing it against her stomach. “We’re going to have a baby.”

  I stare at her, trying to process her words. “You’re kidding.”

  She shakes her head.

  That’s all the proof I need. I haul her out of her chair and onto my lap and kiss her as if my life depends on it, all the while wondering how my fake girlfriend managed to become the best and most important thing in my life.

  The End.