"Ivory," I say uneasily, forcing her to look at me. She holds the box in her hands —
"Whatever the test says, I'll support you," I say firmly, swallowing the thick lump in my throat. I glance down at her stomach in disbelief that she may actually be carrying a little baby foetus right now.
"Will you stay with me?" Ivory asks, vulnerability lacing her voice. I nod, grabbing her hand and give it a tight squeeze.
"Of course I will." My brain is so shaken up with the idea of her being pregnant.
She hasn't been with Ben long and if the test comes back positive, would he support her?
How would she support herself and the baby?
How would Tobias and Jake react to their baby sister and cousin getting pregnant at the age of eighteen?
I believe she would make an amazing mother one day, she is loyal, loving and doesn't have a bad bone in her body. However right now isn't the right time, at all.
"What are you gonna do if you are pregnant?" I ask quietly, dreading her answer. She shakes her head, her eyes wide with worry —
"I have no idea," she chokes back a sob. I take the box from her and read the instructions before opening it and taking out one of the tests. I hold it out to her and she simply stares at it, frozen in shock.
"Ivory, I'm here for you."
She inhales deeply, taking the test from my hand. I watch as she stumbles towards the toilet before I turn around, nervously waiting for her to pee on it.
"Are you done?" I ask a few moments later.
"I can't pee! I'm too scared," she mutters behind me.
"Erm t-think of a waterfall" I suggest, my hands flying out due to my nerves.
"A waterfall?" Ivory asks from behind me and I nod -
"You know, water? Think of lots and lots of water."
"That doesn't work Emily!"
"I don't know Ivory! Stick your mouth under the tap and chug?" I suggest and she groans behind me, muttering curse words under her breath.
"That should do it," She mutters, standing up. Ivory holds the stick in her hand and stares at it, her hand still trembling.
"What now?" She asks me, chewing on her bottom lip. I huddle closer to her and stare at the little screen, waiting for the results —
"We wait."
"What happens if I am? It's Christmas tomorrow! I can't give Ben the gift of a baby!" She panics, her voice breaking.
"Ivory, let's wait for the results." I comfort her, placing my arm over her shoulder.
"Oh my god, this is taking forever!" She whines, bouncing on the heel of her feet.
"Look!" I gasp, pointing at the test.
We both stand there in shock, staring at the little white test that has now determined whether or not she's carrying a child.
Chapter Seventy One - I’ve got some good news and some bad news.
Tense moments pass but eventually Ivory squeals and drops the test onto the floor. She begins jumping round from foot to foot in excitement.
"I'm not pregnant!" She yells out loud, fist pumping the air. My eyes widen and I grab hold of her before placing my hand over her mouth.
"Shut up! They might hear you!" I hiss and she immediately grows silent before nodding in agreement. I pause, watching her with narrowed eyes before I slowly remove my hand from her mouth. Thankfully, she doesn't begin screaming about her pregnancy test results again.
"That was so close," I tell her, blowing out the breath I've been holding in anticipation the entire time. Ivory nods, mumbling an agreement. She bends down to retrieve the pregnancy test box from the floor. "What shall I do with this?"
I shrug, looking around the bathroom for a good hiding spot.
"You could put it behind the toilet? No-one will look there. Don't forget to throw the test away before someone finds it." I point at the test on the floor and Ivory nods before picking it up. A wide smile lights up her face and I don't think I've ever seen her look so relieved.
"If I didn't pee on this thing, I'd kiss it." She giggles, holding the stick up in the air. I laugh at her, shaking my head in disbelief from the entire pregnancy scare. I begin to wonder how Ivory's life would be like with a baby —
"Would you have kept it if you were pregnant?" I ask her, curious to know her answer. Ivory pauses, nibbling on her lower lip as she thinks hard about her answer. After a few seconds, she nods.
"I think I would. I'm so young and both Ben and I have the rest of our lives to have children so I'm grateful that I'm not. I honestly never want to have sex again." She cringes, glancing down at the box and test in her hands. She's definitely had a lucky escape, not that a baby isn't a blessing. A baby should be born into a life where both parents are ready for the life changing decision.
"I'm sure Ben can fix the sex thing," I respond, reaching forward to knock her shoulder playfully. She rolls her eyes at me, a pink tint covering her cheeks. A knock on the bathroom door interrupts the conversation and we both freeze on the spot, snapping our head towards it.
"Oh no." Ivory whispers, her eyes widening. There's another knock this time, more impatient and demanding this time.
"Ivory? Hurry up in there!" Jake yells from the other side. I release a small gasp, my eyes connecting with Ivory's that flash with fear. She mouths help over to me, waving the used test and box in the air. We have to get rid of the evidence. I lunge forward and take hold of the box before stuffing it down my top. The cardboard presses uncomfortably in my skin and Ivory whimpers, glancing around frantically. Eventually she also stuffs the test down her bra and I snort in laughter before slapping my hand over my mouth.
"If you don't open this door soon, I'm going to kick it down! God, I knew drinking all that eggnog was a bad idea." Jake mutters on the other side. I roll my eyes and stifle a laughter as I picture him desperately crossing his legs on the other side of the door. Ivory inhales sharply, squaring back her shoulders before she steps forward and unlocks the door. She plasters a wide smile on her face and Jake glares at her in return. His eyes flicker over to me and immediately they fill with confusion.
"Emily? Why are you two in here. . . together?" He asks, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. I smile brightly at him, nerves beginning to take over.
"I was helping her." I respond quickly which isn't entirely a lie.
"With what?" Jake asks. Crap, I haven't thought of an answer for that. I begin to stutter miserably, looking at Ivory for help. My eyes widen at her in panic —
"Periods!" Ivory yells, nodding over enthusiastically. If she doesn't tone it down, Jake will definitely suspect something. I watch as his face crumples up further in confusion.
"Periods? You were helping Ivory with her period?" Jake says, sounding slightly disgusted as he looks at me. I shake my head, thinking fast.
"She asked me to bring her some painkillers for period cramps. I'm not physically helping her with a period Jake." I chuckle nervously. He doesn't look entirely convinced but he nods slowly.
"The eggnog is seriously stirring in my stomach right now." He comments, holding his hand to his mouth. I take hold of Ivory by the arm, dragging her past Jake and out of the bathroom.
"Great! That's our cue to leave." I smile at him over my shoulder as we scurry away. He watches me with suspiciously narrowed eyes before shrugging and disappearing inside the bathroom. Once we're safely away from him, I burst out into laughter, falling inside my bedroom with Ivory right behind me.
"That was so close," I whisper as I turn towards her, the relief crystal clear in my voice.
"Thank you Em, you literally saved me from eternal humiliation and regret." Ivory says gratefully. She leans forward, pulling me in for a hug. The box inside my top behind to dig into my skin further but I embrace her back just as tightly. When I pull away, I give her a questionable look —
"Periods? Really? You need to work on your last minute lies." I laugh and she giggles sheepishly.
"I panicked. Guys hate period's, especially Jake. One time he saw my tampon box in the bathroom and completely frea
ked out. He threw them out the window." She tells me, looking completely unimpressed by her cousin. I burst into a fit of laughter, picturing Jake Melvin freak out over a box of tampons.
"Let's hope he doesn't remain freaked out forever. On my last period a few months ago, he was so sweet. He bought me chocolate every day and massaged my stomach for hours on end." I tell her.
"He must go through phases I suppose. Tobias likes to pretend periods don't exist and Ben treats me like fine china that's about to break into a million pieces. Boys, eh?" Ivory chuckles. I nod my head, knowing males simply wouldn't last a day inside a females body. Being a female is difficult enough without the added pain and stress of monthly periods.
I pull the box out from under my top, wincing at the uncomfortable twinge it leaves behind. I glance around my room before heading for the wardrobe and opening the doors. I stand on my tip-toes and stash the box behind some jumpers at the far back. Once I move the clothing around a little, the box is cleverly disguised and I stand back, admiring my work.
"There, it's gone for now." I smile, turning towards Ivory.
"What about this?" Ivory asks, pointing at her chest where the used test is hidden.
"Throw it away when you get the chance but make sure nobody sees, especially Jake or Tobias. You know how crazy they can get."
Ivory scoffs in response —
"Amen to that sister."
*****
"Please tell me that's a plate of cookies for yourself and not for Santa. . . " Jake says, his eyebrows raised as I walk into the living room, proudly holding the plate in front of me. I stop in my tracks and frown at him, looking down at the cookies sadly.
"But . . . it's tradition," I say sadly, giving him my wide puppy dog eyes. He groans loudly and slaps his hand over his eyes —
"Aunty Myra, this is what I'm talking about! She's obsessed with Christmas! It's slightly worrying!" He exclaims, pointing at me. I gasp and clear my throat, placing my free hand on my hip.
"Excuse me, she is standing right here," I glare at him.
"Oh leave her alone Jake. I think it's cute," Myra chuckles as she watches the television, sipping wine on the couch. I smile widely at her and walk over to the fireplace, setting the plate down onto the coffee table in front of it. I stand back and admire it, feeling the excitement inside of me almost ready to burst.
"Are you going to get a glass of milk with them cookies?" Jake asks me sarcastically.
"I do that right before I go to bed." I smile back at him, my tone of voice completely serious. He gapes at me for a few seconds before snapping out of it.
"Oh my god, my girlfriend is a Christmas freak!" Jake screams loudly. Myra jumps in surprise, almost spilling her wine in the process.
"Jake! Tone it down! You're screaming like a god damn banshee." Myra scolds him and he huffs, crossing his arms over his chest like a told—off toddler.
"Yeah Jake, tone it down." I repeat, sticking my tongue out at him. He glares at me as I make my way over to him, bouncing backwards into the cushions.
"Don't you two start ganging up on me." Jake mutters unhappily. I turn to laugh at him and find him scowling, his face the definition of adorable.
"God, you're so cute!" I squeal, lunging for him and squeezing his cheeks tightly. Soon enough he begins to laugh along with me, trying desperately to bat my hands away from him.
"Emilyyyy." He whines as I pin him down to cover him in kisses. His low chuckle rumbles down my ear as I place firm kisses all over his cheeks. Despite protesting, the grin on his face clearly shows he's enjoying every second. Myra's words completely catch us off guard and we both freeze, unable to believe we heard her right —
"No foreplay on my couch you two."
"Aunty M! That's no way to speak to your nephew." Jake splutters and I pause before bursting into laughter. A red tint covers my cheeks and I quickly climb off Jake's body, sitting in the corner of the couch.
"Oh please! Like I don't know what you all get up to in this house," she replies, rolling her eyes before turning the page in her fashion magazine. The living room door bursts open and Ivory runs in, her eyes scanning the room wildly.
"You!" She yells, pointing at me.
"Come with me!" She adds lunging for my arm and practically throwing me out of the room.
"Ivory?" Myra questions from the living room as Ivory drags me up the stairs. She turns her head, auburn hair flying everywhere.
"Merry Christmas Eve Mummy!" She yells in response and I frown as she drags me into my room, shutting the door behind me.
"What the hell are you doing?" I splutter, wincing from the pain in my arms. My hand reaches up and rubs it as I glare at her. She didn't seem phased as she stares at me wide eyed, her eyes scanning my body and landing on my stomach.
"Ivory?" I ask uneasily feeling self conscious as she stares me down.
"When was your last period?" She asks me all of a sudden and I frown, giving her a questioning look.
"What?"
"Your last period, when was it? You told me before the last time was a few months ago." She says quickly her words not making any sense.
"Yeah, so? I have irregular periods sometimes," I question, still utterly confused. She gasps and shakes her head, slapping a hand over her mouth before pointing at my stomach.
"I think you're pregnant," she whispers loudly, her eyes widening further. I stare at her my mouth open in shock before I splutter, choking on thin air.
"Oh my god, you're actually crazy," I yell, half laughing and half choking. Ivory shakes her head at me, her face still frozen with panic.
"Emily, I'm serious!" She exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Are you on drugs?" I ask, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. That would explain the erratic behaviour and random outbursts. . .
She let out a loud breath in annoyance and stomps over to my wardrobe, pulling open the doors before rooting through it. She's mumbling as she flings jumpers to the floor.
"You're not really helping your case right now. I genuinely think you're having some sort of breakdown." I tell her, watching her in complete awe as she ruins my room. She ignores me and continues rifling through the clothes until she finds what she's looking for, the pregnancy test.
"AHA!" She screams her body finally retreating from inside the wardrobe. She has the digital pregnancy kit in her hands and holds it high in the air, waving it. She turns towards me, throwing the box and my hands instantly reached out to catch it.
"I am not pregnant." I tell her seriously.
"Prove it then."
"You are insane." I chuckle, throwing the kit back at her. "This isn't funny," I add watching as she paces my room back and forth, her hands flying up and down.
"Think about it Emily! You're having sex with Jake, you haven't had a period for months and you were feeling sick the other day at my party!" She stops pacing and turns towards me giving me a hard look. Her eyes are massive right now with concentration as the gears in her head begin ticking away.
"Plus I can feel it," she adds, her eyes drifted back down to my stomach. I let out a scoff at her, rolling my eyes for the millionth time.
"So because I had sex with Jake and I was coincidently sick the other night and I haven't had a period in a while means I'm pregnant?" I ask, repeating her words to her and she nods wildly gesturing towards the pregnancy kit.
"Ivory that's insane! It's just a coincidence! Jake and I are always careful." I explain, throwing my hands up in the air before sitting down on my bed. Ivory walks up to the pregnancy kit and picks it up off the floor before handing it over to me.
"Prove it and I'll shut up about it," she says, her eyes searching mine seriously. I sigh and stand off the bed grabbing the kit and heading for the bathroom with Ivory running close behind me.
"Stay out here," I warn her and she nods letting me close the bathroom door.
"Pregnant? Whatever, she's crazy." I mutter, opening the kit and pulling my jeans down. I squat and pee on the stick e
ffortlessly before putting it to the side and completing my business. Seconds later, I stand up buttoning my jeans and sigh heavily again, unable to believe I'm actually doing this.
I turn to flush before glancing back down at the stick. It still hasn't changed so I drop the toilet lid and sit on it, leaning on my arms and huffing as I wait.
I think about Christmas morning and the gift I've gotten Jake. I smile warmly to myself as I know he'll love it. It's two tickets to the boxing match downtown. He told me weeks ago that he adored boxing and one of his favourite boxers was playing a match after Christmas so I bought him tickets along with a gold chain with little boxing glove pendants on it. It wasn't anything big but I hoped he'd like it, I spent ages wrapping it up in little blue tissue paper completed with a blue ribbon. Blue is his favourite colour.
A knock on the door pulls me out of my daydream and I turn my head towards it, realising Ivory is still waiting outside —
"What does it say?" She hisses loudly through the door and I sigh, standing up to my feet before glancing down at the little stick so I could end this stupid idea of hers once and for all.
"It says not — "
Pregnant.
Say what now?
My blood runs cold as I stare at the words before it begins to blur in my vision. I shake the stick repeatedly, staring at the little screen. It doesn't change. I blink, rubbing my eyes furiously before glancing back at it.
Pregnant.
I gasp, my heart thumping wildly against my chest until it feels like it's about to break through. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly and pinch my skin on my arms, forcing myself to wake up.
This is just a bad dream, nothing more. I open my eyes slowly, looking down at the test for the third time.
Pregnant.
Chapter Seventy Two - Merry Christmas, you filthy animals
There's no way it's true. . . It can't be true.
I grab the little white stick before rushing for the bathroom door, flinging it open. Ivory is stood on the other side, her eyes wide as she takes in my terrified expression. She doesn't have to ask me the question because my face already gives her the answer.
His Mission (HIS SERIES Book 1) Page 41