A few minutes later, I’m standing in the pharmacy looking at about 100 different boxes of pregnancy tests.
“Can I help you?” a woman asks.
I turn to find Ashely standing next to me, wearing a red vest. I had no idea she worked here; I thought she only worked at the hardware store. I give her a dirty look. “I think you’ve done enough,” I say, grabbing the first box my hand touches.
“Is she pregnant?” she asks, following along behind me to the counter.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” I say, tossing the box on the counter.
She walks around to ring me up. “Look, Wyatt, I know you’re pissed at me.”
“You think?” I ask, throwing down some cash.
“Look, I know what you—and the people in this town—think of me, okay? I guess I just learned to accept it a long time ago.” She scans the box then picks up the cash.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She lets out a long breath. “It means if you live every day being told you’re trash, eventually you begin to believe it. I stopped trying to change the way people saw me and just started to act the part.” She shakes her head as she counts out the change. “I know what I did was wrong.”
“Then why did you do it? You know what she means to me. You of all people know better than anyone. In fact, every time you and I were together back then, all we did was talk about her.”
“I know,” she says, handing me my change and putting the box into a small bag. “Look, back then, I had it in my head that if I helped you forget about her, then I’d be the one you loved. I always had a thing for you, but when we started sleeping together, I fell in love. And then you left. So when you came back, it just seemed like a competition.”
“It was never a competition, Ashely, because you were never in the running.” With those words, her shoulders fall with disappointment. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, but that’s how it is. Now, I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of our business from now on. Don’t come near her. She doesn’t need the stress.” I take the bag and leave the store, not even bothering to look back at the hurt I caused her to feel.
I’m not a mean guy. I don’t get off on hurting others’ feelings, but when it comes to Ashely, she deserves what she gets. Anyone can look at me and see that Destiny isn’t a choice. If she were, I’m pretty sure I would’ve chosen someone else rather than being in pain all those years I had to spend without her. Destiny is my soulmate. I know without a doubt that she and I were made together as a pair. I’ve spent years running from it. I can’t run anymore. I’m too weak to fight the pull she has on me.
I get behind the wheel and drive back to her house in a hurry. I’m anxious, excited, scared. But more than anything, I need to know. When I park in her drive, I take the box out of the bag and tuck it into the waistband of my jeans. I don’t know if she wants her parents to know our little secret yet, and I don’t want them to find out by me carrying a test into the house. I walk right in the back door and Destiny is sitting at the kitchen table.
“Did you get it?” she whispers.
With no one in sight, I lift my shirt and show her the box that’s tucked away. She jumps up and takes my hand in hers, leading me up to her bedroom. When we’re locked away inside, I hand her the box and sit on the edge of the bed to wait as she goes into the bathroom. Minutes later, she’s joining me in the room.
“We have to wait five minutes.” She sets an alarm on her phone before sitting at my side.
I turn to face her, taking her hand in mine. “No matter what that test says, nothing changes between us. Got that?”
She offers a little smile and nods. “We’re still together,” she says.
“We’re still getting married,” I promise.
As we sit and wait together, I can’t help but think of how she felt all those years ago, doing this by herself. I wish more than anything I could’ve been there with her. I can’t imagine how she must’ve felt, being only 18 with her whole future dangling over her head. And then to go through the pain of having it all ripped away.
I hate myself even more for screwing up on prom night. I’ve always hated that night and myself, but now, that hate has doubled knowing that if that one single mistake hadn’t happened, I would’ve been there with her, waiting nervously on a stick to change color, driving her to the hospital, and letting her cry on my shoulder when it was all over. And then helping her heal and move on—getting married and trying again. We really have come full circle.
The alarm goes off and my heart starts pounding even harder.
“Okay, it’s time,” she says, shutting off the alarm and setting the phone on the bed. “Ready?”
I nod. “Let’s do this.” I smile, excitement pumping through me.
We stand, hand in hand, and walk toward the bathroom. She picks up the stick and the box with the directions. I watch as she looks from the stick, to the box, and back. She takes a deep breath and her eyes meet mine.
Twenty-Four
Destiny
I’m only 18. I can’t be pregnant. What kind of future will I have now? No time for college—not that I really wanted to go anyway. Of course, I’ve applied like every other high school senior, but that was just to have options. More than anything, I just want to marry Wyatt, have his baby, and grow old together. What kind of 18-year-old girl wants that life? I mean, shouldn’t I want to go to college, move away, and find a life for myself? All I can think about is raising this baby with Wyatt.
I reach for the phone to call him, but fear consumes me. Even though we’ve talked about our future many times before, I’m scared that something has changed. Will he want this? So soon? I set the phone back down. Maybe I should wait to tell him. Maybe I should think about this a little more—make sure it’s something I want. I have to give myself a time limit or I’ll chicken out for sure. I’ll tell him on prom night. That gives me three days. Three days to make up my mind and work up the courage.
I pick up the stick and wrap it in toilet paper before throwing it in the trash. Then I tie the bag and take it directly outside to the garbage can already out on the curb. This is a small town and a secret doesn’t stay secret for very long. As I walk back up the drive, I can’t help but think about how happy I feel now that I’ve learned the truth. I already love this baby, even if I am too young. Who sets these rules anyway? I love Wyatt. We’re going to get married one day. He talks about it all the time. Who says I can’t have a baby at 18? For now, this is my little secret. And I’m going to allow myself to feel happy.
Standing in the bathroom now, holding this pregnancy test, and reading the results can’t help but remind me of the last time. Only this time, I’m even more nervous. How can that be? I’m an adult now. I won’t be looked at as another failed teenager. Now, I can actually take care of a baby and support it. So why am I more nervous? Because I’m afraid that if this test is negative, I’ll be letting Wyatt down. He missed this the first time and that was my fault. I was so scared he’d react badly that I took this away from him. All I want is to make him happy. I want to be his wife. I want to start our family.
“Well? What’s it say?” he asks.
“It’s negative,” I say, feeling a little let down myself.
I see his shoulders visibly fall. We take a minute to wrap our heads around this. Then he pulls me against his chest. “It’s okay. I mean, you’ve only just stopped your pills. We have plenty of time,” he assures me.
I didn’t consider until now that maybe my period is out of whack from stopping my pills. I nod my head. “I know. It’s not bad news. I was just . . . I don’t know.” I shake my head clear.
“You’re let down?”
I shrug. “Are you?”
“No, you didn’t let me down. We will have a baby. When the time is right. Until then, we’ll plan our wedding. We’ll spend every day together, only falling more in love. A baby can wait. What can’t wait . . . is us getting married.”
I look up
at him and wrap my arms around his neck. “Let’s start planning it. We can do it this summer, though that only gives us a few months.”
“I don’t care if we go to the courthouse. I just want you to be mine. I want you in my house—in my bed—every night.”
“Well, now that Daddy is better, I could move in,” I offer as he walks me backward toward the bed.
He nods his head as his lips meet mine. “I want to be wrapped up in you every single night for the rest of my life.”
I giggle as his hands tickle my ribs and his lips find my neck.
Suddenly, I’m no longer feeling let down. Now, I’m happy and excited about the future. We didn’t lose anything today. We gained.
Wyatt and I talk to my parents about us getting married and how I’m going to go ahead and move in with him now that Daddy is up on his feet. Neither one of them has a negative thing to say. They’re both happy we’re finally taking the first step to spending the rest of our lives together. Wyatt helps me pack my clothes and the few bathroom items I have. Then we load everything into our cars and make the journey to his place—our place. Once inside, he sets down a box as I drop a bag of clothes onto the living room floor.
“You officially live here,” he says, pulling me against him.
I smile a wide grin I can’t hold back. “I do. We’re finally here.” I jump up, wrapping my legs around his hips, at which point he lays me down on the couch, covering my body with his.
“What do you say we get to practicing?”
“Practicing?” I ask.
He nods. “We need to practice starting our family.”
I laugh and smack his chest. “You’re so cheesy.”
He kisses me with a smile in place.
“Why don’t I go unpack and you can start dinner? Let’s unwind a little. Maybe after dinner, we can soak in the tub and share a bottle of wine. Make a whole evening out of it?”
He scoffs. “Already making me work for it. I’ve heard married guys complain about their wives making them work for sex. It was free before,” he teases.
I laugh. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. I think I may need a pool out there. That would really score you some brownie points,” I tease.
He swats at my ass as I run back outside to grab another load of stuff.
I spend the rest of the day moving in. I hang my clothes in half the closet and spilt the drawer space. The bathroom counter is also divided. It seems Wyatt doesn’t have a lot of personal belongings anyway, so nearly everything was already half-empty. It’s like it’s been here this whole time, just waiting for me to fill it up. When I go downstairs, Wyatt is standing outside at the grill. I open the door and step out onto the patio. The smell of grilled meat hits me and my stomach does a flop. I quickly cover my mouth as a wave of nausea washes over me.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, suddenly alarmed.
“I don’t know. I just feel kind of . . . sick.” I sit down on the patio chair and he comes to sit next to me.
“Have you eaten today?”
I shake my head. “I was too nervous this morning, and then we were busy packing and moving all afternoon.”
“Maybe you just need to eat. The steaks are done and there’s salad in the house. Let’s try getting some food in your stomach.”
I nod in agreement, but deep down, I wonder if that test was somehow wrong.
We sit down in the kitchen and begin eating. I pick at my steak, but it doesn’t help my stomach. The grease just feels too heavy. I try nibbling on my roll and salad. While I eat, I can’t help but wonder about that test. Maybe it had expired? Maybe it was too early to take it? I mean, I am only a couple days late.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Wyatt asks, taking a sip of tea.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I don’t feel great and I just have this persistent thought in the back of my mind—wondering if, in spite of the test, I really am pregnant. I mean, a lot of things can affect a pregnancy test. It said to use your first pee of the morning, and I didn’t do that. Or maybe it was just too early. Maybe I should give it a few days and repeat the test again. What do you think?”
“I think it’s worth a shot,” he agrees. “After we eat, I’ll go back and buy a couple more.”
I nod, feeling nervous and scared all over again.
“Oh, and Brennan had the baby!” he says, pulling out his phone and showing me the picture.
The baby is adorable. He has Colton’s dark hair and dark eyes, but her pale skin, lips, and nose. It’s the perfect mix of the two of them. “He’s adorable,” I gush.
He nods. “I bet ours will be cuter.”
I laugh. “You’re horrible.” I shake my head.
I pick at the rest of my dinner. I manage to get it down but it doesn’t settle well. It does help ease some of the sickness in my belly though. After we clean up, he grabs a glass of whiskey and I opt for some water, afraid that having a glass of wine will only upset my stomach more. Then we head upstairs. Wyatt fills the Jacuzzi tub with hot water and bath salts while I light a dozen candles and spread them around the room. Within minutes, the whole bathroom smells of lilac and jasmine. It’s comforting and soothing. Sliding down into the deep tub warms me and eases my sore, tired muscles. He slides in behind me and I rest my back against his chest. His strong arms wrap around me, his hands locking with mine.
“Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?” he asks, his voice cutting through the silence and nearly making me jump.
I giggle. “Is there someplace you haven’t been yet?”
He laughs. “I’m not sure. Why?”
“I don’t want to go anywhere that might result in us running into any of your old hookups. We’ve had enough of that drama with Ashely.”
He lets out a deep laugh. “I don’t think you have to worry. Most of those girls were tourists and don’t actually live in those places.”
“I want to go skiing. Some Hawaiian beach resort where we can spend all day on the slopes, and our nights cozied up by the fire.”
“Mmm, that sounds good,” he says, pressing his lips to my shoulder.
Wyatt and I spend the night in the Jacuzzi tub, holding each other, talking about our future, and laughing about old times. By the time we get out, I’m so relaxed that my body feels like jello. I dry off and he picks me up against him, carrying me to bed, where I curl myself around him and drift off into a deep sleep.
The next week is painfully slow. My period still hasn’t started and I’ve had waves of nausea off and on. Wyatt begs me to take a test every day, but I always push it off another day—hoping that when I do eventually take it, the test will be positive.
As Wyatt spends his days at the office, it leaves me with a lot of free time on my hands. My help isn’t needed as much at my parents’ house, and I quit the cleaning job when Daddy fell ill. I find I need something to do to keep my mind and hands busy. I try to keep myself occupied with housework and laundry, but that only lasts so long. I visit with Mama and help her in the garden. I talk with Daddy as we take our evening ride through the countryside. More than anything, I find that I need to get back to work—at least until Wyatt and I actually have a family.
As I’m driving through town on my way to see Julie at the bakery, I notice a FOR SALE sign stuck in a store window. I pull the car to the side and climb out, peeking inside. I’ve always wanted my own store—a place where I could handpick every item. An idea hits me: I could open my own little boutique. I could sell women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, and handbags. As I look into the store, the idea comes to life in front of my eyes. I head back to the car as my heart races with excitement.
Sure, I’d need some money. Opening a store isn’t free and I’m not about to take money from Wyatt. But I happen to know that Mama and Daddy have had a stash hidden away for my wedding day. It was something they always wanted to do: pay for my wedding. Wyatt and I have talked many times and we don’t plan on having a big wedding. It probably won’t cost more than $500
. That would leave me with enough for a down payment on the building. If I plan on staying here with Wyatt, I’m going to need something that occupies my time.
When I pull up to the bakery, Julie is behind the counter. I rush up to her with a big smile. “I know what I’m going to do.”
Her eyes are wide. “What?” She has no idea what I’m talking about.
“I’m going to open a boutique here in town!”
Her mouth drops as the corners turn upward into a smile. “That’s great!”
I nod. “I can’t wait to tell Wyatt!” I lean against the counter as another wave of sickness washes over me. “Can I get a toasted bagel with butter and jelly, please?” I ask, needing something in my stomach.
“Of course. You don’t look so good. Go sit down and I’ll bring it over,” Julie insists.
I take a seat at one of the small wooden tables and will my stomach to stop doing flips. Minutes later, she places a bagel and a bottle of water in front of me, then sits down across from me.
“What’s going on, Des?” Concern paints her face.
“I may be pregnant,” I confess.
“What?” she asks in a gasp, leaning forward as her eyes stretch wide and her mouth hangs open.
I nod. “I took the test and it was negative, but I think it was too early or something. I haven’t repeated it yet.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About a week,” I answer, taking a sip of water.
“How long are you going to wait?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m afraid it will be negative again. I just want to give it plenty of time.” I pick up half a bagel and take a bite.
“You should take one every week.”
“You think so?”
She nods.
As I eat my bagel, we talk about the boutique idea and all the things I’ll sell. Just the thought of running my own boutique excites me. It would finally give all the women in this town a local place to get cute outfits instead of having to drive an hour to the city, or wait for our slow mailman to deliver something. I’m not going to lie, it was rough growing up here and not having a shop stocked with chic things. By the end of high school, I felt like everyone had seen me in everything I owned. I know this boutique will be a hit and I can’t stop thinking about it as I head home.
The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection Page 74