by Ted Evans
She was silent for a moment, getting my meaning immediately. But she was less worried than I was.
“Don’t worry too much about it for now. There’s only one way to know for sure, so let’s go to a pharmacy tomorrow, okay? Right after school.”
I tried to go to sleep, but I was an emotional mess, and I was confused between wanting to be happy that Evan had noticed me at last, and giving into the worry.
Chapter Nine
Evan
“I still can’t believe you’re hanging out with that girl,” Abe muttered. “I thought people were kidding, but I saw you.”
I rolled my eyes and looked away. We were on the football field even if it was out of season. A habit that never died even during spring and I pretended to be engrossed with the runners doing laps around the track.
“Why do you say that like it’s a crime?”
He smirked. “It’s just unlike you, and it is all over the school. Girls keep coming up to me and asking me about it like it’s any of my business in the first place.”
Abe smacked my shoulder, and I frowned. He was a quarterback on the team, and he was a big guy. He was also one of the guys I regularly hung out with.
Mason, the team’s linebacker, grinned as he smacked me on my other shoulder.
“Tell the truth; she’s the same girl you’ve been blowing us off for, right? Tell us her name.”
“Would you guys shut up,” I grumbled.
I knew people were talking about it, and I guess it was big news. It had been a few days, and I was still picking Anita up and dropping her off at home when she got out late from detention. Considering where she lived, I didn’t think it would be safe for her to be out at night, and if she had to walk back every day from detention, then she definitely would have to walk in the dark.
Maybe it was stereotyping, but I found myself worrying about her. I didn’t like my friends teasing me about her, either.
Should I back off a bit?
I was spending too much time with her, it was why people were talking. We didn’t speak much while we were in school. We were in the same year and had some classes together, but we had separate lives and friends in school. I’d seen her a few times around school, including in the cafeteria, and I’d wanted to approach her, but she was always with someone. It was the same girl every time, and I didn’t want to intrude.
Was it true, then? Were we sending too much time together? I wanted to see her more, if anything.
I didn’t care what anyone thought about her, so I didn’t care what people said, and Anita didn’t seem to mind it, either. We talked a bit about books on our drive to and from school, I’d handed over some of mine, and she’d told me what she liked about them and what she didn’t. Even our opinions were aligned. She also liked the music I loved to listen to, and I enjoyed some of the stuff she’d played for me during the rides.
There couldn’t be someone more perfect for me to get close to, and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was a pretty girl.
“Dude, come on,” Mason complained when I didn’t answer. I’d forgotten what he even asked. “Her name? Is that too much to ask?”
“It’s Anita,” I said with a shrug. They’d find out if they asked around, anyway, so there was no problem with telling them.
“And are we ever going to meet her?” Abe asked. “Oh, wait. Probably not, right? Because you’re not serious about her. You only ever introduce us to the cheerleaders you date, so are you just trying something new?”
“It’s a huge shift in taste,” Mason added. “You could have warned us first.”
Immediately, I got irritated.
“Would you two shut up about this already?” I drawled, sounding bored. “Just back off and mind your own damn business, okay? And don’t even think of going anywhere near her.”
I stared at them, waiting, and they shrugged it off with a chuckle and started talking about last night fun at the movie theater. I knew that wouldn’t be the end of it, but I let my body relax.
Chapter Ten
Anita
My hands twisted together as I stopped outside of the pharmacy. Even with Hayley by my side, I wasn’t sure I could do this. Hayley, as always, seemed to be able to read my mind.
“You have to do it,” she murmured. “Even if you’re scared, it’ll be worse if you wait for your stomach to start showing before you start to make plans. It’s been a month by now, I think. Better to start planning early.”
I bit my lip. I was totally afraid of it, but I knew she was right. What would I do if I had to go to school with a giant belly? People might assume Evan was responsible, especially with all the recent rumors flying around about us, and while it was true, I hadn't told him yet. What would he think?
“Can we just wait out here for a minute?” I whispered.
Hayley pursed her lips, but at my pleading look, gave up with a sigh.
“Fine, but we are not turning back,” she warned. “Not after I finally got you to come here. Honestly, I almost thought you were running away from me or something.”
I smiled weakly. “I have been doing detention, you know?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure and getting a lot of attention because of it.”
I chuckled, but really, I was not in the mood for humor. I couldn’t blame Hayley, though. We were supposed to do this days ago, but for the past few days, I’d been giving her the runaround.
“I’m sorry about the way that I’ve been acting lately,” I weakly apologized for ignoring her lately. She was my friend not only that but my best friend and I’d been acting like a jerk lately.
Evan was finally talking to me, and while I was worried, I could still act normally around him as long as I didn’t know for sure if I was about to have my life changed forever. I could pretend nothing was wrong; it could just be a hormonal imbalance that will fix itself. We learned in biology that it could happen during puberty.
“Let’s go in,” Hayley said gently after some minutes, ignoring my apology. She probably didn’t know how to react to it. She put her hand on my back to nudge me forward.
I didn’t move.
“It’s a little late,” I said frantically. “Can't we try again a bit earlier tomorrow? Or, you know, the weekend?”
“No,” she said firmly. “No more running. We’re already here, so we do this today. It’s just a quick thing, and I can talk to the lady in there if you’re so worried. I’ll do everything; I’ll even pay for it, just don’t forget to pay me back. We find out about this tonight. Crap, even I’m starting to get anxious about the answer here!”
I winced. Hayley was a really good friend about this, and I knew that. She was just trying to help me. So, I took a deep breath and let her lead me inside.
The whole procedure was quicker than I’d thought. We headed to the aisle quickly, and I knew from the way Hayley didn’t hesitate that she’d been down this aisle before. I’d never gone down it. I hadn’t needed to. The lady at the checkout counter wasn’t surprised when Hayley approached her with a pregnancy test. She noticed me standing awkwardly behind Hayley, with a panicked look on my face, and she gave me a glimpse of sympathy. I knew right then, she knew the test was for me, but she handled everything very quickly and professionally, explaining it to Hayley but loud enough so I could see, without it being too loud as to attract the attention of her coworker and some of the other people around.
In about five minutes, we were out of there. Hayley’s house would be empty for a few hours, so we decided I would be sleeping over, and headed back.
“I’m sure you heard the instructions,” she said, immediately pushing me to the bathroom. “Just pee a little and come out here. Be careful how you touch it, though. Use tissues!”
I closed the door between us and wobbled over to the toilet bowl. I peed, and I waited.
When the result came, I was almost afraid to check, but it was right there, and my eyes fell on it.
I was pregnant. Holy fuck. I was too stunned to move.
All I could do was stare at the stick of doom.
“Anita? You’ve been quiet in there for a long time. Are you okay?”
I rushed for the door, pulled it open, and fell into my friend’s arms as I broke down crying. Hayley was surprised for a second, but she quickly realized what was happening and wrapped her arms around me tight.
“Oh, honey,” she murmured, her voice full of heartbreak for me.
“Hayley,” I sobbed. “What am I going to do?”
She sighed, and I let myself be led to the bedroom. “For now, nothing. We’ll lay down on my bed; you can have a good cry. Maybe a nap. Then we can talk about we’re going to do.”…to be continued in book 2.
More Books by Ted Evans…
Book 1 in the Love Me Again Series.
One Last Time
Timing was never on our side…
He was my first love back in college.
I thought that he would propose, that he wanted me to be his forever.
But he didn’t and I turned my back on him and moved on.
Six years later and he sees me in a wedding dress.
He thinks that finally, I’ve got the one thing that I’ve always wanted....marriage.
I want to be his bride, and only his forever.
I’m pretending to be a fake bride.
Wondering if maybe just maybe he’ll want us to be together forever, one last time.
Author's Note:
This is a standalone novel, with no cheating and a happy ever after romance story.
Chapter One
Brooklyn
A loud ring interrupted my sleep, but I closed my eyes and ignored it, rolling over in bed and pulling my covers on top of my head. I wasn’t ready to wake up yet and I had time off from work, so I intended to at least sleep in. But the loud ringing didn’t stop, and I groaned.
“Go away already! It’s too damn early…”
Finally, the ringing stopped. I was just about to settle back in, when I heard a door slam open, and a loud voice called out.
“Chief! Hey, chief! You better not still be in bed or I will beat your ass black and blue!”
At the sound of the voice, I could only wake up. Pushing myself so I was sitting up in bed, I rubbed my eyes and yawned. A moment later, my bedroom door was opening, and my friend, Nora, stepped inside. She had a heavy scowl on her face as she stood there with arms on her hips.
“Brooklyn! Don’t be lazy today of all days! If I’d known you would be like this, I would have made you stay with me! I’ve been waiting for an hour already.”
I narrowed my eyes at her and grumbled, “Noisy. This is why I didn’t want to stay with you in the first place, okay? You’re so damn annoying when you’re excited. What time is it?”
“It’s almost eight in the morning,” Nora said with a huff, folding her arms over her chest.
My eyes widened. “Wait, really?” I looked around the room, then saw my cell on the nightstand to the right. I picked it up, and sure enough, it was eight minutes to eight. “What do you mean you’ve been waiting on me for an hour? Just how early did you even wake up…?”
The soft, fluffy bed was calling to me, but seeing Nora standing there eyeing me like she was ready to toss me out of it, I reluctantly got up. I pushed off the sheets and slid my legs off the side, standing up and wobbling over to the bathroom. I was staying in my friend’s apartment for free, much to the annoyance of Nora who wanted me to stay with her.
“We’ve got our appointment at nine thirty, Brooklyn. We absolutely can't be late, okay? Do you know how difficult it was to even get that appointment?”
I shot a dark look at her over my shoulder. “It’s not like it’s that far, Nora. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with you going ahead and calling me to come after. You don’t actually need me to hold your hand…”
“Of course, I do. Why else would I have had you come here? Because we’re friends?”
Her face was full of derision, but I just rolled my eyes and didn’t take her seriously.
Nora was my best friend, and even in the six years since I’d left New York, that status hadn't changed. We were used to talking to each other, so I knew no matter what was still my best friends. Even with the distance between us, we’d visited and talked often, but this was my first time back in New York since I left, and it was because Nora was getting married.
I knew she was dating, but when I heard her boyfriend proposed, I was surprised, seeing as they´d only dated for three months, and here I was, a couple months after the proposal, Nora’s appointed chief bridesmaid.
I was with him. The one whose name I try not to say out loud for years, part of me was envious when Nora said that she’d only been dating a few months before she got the magic ring.
As I walked into the bathroom and stripped to have a quick shower, my thoughts went back to six years ago. Back when Nora and I graduated, and I was the happiest woman in the world…only, it didn’t last.
Quickly finishing up with the shower, I grabbed a towel to wrap around my hair, and the other around my body, leaving the bathroom and leaving those thoughts behind as well.
It’s all in the past, I tried to tell myself. It was just being back in New York that was making my thoughts of the past stronger.
In the bedroom, Nora had made herself at home on the bed. She also had an outfit laid out for me, which meant she’d gone through my things. I looked at the dress she’d picked for me, and frowned.
“There’s no way I’m wearing a dress that short,” I said, eyeing her maxi dress clad body pointedly. “New York is far too cold for that.”
“If you weren’t planning on wearing it, then why did you even bring it?” she retorted.
“I packed that for special occasions, not for going out with you to pick your wedding dress. I have some jeans, I’ll just put on a pair.”
She pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything as she watched me put the dress back in my suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans, a white top, and a leather jacket. I stared at her until she sighed and got off the bed to leave me to get dressed.
“What are you being so shy for? I’ve already seen all there is to see,” she complained.
“It’s been six years, what if something’s changed, huh?” I challenged. “I could have gotten a piercing or a tattoo or something.”
Nora paused and looked back at me. “Really?”
She looked curiously, but I pushed her out of the bedroom. Like hell I would do something so crazy. Not only was I very afraid of physical pain, even with all the emotional pain I left New York with, it was never enough to do something so reckless, no matter how drunk I got.
I dressed up quickly and met Nora in the living room. I wanted to go to the kitchen and whip up something to eat, but she just grabbed me and impatiently dragged me outside.
“Nora, I haven’t eaten anything,” I whined.
“Doesn’t matter, we can get something on the way.”
Her voice was a mix of anxiety and eagerness. So, I let her do as she pleased and smiled secretly behind her back.
The real reason I wasn’t staying with Nora, was because I knew she would need some time to herself. She was excited to be getting married, but she was just as equally anxious, which was why I’d had to take a couple weeks off work and come be with her as she finished the preparations for her hasty wedding. If I stayed with her, she’d keep me awake all night talking her anxiety and excitement out, and we wouldn’t get anything done.
There was also how she kept waking up too early and expecting me to follow her everywhere. It was my first time off from work in a while, yet looking after an overly excited Nora took more out of me than my job did.
We did stop by somewhere to have some coffee and muffins, then headed to the bridal store to look at wedding dresses. We were a bit early for the appointment, but since the store didn’t have any prior appointments, it wasn’t a problem. The attendant that met us led us to some seats that were situated around one of the pla
tforms where women stood on display with their dresses, and handed us a portfolio.
“Since you didn’t make any special arrangements before,” the attendant explained. “Please look over these dresses and let me know which style works for you. We have these all on hand, though we might need to adjust the size for you…”
“No, it’s all right,” Nora said quickly. “I want the size I specified before.”
The attendant hesitated, but finally nodded and stepped aside.
Nora and I started looking through the portfolio.
“Hey, Brooklyn! Come look at this one, isn’t it pretty? Oh, this one, too! And this one!”
I rolled my eyes as she kept exclaiming at each photo, but I had to admit they all looked beautiful. After ten minutes of her gushing over everything, she picked out a few she liked, and from those, I helped her pick from those what she would look best in. When we were ready, we called the attendant back so Nora could show her the dresses we wanted.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said with a firm nod, and turned around to leave.
Nora fidgeted beside me, her leg bouncing uncontrollably as she twisted her hands together. Seeing her so obviously nervous, I put my hand on top of hers and gave a light squeeze.
“Honey, if you keep acting this nervous I’m going to wonder if you really want to marry this boyfriend of yours,” I joked.
She looked up at me in surprise, as if she’d forgotten my presence for a moment, then let out a light laugh.
“Of course I want to marry him, Brooklyn! I know it hasn’t even been a year yet… but Paul just makes me so happy, when he proposed, how could I possibly say no?”
“He hasn’t officially given you a ring yet,” I said with lips pursed in disapproval.
“It’s not his fault,” Nora defended earnestly. “Paul’s been having a tough time at work so money is tight for him. I actually met him when he was about to get fired, but he managed to fight to keep it. I’m not in such a hurry to get an engagement ring, he promised me one before the wedding ceremony, anyway. And even if I don’t get one, a wedding ring would suffice for me.”