"Fuck!" Standing on weak legs, I grabbed my purse, phone, keys, and headed to the store, not caring if they fired me. Grabbing my phone from the passenger seat, I called my boss halfway to the nearest grocery store. "Karen, hey."
"Elle, are you okay?" The concern in her voice only jacked up nausea in my gut.
"No, I'm not feeling well. I think I've come down with a bug."
Her reply came quick. "No problem. Take today and tomorrow off. Hope you're better soon."
A nervous laugh bubbled out. "Thanks, me too."
Not too many people were crowded inside as I barged through the automatic doors. Head down, I ventured directly to the section of the store dedicated to feminine products. I gulped, blankly staring at the multitude of pregnancy tests.
My phone buzzed, and I answered the call without thinking. "Hello?"
"What's wrong?"
I cringed, hating the fact Alyssa could tell something was up just by the simple hello. "Nothing," I squeaked out.
"Bullshit! I've known you since forever. Spill it."
"Um, I can't say," I whispered, afraid the boxes would shout my secret.
"Elle, seriously?" A pause, then a huff. "Answer this, are you hurt, and do I need to hurt anyone?"
I sighed. God, I wished Alyssa were with me. She'd help me pick out the best stupid test. "No, I'm just getting a few tests. I'll call you in a bit."
"Okay," she said, dragging the word out. Then a pause. "Holy shit! You're pregnant!" One reason I hated and loved Alyssa, again, she knew me too well. The silence went on through the line as tears pricked my dry eyes. I blinked them back.
"I-I'm not sure." My chest squeezed. "I'm going to check." I picked up a box and flipped it over, reading the instructions.
"I'm on my way. Which store?"
"No, I'm almost done here."
"Fine, I'll meet you at the house." The line went dead, and I stared at the row of tests in front of me. Why the hell were there so many choices? Which test was more reliable? Some read as accurate on the first missed period. Some were digital, a simple yes or no answer. I grabbed one of each and booked it to the checkout lane.
"You think you have enough?" He laughed. The punk kid should learn manners.
"Hilarious," I deadpanned.
"Whatever," he mumbled.
I grabbed the bag after handing him money and drove home. Parked in the driveway, I saw Alyssa waiting next to the front door. I went to her, clutching the sack holding my future. "I'm scared."
She hugged me tightly. "You're the most responsible person I know."
"Obviously not." We headed into the house, and I brushed away the moisture in the corner of my eyes. Two water bottles later, and my bladder screamed to be emptied.
"How about we see if I'm gonna be an aunt or not?" Alyssa managed to produce a genuine smile. "You want me in there with you or can you pee alone?"
A hysterical laugh come out. "I think I got that part down." I shut the door on her, then peed on as many tests as possible. "Ew," I shouted, my hands unsteady.
"Disgusting, hurry and wash your hands," Alyssa hollered, accurately. Thank God Tristan wouldn't be home until after lunch. "Are you going to come out, or am I going in?"
One breath in and out helped the shit-storm battling inside my chest. Every time I turned to check the results, I ended up grabbing the trash can and hurling instead.
"N-no, stay out," I called when the doorknob turned. After a splash of cold water on my face, and a sip of water from the faucet to swish out my mouth, I sucked in a breath, ready to open the bathroom door.
"Spud, you home?"
Shit! Double shit. The sound of footsteps echoed closer by the second. I gathered the boxes and hid them under the sink, then tucked the two handfuls of tests behind my back. "What do you want me to do?" Alyssa whispered through the wooden door.
I swallowed. "I don't know. Stall."
"Amazon, what are you doing here?"
"Elle's car broke down so I gave her ride," Alyssa said quickly.
"Spud, you okay?" The soft knock at the door stirred up my nerves again. The trash can would have to be thrown out after today.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" The accusation in Tristan's voice amounted to worry, but Alyssa shut him down.
"You'll find out in about ten seconds unless you keep up the 'I'm a dick' attitude."
The quick whisk of air from yanking the bathroom door open blew Alyssa's hair past her shoulders. I poked my head out. "Alyssa, I'll be okay. I'll call you in a little bit."
"Elle?" Tristan ran his fingers through his hair.
"Don't be an ass." Alyssa punched his shoulder.
Tristan didn't flinch, his gaze holding mine captive. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. Everything's fine. Yup, all good." I smiled. A big fat grin plastered across my lying face. My legs turned to noodles the closer Tristan stepped to me.
Alyssa pushed Tristan back to hug me. "Call if you need me." She leaned closer to my ear. "Don't be scared. You'll be all right," she whispered quickly.
Tristan scowled. So many emotions passed through those golden-brown eyes. "Got something behind your back, Spud?"
Ignoring Tristan, I said to Alyssa, "Thanks for the help. I'll call later."
Alyssa nodded once and retreated out of the room. I remained silent until the front door shut.
Tristan's frown deepened. "What the hell is going on?" The quiver in his tone tore at my chest.
"Um?" God, this was not how I expected to find out if we were having a baby.
Worry brushed across Tristan's face. "Elle, baby, tell me what's wrong." He nodded to my hands behind my back.
I couldn't show him. Hell, I couldn't look myself. I shook my head as tears streamed down my cheeks. Tristan leaned around me to grab the plastic I had clenched in my fists.
He gasped when I released my hold. "Elle?"
"I haven't looked yet." I swiped at my bleary eyes and searched his face. "Tristan, say something."
"Baby." He stumbled backward and landed on the floor.
Tristan
Pink lines, double lines, and the definitive one-worded "yes" swirled in my mind until the meaning sank in.
Holy fuck.
A baby.
Elle–having a baby.
My baby.
Father.
A dad–me. Shit! Shit! Shit!
All sound vanished. Sweat beaded at the back of my neck, and my mouth turned dry. Why the fucking sauna?
A gasp from above slammed into my ears, and I snapped back to reality. Elle stared, her shaking hands cupped over her mouth. Terror mixed with tears in her bright green eyes. Shit! Get a grip, Daniels.
I jumped up and grabbed her shoulders. "Look at me."
Elle's lip trembled–her entire body trembled. I hugged her as wetness soaked the front of my shirt. "What are we going to do, Tristan," she said on repeat.
"It's okay. Shhh." We rocked back and forth as I continued calming her, though the action did little to tamp down the storm raging inside my head.
Elle hadn't heard me over her own pleas.
"Elle, listen." I brought her face close and kissed the tip of her red nose. She blinked through the tears, her face blotchy and swollen–and still beautiful. "I love you." I waited for those words to sink in before saying more. When she quieted, I continued, "I'm not upset."
Elle frowned. "You're not mad?"
A frustrated sigh escaped. Why would she jump to that conclusion? When in the hell would she realize we were a team? "No, not mad. Stunned, yes, but not mad."
Her frown deepened. "I don't know how this happened. I've never missed a pill. I take it at the same time every day. I swear. I–"
I couldn't stand to listen to the blame any longer. "Let's get out of the bathroom."
She nodded. "O-okay."
In the living room, Elle sat on the couch and tucked her feet under her legs, and I settled beside her, wanting her body against me. So many questions streamed through my
mind. I asked the easiest one first. "When did you think you were pregnant?"
Elle's shoulders lifted to her ears as she sucked in a shaky breath. "This morning." Elle averted her eyes to her lap and chewed on her lip before adding, "When I opened the new pack of pills. They're in a three-month set. I'm not even sure how far along I am."
"All right," I said letting her words filter in.
Elle blinked, and tears fell as she stared at nothing in particular. What bothered me most? The lost, stranded expression as if I weren't around. Elle planned details, she didn't jump off cliffs for the hell of it.
"Elle, look at me." She shook her head, so I hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to mine. "Spud," I whispered.
She stared up at me, her lip quivering. "I wanted a wedding first. Hell, we haven't even finished college. I pictured us stable and–" She stopped, tears rolling down her face again, and slammed her eyes shut.
"Look at me," I repeated.
She refused. Stubborn-ass woman.
I picked her up and situated her on my lap. "This wasn't expected, but I want a family with you." I smiled, hoping to erase some of the worries from her. God, I couldn't stand to see her so… so defeated. "Looks like we get to start it a little sooner than we planned."
"But how will we afford to raise a baby?"
She talked as if we weren't adults who'd been living on our own for four years. "People do it every day."
"But you'll be going off to play football, and I'll be alone."
"No, you won't." I swiped under her swollen eyes with my thumbs. "I'll be with you. You won't do this alone. Ever."
"I'm scared," she admitted, resting her forehead on mine. "What if I'm a shitty mom?"
Elle couldn't do anything wrong; she loved more than anyone I knew. "First of all, you don't know how to fail. Second, if we mess up with the first kid, we'll just have another and start over."
Elle sat up. "Tristan." The light made its way back in her eyes.
"We'll work this out together."
"Your parents are going to hate me." Elle looked at me. "Oh, man. Forget your parents; Mom is going to kill me." Her eyes widened. "And you."
Reality sank in a little deeper, but after seeing Elle's tear-filled eyes, all insecurities went away.
"Fuck them. We got this," I said.
She laughed, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "You're full of shit if you think I believe you."
"I'm serious." Partially, but she didn't need to know it. "You"–I fit my hand across her stomach and smiled–"and this little one are the only people who matter. You two come first."
"Tristan Wade Daniels, I couldn't possibly love you more, yet you prove me wrong all the time." Elle kissed me, and I shifted her so both of her legs were on either side of my thighs.
Unfortunately, Elle ended the kiss, her face already shining with motherly affection when she moved back. "So we're doing this, we're having a baby?"
I nodded, gripping her hips and tugging her forward. "Thank you."
"For getting pregnant?"
"For this." I spread my fingers over her stomach. "For choosing me, and for allowing me to love you for the rest of our lives."
Elle threaded her fingers through my hair. "The day you threw sand in my hair when we were four was the day I vowed to love you forever."
"You were easy, even back then." I winked. "Forever has a nice ring to it."
"It does," she said.
Sometimes it's the unexpected events life tosses your way that turn out to be the ones you treasure most.
Elle
Now that I'd processed everything, worrying Tristan wouldn't be happy was ridiculous. He made it clear how much he loved me. Wrapping my head around the unexpected surprise didn't make it any easier to deal with, though–even with both our feet in.
Tristan ditched the only afternoon class he had, along with plans to hang with the guys, to stay home with me. We ate because that's what I did in stressful times.
Tristan wore the promise of fatherhood well, and admittedly, his excitement infected me. "Have you thought of names? What about the room? If he's a boy, I want sports. But if she's a girl, I want a prison."
I yawned. "Hardly seems fair, right?"
He shrugged, wearing the sloppy grin I loved so much. "If she looks anything like her mother, she won't be allowed out of the house."
That afternoon, sprawled across the bed, we joked and laughed. The tension up my back and across my shoulders relaxed the more we talked.
Tristan rubbed the back of his neck. "Spud, I've got to bring something up."
I waved a hand toward him to go on.
"Why didn't you call me when you thought you were pregnant?" Tristan cocked his head to the side.
"Seriously? Alyssa called while I was in the store. Believe it or not, she guessed."
"So you weren't avoiding telling me?"
How to answer Tristan's question without sounding like I had been avoiding him? "I wanted to be sure before I told you, and, well, my plan backfired."
Tristan held my face. "Just so you know, you can tell me anything. Please don't hide from me."
I gripped his wrists and smiled. "It's you and me, Daniels." We both glanced to my stomach, then up again. "Er, I guess the three of us now."
Tristan pressed a kiss to my forehead. When he pulled back, I melted at the amount of love in his eyes. "I'm happy, Spud. So fucking happy."
Throughout the afternoon I dozed on and off. Later, Tristan cooked grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and tomatoes for dinner. After one sandwich down, and fluttering of my lashes, Tristan whipped up another round.
"How're you feeling?" Tristan asked, handing me a chocolate milkshake.
"I'm pregnant, not dying." I sucked down a big gulp, freezing the roof of my mouth. A second later, cold pricks speared my brain. I squinted, rubbing my forehead.
"I want you comfortable until we get news everything is okay with you and my baby."
Referring to the baby as his turned my insides to mush. Earlier, Tristan begged to tell his parents, or Bret, hell, even Alyssa, but I said no. I wanted to be sure the pregnancy was healthy before sharing our news.
Unease crawled up my spine. I didn't drink every day, but I'd indulged on occasion. "I'm fine. Stop fussing over me."
Tristan caged my head between his arms, his beaming face inches from mine. "I'll do what I want, when I want, to you." His lips twitched up in the corner.
"Spud, I want you to consider quitting your job at the coffee shop. I don't feel comfortable with you there. I'd rather pay to keep you in bed, sans clothing. I'm always generous with tips, too." The gleam in his eyes, in addition to him basically paying for sex, was too much.
"No can do." I slurped melted ice cream through the straw.
"You're up too late meeting deadlines for the student paper as it is. You don't need the added stress of working, plus you're on your feet too much." He shielded my stomach with a protective hand. "You're both my responsibility."
"This isn't the fifties, caveman. Women work every day." I shooed him away. "I'll be fine. Now let's watch a movie."
A few minutes later, we'd decided what to watch. My stomach growled, and Tristan glanced down. "Seriously? You're hungry?"
I shrugged. "Popcorn sounds amazing."
He headed to the kitchen, mumbling. When he came back, he smiled. "This kid's gonna play ball."
"The odds are pretty good."
The microwave dinged. Tristan pushed away from the couch, on his way to the kitchen. A minute later, he sat a bowl of piping-hot, home-style popcorn between us.
"Ready to watch the last season of The Walking Dead?"
"Just a sec," he said. Tristan hopped up and ran to the kitchen. He came back with a bottle of water for us both before clicking off the lights.
"Now?" I grinned.
"Yup," he said, resting against the couch.
I pressed start for the first disc to play, fully intending to watch the entire season.
Relaxed, my lids grew heavy. I yawned, then closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them again, Tristan hovered above me, pulling the covers over my shoulders.
"Hey?" I yawned, moisture dripping from the corners of my eyes.
"Hey." Tristan brushed the drops from my cheek.
"I really had planned to watch the entire set."
"It's okay." Tristan pulled the comforter back, snuggling next to me in bed.
"So tomorrow I'll call my doctor to set up an appointment."
"Mmhm."
"You still okay with this?" My eyes burned like I'd scrubbed them with sandpaper as I fought to keep them open. I yawned once more.
"You've no idea." Tristan pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Now get some sleep."
"Love you," I mumbled before sleep pulled me under.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Tristan opening and closing drawers. Sitting up, I stretched my arms above my head. "Where are you off to?"
Tristan glanced over his shoulder. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
I shrugged. "No big deal."
"I'm gonna run to the store. Need anything?"
"Not that I can think of."
Dragging myself up and out of bed, I grabbed some clothes then headed to the bathroom.
Teeth brushed, I headed to the front of the house. Tristan stood against the kitchen counter, sipping coffee from my favorite mug. He smiled as I sat at the bar. "I changed my mind," I said. "We should tell our parents."
Tristan walked over and leaned on the counter, resting on his forearms. "You sure about this?"
Once I'd made up my mind, the smile plastered across my lips refused to leave. "Positive."
"That's what the test said." He winked, and I laughed at the terrible joke.
"Rock-Paper-Scissors to see which set we call first?"
Tristan combed his fingers through his hair. "Sure, that definitely sounds like a mature way of dealing with important decisions."
I put a hand on my hip and glared. "Get over here." After a round of best two out of three, I waited for Mom to pick up the line.
"Elle?"
"Hey, Mom." I glanced at Tristan for encouragement. "So, you're on speaker. Tristan's here."
"How's my favorite almost son-in-law?"
Interception (Distraction #3) Page 9