He plays with a strand of my hair, twirling it through his fingers. “No, but is any time a good time? We’ll get through this. I promise.”
“I was so scared you were going to leave me,” I whisper, feeling my throat close up.
He squeezes me tighter against his chest. “I’d never leave you.” He pauses when he realises he did kind of leave me. “For long anyway. I just had to get my head out of my arse. I’m so sorry you had to deal with this on your own.”
“I can’t believe we’re going to be parents,” I murmur, a smile spreading across my face.
“I hope we have a girl who looks just like you,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Nope. I want a little boy like you. I want him to have your eyes, your skin tone, and your heart.”
“He does sound perfect. Maybe a boy would be better.”
I giggle, poking his belly. He laughs, pulling away a little.
“That’s mean.”
“I’m sorry. But seriously, I’d be in jail by the time I’m what… thirty-seven, because I’ve beaten her boyfriend to death.”
I shove my face in his chest, laughing. His chest vibrates under me with his own laughter.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I tell him after a moment, looking up at him.
He glances down at me, smiling. “I shouldn’t have been anywhere else. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
*** *** ***
“Are you sure you should be working?” CJ asks, looking around the busy library.
I wrap my arms around his neck, smiling at his concerned expression. I feel fine. It’s been two days since we found out and went to the doctors to get it confirmed. We have an appointment with the midwife booked for a week’s time and will go from there. My morning sickness is still present, but if I stay away from the scent of food, I’ll be fine.
“I’m fine. After my shift’s over we can go home and relax, get ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’ll meet our parents and Willow’s mum for dinner, tell them the good news, then meet everyone else at home and fill them in. Everything will be fine.”
He looks doubtful. “What about the all the heavy lifting? Maybe I should stay and help out.”
I raise my eyebrows at that. “We agreed last night that we were to act like nothing is different and now you want to co-work with me? People, including my boss, will ask questions. Stop worrying, CJ. And you have classes until three. You can’t blow off another day. You graduate this year; you don’t want to risk jeopardising that.”
He still doesn’t look convinced. “I just don’t feel right leaving you. I want to keep you safe.”
Ah, so that’s what this is about. I rub his cheek, stepping further into his embrace. “I’m sorry you had a scare the other day, but as you can see, I’m fine. I’m surrounded by people, and you’ll be here when I’m finished.”
He inhales, his shoulders sagging. “Okay—but keep your phone on you. If you need me, ring me. Don’t worry about me being in class.”
“Okay,” I agree.
His squeezes my hips, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Are you scared about telling the parents tomorrow?”
I relax. “Petrified,” I admit. “You?” I’ve been putting on a brave face because he seemed so cool and collected.
But I’m terrified of my dad’s reaction. It’s not going to be a good one, that’s for sure. When we rang them yesterday, I just told Dad I wanted him to meet Milly and for Milly to meet him and Willow’s mum. He seemed pleased, but it won’t last long when I tell him the news.
We didn’t want to tell Willow or Cole until we had told our parents. They’ve been badgering us to tell them what has been going on, but we’ve managed to get away with vague answers.
“Honestly, I was fine until I woke up this morning. Your dad killed me in my dreams, Allie.”
“My dad won’t hurt you,” I tell him, laughing a little.
He raises an eyebrow. “Are you serious? He’s going to neuter me. Why do you think I picked a public place to tell them rather than having dinner at my mum’s house? I want witnesses. Lots of them. And I’m hoping one of them will help in my time of need.”
I giggle, shaking my head at him. “You’re being a drama bear, as usual. Dad said he’ll be here around five. I finish at four tomorrow, so do you want me to meet you back at the flat or are you meeting me?”
He gives me a dry look. “I’ll meet you after class. It’s with Mr. Flint, right?”
I nod, biting my bottom lip. I still haven’t told him about Mr. Flint, and before, I did it because I felt like I was being paranoid. Now, I feel like I’m lying to him.
At the moment, I want to focus on telling our parents and our friends. After, I’ll find the time to tell him.
He leans down, kissing me and pulling me closer. “I love you,” he whispers against my lips when he pulls back.
“I love you too.”
“I’ll be back after my class has finished. Don’t leave without me, unless you have to. But if you do, ring me.”
I shake my head at his antics. “I will. Now shoo. I’ve got work to do.”
He thumbs my chin, kissing me, before leaving. I watch him as he walks to the door. He turns, winking at me.
“Love you, my beautiful cupcake,” he shouts. I duck my head, blushing when people turn to stare. A few girls ooh and ahh, while the lads giggle, cheering him on.
I shake my head at him and blow him a kiss.
Men.
I’m nearly at the end of my shift and I feel worn out and tired. It’s been a long day. It feels like everyone who’s anyone has wanted to check out a book, or needed help finding one.
Tina, one of the library supervisors, walks up to me, looking at her watch. “Allie, you’ve got just over an hour left of your shift, right?”
“Hi, Tina, and yes. Why?”
“Can you grab the boxes of books we just got in and start adding them into the system? I need to pop out for a minute and there’s only you and Alex here. He’s still putting away the books from the return cart.”
Biting my bottom lip, I nod. She turns and leaves, leaving me kicking myself.
CJ told me under no circumstances were I to lift anything heavy.
Now I can’t avoid it. Those boxes look heavy, and there’s more than one.
Shit.
I head over to the counter, grateful when I find the room has quietened down and a lot of students have left.
I look around, trying to spot Alex, and find him near the geometry section. He glances up from the book he’s stamping, a wide smile spreading across his face.
“Hey, you okay? It’s been pretty busy in here today, huh?”
I force a laugh, shifting nervously on my feet. “It has. Um, Alex, can I ask a huge favour?”
He looks up at the ceiling, groaning. “Please don’t ask me to take an online quiz again. I don’t need to know who my celebrity lookalike is.”
I grin at that. Good times. “I still can’t believe it came up as Harry Potter.”
He looks at me sourly. “Not all of us can be Selena Gomez.”
“I think I look more like Jade from Little Mix. Hell, we even have the same fashion style.”
He eyes me up and down, realisation dawning on his face. “Oh, my God, you actually do. In that T-shirt and skirt, you’d only need to dye your hair purple and you’d be twins.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not dying my hair purple,” I tell him, running my hand down my white T-shirt. On it, it says, Tinkerbell. I’m wearing it with my favourite purple skirt and white tennis shoes that have a Mini Mouse ears keyring attached to the shoelace. It’s one of my favourite outfits.
“Whatever,” he says, chuckling. “So, what did you want to ask me?”
“Can you help me with the new books we have in the back room, please?”
He stops putting the books on the shelf and turns to me. “I thought Tina asked you to do it. I still have to get these put away. My shift ends i
n twenty minutes.”
I feel guilty for asking, but I’m not willing to risk my baby’s life, and I know Alex will understand and help once I tell him.
I grab his hand and pull him into the aisle of books, heading towards the English books before stopping. I look around to make sure no one is watching, before facing him.
“I need you to help me because I can’t lift those boxes.”
He grins. “You brought me over here to tell me you’re weak?”
I smack his arm lightly. “No. I’ve dragged you over here because…”
“Because?”
I shake my head before straightening, taking a deep breath. “You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you. I want to tell my dad first. Okay?”
He rolls his eyes. “Are you going to tell me you’re pregnant?”
When he laughs, I wince, looking away. “Yes.”
He stops laughing, grabbing my arms. “What? Are you serious? Does CJ know? What did he say? Are you keeping it?”
“Woah, woah, woah, woah. Calm down with the questions. Yes, I’m serious, yes CJ knows, and we’re both happy about it now. We’re keeping him or her. And don’t call my baby an it.”
“Well I couldn’t say they or them, it didn’t bloody sound right.” He removes his glasses, running a hand across his face, looking deep in thought. He turns, pacing, before stopping in front of me, putting his glasses back on. “Wow. Didn’t see this coming. Are you sure this is what you want? CJ hasn’t pressured you into this? You’re really young, Allie. This is a long-term commitment.”
Although I knew people would have doubts, it hurts hearing it. I wasn’t expecting congratulations and a party, but a little faith wouldn’t have hurt.
“We’ve spoken about it thoroughly. We know this isn’t going to be easy, but we’re happy.”
“You’re really going to have a baby?” he asks, just as a face appears around the end of the shelves we’re standing by.
I shrink back when Mr. Flint grins, a sparkle in his eye I don’t like. “Well, well, well. Pregnant. Didn’t think you were the type,” he sneers, eyeing me up and down, making me feel guilty. “You do realise you won’t be able to finish school with a new baby, Miss Davis.”
I go solid at his words and the sneer in his voice. “Mr. Flint, this was a private conversation.”
He looks around the shelves of books, smiling. “Not very private in a public library.”
Alex looks between us, a frown marring his face. “Come on, Allie, let’s get those books finished.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Davis.”
I glance over my shoulder and shudder when I find him leaning against the shelves, his finger tapping his chin like he’s mulling over something. I don’t like it. Not one single bit.
When we’re out of hearing range, Alex leans in and whispers. “That guy really needs to get his arse fired. He shouldn’t speak to you like that. And I’ll get the books. You sit down and start adding them into the computer. I’ll tell Tina I’ll finish returns tomorrow morning when I come in.”
I nod, still feeling a sense of foreboding. “Thank you, Alex. And please, don’t tell anyone what I told you.”
“I won’t. I promise. Is this why you asked us to meet up tomorrow after your dad leaves?”
“Yes. We only want to tell close friends and our parents.”
He rubs my arm. “Well, I promise to act surprised tomorrow,” he tells me, before heading to the back room.
I sit down at the computer, and it’s only when my phone beeps with a message that I realise Alex didn’t congratulate me.
Is this how my other friends will react?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I’m so nervous, I’m sweating profusely. I’ve got five minutes left of class before I have to go home and get ready to meet my father and CJ’s mum. CJ and I have gone over what we’re going to say, and how we’re going to say it, but I still can’t help but keep going over it. We didn’t factor in nerves. We didn’t factor in one or both of our parents cancelling or unloading something on us. It’s not like we can give them the news if something else is going on.
Right?
I glance up from my work and lock eyes with Mr. Flint, who keeps his expression blank, like he has done most of the lesson. He’s kept his distance the entire two hours I’ve been here, and I don’t know whether to be happy about it or not. Because if I’m honest, it’s making me kind of uncomfortable. I feel like he’s up to something, but I can’t figure out what.
I grab my bottle of water, not looking away from him, and take a swig. He smirks just as I take a swig, and I begin to choke.
Please no, not now.
The water drops from my hands, falling to the floor and spilling everywhere. My stomach rolls and I begin to heave from the water going down the wrong hole.
A hand lightly taps me on the back, causing me to jump. When I look up through watery eyes, I find Mr. Flint standing next to me, holding a new bottle of water.
“Here, take this. I don’t want you sick in my class,” he whispers.
A shiver runs down my spine at the disgusted look he gives me, but needing the water since mine is gone, I take it.
“Thank you,” I croak out, opening it. I take a swig, not looking at him this time. Something about him doesn’t add up. It never has.
He doesn’t say anything, just nods and walks back to the front of the class, where his desk is located. He sits on the edge, clapping his hands together to get everyone’s attention.
“If everyone wants to finish what they’re doing, you can leave a few minutes early.”
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I grab my things, leaving the half bottle of water on the table.
CJ is waiting for me outside the doors. I smile, walking up to him. He envelops me in a hug.
“How was class?” he asks.
I shrug. “Boring.”
“You ready for tonight?”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t wait a little longer?”
He chuckles, pulling away to take my hand. We start walking towards the exit.
“We’ve got this, Cupcake. They’re going to find out sometime, might as well be from us.”
I sigh because I hate it when he’s right. “Okay, but I’ve changed my mind; you can tell the parents.”
He stops short, but I let go of his hand and keep walking, smiling to myself.
“Cupcake, you can’t be serious,” he yells after me.
I shrug and swing around to face him, walking backwards. “Dead serious.”
*** *** ***
I thought taking the pregnancy test was the scary part. I was so fucking wrong. It’s not even close.
Telling your parent that their twenty-year-old daughter is pregnant is.
I feel like I can hardly breathe. I’ve got cramps from anxiety and feel like I could throw up any second, and if we want this to go as planned, throwing up at the table isn’t going to help.
Dad walks into the fairly quiet restaurant we chose—hoping it will deter them from causing a scene.
“Dad.” I smile, walking around the table to hug him. He hugs me back, pulling me in close.
“Hi, darlin’. You okay?”
“Yes,” I lie, then turn to Melanie. She looks at me curiously before her eyes widen. I shake my head, knowing she has figured it out. She opens her mouth, looking to my father then back to me. Before she can say anything, I hug her. “Please don’t say anything. We’re going to tell them,” I whisper.
When I pull back, she nods, smiling, but it’s small. I can’t tell what she’s thinking.
“Hi, Mr. Davis,” CJ greets, shaking my dad’s hand.
“Hey, son, how’s rugby going? Allie said you had a game a few weeks ago. I’m sorry I couldn’t come down to watch.”
CJ waves him off. “It’s fine. You can come to the next one,” he tells him. “I want you to meet my mum, Milly. Mum, this is Sam, Allie’s dad, and Melanie, Willow’s mum.”
; My dad steps forward, shaking Milly’s hand. “It’s lovely to meet you. You’ve got a fine son. I couldn’t have picked better for my daughter.”
She beams, looking proudly up at her son as she leans into him. “He is pretty incredible. And you have a beautiful daughter. CJ really needed someone like her in his life. I couldn’t have wished better for him.”
CJ’s chest puffs out, ignoring his mum’s comment. “I really am perfect.”
I giggle, slapping his chest, and lean my head on his shoulder. “Stop, your head won’t fit through the restaurant door when we leave.”
He pouts, looking offended, before turning to Melanie. “Mel, a pleasure as always. Seems you’ve got yourself a catch,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
I sigh. I can’t take him anywhere.
She laughs, shaking her head. She’s actually immune to his charms. Doesn’t mean she still wouldn’t do anything he asks. He’s hard to say no to.
“CJ, lovely as ever,” she says, before turning to Milly. “It’s lovely to meet you. Willow has sung your praises. I want to take a moment to say how grateful I am to you for being there for my girl. You’ve helped her tremendously. Thank you.”
Melanie steps forward, hugging Milly. Milly looks shocked but soon returns the gesture.
“Your daughter is strong. From what she’s told me about you, she gets it from you.”
When Melanie pulls back, she has tears in her eyes. “Yes, but since she’s been speaking to you, I’ve heard and seen a spark in my daughter’s life.”
“I’m glad,” Milly says, then gestures to the table. “Shall we order drinks?”
“I hope you haven’t waited long,” Dad asks. He kisses my temple before taking a seat next to Melanie.
“No, we’ve not long got here,” I tell him, sitting next to CJ.
I take his hand under the table and squeeze. When we planned what to say, we decided to tell them before we eat. We—I mean, I, felt that waiting until we had finished would be excruciating.
It’s now or never.
I kick CJ’s leg under the table, glancing at him. Sweat pours down the side of his face, and his Adam’s apple bobs.
I kick him again. He clears his throat, looking up from the table and facing our parents.
Game Over (Whithall University Book 2) Page 21