***
We fell into this same pattern over the next few weeks. Sometimes we’d meet at the library for our studies, and a few times at the park to get fresh air. Reeve had stopped by to watch us practice archery and cheered for me during the first tournament. She’d always come and hang out to watch movies, but she never wanted to go back to the dorm.
The spare room became her room. She cooked for us and taught me to use the dishwasher. We fused into a comfortable rhythm.
Reeve dashed past me in the hall in front of my room to the bathroom. She heaved into the toilet, reminding us both about the looming pregnancy.
“Are you all right?” I stood in the doorway.
She flushed the toilet, wiped her mouth, and sat on the bathroom floor, looking up at me. “No.”
I joined her on the floor, sitting next to her. “What is it?”
She blew out a long breath. “I haven’t seen a doctor or told my mother. I don’t even have a plan for what to do. I can’t very well continue to go to school and work with a newborn. I don’t make enough money to get a place for us. I’m stuck.”
“Why not call your mother and explain the situation?” I weaved my fingers through hers.
“My mother resented me growing up. She would often say to me, ‘The key to happiness is not having children.’ She threw herself into her work. Even when she was home, she’d bury herself in her study, reading. It was a constant struggle some days. She’d complain about not having enough money, but she’d have the newest technology and the nicest work clothes, while I was stuck shopping at discount stores.” She leaned on my shoulder. “What am I going to do?”
“Where I’m from, the men don’t help much with the child-rearing,” I said.
“Why not? What did they do?” she asked.
“Plan wars.” I nodded.
“I don’t know how you keep a straight face when saying some of the things you do.” She studied me. “Maybe you should have majored in acting.”
I smiled. She made me smile a lot lately. “Why don’t we find a doctor, get you checked out, and attend a child-rearing class? We are already students. Can’t be that difficult for us to learn.”
“You’d do that for me? You’d actually go to a class to learn about taking care of newborns, even though it’s not your child?” Her brows turned inward.
“I’ll do it. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll have a child of my own.” I shrugged.
“It’s a moot point anyway. Regardless of the lack of funds, I’m stuck working and going to school. I wouldn’t have the time to go to another class.” She screamed in frustration. “I’m sorry I’m complaining about this. I know you didn’t sign up for any of it. It’s not your problem. I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me already.”
“Is this normal?” I pointed at the toilet. “Getting ill all the time, I mean.”
“Yes. Many women get morning sickness.” She frowned. “I don’t know when it’ll end, though. My baby already hates me.”
“That’s not true.” I squeezed her hand. “I’ll make an appointment to see a doctor for some time tomorrow. You’re off, right?”
“Yeah, but I can’t let you do that.” She shook her head.
“It’s one doctor’s appointment, and I promise you it won’t break my bank,” I said.
“I don’t get you sometimes. You go out of your way to help me, and listen to all my sob stories, but I don’t know anything about you. I know nothing about your family or your childhood. What happened that got you to this point where you don’t know how to cook, drive, or clean?”
Her eyes bored into me, and I knew she wasn’t going to drop it so easily this time.
Chapter 9
“I didn’t have a childhood.” I closed my eyes and laid my head against the bathroom wall. It was the truth, even though I knew she wouldn’t take it literally. “My parents were the hands-off parenting type. They paid little attention to me, and I grew up in a place in which I didn’t have to do anything for myself. We had servants, which is why I’m so inept with everything.”
“Wow.” She left her mouth in the shape of an O for a few seconds.
“I soon distanced myself from everyone, choosing to stay secluded when I was able to. Then a few months ago, I decided I couldn’t live like that any longer, so I pushed myself to move here. Try something different,” I said. “My parents weren’t happy with my decision, but they didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.”
“We were raised in two entirely different places.” She bit her lip, watching me.
Moving up from the floor, I helped her stand. “Let’s get some breakfast and get to class.”
“Are you cooking?” She grinned. “’Cause I think the fire alarms have been running overtime and may need their batteries replaced.”
“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” I smiled.
***
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Maxie asked. “We were thinking of trying out rollerblading at Cliff House. Maybe you and Reeve want to come?”
I watched Reeve making coffee. She glanced my way, smiled, and waved.
“What time?” I asked.
“Around 2:00 p.m. or so. Beat the teen crowd before they hog all the fun stuff.” Evie crinkled her nose. “It gets too crowded on Friday nights.”
“Sounds fun,” I said. Reeve’s appointment was at 10:00 a.m., which I hadn’t had the chance to tell her, yet. “Might as well get out and try new things, right?”
“Do you still have a tournament on Saturday?” Maxie asked. “We’ll totally be there.”
I nodded.
“See you tomorrow.” Maxie and Evie walked from the table before I finished my burgers.
“Oh look, the lesbian and loser table.” Mack spoke low enough, thinking I couldn’t hear his quip. The others laughed. He increased his volume when passing. “What’s up, Archer? I heard you’re tapping recycled targets these days.” He shifted his gaze toward Reeve and snickered.
Reeve’s face paled as she watched them walk past. Tate had his arm around a new girl and was whispering in her ear. She giggled, and I wondered if she was their new exploit. An urgent need for reprisal emerged inside me. Without thinking, I headed straight for them with the intention of snapping each one of their fragile necks.
Reeve stepped in front of me and touched my chest. “Whoa there, Vali.”
Anger seeped away as I focused on her hazel eyes. They pleaded with me. “They get away with too much already.” I waved my hand toward the hall they exited moments before. “Their snide remarks irritate me.”
“Yes, but beating them to a pulp isn’t going to help anything,” she said. “Ignore them, Vali. You’re better than anyone of them will ever be.”
“I will, for you,” I said.
“Thank you.” She stood on her toes, kissed my cheek, and returned to her station behind the coffee counter.
My cheek tingled. Her character and smile brought a calming effect to me…one that I’d never experienced. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Maxie peering at me. She pivoted on her heel and disappeared down another hallway. Perhaps she’d heard Mack’s jibe before they exited the cafeteria.
After archery practice, I made my way to the library to meet Reeve. I studied her through the window from the lawn. She diligently stacked the returned books and wheeled them to their rightful places, oblivious to all the students seated at the tables. Tate sat alone in one of the solo soft chairs, watching her. But after a few minutes, he followed her down an aisle.
I engaged speed and invisibility runes and rushed through the doors. My protective nature urged me to position myself right between them, but Tate was too close to her. I wanted to rip him away and throw him through the window.
“What do you want, Tate?” Reeve glared at him, clutching a book in her hand.
“To see how you are, that’s all.” Tate placed his arm on a bookcase shelf and leaned into her. “Is everything taken care of? With you know?” He glanced
at her belly.
“Why do you care? I don’t see your friends anywhere. And aren’t you afraid your reputation will be screwed if you’re seen talking to me?” Her face reddened. “You’re lucky Vali didn’t stomp you and your friends into the ground today.”
“Look, I want to know that the problem is taken care of.” Tate took a step back. “That’s all. I don’t want you to go around spreading rumors.”
“Rumors?” Her eyes widened. “It would be the truth. I’m not a liar, you ass.”
“Are you still pregnant or not?” His eyes narrowed.
“Yes, I’m pregnant.” She placed a book on the shelf. “I’m going to see a doctor tomorrow.”
He grabbed her arm. “Are you getting an abortion?”
My shoulders tensed.
She pulled away from him. “Don’t you dare touch me.”
He backed away. “Fine. Are you taking care of it?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing, yet.” She wheeled the cart down the aisle, leaving Tate gaping. He huffed and stormed out of the library.
I disengaged my runes and followed Reeve, startling her out of her thoughts.
“Oh.” She held her heart. “You scared me.” She smiled. “Where did you come from?”
“Recently arrived. I saw Tate leaving,” I said.
Her lips pursed together. “Yeah.”
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“It’s fine.” She moved down the aisle and put her last book into the right place. “Suddenly, he believes me.”
“I see,” I said. “Are you ready to get out of here?”
“Yes. Give me a minute.” She put the cart away and grabbed her bag. The older lady she worked with handled kicking out the straggling students.
I waited outside.
“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” Reeve examined the sky above.
“It is.” We strolled on the sidewalk under the streetlights. Her response to Tate’s questions pestered me, but I didn’t know how to approach the subject. “Do you have much studying to do?”
“Yes.” She clenched her teeth. “Why must there be so much reading for one literature class?”
“We have a ten o’clock appointment,” I said. “And then we are supposed to meet Maxie and Evie at Cliff House for rollerblading at 2:00 p.m.”
“Rollerblading sounds fun, but are you sure you want to go with me in the morning?” She glanced at me and then looked away. “I mean, it’s not your responsibility or anything. You’ve already done too much for me. I don’t want you to feel pressured into going because you’re my friend.”
“Will you keep it?” I asked.
She focused on the sidewalk and kicked a rock into the grass. “I don’t know, Vali. It seems easier to be over this situation. I have a scholarship and one more year left to complete. I have two jobs on top of all my studies. Besides, the father is an ass that I don’t want to be anywhere near.” Her voice trembled, and she shrugged. “It makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Twisting emotions surfaced inside me. I understood her reasoning, but it felt wrong. “Are you afraid?”
She nodded. We walked the rest of the way home in silence.
***
Facing the white wall of the examination room, a million questions popped into my head. Why does this room appear so solemn and cold? There’s no color at all. Why do they keep the temperature freezing?
“Okay, you can turn around now,” Reeve said. “I still can’t believe you came with me. This is so humiliating.” Reeve sat on a white thin paper-like sheet and wore a thin robe of the same color.
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re getting a checkup.”
The female doctor wheeled a machine into the room. “Hi, Reeve. I’m Dr. Hodge. This is your first visit, I see.” She examined a small patient folder, then noticed me. “And you are?”
“Vali,” I said.
“He’s my friend.” Reeve smiled. “Here for moral support.”
“That’s nice.” Dr. Hodge’s gaze lingered too long. “So, you wanted to know your options. You are thinking about terminating the pregnancy?”
I tensed. An overwhelming protective sensation erupted inside me.
“Um, yes.” Reeve’s face flushed.
“Let’s first see how far along you are, shall we?” Dr. Hodge moved the contraption closer to Reeve and sat next to her.
I held her hand on the other side.
“This is an ultrasound machine. We can measure the fetus to see how it’s progressed in size to give us an estimate of the due date.” Dr. Hodge turned on the machine, revealing a black screen. She assisted Reeve with moving the robe over and squeezed a clear gel onto Reeve’s exposed belly. She placed the probe atop the gel, and the screen came alive. “There’s the baby.”
Reeve squeezed my fingers. The peanut-shaped glob blinked on and off the screen before the wand on her belly settled in one place. The quick heartbeat boomed through the machine.
“That’s the baby’s heartbeat.” The doctor studied the screen and snapped a few pictures. “It appears you’re eleven weeks along, and the baby’s heart rate is strong.”
Seeing the tiny fetus stirred something within me. Even though I’d seen pregnant women and countless babes, seeing it while inside the womb mesmerized me.
She pulled the probe away and turned the machine off after taking the pictures. She handed Reeve some towels and passed the pictures to me. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, so get dressed and let’s meet in my office.”
Reeve nodded, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye.
Dr. Hodge left the room, and Reeve met my eyes. “Vali, I have to keep it.”
Chapter 10
Evie and Maxie waved us over to a table near the rink.
“Hey, you two. Are you ready to have fun?” Maxie asked.
“I can sure use it.” Reeve smiled. “But, I think Vali is having second thoughts.”
“I don’t understand the appeal to placing wheels on your feet.” I watched a few people roll by on the track.
They laughed.
Reeve helped me with the bracket-like snaps, then pulled me up. The wheels added several inches to my already tall height. At first, I held onto the table to right my balance. “Why did I agree to this?”
“Come on. I’ll help you.” Reeve held my hand and led me out onto the rollerblading rink.
Evie and Maxie whizzed by us, looking as if they were dancing on ice. They swirled around each other and even faced backward will still moving forward.
Reeve righted me again when my left foot jutted forward unexpectedly. “You’re heavier than you look.”
“Sorry about that.” Warmth invaded me when I thought about how silly it was for me to be doing this here. “I’ve never done this before.”
“I think we’ve all figured that out by now.” Reeve grinned.
We inched forward together, and Reeve assisted me until I finally got the hang of the foot wheels. Soon, I felt more confident and didn’t need as much assistance.
“Look who’s getting the hang of it.” Evie passed us again, a cheerful disposition plastered on her face.
Music blared through the entire building. Reeve appeared positively radiant as she smiled and laughed. We continued to skate for a couple of hours and then ordered fried food.
“That was fun,” Maxie said. “We haven’t done that for a long time.”
“It was a lot of fun.” Reeve sipped her sweet tea. “We should do this more often. I’m going to the ladies’ room.” She got up.
Maxie stood. “I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” I said to Evie before biting into a slice of pizza.
“It was a good afternoon date, wasn’t it?” Evie grinned. “The first double date Maxie and I have ever been on. We should do it once a week.”
“Oh, it wasn’t a date. We’re friends,” I said.
“Did you pay for her to get in?”
“Yes.”
“Did you buy her food?”
“Yes.”
“Then it was a date.” Evie slurped the remnants of her soda. “I see the way you two look at each other. The only time you smile is when she’s around. I have a feeling it’s the same with her, too.”
“How do you mean?” I ask.
“When you find the right person in your life, things fall into place. Your world changes, and you find you’re better together than you were alone.” She shrugged. “That’s how it was with Maxie and me. Alone we were miserable—low self-esteem, unsure of who we were—but when we were together, it all made sense. We fit.”
“You’d go out of your way to make the other one happy, and seeing her smile makes you smile.” Her words made sense to me.
“Exactly,” Evie smiled.
“What are you guys grinning about?” Maxie asked. She and Reeve rejoined us and slid into the booth.
“We were planning world domination.” Evie kissed Maxie.
***
Several months passed, and our routine turned into a blissful rhythm. I’d convinced Reeve to give up the coffee job by promising her I’d take care of the groceries. She slowly became more comfortable with taking advantage of the comforts I offered her. She no longer had anything left at the dorm, which made both of us happy. She cooked healthy meals for us each day. When she wasn’t working at the library, she’d watch me practice and always attended my tournaments.
I studied in the library until she got off from work, and we walked home together each night. Her belly grew, and she attended her monthly obstetrician visits. She also relented and took the daily prenatal vitamins I’d bought her. She smiled often.
When we entered the cafeteria, Evie and Maxie were sitting at our usual table. We joined them.
“Look at you.” Maxie studied Reeve. “You’re positively glowing.”
Reeve blushed.
Evie elbowed Maxie.
“What?” Maxie asked. “It’s not like she’ll be able to hide it much longer.”
“Why couldn’t you wait until she told us?” Evie glowered. “You’re too forward.”
The Runes Universe: Imperfect Souls (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5