“Is she going to the doctor soon?”
“She’s a stubborn woman, I guess. She loves to avoid doctors at all costs.”
“One of those, then?”
Nick nodded.
“That’s got to be pretty stressful for you.”
“I’m not exactly a fan of doctors myself. It’s not that I don’t trust the science or anything, but doctors tend to be a little rude.”
“The campus health center is pretty good. They’re used to dealing with college students.”
“Ouch. At least she’s got someone now, right?”
“She’s got me.”
“I heard that.”
“I tried not to advertise, but it seems that rumors fly in this place.” He offered a weak smile.
“It’s too bad she’s been sick. I heard that some of her students are starting to get worried about her.”
“She’s just fine,” Nick assured.
“Is she?”
“Why wouldn’t I know that?” He grinned across the desk. “I spend a lot of time with her.”
“Well, of course. It’s all over the school.”
“Don’t people have anything better to talk about?”
“You were in college once. If the two hot professors on your campus were hooking up, wouldn’t you talk about that?” The TA shrugged. “I’m just wondering. There are a lot of rumors out there about her.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“Man, I had a friend get sick like that and she found out she was pregnant.”
Nick paled. “What?”
“It was just a joke. There’s no way that she’s actually pregnant.”
He thought back over the time that they’d had together. The nights of passion. And they hadn’t talked about any sort of protection the first few times that they had been together. Instead, they focused on the passion of being together. He thought about all of it, and realized there was a very real possibility that Rosalinda was pregnant. And it was just about the time to hit the first bout of morning sickness, if his math was correct. “Yeah.”
“Something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Wait. Is she actually pregnant?”
Nick shook his head. “No. I don’t think so, at least. Pretty sure she’s not, actually.”
“I heard you guys have been spending a lot of time together.”
Nick smiled softly. “I haven’t been to my own apartment in days.”
“When are you two going to just move in together?”
“I don’t know yet. There’s no need to really rush it, I don’t think. I can keep my apartment for a while.”
“That’s two different sets of bills, though.”
“It’s fine,” Nick shrugged. “I’m sure she’s going to feel better soon.” He reached down and patted his pocket. The ring box had been there for days. He knew that it was too early to ask her, but they had known each other for their entire lives, and it felt like they were together for a lot longer than they had been. It felt like they had been hurtling toward spending their lives together since the first time that they had spent the night together. It was a connection that Nick didn’t think he could live without, now that he’d identified it.
“Yeah,” Ben agreed. “It’s probably just some kind of bug.”
“Yeah. Thanks for that. But I think things are going pretty well from here,” he nodded. “Thanks for the offer, though.”
“How many times do you have to say thanks?”
“Sorry. I guess I’m just a little out of it lately.”
“Is it a good kind of out of it, or a bad kind?” the younger man teased.
“Probably a good kind,” Nick said with a forced laugh, trying to show that he wasn’t freaking out over the fact that Rosalinda might be pregnant again.
“Just probably?”
Nick shifted in his seat. He was still desperately trying to play it cool. There was so much that could go wrong. He tried to remind himself that it was going to be fine if Rosalinda really was pregnant, but he realized he would probably be more upset if he got his hopes up and she ended up not being pregnant. His hopes were a dangerous thing. “What can I say? Some things don’t quite fit perfectly in any box.”
“I guess that’s the truth,” The TA grinned and finally slipped out of the office.
Nick barely waited until the door was closed to start searching for the symptoms of pregnancy. As he read, the realization struck. This was a very real possibility. Rosalinda could be pregnant again. He rubbed his face with his palm. “I can’t believe this. We should have been safer.”
He forced himself to take deep calming breaths, counting to ten as he did so. “It’s fine. It’s going to be fine. No matter what, it’s all going to be okay.” He made the promise to himself, not sure if he even believed it. “Let’s just hope that she doesn’t freak out over it.”
27
A New Start
Rosalinda sat in the bathroom and stared at the plastic perched on the edge of the sink. The little purple cap of the stick hung over the edge, precariously balanced. It was like it was pointing directly at her. “What am I going to do?”
The idea had come to her not long after Nick had left. Luckily, she had been feeling well enough to drive to the local pharmacy and pick up a test. Now, she was alone at the house. It had been a good time to do something like this. “What am I going to do if it’s positive?” she groaned. “It won’t be that bad, will it?” She kept talking to herself as she paced out the clock. “Will he run away again?”
Rosalinda put her forehead against the wall and made her feet stop moving. There was so much that she could be doing, but there was no way she could concentrate until those three minutes were up.
She checked her phone. Only two minutes had passed; one more to go. She felt like she was losing her mind and went back to pacing.
Thirty seconds left. She opened up a game on her phone, trying to make herself do anything else in order to not think about what that test was going to say. She matched baked goods on her phone until the clock ticked over to the next minute, and she couldn’t hold out any more.
She rushed over to the test and saw the results. The word splashed across the screen. “Pregnant. I’m pregnant,” she groaned to herself. “How am I going to tell him?”
Rosalinda walked back out to the living room in shock and reached for her phone. She had to call Nick. She had to let him know. But she had no idea how to do it. It wasn’t like she had experience telling a man that she was expecting his child.
Dominick was at school already, so at least she didn’t have to worry about him overhearing. Still, she decided to text Nick instead, asking him to come back as soon as he could. He was back within minutes of the end of his last class, rushing right up to the door. She met him there and opened it for him. “Nick!”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, breathless.
“You’re home early.”
“You asked me to hurry.” He looked at her up and down. “Did something happen?”
“Nothing happened.”
“Is Dom okay?” He questioned the young woman. “Is he hurt? Is he upset? Did something happen to him?”
“Nothing happened to Dom.” She shook her head and drew in a shaky breath.
“You look upset,” Nick said.
“I’m not upset. I guess I’m just confused,” she admitted. Nick took her hand, squeezing it softly.
“You can talk to me about everything and anything.”
Rosalinda shook her head. She knew that she could talk to him, but this was hard to talk to anyone about.
“What are you confused about?” Nick asked.
“I’m not sure how to feel about this.” She clenched the test in her hand. She was purposely hiding it from him as she tried to find the right words. “It’s a little weird.”
“What’s a little weird?”
She paused.
“You can tell me anything,” Nick repeated, before sh
e had a chance to formulate what she was thinking.
“I don’t know how to say it,” she shook her head.
“Say what? Did something happen? Did Janice break the restraining order?” Nick glanced out the window, then turned around to make sure that the door was locked. “I thought I got through to her.”
“I haven’t heard from Janice since she was given the no-contact order,” Rosa shook her head. “It’s not like that.”
“Good or bad?” He looked hopeful.
“Good, I think. I hope it’s good.” She drew in a deep breath. “I hope you think it’s good.”
“That’s better than me sitting here and imagining the worst possible way that any of this could go. I’m sorry.” He leaned back against the wall. “I was starting to panic.”
“I noticed.”
“What’s going on then, Rosa? You know I’m not going to get mad at you or anything. Did you win the lottery?”
She shook her head and held up the test in a shaking hand. “No. That’s not what happened.”
He looked down at the test. “Is that true? Is it real?” He stood there in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
She nodded, growing pale as she tried to decide how he was going to take it. “I’m sure.”
“Really sure?”
“Yeah.”
Nick suddenly picked her up and swung her around. “Rosa, this is great. That is so much better than winning the lottery.”
“You feel great about this?” she asked, taken aback.
He smiled as he set her back down. “I get that you might not be as happy, but I get to help you through it this time.”
“Is that really how you feel?”
“I want to be here. I want to help you through this. You deserve to have someone there.” He was grinning like an idiot. “And I want to be there for you. I actually have a chance to be there this time.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that if it’s possible, I’ll be there for every part of this. I promise. I was so worried that I would never be able to make up for all of the things that I missed, but now we get a new start. A new chance to make the right decisions.”
She looked up at him. “It isn’t always nice and pretty.” Her eyes were wide. “Pregnancy isn’t pretty at all.”
“I know.”
“People tend to romanticize it, I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “It will be a lot of me not feeling well. Of me feeling fat.”
“And of me thinking that you’re absolutely beautiful,” he said with a smile.
“Then there are the appointments. And giving birth is so messy.”
“I know. And I don’t care. I want to take care of my family.” He looked at her earnestly. “I want to be with you through all of this. I want to be with you, with Dom, and with the new baby.”
Rosalinda frowned suddenly. “This house only has two bedrooms.”
“We’ll need a bigger one, then.” He was grinning like an idiot.
“I’ll have to buy one.” She looked a little taken aback.
“I can help with that,” Nick offered. “I want to help with that. I can help you buy a new house. Get something big enough for a family of four.”
“A family of four?”
“I figure I’m here most of the time, anyway.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Look. This is what we both want. I want to be with you. I want to raise this family with you. And adding more to it isn’t something that scares me at all.”
She felt herself melt into his words. They sounded absolutely perfect as they rang in her ears. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. It’s going to be perfect. I’m ready to do everything right. I’m ready to be with you…” he quieted suddenly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing Nick’s sudden pause.
“It’s just. I wasn’t going to do this yet.”
“What are you saying?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure it’s the right time to talk about this… But I’ve been thinking about it. I know it’s early and everything, but with this going on,” he paused again.
“What about it? Are you wanting to move in with me?”
He sighed. “Maybe something more than that.”
“Like how much more?”
He pulled a small package out of his pocket. “I was hoping that I could marry you. We’ve known each other forever.”
“Really?” she asked, stunned.
“I know we’ve only been together for a couple of months, but I’ve known you my whole life. You were my first love. And I’d like to think that I was yours.” He kissed her hand. “I want to be with you forever.”
She nodded, staying quiet. Time to think was in high demand at the moment. There was a lot to process.
“I want your life to be perfect. I want everything to be perfect. I want you to have a great life.”
“Why?”
“Why do I want the woman that I love to have an amazing life?” He tilted his head.
She sighed. “No. Like, why do you want to marry me?”
“Because I love you.”
“I know that. But I’m confused, I guess. I don’t really know what I’m doing, here. I’ve never had someone I loved before. I’m still kind of feeling my way around.”
“I know it’s early, but we can have a long engagement. You don’t even have to answer right now. I get it. Just take it easy. Right now, you need to be comfortable. I’m not going to push, or anything.”
“Really?”
“Take your time. Really. It’s got to be overwhelming right now.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I’ve got the ring if you decide you want to marry me.” His hands were shaking as he held hers. “I want this to happen.”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. It’s just a lot to think about”
“I know. Maybe you can decide later. Don’t worry about that. What can I get you in the meantime?”
“I’m doing all right,” she paused. “I do have a question.”
“What is it? Ask me anything.” Nick sounded eager.
“This isn’t something about the whole ‘make an honest woman out of me,’ is it?”
“No. That’s old fashioned. I want to marry you because I want to be near you, forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to grow old with you, and I want to watch our kids grow up happy and healthy.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll marry you.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.” All of her insecurities had melted away. Nick really loved her, and she really loved him.
“There’s nothing more that I could ever ask for.” He captured her lips into a powerful kiss, pulling her soul close to his with the passion that flowed between them. She could feel explosions of sensation happen around them as the world started to shake.
This was the kind of perfection that she had never thought would happen to her. But she wouldn’t trade it for the world. His hand started to toy with her hair.
Her hands reached up to tug at his shirt. It was soon tossed off to the side and forgotten. Everything was absolutely perfect, his skin against hers as they made love on the couch. They couldn’t even get to the bed, bodies joined together, making them one perfect form.
Rosalinda was in love. She loved everything about Nick. And as his body moved, she felt his perfection wash right over her form. She’d found a family that she never thought that she would have.
And now, she had a man who was going to be her husband making love to her. The rocking motions brought her to the edge of release time and again. But he was steady and strong, kissing her through orgasm after orgasm until her mind went blank and she couldn’t remember how they had gone from kissing to tangled up in each other.
They didn’t stop until the phone rang, and it was time to go pick up their son.
You can follow me on the websites below:
> Facebook
Goodreads
Bookbub
Here are a few of my other works:
Protective Captain
Riding the Rich Box Set
Kissing the Alpha Box Set
Hard Guardian
Hard Protector
Hard Bounty
Protective Captain
A Secret Virgin Romance
1
Charlie: Man, It’s a Hot One
Every time I heard the phrase, “Yeah, but it’s a dry heat,” I had to laugh. My oven is a “dry heat” too, but that doesn’t mean I want to live in it.
But, what do you expect when you live in Arizona in the summer?
I was at CVS and overheard two tourists debating the weather. “It’s too hot here,” the man said, as he held the freezer door open.
“But, it’s a dry heat,” his wife replied as she grabbed a huge bag of ice out of the freezer. “Remember last year in Hawaii?”
I chuckled as I made my way up to the counter. At least we were on the Colorado River.
“Are you all ready for your trip, Charlie?” Mrs. Anderson handed me my purchase.
I stopped by the market to get some last-minute items before I left Parker. I’d never been on a cruise before and wasn’t sure if I was going to get seasick, so I’d gotten some of those patches and pills. Plus, sunscreen and travel-sized toiletries. The smiling couples on the condom wrappers mocked me. I sure didn’t need to bring any of those. I still hadn’t used the pack my best friend Sam gave me as a joke on my 21st birthday. Virgins don’t need condoms.
“Almost.” I took the bag and gave her a smile. “Just a few more things to pack.”
“I hope it goes well. We’re all rooting for you here, Charlotte.”
I hated when people still called me that. My name was Charlotte Marie Miller, but I’d been calling myself Charlie for more than five years now. There are fewer than 3100 people in this town. Is it that hard to remember someone’s name?
Mrs. Anderson handed me a receipt as long as my arm and I remembered that I’d forgotten to update my account to receive electronic receipts. I could wallpaper my living room with these CVS receipts.
The Alpha's Second Chance Page 26