by Harlow James
Once he finishes his business, he sits right down next to his turd as he watches me take a plastic bag out of the holder attached to his leash so I can pick up his mess.
“I hate the way you look at me while I do this, you know? I mean, normally we’re pals, man…but the way you look down on me while I pick up your shit makes me want to punch you in the face sometimes.” He darts his tongue out to lick his lips and then something catches his attention to his left, drawing his eyes in that direction. “Glad you feel bad about it.”
It’s been a week since Silas’s first delivery, and they haven’t stopped since then. I opened my door today to a box of pre-made smoothie cups that you store in the freezer until you want to make one. Apparently, I need to make sure to take in five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
First of all, is there any self-respecting human on the planet that can honestly say they do that? And secondly, the idea of fruits and veggies makes me gag.
But, I wanted to try one since he went through the trouble and spent the money, even though I know money is no object for him. And now, as I lean down to pick up a rather large turd for such a small dog, I’m instantly regretting that decision.
When I stand up, dizziness assaults my senses, forcing me to reach out to grab the closest thing for stability, which just so happens to be a trash can. Clutching the leashes of the three dogs I have with me this morning, I brace myself for the vomit that I know is coming and wait for it. Within seconds, I’m upchucking my breakfast as the dogs sit by and watch me with curiosity.
When the heaves subside, I look down at the ground to make sure they’re still there, but that’s the last thing I remember before everything goes black.
* * *
“Oh, thank God!” Shayla rips open the curtain surrounding the hospital bed I’m currently lying in as I blink to adjust to the fluorescent lights above me when her voice startles me awake.
“Shayla?” I try to sit up in bed, but she pushes me back down, which is probably a good thing since I’m instantly dizzy.
“No, don’t sit up.” She strokes my hair out of my face. “My God, Chloe. Are you okay?”
I look around the room, trying to remember how I got here. “I…I guess. What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
“No.” I shake my head, and then a thought crosses my mind. “Is the baby…?” I blink as fear rushes through me. Did something happen to my baby? Is that why I passed out?
“Chloe,” Dr. Wilson says as she steps around Shayla and smiles down at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Discombobulated. Worried.” I take a deep breath and blow it out. “Doc, how did I get here?” I search the room as if the answers to the mystery will be written on the walls.
She clutches her clipboard to her chest. “A good samaritan on the street saw you pass out on the sidewalk and called 9-1-1. Luckily your head landed on one of the dogs you were walking when you fell. I mean, not lucky for the dog, but lucky for you.”
“Was it Sir Frances?” I ask, hoping that ironically I got my revenge for the four shits the little guy took today.
“I…I honestly don’t know.” She furrows her brow at me. “But, it was lucky you did and apparently the dog is fine.”
“And the baby?”
“The paramedics can only do so much without knowing that you’re pregnant, but your vitals look fine, although your blood pressure is a little higher than I’d like. But they called me as soon as you came into the hospital and I was waiting for you to wake up to get the whole story. Why don’t we check for a heartbeat now that you’re awake?”
“Yes, please. But how did you get here?” I turn to Shayla, wondering where she came from.
“Your sticker,” she says with amusement. “I rushed over from work once I got the call.”
I chuckle and smack my forehead. “Oh, right. I forgot about that.”
Years ago Shayla and I had a conversation about how she’s my in-case-of-emergency person, and vice versa, especially since I don’t have any other family. We talked about scenarios in which something might happen and the other person would need to be notified, so I came up with the idea of putting a sticker on the back of my driver’s license that said, ‘Call Shayla Mitchel in case of emergency. She’s my person,’ followed by her phone number. Luckily I had my wallet in my Finding Nemo over-the-shoulder purse I take with me on my walks. Shayla says the design of my bag is appropriate since I’m lost most of the time, and that movie is one of my favorites.
Fun fact about Chloe: Disney movies are my jam.
“Glad to know that preparation paid off,” I state proudly as another wave of nausea rolls through me.
“Are you ready?” Dr. Wilson holds the hand-held ultrasound monitor in her hands, staring down at me for confirmation. I give her a quick nod and then unbutton my shorts and fold the sides down as she squeezes cold gel onto my stomach.
“Shit, that’s cold!”
“You might as well get used to it. It’s going to be cold rather than warm most of the time,” she says with a wink as she presses the round tip of the wand to my abdomen, moving around to locate the baby.
And when that sweet sound of thumping comes out of the machine, I let out the biggest breath of relief. “Oh, thank God.” Shayla reciprocates the same sentiment.
“Chloe?” Silas rushes into the room this time, running over to my bed. His hair is a mess, his eyes are wide and bloodshot, and his black suit jacket breezes open from the force at which he’s running to me. He looks like a tall, dark, and handsome version of Superman—all he’s missing is the glasses.
He pauses and takes in the same sound I’m savoring right now, which causes his shoulders to visibly fall. “The baby’s okay?”
I nod, just as Dr. Wilson interjects. “The heartbeat sounds great. Strong. You got lucky. Sometimes a fall can be catastrophic.”
“You fell?” Silas asks as he makes his way closer to the bed, reaching for my arm. And the feel of his warm hand on my skin instantly calms me down—even though it shouldn’t.
I know we’re having this baby together, but deep in my gut I know Silas doesn’t want more than that, so it’s silly to get my hopes up when he shows affection like this. And more importantly, I should be questioning why my hopes are even climbing in the first place. What am I expecting to happen? For us to fall in love and end up with our own one-night-stand turned surprised baby turned happily ever after?
That shit doesn’t happen in real life.
“Apparently I passed out while walking dogs this morning.”
“Jesus Christ.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I told you to take it easy!”
“I was, but I have to work, Silas. It’s just the nausea, but it makes me so dizzy.”
“Have you been taking the medication I gave you?” Dr. Wilson chimes in.
“Yes, and eating ginger candies to help with feeling so sick. But I’m constantly dizzy and feeling weak,” I admit now that I can no longer hide it.
Dr. Wilson turns off the ultrasound, wiping the gel off of my stomach, before moving to grab the clipboard with my chart again. “Hmmm. Well, I hate to say this, but perhaps a few weeks of rest would do you some good.”
“Excuse me?”
“Bed rest, Chloe. You had quite the scare today and luckily, as I said, everything worked out fine. But walking as much as you do with the way you’re feeling might be aggravating your symptoms.”
“But Doc…”
“She can stay with me,” Silas declares as all three of us spin our heads in his direction.
“What? Silas, you can’t be serious.” I shake my head at him, but he continues to stare at Dr. Wilson.
“I’m gonna say limited activity for at least four weeks.”
“Four weeks?”
“That’s fine,” Silas adds.
“And she needs to be monitored for the next forty-eight hours.”
“I’ll work from home.”
I toss my he
ad back and forth between Silas and the doctor before twisting to see Shayla grinning like the cat that got the canary. “Shayla?”
“Aw, I wish I could help, Chloe…but work is so crazy right now,” she says in an over-exaggerated tone. The little shit knows exactly what she’s doing. If I really needed her, she’d drop everything to be there for me, but it seems she has an ulterior motive.
“Really? That’s not what you said yesterday,” I challenge.
She glances over at Silas, who is now watching our conversation. “Well, things changed this morning.”
“It’s fine, Shayla. Chloe will be staying with me.”
“Do I even get a say in this?” I ask louder than necessary.
“No,” Shayla and Silas answer simultaneously.
Dr. Wilson widens her eyes as she fights to hide her smile. “Well then. That’s settled. There is another medication I’d like you to try to help with everything you’re feeling, and very limited activity for the next few weeks, okay? I’ll have the office call you to schedule a follow-up visit in a few days, just to make sure everything looks good still.”
“Thank you, Dr. Wilson.” Silas reaches out to shake her hand, and then she leaves the three of us alone. “I’ll have a moving company go to your apartment and pack your things today.” He reaches into his coat pocket for his phone and starts typing out a message.
“Wait, what? A moving company?”
“Yes. I think it’s just best that you move in with me at this point.”
“Silas…” Nothing. “Silas…” More silence. “Silas!” I shout, even though he continues to ignore me, which forces me to glance back at Shayla. “What the hell is going on here?”
“I believe you’re moving in with your baby’s daddy, Chloe.” She smirks and then rubs my shoulder.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” Silas finishes clicking a few buttons on his phone and then slides it back into his pocket. “There. It’s all taken care of.”
“How dare you!” I’m seething right now. “You just made a decision about my life without even consulting me!”
“Chloe, he’s trying to take care of you,” Shayla chimes in.
“No, he’s bulldozing me!”
“Chloe,” he says, reaching for my hand, rubbing his thumb along the top of it and peering down into my eyes with a fear radiating out from his chocolate brown orbs. And his stare—it instantly has me retracting as I wait for what he’s about to say. “You fainted on the street today, fell, and almost hit your head.”
“How do you know what happened?”
“Shayla called me right after the hospital called her.”
I turn to face her and shoot her an irritated look. “Thanks.”
“Hey, he had a right to know. You’re carrying his child,” she fires back.
“But you obviously aren’t resting and taking it as easy as you should, so I think it’s best if you come live with me.”
“Staying with you for a few weeks is one thing, Silas, but living together?”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” he says before standing up tall again. “And I think it’s the right decision. Once the baby comes, you’re going to need help and I don’t want to miss out on things. Even if we aren’t together, living together will allow us to raise the baby as a team and both be involved in the child’s life.”
I can sense another fear in his voice—his fear of losing the opportunity of seeing his child grow up. And it resonates with me because I feel the same way. I already know that in some fucked up way, this baby is a shot at a do-over for me, a chance to correct all of the mistakes my parents made with me. And maybe in some weird way, Silas views it similarly. How else could you explain why we are both so attached to something that neither of us truly wanted or envisioned in our lives?
Sighing in defeat, I take a moment to absorb what he’s saying. “Fine. I guess what you’re saying makes sense.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Shayla adds, smiling like a buffoon again. When I get her alone, she’s getting a dead leg.
“Good. But even if you said no, I’d have moved your stuff without telling you,” Silas says, smirking down at me.
“I believe you. You can be quite controlling.”
“Not the worst attribute for him to have,” Shayla mumbles in my ear while leaning down to me in the bed.
Oh, I remember just how controlling and demanding Mr. Silas De Luca can be—in bed.
“But I’m not happy about this.” I point a finger up at him. “Don’t think I’ll just do whatever you want because I’m giving in to this.”
“Chloe, I know damn well that you will tell me exactly how you feel if something truly bothers you.”
He’s not wrong.
“Damn right.” I wince as another wave of nausea overtakes my stomach. “Fuck, isn’t this supposed to get better around week twelve or thirteen?”
“What?”
“The morning sickness?” I ask while holding my stomach.
“Generally speaking, yes. But some women will experience it throughout their entire pregnancy.”
I slowly turn to face the man responsible for how crummy I’m feeling. “You’d better be joking, Silas.”
“I’m not. Haven’t you been reading the articles I’ve been sending you?”
“Oh, the thirty links you send me in a day? No, sorry. I’ve been too busy puking, sleeping, and growing a human to read.”
Silas shakes his head at me and then glances over at Shayla. “How do you put up with her?”
“She’s actually quite easy to love,” she replies. “Like that dog at the pound that isn’t very cute, but is desperate for attention.”
“I don’t like pets.”
“Well, you just took in a stray that will sink her claws into your heart, Silas.” She winks at me and then pats him on the shoulder. “Good luck.”
* * *
“This is seriously happening.”
“Yes, and I think it’s the correct decision,” Shayla says on the other end of the phone.
“Oh, don’t think I didn’t catch your glee when you heard him declare I was moving in with him.”
“I’m not going to lie, I’m curious to see what happens between the two of you. But I also think he’s right—it’s going to be so much easier if you’re living in the same house. Did you even think about that? What it would have been like being in that apartment by yourself in the middle of the night with the baby screaming and no one to offer to take turns?”
“All I kept thinking about was how much it was going to irritate Miss Altman,” I snicker.
Shayla chuckles as well. “That broad will have a new neighbor to annoy her now, and someone else’s life to butt into. Seriously, Chloe…I think this will be good.”
“Of course you do, but you don’t understand. You were the only person I’ve ever lived with, and I had just started getting used to living alone. Now I have to live with a man.”
“A handsome one at that,” she teases.
“Don’t remind me. Although, given how crappy I’ve been feeling, sex has been the furthest thing from my mind, which really tells you how sick I’ve been. You know me, I’m always down for some dick.”
“That will change. And who knows, maybe Silas will fulfill his fatherly duties in that aspect as well.”
I roll my eyes. “He barely slept with me in the first place. It took several shots of tequila for him to admit that he wanted me. And I’m sure once I blow up like a whale, the tequila won’t even help convince him to go another round.”
“Chloe, you are a gorgeous woman, and contrary to what you might think or what he’s told you, Silas cares about you. Look at how present he’s been so far.”
“Yeah, for his baby. Out of obligation, Shayla. Not because he wants me.”
“Yeah… I’m calling bullshit. He does, he just doesn’t want to admit it yet.”
“But that’s besides the fact that crossing that line is only going to c
omplicate this arrangement even more. I just need to accept that we had the hottest sex of my life, made a baby, and are now bound together for all eternity by said baby. There will be no romance here.” Even as I say the words, disappointment builds in my chest.
“But…”
“And you need to accept it too, alright? Don’t instigate any more instances that you think will bring us together,” I mock her in her voice.
“I didn’t!”
“Oh, yes you did. I heard the underlying tone of your voice when you said you were too busy to look after me. Like I need a fucking baby sitter,” I mutter. “You know damn well if I needed you that badly, you’d be there.”
She sighs. “I know. I guess I’m just hoping that you two will figure your shit out and see that you belong together,” she says exasperatedly. “Don’t you remember when you asked me where your billionaire was when I started seeing Wes?”
“Yes…”
“He’s right there, Chloe. He’s in that house you’re parked in front of. And I’m not just saying that because he’s Wes’s friend, or the father of your baby. I could see it that first night in Vegas. There’s a spark between you two.”
“He did light up my clit,” I agree.
She laughs. “He did. So yes, the circumstances surrounding your relationship are out of order, but I truly think this was all part of some master plan by God to make you both see that the person you’ve been searching for is each other.”
I huff out an annoyed sigh. “Shayla…not everyone is meant to have the happily ever after, the white picket fence…”
“I know you don’t think you deserve that, Chloe, given how you grew up. But like you’ve already accepted, maybe this is your shot at a somewhat normal life.”
“Nothing about this is normal. I’m a dog walker who fucked a restaurant CEO, and just so happened to get pregnant.”
“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about falling in love in general. All the rest of it is just the details.”