My hands shook, combing through my hair while I contemplated how best to tell him the news. “I, um, I need to tell you something.”
He didn’t move or speak for an extended minute, but then he handed over my phone and stood from the bed. “Does it have anything to do with Aiden texting you?”
“What?” I lit up my phone and saw what he was talking about. I had two texts from Everett, asking how I was, if I was okay, and then three missed calls.
Above those was a text from Aiden.
Prince: Pregnant or not, I still need to talk to you.
He hadn’t gotten a new number then. He’d just blocked mine.
“Pregnant?” Everett roused my foggy brain. “Is that true?” With his eyes skating over my flat stomach, he began pacing my room, his undone laces slapping against heavy boots. “And how the fuck would he know?”
“I ran into him when I was leaving the drugstore today, and one of the tests fell out of my purse.” I snorted. “Awesome timing.”
Everett didn’t laugh, not that I’d expected him to.
I sighed. “According to three tests, I am. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon to confirm.”
His pacing ceased. “You went on the pill.”
“After we’d had sex. We didn’t exactly follow the rules.” I puffed out a half-laugh. “Ever.”
That earned me a glimmer of a smile.
“Come here,” I whispered. “Don’t leave me alone in this.”
“Fuck,” he groaned, his hand in his hair as he returned to me. He dropped his hand, then dropped to his knees beside the bed. “I’m being a dick, only thinking about how I feel about this. I’m sorry.”
While I wasn’t exactly over the moon, the idea of having his child had beads of warmth planting in my stomach. “You don’t want to go through with it.”
His eyes widened, and he pressed his lips to mine, kissing me several times. “No, it’s not that. I’m shocked, Clover. You and a baby, I would never have dared to hope for something like this. I just…”
“Just?”
He released me, and I watched the green of his eyes fade as worry crept close to the surface. “I just hope I can be enough for you.”
“Are you going to be here?”
“Yes,” he said instantly.
“Then that’s enough.”
He frowned. “What about school?”
“I can finish online or after the baby is born.” I smoothed my hand over his cheek. “Let’s wait until I’ve been to the doctor before we get too carried away.”
He nodded, turning to lay a kiss on my palm, then he lowered his head to my stomach, his lashes lowering as I ran my nails through his hair.
“You’re tired.”
He ignored my comment. “Aiden. Are you going to see him?”
He’d see right through my lies unless they held some truth. “I would love to hear what he has to say for himself, but I don’t need to.”
“Why?” Gazing up, he narrowed his eyes. “Why do you want to hear it?”
I swallowed, mulling over an answer that might make him understand, even if only a little. “He hurt me, Everett.”
“I was there, right here.” Anger laced his voice. “I know.”
I nodded.
“Don’t see him.” The words were a rushed plea. “I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
“Ever,” I tried.
“No. I know that makes me a controlling dick, but so be it.” His eyes and his tone were hard. “No, Clover.”
“You have nothing to worry about.” The lie tasted foul on my tongue. I would never hurt Everett like that, but emotionally, when it came to Aiden, I still was. I still hadn’t let go. And after seeing him that morning, I was worried I might never be able to.
“I do. You’re not seeing him. What time is this appointment tomorrow?”
I blinked. “Three forty-five. But you have to be at the studio.”
“I’ll meet you there.” He stood, pulling me off the bed, his arms banding around me as he sang low to my lips. “Now let’s get you fed before I feed you my cock.”
“So bossy and crass.”
He squeezed my ass.
I laughed when he turned, causing my back to meet the closed door, and framed my face with his hands before devouring my mouth.
True to his word, Everett met me at the doctor’s office where they ran tests and called me back two days later for the results.
He made sure he was there for that too as the doctor gave us a rough due date of the tenth of February, then handed over a