the fuck am I supposed to tell him if I’m pregnant? I have to hope and pray I’m not as Jake would never forgive me. He’s already got my mum on his back, he certainly doesn’t need me to add to the mix. Shit, how much crazier can things get? I had hopes of talking to Jake today about the future, and now this? This is a future he already told me that he doesn’t want. Where the hell will that leave us?
Trying to steady my breathing, I manage to convince myself to calm down. It may be nothing, and it’s just me making a mountain out of a molehill as usual. I had been on the pill so long, how would I know what my periods would be like normally? All this business with Alan yesterday and me drinking the night before has just taken its toll on my body, that’s all.
I keep drilling that in to my head over and over. Even once Jessie’s back, handing me the pregnancy test, I’m still trying to convince myself there’s no baby.
When at first I don’t move, she points to the bathroom. I must have given her a certain look as her shoulders relax and she smiles at me. She walks over, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Whatever happens, I’m here for you, okay? But you have to find out, Ana. There’s no other way. If you’re not, you move on with your life, but if you are, I’ll be with you every step of the way. I promise.”
I move in for a hug, thanking her before retreating into the bathroom. With shaky hands, I take the kit out and read the instructions. It looks easy enough. Pee on the stick, then wait a couple of minutes. I’m too scared to wait, so once I clean up, I quickly retreat from the bathroom and take a seat beside Jessie in the living room, not even looking in the stick’s direction the whole time.
“Jessie, you go and take a look for me, please. I can’t do it.” Panic is tearing at my insides. I know I have to know, but at the same time I don’t want to know. This is a can of worms I can’t deal with right now. One day, I get attacked by an egotistical maniac, then the next, I’m sitting in Jake’s living room, waiting to see if I’m having his baby—a baby I know Jake’s not ready for.
With my heart drumming a million miles an hour, I watch as Jessie rises from her seat and walks into the bathroom. She comes out holding the little stick, but I can’t gauge her reaction. She’s giving nothing away, making me jealous of her incredible poker face.
She sighs, turning over the stick to reveal two distinct pink lines. “Looks like you’re going to be a mom.”
Oh, fuck.
Now what?
To be continued in Take the Gun (Take 3).
TO BE CONTINUED IN …
Take the Gun (Take 3)
Take the Gun: Take 3
The totally unexpected revelation is out, and there’s no turning back.
If that’s not enough, there are also forces at work which are trying to destroy us.
Again, I am in danger.
And again, Jake is there as my protector.
But I can’t be watched every second of every day.
And in one of those unguarded moments, it happens.
Jake’s always been there to save me.
But this time, I’m not too sure I can be saved.
NOTES & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Around three years ago, I decided to take both Take a Breath and its sequel, Take it Deep, down. The biggest mistake I made was releasing both without any proofreading or editing. While the changes to Take a Breath were mostly cosmetic (relating to editing more or less), more significant changes to the story were made in Take it Deep. It’s safe to say that the latter has definitely had the most work done.
I just hope that you have enjoyed reading Jake and Ana’s story as much as I’ve enjoyed telling and working to perfect it over the years. And it’s not over yet! The conclusion will be available to read in the first week of May 2021, so keep a look out! This is my first full trilogy, so I have been on quite the ride. I hope you feel the same way too.
As usual, I would like to thank a few people.
To Dez Purington from Pretty in Ink Designs, thank you for designing such an amazing cover for Take a Breath and Take it Deep. I can’t wait