Rebel Soul Final, page 17
I watch her sleep for a few more minutes before I slip out of the bed and dress in a pair of athletic shorts and a hoodie. I leave a note on the pillow in case she wakes before I return, but judging from the cute little snores coming from her, she’s going to be out for a while.
I almost feel guilty leaving her here, but this is something I want to do for her. Hell, I’d do anything—everything—for her, if she’d let me. But at the same time, I’m glad she won’t. Her fire…her tenacity are part of what makes her so damn sexy.
The drive to the lone twenty-four-hour drugstore Cottonwood has is quick at this early hour. I think I only pass one other vehicle the entire way here.
Inside, I quickly locate the aisle I need, taken aback by the staggering amount of options on the shelves before me. Box after box in varying colors lie before me. Some boast early results while others claim superior accuracy. Some are digital and some even estimate how many weeks you are. Why do I have to choose which thing I want? Why can’t they just do it all in one fell swoop?
“Jesus Christ,” I groan before tossing one of each into my basket and heading to the checkout.
The cashier, a sweet-looking older woman, gives me an inquisitive look. I pay and thank her before making a mad dash to my car. As I slide behind the wheel, I can’t help but laugh at myself. I’m a twenty-four-year-old man, and I just ran out of that store like a teen who stole a pack of condoms on a dare.
On the way home, I make a quick detour by Stacia’s favorite little breakfast spot and pick up two orders of French toast.
At the house, I take great care to arrange our meals on the island. I also make a nice little pyramid with the pregnancy tests. Appraising my work, I decide something’s missing. I dart back outside and grab a bloom from one of my azalea bushes and stick it in a shallow bowl in front of my box display.
Satisfied with my work, I head back to the bedroom to wake her.
In my absence, Stacia’s wrapped herself in the covers so she looks like a human burrito. Which is just so…her. The only way to keep her from hogging the bed is to cuddle her all night. Otherwise, she will spread out and take up every inch—learned that the hard way.
Seeing her now, though, I’m struck with a sense of rightness, like she belongs here, in my home…my bed…my heart.
I lower myself to the edge of the mattress and run my fingers over her messy hair. “Wake up, baby. I have something for you.”
She grumbles in her sleep but doesn’t wake. “C’mon, gotta get up. Don’t you want to see what I have for you?”
Stacia stretches and mumbles, “Already seen your dick, dummy.”
I don’t even try to fight my grin. “As much as I’d love to be talking about my dick, that’s not it.”
She peels one lid open. “What?”
“French toast.”
She pulls back. “Please tell me you didn’t cook.”
I bark a laugh. Little smartass. “Nope. Swung by Benny’s.”
Her other eye pops open; I have her attention now. “Benny’s?”
“That’s right. Come eat while it’s hot.”
It takes her a second to unravel her blanket cocoon, but she manages to wriggle her way out. She tries to veer toward the bathroom, but I redirect her straight to the kitchen.
It takes her a second to see past the steaming plate of powdered sugar and syrupy goodness, but when she does, she rushes toward the island. “Did you…do this?”
“I did. I wanted you to be able to take a test first thing this morning. Everything I read online said your…fuck, what is it…your something-something-something levels are higher in the morning.”
Her eyes go weepy as she stares at me. “You researched this?”
“Of course. I want to be a part of this every step of the way. I want to be there for you, to help you, and to learn with you, so we can give our kid the best of everything.”
Stacia throws herself into my arms, almost bowling me over. “I love you,” she whispers, surprising us both.
I try to brush it off, not wanting to get my hopes up. “That’s just your hormones talking, baby mama.”
She reaches up and cups both of my cheeks, pulling my eyes to hers. “No, that’s me, speaking from the bottom of my heart. You scare me; this thing between us scares me. But even still, I love you, West Larson, and I’m willing to be brave with you by my side.”
Two halves of a whole, we both lean in at the same time. Our kiss is soft and sweet, a preview of what’s to come.
It almost pains me to pull away, but I do; nobody likes soggy French toast. “Let’s eat and then we—uh, you—can take a test or two. Does that sound good?”
Lightning quick, Stacia pecks my lips one more time before settling herself down onto the stool in front of one of the plates. “Coffee?” she asks around a mouthful.
“On it.” I whip up two cups with my Nespresso, placing the creamier of the two before her. We eat in silence, both anxious about the unassuming looking pile of boxes; the result of one of these little sticks is going to change the course of our lives forever, and honestly, I can’t fucking wait for the next leg of our journey together. You know…assuming it’s positive.
Please be positive.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Stacia
Nerves rattle around in my belly, stealing my appetite as I try and force down the French toast West so thoughtfully brought me. But every time I lift the fork to my mouth, my vision snags on the little tower of pregnancy tests.
Finally, I can’t take it any longer, and I swipe the uppermost box and hop down from my stool.
“Now?” he asks, standing as well.
I nod, clutching the package to my chest. “Yeah, now.” I turn and walk back to the master bathroom. West moves to follow me inside, but I stop him, a hand to his chest. “Let me uh…you know…and then we can read the results together?”
As I speak, it dawns on him I want privacy to pee, and he looks embarrassed. “Yeah, of course. Just let me know when I can come in.” I nod, and he drops a soft kiss to my forehead.
In the bathroom, I open the box and read the directions. Shockingly, for as long as I’ve been sexually active, this is my first time taking a pregnancy test.
I pee on the little felt pad part and recap the stick, placing it facedown on the counter. “You can come in,” I tell West once my pants are up and my hands are washed.
“What’s it say?” he asks, sounding both eager and fearful.
“It takes three minutes.”
West flips down the toilet lid and sits, pulling me down onto his lap. “No matter what that test says, I love you. You know that, right?”
I lean back into him, loving the protective feel of his strong chest at my back. “Yeah. I love you, too.”
Silence settles around us as the remaining minutes tick by.
“Ready?” he asks, checking his watch.
“Ready.” I stand and flip the test. Two bright pink lines stare back at me. “Oh my God!”
“That’s good, right? It means you’re pregnant?”
I nod, tears falling freely. “Yeah. Yes!”
West scoops me up and hugs me tight, pressing kisses all over my face.
Then a horrifying thought crosses my mind. “What if…what if it’s wrong?”
Without releasing me from his embrace, West says, “I read online that false positives are pretty rare. Wanna take another?”
“Just to be safe?” I ask, and he nods before dashing out to grab one.
He returns with a glass of water and two more boxes. I eye the water and he shrugs. “Just in case.”
I kick him out and repeat the steps of the first test with the two he brought me before calling him back in. This time, I keep them face up and we hover. The first of the two shows two blue lines—one in a rectangular window and the other in a round—before a full minute has even passed. The second is digital and it takes the full three minutes before the word pregnant flashes on the small screen.
“Holy shit,” I murmur and West echoes the sentiment. “We did it! We really did it!”
West shoots me a cocky look. “Bet it was on the first try, too.”
I roll my eyes and grin. As quickly as my euphoria sets in, worry replaces it. West must notice the change in my features because the next thing I know, he’s cradling me to him and asking what’s wrong.
“Nothing,” I assure him. “I’m so happy. I’m just a little overwhelmed, too. There’s so much I need to do. I need to make a doctor’s appointment. Hell, I need to find a doctor; mine only does the gyno-stuff. I need to tell my mom. Oh, God, how long do you wait to tell people? Oh, and AJ! I need to talk to AJ! I need vitamins…you know those…um—”
“Prenatal,” West supplies.
“Yeah, those. And I need to—”
West silences me with a kiss. His skilled lips ease my worries as I melt into him. “Breathe, baby,” he croons as he pulls back from me. “I’m here to help, and we’re gonna take this one step at a time.”
I look up at him with wide, helpless eyes. “What’s first?”
“First you call your doctor. His office will be able to make a suggestion on who to see.”
“Right. That’s smart.” I lay my head on his chest. “I’ll do that as soon as they open.”
“Good. Why don’t you take a bath in the meantime? Relax a little?”
“Okay, yeah.”
West steps away from me and turns the faucets on the tub. As it fills with warm water, he adds a squirt of his bodywash. “It’s not bubble bath, but it will still make bubbles.”
“And it’ll smell like you,” I say as I strip. “Join me?”
He helps me into the tub and steps back. “I actually have a phone call or two to make myself. I’ll leave the doors open, just holler if you need me.”
I pout.
He grins and walks out of the bathroom only to reenter a moment later with my kindle in hand. “Figured you might want to read.”
“You’re amazing.”
“Damn right, I am. Super sperm and a heart of gold—I’m the total package, baby.”
I flick sudsy water at his retreating form before reclining back into the massive soaker tub and diving back into my latest read—coincidentally, it’s a surprise pregnancy book from one of my favorite authors—and before I know it, I’m completely lost in the story.
Thirty minutes later, I emerge from the bath pruney and smelling like West. I wrap myself in my robe and head out in search of him.
I find him in the living room, seated on the couch with his laptop perched on his knees. “Whatcha doing?” I ask, settling down onto the cushion next to him with my feet tucked up next to me.
“Research,” he says, reaching out to stroke my ankle.
“What kind?”
“Obstetricians in the area. I’ve found two that are top-ranked and accepting new patients. But, let’s see who your doctor suggests as well.”
“Really? That’s what you’re researching?”
West shrugs sheepishly. “Yeah, and I ordered some pregnancy books from Amazon and downloaded an app to my phone that will update every week with what’s happening with our little sprout and…oh, God, I sound crazy.”
I lean over and move his laptop off of him, setting it on the cushion next to mine before crawling onto his lap. I sit straddling him, our stares locked. “You don’t sound crazy. Not at all. You sound amazing and loving and excited.”
“That’s because I am. I’m so fucking excited, baby.”
My gaze drops to his lips, and I lick my own before moving in. Our mouths clash in perfect synchronicity. I moan as his tongue sweeps into my mouth and his hands move to my hair.
I expect him to rake his fingers through it and tug on it possessively; instead, he uses the leverage to pull me away from him.
“I wish we had time for this, baby, but you need to call your doctor, and you have plans in about an hour.”
I cock my head to the side, wondering what he has up his sleeve. “I do?”
“You do. So, get to it.”
I slide off of his lap and trek back into the bedroom to get my phone. I dial the number to my gyno’s office and sit on the edge of the bed. A quick conversation with the receptionist, and I have the name of their recommended maternal medicine doctor. As luck would have it, it’s one of the doctors on West’s list.
After looking up the office number, I hit dial, once again following the answering service prompts. A brief hold later and a perky voice greets me. “Thank you for calling Cottonwood OB-GYN, this is Kaylie. How can I help you today?”
“I was hoping to make an appointment with Dr. Flory.”
“Okay, and what would you be coming in for?”
I mentally facepalm; of course she would need to know this. “Oh, um, a positive pregnancy test.”
“Do you know the first day of your last period?”
I think back, again trying to remember. “I don’t, I’m sorry.”
“No worries, our ultrasound technician will get your dates sorted. Are you a current patient of our practice?”
“No, Dr. Presley referred me.”
“Alrighty then. Let me get a little info from you.” Kaylie proceeds to ask me what feels like a million questions. “It looks like the earliest we can get you in is four weeks from now. Does that work for you?”
A thread of worry loops through me. “Um. Is that…safe? Like, do I need to be seen sooner?”
Kaylie chuckles lightly. “We don’t usually see expectant mothers until eight weeks, and most—though not all—usually find out they’re pregnant at around four or five weeks. So it should be just fine.”
“Oh,” I say, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Then yeah, that’s fine. Should I get some prenatal vitamins or anything to take?”
“It certainly won’t hurt. You can buy them almost anywhere. A few days before your appointment, we’ll send our new patient paperwork to the email you provided. If you’ll go ahead and fill it out, it will save you time here in the office.”
I thank her and end the call, immediately plugging the appointment date into my calendar.
Back in the living room, West is still on the couch. Only now, he’s looking at…surely my eyes are deceiving me. “Oh my God, are you looking at car seats?”
He looks back at me. “Don’t hate. Kid’s gotta have one, right?”
I roll my lips inward to suppress my grin. “Mmhmm. True.”
“I feel like you’re silently laughing at me.”
I tilt my head to the side and lift one shoulder. “Maybe a little.”
West places his laptop down and stands to face me fully. “Sure, go ahead and laugh at the man who booked you a spa appointment with your bestie later today.”
“Wait, what?”
“That’s right. Figured you and AJ could use some girl time since I’ve been keeping you all to myself.”
I stare at him like he’s some mythical creature; he’s definitely a unicorn among men, that’s for sure. “Thank you,” I murmur, feeling oddly emotional.
“Like I said, anything for you.” He moves closer to me and takes my hand in his. “Did you get an appointment?” As he talks to me, his index finger strokes absently over my left ring finger.
I fill him in on the time and date, and he adds it to his calendar as well. “You better go get ready if you don’t want to be late.”
I pop up onto my toes and kiss him square on the lips. “I love you; you’re the best.”
West palms my ass and hauls me closer. “I love you, too, baby mama. And I’m the man you make me want to be. You deserve the best, so that’s what I’ll strive to be.”
His words float over me, wrapping me in their warmth. I don’t know how we got to where we are now, not really, but my God, I’m glad we got here.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Stacia
West spared no expense for AJ and me at the spa. He set both of us up with out of this world massages, deluxe facials, and mani-pedis with paraffin wax. Oh, and he even thought ahead to have lunch catered by one of the restaurants within the hotel where the spa is.
From the second she saw me, AJ was chomping at the bit to pump me for information. Luckily, the quiet atmosphere of the massage room kept her questions at bay.
Our facials bought me a little more time—I mean, it’s hard to talk with goop and steaming towels on your face.
Now, however, AJ and I are both relaxed and recharged as we sit in side-by-side pedicure chairs. “So, talk to me,” she says, her body lightly vibrating from the movements of the built-in back massager.
“God, where do I even start?” I go over my options internally before finally deciding to just throw it all out there. “I’m pregnant.”
My teal-haired friend nearly launches herself out of her chair as she yells, “Bitch, say what?”
Every single person in the room turns to glare. But, like the badass AJ is, she glares right back until they all turn away.
“I know you didn’t just say you were pregnant.”
Sheepishly, I nod. “Yup.”
“Since when?”
“I just found out for sure this morning.” I laugh, trying to diffuse the tension. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t work. “You’re actually why I took a test. I honestly would’ve chalked it up to too much dancing or getting overheated.” My bestie stares at me, her brown eyes the size of dinner plates. “Well, I mean, we were trying—so it’s not totally out of left field.”
“Excuse me,” AJ hisses, “what the fuck do you mean you were trying? No, just no. Who are you and what did you do with my bestie?”
I concede, because I’m sure that’s exactly how it feels to her. So, while we get our nails filed and buffed and polished, I tell her everything. From my mom having to move home with her parents, to the conditions of West’s trust. I tell her about Virtual Kitty and West owning it, and how we angry-fucked each other. I confess about Buck and Lesli’s, and how West carried me out of there over his shoulder like some kind of sexy caveman in a suit. Her expression softens as I explain my growing feelings, and how I love him, and he loves me. She looks downright enamored when she learns of all the little things he does for me day in and day out, and when I tell her about the contract he had me sign to protect me, I’m pretty sure she’d say yes on my behalf if he happened to get down on one knee.
