Chapter Twenty
Ivy
April 2023
Tapping my foot against the fugly carpet in the waiting room floor, I nervously gnaw at my fingertips. My anxiety kicking up a hundred notches has butterflies buzzing around inside my stomach with jitter.
Maybe it’s because they might be able to tell me the sex of the baby. My last couple of appointments, my little bug was moving around too much and wouldn’t cooperate.
“That’s my little bug, giving them a run for their money already, huh?” I chuckle, running my hands along my stomach. I feel a little kick, making me feel like they’re agreeing with me. “Oh, I can’t wait to meet you. I just wish I had the balls to tell your daddy you existed.” Another kick.
I roll my eyes because clearly this kid is trying to tell me something.
“Miss Huntington?”
Jumping in my skin, scaring myself half to death, I answer, “Yeppers.”
“Please follow me.” Huh, she’s new.
“Where’s Genna?” I ask, calling the doctor by her first name, per her request.
“Well, Dr. Phalam had to take an emergency sabbatical due to personal reasons, and we aren’t sure when she’ll return.”
“Why wasn’t I notified?” I ask, stepping on the scale so she can get my weight.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Huntington, this just happened today, and we were in the process of calling all her patients. But your appointment was already here and there was no way for us to tell you not to come in today. It was an opportunity to inform you what was going on face to face.”
“Who will my new doctor be?” I ask, stepping off the scale and following her into exam room number seven.
“If you give them just a minute, the doctor and his nurse will be in shortly.” She says when I think my ears just deceived me.
Gasping, I ask, “Did you say… He?”
“Yes, they’ll be right in.” She scurries out of the door with a weak smile on her face.
My goodness, a male OBGYN? No, it’s not unheard of, but I’m not sure I want a man looking at my girly parts. What if I reek down there? My God, can you imagine the embarrassment?
I could, and it’s not pretty.
Lost inside my head, I turn just as the door creaks open. Lifting my head to meet my new doctor, I forget how to breathe as all the air is stolen from my lungs. Stars dance behind my lids because my eyes are clearly deceiving me.
“Hello, Huntington, my name is Dr. Iverson. And I’m so gl-” he stops speaking when his eyes finally settle on me. “Ivy?”
Gasping for the second time in under five minutes, I whisper, “Abel?” Because what else am I supposed to say here?.
“What are you-, how are you-, you’re really here?” He asks, walking straight to me, stopping to look down at my stomach. I watch his face morph from semi-happy to confusion in a matter of seconds. I hate that I can’t tell what he’s thinking. “I guess congratulations are in order.” He says, taking a step back. His hand reaches up to run through his short, cropped hair as he looks around for someone. “Is the father here?”
If only you knew, but I damn sure don’t say that. “He’s… Working.” I lie.
“Well, let’s get to it, shall we?” He says, turning back to professional in the blink of an eye as the almost tender exchange between us is gone. “My assistant will be here shortly. In the meantime, can you tell me what your due date is?”
I’m not sure if he’s fishing for information or if he just needs to know since he’ll be my new doctor.
“September thirtieth.” I whisper. Hopefully he doesn’t put two and two together until later.
“Okay, so that would make you well into your fourth month.” His head whips up so fast, his dark brown eyes drilling a hole into the center of my chest. “Huh.” He simply grunts.
“Y-yes.” I stutter.
Get it together Ivy.
But then, he surprises me when he puts the clipboard to the side, and asks, “Why did you leave me, Ivy?” And there it is. I didn’t really think he’d do this while here, but clearly he has no chill. “Why did you leave in the middle of the night with no way for me to contact or find you?” He drops down to his knees in front of me, laying a hand on my stomach.
I can feel the baby moving, like it knows something I don’t. Like it knows I should confess everything to him, right here, right now.
I open my mouth to spill my secrets, but then the door opens and in walks Cam… Looking like a… Hot dad.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here before they called you back, honey.” Cam’s deep voice says, making my eyebrows bunch together at the sudden octave change when I see Abel get up. “Am I interrupting something?” Cam asks, staring me right in the face waiting for me to send him away so I can tell Abel the truth.
“No, Dr. Iverson was just counting the baby’s kicks.” I lie again. If I don’t quit all this lying, I’m gonna go straight to the fiery pits.
“Yes, the baby seems to be moving just fine.” Abel says, clearing his throat rising up. “Have you learned the sex yet?” He asks, taking a seat at his little desk off to the side.
“No, not yet.” I smile. “Am I able to find out today?” I feel the heat from Cam’s hand on my shoulder, giving me comfort. “I mean, are we able to find out?”
Feeling a burning sensation across my face, I lift my head up to see Abel staring at me again. I’m not sure why his gaze seems to make me this hot underneath these clothes, but it does, and can’t seem to tear my eyes away from him.
Camden must see the exchange between us because he quickly intervenes. “Darling,” he says, “I need to make a quick call. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Okay. Go ahead, I’ll be alright.” I say when he leans in and kisses my forehead. A low growl has me looking over in Abel’s direction, and I know he can’t stand the exchange between Cam and I.
If only he knew the truth.
Thankfully he waits for Cam to leave the room before he gets out of his seat, stalking towards me. “You expect me to believe that he’s the father of your baby? You can’t sit there and tell me you don’t feel something for me, the same way I feel it for you.” He whispers, reaching his hand out. As it lands on my cheek, I feel a burst of warmth there.
His other hand closes around my arm as the pad of his fingertips make small circles across my skin, drawing goosebumps in the same spot. “Abel.” I whisper, fighting to hold back the tears prickling the corners of my eyes.
“What is it, Marrone Dolce? Why would you leave me like that?” He asks.
“Abel, I have to tell you something.” I watch hope form on his handsome face and hear it within his voice, but the door opens and in walks Camden… Again.
My chest caves in watching the way Abel’s face falls as his hands do the same. “We’ll schedule your ultrasound for next week. Are you both free?” Abel asks, looking between me and Cam, waiting for confirmation.
“I have an art show that evening, so that’ll work perfect for me.” I answer.
“Oh my God, you do?” Cam says, nearly forgetting about the fake tone he had moments ago. Clearing his throat, he says, “I’m sorry, honey, my schedule is made two weeks in advance, and I probably won’t be able to make it.” Without using his words, he ever so smoothly nods his head in Abel’s direction, telling me that’ll be my chance to come clean.
Ignoring him because I can come alone, but if we’re faking this relationship, I’ve gotta at least pretend to be upset. “You can’t switch your off days around?”
Cam smirks, for my eyes only, shakes his head, and says, “Unfortunately I can’t.”
“You’ll be in good hands here, Miss Carnimchael.” Abel interrupts, making me smile on the inside. “Emily will be here to assist alongside Darla.” He says, standing. “We’ll get through the rest of the appointment and get you all scheduled on your way out.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach the sky.
“Thank you.”
Cam’s phone goes off again. Flipping it over to see the caller, he says, “I’m really sorry, I have to head back to work.” Leaning down and kissing my forehead, he asks, “Will you be okay?”
“She’ll be fine.” Abel answers for me, prompting Cam to smirk again while mouthing ‘Talk to him.’
I shake my head no. “I’m good. See you later.” He gives my hand one last squeeze then turns around and leaves
The silence is so loud and the air thick with tension as Abel flips the pages on his clipboard before he puts it down. I look anywhere but at him but his words cut through the eerie silence. “Give me your number.” He demands.
Hearing him say something like that turns me on. I want to see his reaction when he hears me say, “No.” Cocking his head to the side, eyebrows arching with a smile dancing on his lips… He looks good enough to eat.
“What do you mean, no? I wasn’t asking, Ivy.”
“I mean you don’t just get to demand things of me.”
“You’re damn right I do. You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“No, I don’t. I have nothing to say to you.” My voice cracks as the lie is set free. I step down from the exam table, never looking away from him. “Just because we had one of the best nights of my life doesn’t mean you suddenly own me.”
“Since I was the one to give you one of the best nights of your life, that’s exactly what it means. I was trying to give you more than that, but you left.” He shouts. “You fucking left me, Ivy, and the next time I see you… You’re pregnant and telling me that I’m not the father.” Yup. “How do you expect me to feel? What do you expect me to feel?”
I’m not sure what the right or wrong answer is, so I offer him the only one I’ve got. “The only thing I can say is that I’m sorry.”
“Bull fucking shit. I know that baby is mine. You’re gonna be mine.” He says, moving away from me and grabbing his clipboard. “Don’t bother giving me your phone number, I’ve already got it.” And with that, he storms out.
“That’s patient confidentiality.” I shout after him.
“Tough fucking titties!” He shouts, throwing being professional out of the window.
The door opens right after he slams it. “What was that all about?” I recognize Emily from the bar. “Oh hey, Ivy, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, come on, let’s get you scheduled for your ultrasound and next appointment.” I follow behind her like the lost puppy I’m sure I look like.
How did I get myself into this?