Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kinsley
“Hi, Kinsley. I’m Doctor Morgan.” She extended her hand with a smile.
“Hi, Doctor Morgan.” I lightly shook her hand.
“I’m going to have you lie down, and I want to do a quick ultrasound just to verify how many weeks you are.”
I lay back as she pressed into my belly with the transducer and stared at the screen.
“I’m going to turn this up.” She smiled. “See this?” She pointed to a small flashing dot on the screen. “This is your baby’s heartbeat.”
Tears started to fill my eyes as I stared at it.
“Wow,” I spoke.
“You’re about eight weeks pregnant.” She cleaned the gel off my belly with a tissue and helped me up. “I’m going to start you on prenatal vitamins, and you are to take one starting today. I see here you’re single.” She looked at my chart.
“Yes. I am.”
“And the baby’s father?” She glanced at me.
“He’s not in the picture.”
“That’s okay.” She smiled. “Try to live a stress-free life during this pregnancy. Of course, I don’t have to tell you that stress isn’t good for you or your baby. Are you active?”
“I run three miles every morning, and I take yoga classes.”
“Good. Keep it up. You want to keep your body as healthy as possible. Continue with yoga as well. It will help keep your stress to a minimum and keep you centered.” She smiled.
On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things I needed. As I was in the produce section, picking out some apples, I looked up and saw Chase standing there.
“Hey.” He lightly smiled.
“Hey.” I continued placing the red apples in a bag.
“I see you’re loading up on fruits and veggies,” he spoke.
“Yep. I take it you’re doing some shopping as well.”
“Just picking up a few things. Steven is having a little get-together. I went to my dad’s office, and he said you left early for a doctor’s appointment. Everything okay?”
Why the hell was he asking me? He didn’t give a damn, and this small talk was getting on my nerves.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine,” I spoke deadpan.
“Good. I better get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Have fun,” I spoke.
Chase and I barely spoke anymore. When we did, it was strictly business at the office.
He was a stressor in my life, and the less I was around him, the better off I was.
I had forgiven him for turning his back on his baby and me.
I had no choice if I wanted any peace in my life.
But just because I forgave him didn’t mean I had to be his friend. That was something we’d never be again.
Chase
Steven’s get-together was a bros’ night with me, him, and Alex at his place. We played poker, kicked back some beers, ate snacks, and finished off a couple of large pizzas.
“Why didn’t you tell me Kinsley was pregnant?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think about it.” I shrugged.
“If you’re not the father, who is?”
“Some guy she had a one-night stand with.”
“Hell, had I known she was sleeping with someone other than you, I would have fucked her myself.” Steven grinned. “I would love to put my cock inside that beauty.”
I swallowed hard as anger rose inside me, and I tried to control myself.
“I bet that sexy mouth of hers could suck a dick like no other. You would know, Chase. Give us the details.”
I got up, lunged across the table, and grabbed his shirt with both my hands.
“Don’t you ever talk about her like that again,” I growled. “If you weren’t like a brother to me, I’d fucking flatten you right here.”
“Chase, dude, calm down.” Alex stood up and placed his hand on my arm.
I let go of Steven and walked away.
“What the fuck is your problem, bro?” Steven yelled. “We always talk about women like that.”
“Not her!” I pointed at him in anger.
I walked out the patio door and headed down to the beach, taking a seat in the sand and listening to the roaring sounds of the waves.
“What’s really going on, Chase?” Alex asked as he sat down next to me and handed me a bottle of beer.
Alex was always the reasonable one of the three of us, and I knew I could trust him.
“I’m the baby’s father.”
“I somehow already knew that,” he spoke.
“I told her that I didn’t want to be a father, and I couldn’t, so she had papers drawn up for me to sign relinquishing my parental rights.” I brought the bottle up to my lips.
“Did you sign them?” he asked.
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do know, but you’re so scared that you can’t admit it to yourself.
I’ve known you a long time, Chase, and I’ve never seen you like you are when you’re with Kinsley.
Yeah, you were friends and fuck buddies, but I know it went beyond that.
I think you need to talk to someone, like a therapist. There’s nothing wrong with that.
They’ll be able to help you see things clearer. ”
“Maybe. Listen, please don’t tell anyone what I told you. Kinsley and I agreed that no one would ever know I was the father.”
“I won’t.” He hooked his arm around me. “But I will tell you something, and I want you to listen to me very carefully. It doesn’t matter how hard you are on the exterior.
When you see your kid, you’re going to feel something, whether you want to or not, and I’d hate to see you live a life of regret.
” He patted my shoulder and walked away.
I was up all night, tossing and turning. My life was perfect before Kinsley moved here, and now it was nothing but a fuckery of a mess. The next morning, as I was sitting at my desk, my phone rang.
“Hey, Darius.”
“Hey, Chase. I have that information for you. I’m sending it via email now.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
“By the way, this needs to stay between us.”
“I figured that. No worries,” he spoke.
I opened up my email and studied it. Picking up my phone, I booked a flight to Indiana.
“I’m heading out for the day, Lexi. Have a good weekend.”
“You too, Chase.”
Before I left the building, I walked down to Kinsley’s desk.
“Hi. Is he in there?”
“No. He’s been at a golf outing all day,” she spoke.
“That’s right. I forgot,” I lied. “Well, have a good weekend.”
“You too.” She gave me an odd look.
I knew my father was out of the office, but I wanted to see her one last time before I left.