Chapter 22 Zoe
ZOE
Zoe straightened up from where she’d been kneeling on the floor. On the way back into the clinic, nausea had overwhelmed her again as she’d thought about how badly that conversation with Nathan had gone. She’d raced into the bathroom to be sick.
Now, she went to the sink and washed her face.
She hated being nauseated like this. One hand lifted to rub her chest, which felt tight from her confrontation.
Nathan had been so cold and so distant. Zoe would have liked to pretend that hadn’t hurt, but it had.
Of course it had. A month ago, they’d been showing each other around their cities and falling asleep in each other’s arms. Now, they were worse than strangers.
It didn’t matter, though. Zoe needed to go back out there and do her job, no matter how difficult it was.
She crossed the room to the door, but as she took the handle, she paused.
She had never gotten nauseated when she was nervous before — her chest always felt tight, and she had trouble breathing when she was upset. So why was she feeling like this now?
Zoe’s heart began to race, and she placed her palm on her collarbone as she tried to take a deep breath.
What if… She counted back. Sure enough, during the weeks of tireless work, she’d missed her period.
That happened sometimes — she had never been one of those women who could set her watch by her cycle.
But now, she was a week and a half late and nauseated, and the night she’d spent with Nathan had been almost a month ago.
Zoe forced herself to take a deep breath. This was probably just nerves. Probably. But now that the idea she could be… pregnant (it was hard to even think the word) was in her mind, she couldn’t get it out.
Zoe peeked out of the bathroom. From here, she could see through an open door to the reception desk, where Maya was leaning on the counter looking at her phone. Zoe waved, but Maya didn’t see her.
“Maya.”
Nothing.
“Maya!”
Finally, the receptionist turned. Her eyes widened when she saw Zoe leaning out of the bathroom, waving frantically, but she hurried over.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Can you do me a favor?” Zoe fought to keep her tone casual. “Do you have… I mean, you must…” Her usual confidence and eloquence had fled in the face of such an unusual situation.
“What is it?” Maya’s brows furrowed. “Should I get Doc?”
“No!” Zoe spoke too loudly. She lowered her tone and continued. “No, thank you. But do you have a… pregnancy test?”
Maya’s eyes widened. “Wait, really? Are you…?” Her gaze fell to Zoe’s stomach, and she curved her hand in the round gesture of a baby bump.
“I don’t know,” Zoe said, fighting to stay calm. It wasn’t Maya’s fault that she was young and excited. Even Zoe was flustered by this situation. “Could you just get me the test, so that I will know? And please, please don’t tell anyone.”
“Okay.”
Maya sneaked back towards the reception desk, her steps light, her gaze swinging back and forth. Zoe decided not to point out that the young woman would have been far less conspicuous if she’d just walked normally, since she had every right to be here.
A few minutes passed. It felt like an eternity. Finally, Maya returned, a pink box in her hand. She handed it to Zoe, then leaned against the door.
“Should I wait? Do you need help?”
“I think I can manage this.” Zoe smiled. “Thank you, Maya.”
“Just… is it Doc’s?” Maya asked.
“Thank you again,” Zoe said. Maya must have understood the dismissal, because she smiled and left.
Zoe went back into the stall to take the test. Her hands shaking, she held up the stick.
She knew she was supposed to wait two minutes for the results, but two minutes weren’t needed.
She’d barely held up the stick before the word Pregnant appeared in black block letters across the display.
There was no doubt. This wasn’t just nerves. She was pregnant. With Nathan’s baby.
From somewhere far away, Zoe heard the chatter that meant filming was starting. She was barely aware of it. She just stared down at the plastic stick in her hand, her chest so tight she could barely breathe.
And yet… despite her nerves, despite the terrible timing, despite the fact that she’d just got her career off the ground again, she was excited.
Overjoyed. Thrilled. Zoe could already picture, as clear as day, a tiny chubby-cheeked baby in her arms. A toddler running towards her with sticky fingers and a huge smile.
An elementary schooler with chunky glasses like Nathan’s smiling up at her while telling her all about the big day they’d had at school.
This baby was going to make an already strained relationship with Nathan much harder. But still, Zoe felt so happy she was near tears. She couldn’t wait to be a mother — even though Nathan certainly wouldn’t feel the same way. She rested one hand on her stomach.
“It’s okay, kid,” she whispered. “It’s you and me.” No matter what came next, no matter how Nathan reacted, she was going to make sure their child had all the best things in life. She would do whatever it took.
Zoe took a deep breath. Right now, she needed to wash her face, fix her hair, and go back out to oversee the filming.
She couldn’t tell Nathan right now, not while they were in the middle of work and while cameras were rolling.
She needed to find the right time — and for right now, she needed to make sure all this went smoothly.
Zoe fixed her hair and went into the hallway. She followed the sound of voices into the main lobby, where some cameramen and patients were waiting. A moment later, Nathan emerged from the hall that led to the exam rooms, trailed by several men with cameras. He was glowering, and Zoe’s heart sank.
“There you are.” He stared at her. “Where were you?”
“I—” Zoe shook her head. “I’m sorry. I had some personal business to attend to.”
“We’re in the middle of filming.” Nathan shook his head. Then he looked around at the rows of cameramen, sound technicians, and patients who were all watching them, and seemed to realize that this wasn’t the moment for a confrontation. Instead, he took her arm. “Come on. I need to talk to you.”
He pulled her down the hallway and into his office, where he closed the door. Zoe’s heart raced. She knew what he probably wanted to talk about — she’d disappeared from filming right as it began — and she would handle it as best she could.