Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Her fingers are curled tight into my shirt and her hold seems almost desperate, but her mouth is a passive participant.
There’s no return passion and it’s like being doused with a bucket of ice water.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, taking her by the upper arms and holding her back from me so I can get a good look at her face. How did I not see it when she opened the door? Was I just so dazzled by her that I didn’t see the red-rimmed eyes or the dull expression? “Did someone die?”
She shakes her head as she steps back from me. My hands fall away and my stomach pitches when she says, “We need to talk.”
My first thought is she’s ending things and after I get over the initial gut punch, I shore up the resolve I know I’ll need. I’m not ready to end things. No way.
Kiera turns on me, walks into the kitchen and I follow. My heart hammers, crashing against my breastbone, and then it seems to stop when she faces me.
Her expression is so bleak I start to reach for her, but she shakes her head, holds a hand up to stave me off. She squeezes her eyes shut for just a moment and takes a deep, stuttering breath. “I’m pregnant,” she says on the exhale, eyes opening and locking onto me.
I feel like I’ve been zapped by electricity, the shock of her words jolting every fiber of my being. My world tilts, my entire body feeling so off-balance, I reach out to grab the back of a kitchen chair.
Kiera rubs at her temple, gaze dropping from mine.
“Are you sure?” I manage to croak.
“Pretty sure,” she whispers as she stares at the floor. “I’m a week late and I took a home test yesterday. It was positive.”
“Is it accurate?”
Her head snaps up and she glares at me. “Well, I don’t know, Bain. I didn’t manufacture the fucking test.”
I don’t even think to defend myself as I can tell she’s on the verge of flipping out. But before I can try to offer comfort, she holds out her hands, palms facing me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
I’m scared shitless, but I’m more worried about Kiera. I straighten my spine and take two large strides to her. I wrap my arms around her body, pulling her in for a hug. Her head turns to the side, her arms tucked into her chest as I just hold her. I want to offer all kinds of assurances, but I can’t offer a damn thing. I have no clue what to say because this never crossed my mind as a possibility.
I’m not fool enough to question her birth control pills because I know they’re not one hundred percent effective. I’ll just assume we’ve run into a bit of shitty luck.
I loosen my hold to look down at her. She tips her head back and I study those blue eyes that aren’t sparkling the way they normally do. It’s clear she’s been doing a lot of crying and I’m guessing by the way she was rubbing at her temple, she’s got a gargantuan headache.
“I’m so sorry,” she says, her eyes pleading for forgiveness. “I know this isn’t what either of us wanted.”
“Don’t apologize.” My tone is harsh, but I don’t want her bearing any guilt for this. “This was an accident.”
She nods, head bobbing quickly. “I know. Sorry. I’m just… I don’t know what in the hell to do. I’m not ready to have a baby. I’m not ready to be a mom.”
I sigh and bend to press my lips to her forehead. “I’m with you. It’s not something I wanted either. Not for a long time, at least.”
Kiera’s voice sounds slightly hysterical. “So we should definitely… um… we should get… since neither of us is ready for a kid, the best thing we could do is…” She wrenches out of my arms and scrubs her hands over her face, letting out a sob. She looks at me helplessly. “I can’t even say the words, Bain. I can’t even make myself say the option we need to consider.”
Her anxiety causes mine to flare again, and my heart pounds. I keep my tone gentle. “We have to consider it, though.”
Kiera’s eyes are wild and she looks as if I just slapped her, but she nods in agreement. I’ve never seen a human being more torn in two before and my heart breaks for her.
“What do you want to do?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Kiera… it doesn’t matter what I want to do. This is your body involved, not mine. If you want to end the pregnancy, I’ll hold your hand. If you want to keep the baby, I’ll support your decision.”
A harsh, barking laugh erupts from her chest. “Of course you’d say that because you’re a good guy. I know you’ll do the right thing, but I want to know what you want.”