Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“What is that?” Lauren looks at the white sticks in her hand.
And I think this is what it feels like to have a heart attack. I have a numbness in my arm. I think it’s numbness I don’t really know since I can’t really hear anything over the pounding going on in my ears.
“They’re drum sticks. I found them in the bathroom.” She is still tapping them together. “Like a wand. Bippity boppity bo.”
“Oh my God,” I say in a whisper as my mother grabs one of the sticks from Rachel’s hand.
“Oh my God.” She looks at Lauren. “You’re pregnant!” She sits down at the table.
Lauren’s head snaps back and she grabs the other stick from Rachel. Sure enough, it’s another positive pregnancy test.
She looks at Austin, who has gone paler than a ghost.
“Lauren?” he questions, holding the table with one hand, while he looks like he is going to fall over.
“You have to marry her,” my mother announces with tears in her eyes. “A child out of wedlock is a no-no.” She shakes her head no over and over again
“Lauren.” We hear Austin again, this time his voice quivering.
She looks around the faces at the table. Her eyes searching mine, she knows I know she knows just by looking at me.
“It’s mine,” I say, then I look at Noah. “I’m pregnant.”
Noah places the bottles of wine on the table. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m pregnant,” I repeat, throwing my hands in the air.
“But…but…but,” Noah stutters.
“This is worse than Lauren being pregnant,” my mother groans with tears running down her face.
“Mom,” Lauren snaps at her, walking over to me and hugging me tight, whispering in my ear, “It’s going to be okay.” The tears now run down my cheeks. What if he doesn’t want a baby? What if I have to have a baby by myself? What if my baby hates me for not giving him or her a father?
“Holy shit,” Austin breathes, finally sitting down.
Noah walks over to us, grabbing my face in both his hands. “I love you. So, so much. More than I love me.” He smiles at me and rubs away the tears that are rolling down my cheeks. “Marry me? Be my wife?”
“Are you sure?” I ask him while I put my hands on his.
He just declared his love for me in front of my whole family the same time he found out he is going to be a father.
“More sure than anything I’ve ever done in my whole life.” He pulls me close to him.
“Yes,” I say right before I throw myself at him, kissing him.
“This is wonderful,” my mother squeals. “Frank, we are planning a wedding.”
“Great!” My father looks at Austin. “Open that wine.”
“I’m getting married!” I turn, shouting to everyone in the room.
“Um,” Noah murmurs as we all turn to look at him. “I just need to get divorced first.”
“You need to get divorced?” my sister, Lauren, yells from the other side of the room.
Lunch at my sister’s is usually eventful but not this eventful. Five minutes ago I found out I was pregnant. Four minutes ago everyone else did also. Three minutes ago I agreed to marry Noah, who is my baby daddy. Two minutes ago I found out he’s married and needs a divorce. What the heck just happened?
“Oh my God,” my mother shouts from her chair that she fell into when I declared I was pregnant. “She’s an adulterer.” Her hand goes to her chest. “I think I’m having a heart attack.” She looks at my father.
My father goes to her side, tapping her hand. “Now, now, dear, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m sure there is a logical explanation to all of this, right, Noah?” My father looks over at my soon-to-be fiancé, who just looks back at me, his mouth opening to say something, but my mother cutting him off.
“She will be branded the other woman. We might as well mark her with the red A on her shirt.” My mother continues grabbing hold of my father’s hand with tears in her eyes. She is almost hyperventilating at this point.
“Okay, everyone needs to calm down for a second.” My sister tries to be the reasonable one.
“You’re married?” I turn to Noah, pulling my hand from his. “How did you not tell me this?” I blink away the tears forming. Okay, fine, when we were together we were like rabbits trying to hump each other, but still I think ‘I’m married’ might have come out before now.
“He can explain.” Austin turns to Noah. “Tell them.” He motions to Noah with his hand. “Tell them it’s all a mistake.”
“I’m not really married, married. Per say.” Noah’s voice is soft while he grabs my hand.
“You’re either married or you’re not married.” Lauren glares at him, folding her arms over her chest. I’m sure she is planning her revenge as we speak.