Page 33 of Trials of a One Night Stand
He reaches for me. “Are you okay?”
No, I’m not. My mind swirls as I try to remember the date of my last period. I can’t be pregnant, can I?
I’d used a ring with Colton, but I hadn’t put it back in after he broke up with me. There’d been no reason.
Until my one-night stand.
With Nathaniel.
I gulp. Doing so tastes awful. Still, no chance, right?
“I can’t be pregnant.” The words rush out of my mouth, so it sounds as if I’m saying one word. The sentiment is more for my sake than this total stranger—albeit a doctor—I’m spilling my guts to. Still, I’m undeterred. “I mean, we used protection. A condom.”
Max stares at me, nonjudgmental, and I wish he’d just say what’s on his mind.
I feel like a game show contestant. The timer is ticking, and I should just ask for the answer, so the annoying countdown song stops playing in my head. “What?”
His gaze softens. “No birth control method is a hundred percent effective.”
Okay, I know that logically, but pregnant?
No, food poisoning makes more sense, except…
My period is late. As in, I’ve skipped it completely.
Stress from the case?
My stomach drops. I’ve had stressful cases before and never been late. Yes, I’m regular like the sun, which means…
My heart slams against my rib cage, and the air rushes from my lungs.
This can’t be happening. Not to me. I’m the one who was voted most likely to succeed. I have a plan. Granted, that plan once included marrying Colton, and plans can be amended, but pregnant?
An accidental pregnancy?
That’s what happened to Steffi, which is why I didn’t even have sex until I graduated from college to make sure it didn’t happen to me. And let me tell you, few get out of college with their V-card. But I didn’t want to be forced to quit school and live in my parents’ house with a baby. Sure, that life works out wonderfully for some, but it wasn’t what I wanted for me, not after seeing Steffi’s struggles. That’s why I celebrated when I became the first person in my family not to only graduate from college but also law school. I helped Lottie and Trace get out of there, too. And now my worst fear has come to life. I’m following in Steffi’s footsteps not ten years but more than twenty years later…
“Your face has gone completely pale.” Max’s tone is gentle. His wife is lucky to have such a kind husband. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I can’t speak—I must be in shock—so I nod and follow him into the ladies’ room. The lights are bright, and the air is scented like a flower garden. The floors and counters are spotless. I catch my reflection in the large mirror above the row of sinks. Thankfully, my shirt is clean so I wash my hands. Next up is my face.
Max wets paper towels and hands them to me. They’re warm, which I appreciate.
I wipe around my face, hoping the water refreshes me, trying to think of anything I might have eaten that could make me throw up. Nothing comes to mind because I haven’t been eating much. I also recall the one time I suffered from food poisoning I had awful stomach cramps and stuff was coming out both ends. That’s not the case today.
My heart drops lower.
Footsteps sound on the tile floor. A woman with auburn hair piled on top of her head with a pencil sticking out of her messy bun enters. She wears glasses and a stylish skirt and blouse. Her hands are full of things I can’t see.
“Nate texted me.” The woman places a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash, a bottle of Tums, and a package of tissues on the counter. “I brought some things that might help you. Sorry, but I couldn’t find a toothbrush and toothpaste.”
Eyeing the bottle of mouthwash as if it’s Cristal Champagne, I pick it up. “This is perfect. Thank you.”
“Happy to help.” The woman smiles at me. She’s beautiful. “I’m Zelda, by the way.”
“Nathaniel’s ex-wife,” I blurt.
“Nate’s executive assistant,” she says a beat later.
