Page 24 of Broken Love (Love 2)
"Do you want me to attend them with you?" she asks.
"Yes, if you can. Premieres always go smoother when you're with me."
"It's really too bad when we go to all these amazing places that we never get time to see them."
"It really is," I agree.
"I'm dying to go back to that spa in Bath," she continues. "It was the most amazing city I've ever been to."
"We should go sometime," I say, appeasing her and trying to get the heck out of here.
"Okay, so the studio will take care of our accommodations. Your stylist is bringing wardrobe options next week. We should be all good, except for the fact that you're acting weird. What's going on?"
"I think maybe I'm coming down with something. Not a big deal, just not feeling great."
"How are things with Cade?"
"Fine."
"When are you going to tell your brother?"
I roll my eyes. "Don't pressure me, okay. I'll tell him when the time is right."
"And when will that be?"
"When I figure things out."
"What's there to figure out?"
"Just stuff, okay!" I say forcefully. "I'm going to lie down."
"Fine," she says with a huff.
I return to my bedroom and lock the door behind me. Then I go back in the bathroom and dig out the test that claims to be the most sensitive. All of the tests claim to be able to detect a pregnancy within four days of a missed period, but this one says it can detect a pregnancy six days before. Since I'm beyond that, I'm hoping it will tell me what I need to know.
I read the instructions, pee on the stick, then set it on a flat surface and watch as the pink color moves across the window. I grab the instructions again, wondering what that means, only to find out it means the test is working.
I look at the timer on my phone.
Two and a half more minutes.
My period has been a few days late before, but it's always shown up. I've never taken a pregnancy test before.
Another first since Cade has been back in my life.
I let out a maniacal laugh in spite of my nervousness.
My phone buzzes, causing me to jump.
Okay, this is it.
No, I can't look yet. I grab the instructions and read them one more time. Alright, one pink line means I'm not pregnant. Two pink lines means I am.
But what am I going to do if I am?
I'll tell Cade. He'll either be happy or--I start to cry--not happy. What if he's not happy? What if--just look at the test before you freak out over nothing.
I open my eyes and pick up the stick.
Two pink lines.
Let the freak-out commence.
I run through a gamut of emotions while I'm getting ready for my date. The whole time I was in New York, all I could think about was getting back home to Cade. Especially after all his adorable texts.
Now, I'm dreading our date.
On one hand, I can't wait to see him but, on the other hand, I don't even know how I'm going to carry on a normal conversation! I'll probably burst into tears the second I see him, and he'll wonder what the fuck is wrong with me.
I'm being ridiculous. I'm twenty-eight years old. Cade is thirty-four. It's not like we're kids who got pregnant in the backseat. We're adults. Although I'm nervous about it, I'm excited too. I want children.
My mother will be thrilled.
And Pike will be--pissed.
I grab my handbag and walk out of my room, finding Pike on the couch channel flipping.
"Hey, how was your trip?" he asks.
"Busy," I reply. "How did it go at the doctor's today?"
He pulls a throw off his leg, revealing a full leg cast.
"Oh, wow. I thought you were going to get a boot?"
"Me too. I got royally chewed out for taking off the splints and switching to the boot. I have a hairline fracture on the tibia up by my knee along with all the damage at the ankle. I did get to see the X-rays. Crazy the amount of metal holding it all together. But the good news is no more wheelchair."
"You look happy about that."
He laughs. "You should be happy about that. I'm pretty sure I've killed most of your walls with that thing."
"It wasn't that you were a bad driver, per se, it was the fact that your leg was sticking straight out. Made it hard to judge."
Pike smiles at me and pats the sofa, so I sit down next to him.
"I know I've been a pain in the ass. Crabby. Emotional. Probably a bit of a dick. Especially with the whole Bethany situation. But I just want you to know that I appreciate you taking me in. It means a lot to me."
"Of course I would take you in, Pike. You're my brother. It's what family does. We take care of each other."
He shakes his head, looking emotional. "I just really appreciate it."
"Pike, what else did the doctor say today?"
"What I already knew. That my playing days are probably over."
"Why? You're a pitcher. It's not like you hurt your arm. I read online about a player who broke his ankle, rehabbed, and then had the pins removed so that he could run again. He came back good as new."
"I think I read the same article. The difference is that he was in his early twenties. Not his mid-thirties. And if I do retire, I could take the job as a pitching coach. At first I was sort of offended that they thought I couldn't come back, you know? And I like the idea of being able to stay in the game."
"I like the idea of you being back home," I say. "I've missed not having you around."
"I've missed you, too. Our family is small. Just you, me, and Mom. Maybe it was being in the hospital that made me think a lot about Dad, and I know you're busy, but I'd like it if we spent more time together as a family."
What he says makes me very emotional, causing me to tear up. "I'd like that too, Pike." I give my brother a big hug.
"Oh, gosh," he says with a laugh. "Don't start crying on me. You know I'm not good with tears."
I laugh at him, grinning and holding his hands across his face.
"So, I've made a decision."
"Are you going to take the job here?"
"No. I'm just going to retire. If I take the coaching job, I'll still be traveling with the team." He gives me a big grin. "Don't laugh, but I'm thinking I might want to settle down. Have some kids or something."
"That's really great, Pike."
"Yeah," he smiles. "You're not getting any younger either, sis. You should start thinking of having kids, too. Wouldn't it be fun if our kids could grow up together?"
"That would be amazing," I reply, stunned, both that my brother wants to settle down and that he chooses today, the day I find out I'm pregnant, to have this conversation.
"You look really pretty. Where are you off to?"
"Dinner. I'll be late though."
"Have fun." He points at the couch he's sitting on. "I'll be here if you need me."
My mind is all over the place during the twenty-minute drive from my house to Cade's. When we first dated, he had a cozy little condo on Laguna Beach, and I lived in my parents' guest house. His commute to work in Beverly Hills sucked, but he could surf every morning and was close to his family and the friends he grew up with.
After we broke up, our careers advanced, and we both relocated, me moving into a cozy ranch in Toluca Lakes--the ideal location when you're filming at the studios in Burbank or at Universal City. Cade bought a condo in Beverly Hills. When I first saw the modern glass and steel structure with its sleek entrance, I expected the condo to be modern and cold, but it wasn't. Even though it's bigger, it still has the same industrial rustic beach vibe of his smaller place and instantly felt familiar.
I put my hand across my belly, still trying to fathom the fact that there is a baby growing inside me. Cade's baby.
I try to figure out what I will say to him. How I could break the news.
I could go serious: Cade, we need to talk.
Or take a funny approach: You'll never guess what
happened on the way to the maternity ward.
The direct approach: Say I'm pregnant the second I walk in the door.
The broach a subject approach: So, Cade, how do you feel about having children?
The psycho girlfriend approach: Hand him the movie Knocked Up and start laughing manically then crying hysterically.
The foodie approach: Put buns in his oven.
The sexual approach: Draw a heart and a stick baby on my stomach and wait until he finds it.
The funny sexual approach: Hey, remember when you put your P in my V and we didn't use a condom? Guess what's in me now?
The ironic approach: Wrap up the pregnancy test stick, let him open it, and see if he cries like a baby.
The proposal: Ask him to marry me and instead of giving him a ring, give him the pregnancy test.
