Page 146 of Heartsick & Lipsticks
She squeezed mine back. “Let’s do this.”
We walked down the aisle between ten rows of five wooden folding chairs that were set up on the grass. Kurt was wiping beneath his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. By the time we made it to him, he’d given up on drying his tears and allowed them to fall down his cheek.
He exhaled as she stepped beside him, as he looked at her with a gaze brimming with love and adoration.
“Who gives this bride?” the officiant asked.
“I do.” I kissed Ri on the cheek and then turned to take my place beside Nick.
“You may all be seated,” the officiant announced.
I lowered myself next to Nick and crossed my legs. His hand automatically moved to rest above my knee on my thigh. I loved that he was always touching me. I couldn’t walk by him without him pulling me in for a hug, or nuzzling against my neck. When we watched movies, he always made sure that I was snuggled against him. If we were driving, his hand was always on my thigh, like it was now. It made me feel safe and loved. Two things I hadn’t known I’d needed but now wasn’t sure how I’d lived so long without.
My focus was on the ceremony as Ri and Kurt exchanged their vows, but I could feel Nick’s gaze on me. Every time I glanced in his direction, I found him staring at me, love shimmering in his baby blues. And each time we shared a silent exchange, we knew that this would be us soon. We would be the ones promising forever to one another.
If it were up to Nick, we’d have already gone down to the courthouse and made it official. But I had always dreamed of a Christmas wedding, so he was indulging me and waiting three more months.
Which meant, as I just realized, that I would most likely be showing when we said our vows. This morning, I hadn’t planned on peeing on a stick when I was sent on an emergency trip to CVS, because Ri started her period. But as I stood in the feminine hygiene section, I realized that I hadn’t used any of those products for a while.
I’d been on the pill since Callie was born. Every day, I faithfully took it without fail. Because it was just habit, I didn’t really pay attention to whether the pills were placebos or not. I popped them out of the package and swallowed them with my morning water. The past couple months since getting engaged, had been a whirlwind. We’d moved into Casa de Love six weeks ago, and I realized as I stood staring at the products in aisle fifteen that I hadn’t had to use any of these items since I’d moved into Nick’s house.
That’s when I grabbed a test, went into the bathroom at the back of the store, and took it. While I waited for the results, sure that they would be negative, I also remembered the last time I’d visited the pharmacy in the very CVS I was in. A few days after Nick put a ring on it. I’d still been feeling exhausted, and I had a headache that was different than my migraines. Nick insisted I go see his doctor, and discovered I had a double sinus infection.
I’d come here to get antibiotics. As I sat in the stall in the CVS with the test resting on the toilet paper dispenser, I remembered that antibiotics decreased the efficacy of the pill. That had just dawned on me when I looked down and read the word pregnant.
Even after seeing the word, I still wasn’t convinced. So, I bought four more tests, and they all came back positive. I went into a little bit of shock when I got a text asking where I was, so I rushed back to Ri’s.
As bad as I wanted to tell her the news and to tell Callie and my mom the news, there was no way I would do anything to take away from Ri’s big day. But I had to tell Nick. There was no way I could keep this from him.
So, I’d emailed him a very special attachment. I knew there was no way he’d be able to go the entire day without checking his emails. I just had no idea when that would be. Keeping the secret from him, even for a few hours, was difficult. It was all I could do not to lean over and whisper in his ear.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kurt, you may kiss your bride,” the officiant announced.
Kurt dipped Ri back and gave her a kiss that had me blushing and swooning. The two definitely had chemistry. Guests stood and cheered as he straightened her back up, grabbed her hand, and they walked back up the aisle with their arms raised in victory.
The next hour was spent taking pictures with those closest to Ri and Kurt, including Nick and me, while most of the guests enjoyed cocktail hour. I found myself holding my breath every time Nick took out his phone, waiting for the moment that he read my email.
Once the photos were done, Jada pulled Nick over to speak to him, and I stood next to the fire pit, watching as Bella and Callie sat on the edge of the pool with their shoes off, letting their feet splash in the water. I knew that they would both be over the moon with the news that they were going to be big sisters.
Feeling a little nauseous, I started to walk inside to get some crackers when the tiny hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I wasn’t sure if it was a physical symptom of morning sickness, but when I turned, I found Nick staring at me from across the backyard. His phone was in his hand, and from the expression on his face, I knew he’d read my message.
My heart picked up speed as he crossed the grass in long, commanding strides toward me.
“Is this… Is this real?” he asked.
“Did you sign it?”
I’d attached an NDA alluding to the fact, but not actually saying, that I’d taken a pregnancy test, and he could not disclose the information I’d learned until after the wedding festivities.
“Skye,” his tone held a warning, the kind I loved in the bedroom because I loved him taking charge. But right now, I was the one with the power because I had information he wanted.
I glanced around to make sure that no one was paying any attention to our conversation. When I saw that we weren’t on anyone’s radar, I turned back to him and whispered, “If you want to know the results, you need to sign the NDA.”
His jaw ticked as his eyes lowered and he typed on his phone, then turned the screen to show me his electronic signature.
“Great, can you email that to me?”
He inhaled through his nose as his nostrils flared. I knew that I was pushing it, but he did as I asked. When my phone buzzed with the alert, I checked it and saw that the NDA was in my inbox. I opened my text messages, attached the photos of all five pregnancy tests that I’d taken at CVS, and sent them to him.
