Page 6 of Love Me Like You Do
Chapter Two
Covington flinched, her sigh of relief turning to a hiss of shock as her backside hit the cold toilet seat. Muscles unclenched and the floodgates opened and she wanted to get down on her knees and thank the pregnancy gods that she’d made it to the bathroom without embarrassing herself in front of Tris and two strangers.
Unfortunately that particular humiliation wasn’t new to her, she just preferred not to live through it over and over again.
Of course with the pressure off and the urgency gone, she had nothing to concentrate on except the reason she was here. Telling Tristan he was going to be a daddy. She wanted to hide out in this surprisingly well-appointed bathroom and avoid the conversation that was probably pointless now.
She’d heard one of the men outside with Tris when she’d made her less than dignified dash for the bathroom say something about pregnant women and their need to pee, but she’d had other things to worry about and didn’t feel guilty for having her ‘condition’ revealed in such an in-your-face manner.
And she had seen the brief look of shock that crossed Tris’s face when he’d pulled her into him. She might only be four months but with two babies on board she’d already ‘popped’, and with how lean she was everywhere else because of every day, all day morning—ha!—sickness, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was pregnant.
“How you doing in there?”
Covington jumped, made some sort of strangled animal sound, and almost toppled off the toilet. “Ah. Okay.”
“Tris wanted me to check. You’ve been in here a while. Do you need anything?”
“Um…no.” As an afterthought she added, “But thanks.”
Figuring she was out of time, she did what she had to and flushed. Tugging up her sweatpants Covington inched them over her rounded belly. The elastic was growing tighter with each day and she conceded her limited wardrobe would be nonexistent in the coming weeks. She’d have to rectify that sooner than later.
She opened the stall door and moved to the sink to wash her hands. Tried to ignore the woman leaning against the wall watching her with a speculative gaze.
When Covington turned the tap off the woman asked, “You’re from Miami?”
She nodded and ripped off a piece of paper towel. “Yep.”
“Long way from home.”
“Hmm…” Covington hummed in reply.
“Staying?” the woman persisted.
Covington shrugged.
Putting her hands up with a chuckle, the woman pushed off the wall and said, “Alright. I get it. None of my business.”
Smiling, Covington dropped the wet towel in the trashcan and moved toward the door. “I should…”
“Yes, you should. Harding is wearing a trench in the tiles waiting outside.”
“What?”
“Never mind. I’m Deanna by the way.” She opened the door and held it, motioning for Covington to pass through first. “After you.”
“Thanks. And I’m Covington.”
“Unusual name.”
“My mother’s home town and definitely better than the other option.” At Deanna’s arched eyebrow Covington added, “Mallow—one town over in case you’re curious—was behind door number two.”
“Perhaps a third door…?”
“Considering they were getting worse?” She shook her head. “I think I ended up with the best outcome.”
Deanna smiled and indicated the open door. “Shall we?”
Taking a deep breath, Covington raised her chin and steeled her resolve. She could do this. Shehadto do this. Tristan deserved to know and she needed someone to share the load with. Share the joy. Her heart skipped at the thought of getting to hold their babies. Would they look like her or Tris?
