Page 37 of Betrayed

Chapter Twelve

Nearly Twelve Years Ago—Thanksgiving Weekend

Thursday morning, twenty-one-year-old Logan ran up the front steps of AJ’s dad’s house. They had a couple of hours to hang out before they were expected at her grandmother’s for dinner prep. He knocked on the door.

No answer. Was AJ still in bed? She hadn’t been feeling super great the last week or so.

He glanced around the side of the house. Her dad’s car wasn’t there. Logan tried the knob. It was unlocked.

He let himself in. “AJ?”

“In here.”

He turned down the hallway. She sat on the floor outside of the bathroom, forearms resting on her knees.

“Are you feeling okay?” He squatted down in front of her.

She shrugged. “I’m late, Logan. Like a week late.”

The implications of her words slammed into him.

They’d been stupid again. Despite their grandiose plans to wait until they were married this time around, they hadn’t even made it a month of being back together before they’d slipped into old habits.

He couldn’t figure out how he felt … well, other than the guilt.

“A baby.” The words slipped out softly.

“I think so. The test is sitting on the counter in there. I’m scared to look.”

“But a baby.” Joy surged through him. He cupped the side of her face. “We can face whatever it says. Either way, we should get married.”

“I’m gonna get kicked out of school if it’s positive.”

“Not if we’re married.”

“Are you crazy? I’ll be showing before summer.”

“Why should we wait until summer?”

She released a rueful laugh. “Let’s check the test first.”

He stood and offered his hands. She took them, and he pulled her up and against his chest. Kissing her head, he hugged her close. “I love you.”

“Same.” She stepped back and tugged him into the little bathroom.

His heart sped up like a motorcycle on an open country road. From behind, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She lifted the test, and they looked together.

Two bright pink lines.

They were going to have a baby. He shifted his hand to rest on her lower abdomen. Inside her womb, a little life grew. The product of their love for one another. And their inability to follow God’s law.

The dichotomy of joy and guilt was unbearable. He felt like he was going to explode and implode at the same time.

She spun in his arms. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “A baby.”

“A baby. Our baby.”