Page 18 of The Bad Boy's Good Girl

Chapter 6

Great. Now I’m going to be sick for Christmas.Nola felt worse than ever when she woke up Wednesday morning, slammed with a fatigue she couldn’t explain not to mention a nausea that made her toes curl. She worried that something was dangerously wrong so she’d gone to her general doctor’s office and demanded an appointment in her sweetest voice. Though I’m sure the sickly grey pallor helped.

She hoped all she would need were antibiotics to get her through the next couple weeks which would be hectic. Things wouldn’t slow down for her until after the party next month. She couldn’t even think of what could be wrong with her, except maybe heartsickness because, try as she might, she couldn’t seem to erase the images of her and Bronx together. Legs entwined, bodies slick with sweat. He somehow knew her body, could trigger her pleasure with a literal flick of his wrist. His sexy grin and big hard body full of muscles. And the way he’d so easily dismissed her and spent the entire flight across the country flirting with the beautiful flight attendant. Asshole.

“Nola Boudreaux.”

She hopped up and followed the nurse down the hall, happy to see that despite everything in her life she had lost ten pounds. At least grief is good for something. By the time she left the doctor’s office forty five minutes later, Nola felt numb. In a state of shock. She’d never truly understood shock until that moment. The cold rush through her veins, stiff muscles that wouldn’t stop trembling. The sounds around her were muted all around her as she made her way to her car. This can’t be. Not when her life had only really truly begun. “Grammie, what am I supposed to do? I need you.” She gave herself ten minutes to cry all over her steering wheel before drying her eyes and pointing her car home while she called her boss. “Hey, Brooks, I’m not feeling well today so I think I’ll work from home if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “No, I don’t need a thing other than some rest.” And maybe a time machine. No, that wasn’t fair. She would be happy about this. Soon, she promised herself because it really was good news. A baby was always a good thing, no matter the circumstances that created it. “Thanks, though. You’re the best.”

He paused for so long she knew his face was scrounged up into a scowl trying to figure out how to help her. “I’ll stop by after work.”

“No! Don’t. Please, Brooks, just let me rest. I’ll get anything you need done from home and tomorrow I’ll be in. I promise.”

He sighed, unhappy about her answer but she knew he’d respect her wishes. “Fine. Maybe I shouldn’t have sent you to D.C. but you did such damn good work. Even Bronx sung your praises.”

Doubtful. “I only did my job, Brooks.”

“All right. I see you’re feeling extra stubborn today so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yep. Bye.” She didn’t mean to be so short with her best friend but she still hadn’t yet processed the monumental change ahead of her. She couldn’t just chat and act like everything was normal. Not yet.

So she spent the day, between phone calls and emails, cleaning her house and cooking meals for the next few days in an effort to focus on something, on anything other than the fact that she was pregnant. With Bronx’s baby. “Oh my god!” Sagging onto the floor, she buried her face in her hands and waited for tears to come. Only, they didn’t. Couldn’t.

She didn’t have any tears for her altered, uncertain future. For the hardships she would face trying to balance a career and a child on her own. I can do this. I know I can. So she pushed herself off the floor and ate dinner in front of the TV the same way she and Grammie always did. Feeling lonely, she decided to call Max. “Hey, can you talk?”

“Sure, I’m just eating pizza and drinking scotch. What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think something is wrong?”

Max laughed. “Because you sound like someone just kicked your puppy. Tell Max what the problem is and who I need to throat punch.”

Nola was glad she decided to call Max who never failed to make her laugh. Even when she revealed her big secret, Max had joked about bigger boobs. “I have always wanted bigger boobs.”

“This is a great way to get them without having to replace all of your favorite bras forever.”

“I guess there’s the upside of being single and pregnant.” If there could be an upside.

“And who is the father because no offense, you don’t strike me as a hookup kind of chick.”

“I’m not, but this guy is my kryptonite. I know he’s all wrong for me but I just couldn’t help myself. So really, this is all on me.”

“Well, no offense Nola but his cock played a pretty huge role in the whole getting knocked up part of the equation. Have you told him?”

She shook her head even though Max couldn’t see her. “You and my doctor are the only ones who know.”

“If you need backup you know I’m down to help. In the meantime, you should just sit with the idea of being pregnant. See how you like it and then decide what you’ll do and when—or if—to tell the no good for you guy.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Max. You were just who I needed right now.”

“Anytime, but I should go because I can’t guarantee the solidness of my advice after my third scotch.”

With a laugh, she hung up and tidied the living room before she grabbed her laptop and went upstairs to ask Google what she needed to be the best mom she possibly could be.

After the third page of answers, she fell asleep with the laptop taking the spot that should have been occupied by a man. A good man who wanted to be a good dad.

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