Page 33 of Full House

CHAPTER TWELVE

Five Months Later…

Sitting on the floor of her bathroom, her back sagging against the wall for support, Victoria held a pregnancy test clutched in her right fist between her splayed legs. The word positive mocked her at every glance.

She should have realized it sooner, but with the hectic pace of her life, it had taken her a few months to catch on to the fact she hadn’t had her period.

She was scared to tell Nate. Things have been going so well with them—better than she would have ever predicted. Between filming, they did what normal couples do, getting to know one another, going on dates, spending time together. In fact, the last few months, they’d barely been apart and always ended the day together in one or the other’s bed.

There’d been a few fights—she could be a bit stubborn and him too controlling—but nothing they hadn’t been able to talk out or work through. All in all, she’d been the happiest she’d ever been, and the way Nate acted, she had a feeling, if asked, he’d say the same.

But all that was about to change, now for more than one reason. They were almost finished filming, and their daily lives would no longer interconnect. She worried what Nate’s next project would be and where it might take him. That, in itself, could cause complications with their relationship, add a pregnancy to the mix and that created a whole new set of concerns. Concerns they’d never talked about. Concerns she wasn’t sure Nate was ready for. Hell, she wasn’t sure she was ready for them. They’d never talked about the future beyond their movie—never made a commitment. Nate never brought the subject up, and she’d been too scared to. She’d been content living in her happy little bubble, but she had a feeling her bubble was about to burst.

She glanced over at her phone, sitting beside her on the tile floor. That mocked her, too, daring her to pick it up and dial Nate. But she wanted to wait, confirm it with a doctor’s appointment first. Yes, that was her inner cowardliness talking, and she was going to listen. No sense blowing his world apart on the accuracy of a cheap piece of plastic. At least, that’s how she was rationalizing her decision.

Picking herself up off the floor, she slid the test back into the box and shoved the package in the cabinet under the sink, way in the back behind a bunch of junk. She washed her hands then looked at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look any different, but she did need to get her emotions under control. Nate would instantly know something was wrong—he always did where she was concerned—and he would be there soon.

She’d left him at the studio, still having a few extra scenes to work on. Usually, she’d have stuck around or waited for him in her trailer, but knowing the errand she’d needed to run and the privacy she’d want after, she’d told him to meet her at her house when he had finished. She’d used the excuse of wanting to cook them dinner to keep him from growing suspicious of her unusual behavior.

Taking one last look in the mirror, she fluffed her hair and pinched some color into her cheeks before heading downstairs to throw in the roast. Cooking would calm her nerves, but even still, she knew her acting skills would be put to the test that night.

“And that’s a wrap, people,” Simon yelled from his director’s chair.

Victoria looked over at Nate, a wide grin splitting her face, and a hand held up at the ready for a high five. “We did it.”

Ignoring her hand, he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up and executing a spin while burying his face in her neck. “Feels good to be finished.”

His voice vibrated against her throat, and she laughed, happy and excited and surprisingly full of energy despite the late hour.

He planted a kiss on her neck then dropped her to her feet. “Let’s go celebrate.”

Tabby Wiles, one of the supporting cast members who played Nate’s secretary in the movie, said, “A bunch of us are heading over to 3-2-1. You should join us.”

Nate looked her way with a raised brow. “You want to go?”

Victoria knew 3-2-1 was a popular nightclub a few blocks away on Hollywood Blvd, but she’d never been. She shrugged. “Sure, why not.” Then she leaned in and whispered so only he would hear, “If we hate it, we can always duck out and continue our celebration in private.”

“I think I like your idea better. Let’s ditch them now.”

Victoria chuckled. “No. We’re going to go and pretend we’re not the antisocial duo on the set.”

Nate exaggerated a sigh. “If you insist.”

“I do.” She turned to Tabby. “We’d love to go.”

“Great. We’re all changing then meeting over there.”

“Sounds good.” Victoria took Nate’s hand. “I think I have something to wear in my trailer. What about you?”

“I’m sure I can find something.”

Victoria had a spring in her step as they walked outside even going so far as executing a little skip.

“I would’ve taken you to a nightclub ages ago had I’d known it would make you this excited.”

Victoria beamed up at him. “I’m just happy filming is over. I think I’ve forgotten what it feels like to get eight hours of sleep.”

Nate nodded but warned, “Don’t get too excited. Once post production starts, they’ll be calling us in for retakes and voice overs.”

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