Page 82 of Forced Knocked-Up Mate

I’m about to collapse in relief. “We knew,” I say. “Me and all her friends, we told her she should see a doctor, but she kept saying she was okay.”

“That will definitely be something for you to monitor,” the doctor advises. “You’ll need to keep a close eye on her for the next few months and let me know if anything changes.”

“Months?” I say, frowning. “How long is this going to go on? How sick is she?”

The doctor looks at his chart. “Well, her immediate problem is a combination of vitamin deficiency and not enough rest. It affects every woman differently, and it looks like Lucy is just one of those girls who gets the worst of it.”

It?

“Just tell me straight, doc,” I say, barely stopping myself from shaking him. “What happened?”

“An extreme collapse due to exhaustion and malnutrition.,” the doctor says. “But she really will recover completely in a couple of days. And the baby is fine.”

The world swims around me, and I have to grab the wall to stay upright. My head is spinning like I’ve just downed a bottle of Jack, then tried to stand on my head.

“What did you say?” I whisper. My chest is so tight, I can’t even breathe.

“The baby is fine,” the doctor says again, putting a hand on my shoulder and smiling warmly. “You’re going to be a wonderful father, I’m sure of it. Just make sure she takes her vitamins and gets plenty of rest. You can see her now.”

I follow him down the hall, still so shaken that it feels like the walls are flowing around me and the floor is uneven under my feet. When I enter the hospital room and see Lucy sitting up in bed, the relief that floods through me is so powerful, it practically turns my legs to jelly.

“Lucy,” I whisper, grabbing her hand.

“Peter.” Her face crumples, and she starts sobbing. “I’m so, so sorry. I know I should have told you—”

“It’s okay,” I murmur reassuringly, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. “Everything is okay. Don’t stress yourself out worrying about me.”

She looks up at me, her expression edged with fear. “Peter, I want you to know I’ll be okay… no matter what you decide to do.”

Wait, what?

“Neither of us intended for this to happen,” she continues. “And I’ve trapped you twice now. There’s noobligation here, okay? I can manage, and we’ll figure everything out as we go along.”

“Lucy,” I say firmly, taking both her hands in mine. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I want you, and the baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Don’t say that,” she cries, pushing my hands away. “I don’t want you to stay with me out of duty, or pity.”

“Lucy.” I shake my head in disbelief. “I came back to be part of your life, no matter what, because I realized love and family are all I’ve ever wanted. You helped me realize that.”

Tears run down her cheeks as her face crumples again. “I won’t hold you here. You don’t have to make excuses.”

“Will you listen to me?” I say forcefully. I reach into my pocket and pull out a small velvet box. I hold it up in front of her.

She freezes when she sees it. “No,” she whispers.

I open the box, revealing the ring inside.

She shakes her head and cries even harder. “I don’t want you to marry me just because of the baby!” she wails.

“Oh, my love,” I say with a smile, stroking her cheek. “It’s been in my pocket for a week. I was just waiting for the right moment.”

“Really?”

“Really. Check the receipt if you don’t believe me.”

Lucy reaches out for me with both arms. I pull her tight against my chest, letting her cry as she clings to me.

“You know we’re already married, right?” she murmurs with a hint of her old humor.

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