Page 10 of Pretty Little Disaster

“Great, I’ll call you tonight.”

“Wait, where are you?”

“What?”

“Where are you.”

“Nic, that’s none of your business.”

“Just answer the fucking question!” I snap at her, starting to wonder what the hell’s going on here.

“I’m just about to go into a lecture,” she lies to me, making me even more suspicious. “Look I have to go. Speak later, okay?” She hangs up and triggers my rage and when I look at the location and click on ‘route planner’ I see that the clinic is a forty-minute drive away. Crushing out my cigarette, I dust off my hands before getting into the truck and setting on the journey.

I keep my phone in one hand as I slam through the door to the reception, interrupting the calm music that's playing out of the speakers and seeming to get everyone's attention. I see no sign of Lorna, but I know she’s still in the building, the blue dot tells me she is.

“Can I help?” The lady behind the desk looks put out by my disturbance

“I’m looking for Lorna James.” I glance past the women sitting in the waiting room, some of them very obviously pregnant.

“Is she expecting you?” the receptionist asks.

“Yeah, she’s expecting me,” I tell a little lie of my own.

“Great, she’s in sonogram room 4. It’s just down the hall to your left. Dr Walsh is still with his last patient so I don’t think you’ve missed anything.” She smiles at me and I nod my head gratefully before rushing down the hall.

LORNA

Ilie on the bed with my legs in stirrups just like the nurse told me to, and while I stare at the ceiling I try to breathe myself calm.

“I guess this is where we find out if you're really in there.” I stroke my hand over the gown I was given to wear and blow out a nervous breath. Madalina insisted that I use the same obstetrician she does. Apparently, he’s the best, and I’m assuming thatthe bestcomes at a high price.

Everything about bringing a child into the world comes at a high price which makes me more and more nervous. It doesn’t matter how many times Madalina told me not to worry about cost, I can’t expect her and Dario to take this on as their responsibility. I have to tell Nic, I almost did before I got here, but I bailed. I figure it’s best I check there's something to tell him about before I throw down the gauntlet.

The door clicks open, and I prepare to smile at Dr Walsh, but it isn’t Dr Walsh who steps inside the room.

“You were right, wedoneed to fucking talk.” Nic closes the door behind him, stepping up to the bed with a furious look on his face and I tug the patient gown, I’m wearing, down my thighs and cringe at the position I’m going to have this conversation in.

“Nic, I literally found out a few days ago. I was going to tell you when I called earlier and then when you didn’t answer, I…” I close my eyes and try to find the right way to explain.

“Lorna, are you pregnant?” He narrows his eyes on me.

“Yes…Well, I think so. The test said I am, and I’m like a week or so late. The nurse said they’re going to give me a sonogram to confirm and see how many weeks I am, but if I am, I know exactly when this happened.” I fidget uncomfortably because I really don’t want to do this here, with my legs suspended open.

“Fuck.” Nic reacts exactly how I expected him to, scratching the back of his neck as he paces the room.

“I swear, I was telling the truth about being on the pill. This is just as much a shock to me as it is to you.” I don’t want him to think for a second that I did this intentionally. I know from being friends with his sister that Nic gets a lot of female attention, women have a habit of getting desperate around him and he needs to know that I do not fall into that category.

“I read somewhere that if you're sick the pill can be ineffective. That night at the club–”

“Whoa, are you blamingmefor this?” He looks at me coldly.

“Nic, I’m not blaming anyone, this is just one of those very unfortunate disasters, and…well, I’m keeping it.” I don’t know where that came from, and why it sounded so defensive, but all of a sudden I feel very protective over the tiny little being that may or may not be growing inside me.

“Damn right, you’re fucking keeping it.” He shocks the life out of me, especially when his expression suggests that to do otherwise would be insane.

“Well, I guess that's one thing we agree on.” I attempt a smile, but seeing that he still looks angry doesn’t give me much confidence.

“Your hands are filthy, where have you been?” I suddenly realize that he looks totally different from how he usually does.He’s wearing jeans and a hoodie instead of his usual shirt and slacks and his hands and clothes are covered in mud.

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