Page 50 of Ardent Desires

After hanging up, I shoot a quick text to Alexander.

Me:Hey, I’ll be a little late this morning. I have a doctor’s appointment. Will be in right after.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzes.

Alexander:Okay, baby. See you later.

I exhale a sigh of relief. Maybe he’s just been caught up in work, and that’s why he’s been distant. That’s got to be it. I push away the unease that’s been sitting in my chest since Sunday and focus on getting ready.

At least now, everything feels a little more normal.

****

Sitting in the doctor’s office, I’m fidgeting with the edge of my coat, tapping my foot nervously against the linoleum floor. I shouldn’t be nervous—it’s just a check-up. Routine. But something in my gut has been off all morning, and I can’t shake it. I stare blankly at the posters on the wall, trying to distract myself from the uneasy feeling settling in my stomach.

“Ellie?” The nurse’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I stand, following her into the exam room.

Dr. Harper comes in a few moments later, smiling warmly as she reviews my chart. “Good to see you, Ellie. How are we feeling today?”

I shrug, trying to play it cool. “I’m okay, just... here for my check-up.”

She nods, flipping through her notes. “Right, your IUD check-up. But I want to run a quick blood test first. Some things I need to rule out.”

I nod, letting her do what she needs to. It’s not until she returns with the results that everything shifts.

“Ellie,” she begins, her tone suddenly more serious, “I need to let you know… you’re pregnant.”

I freeze. Everything stops. Pregnant? No. That can’t be right.

“Pregnant?” I manage to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. “But… I have an IUD.”

Dr. Harper gives me a sympathetic look. “It’s rare, but it does happen. Based on your hormone levels, I’d estimate you’re about two weeks along.”

Two weeks. I feel like the air’s been sucked out of the room. The world spins around me as the words sink in. Pregnant. I’m pregnant.

And Alexander… oh God. How will he react? We’ve only just started getting serious. We haven’t even defined what we are. And now, this? What if he doesn’t want this? What if it ruins everything?

I can barely keep my mind together as I stumble out of the office. My hands are trembling as I text him that I’ll be late for work, keeping the doctor’s visit vague.

Me:Hey, running late this morning. Doctor’s appointment took longer than expected. See you later?

Alexander:Okay baby, see you later.

The “baby” in his reply calms me for a second, but only for a second. The anxiety rushes back, and by the time I make it to the office, my nerves are shot. I try to keep it together as I walk in, but every step feels heavier than the last.

I walk past Lena’s desk, and something feels… off. “Where’s Alexander?” I ask, hoping he’s there, so I can at least try to act normal.

Lena doesn’t even look up from her computer. “He said he had to deal with something important. He’s not coming in.”

My stomach twists. “Something important?”

She shrugs, her tone detached, like she doesn’t care. “Yeah, he mentioned an emergency.”

I try to focus, get back to work, but my mind is spinning, going over every possible scenario of what this emergency could be. I’m so caught up in my thoughts that when Logan shows up at the office, his presence hits me like a slap to the face.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Ellie Sanders,” Logan says, his tone annoyingly flirtatious as he walks over to Lena’s desk. “Where’s Mr. Blackwood?”

Lena barely looks at him, continuing to type. “He’s not available.”

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