Page 52 of Unexpecting

There was absolutely no enthusiasm in his tone. That should have told me something. I should have left then, walked right out of the room and let him process things before I made the big announcement. Since J.B. wasshowing no excitement at all for the fact that I was pregnant, then how was he going to react when he found out I was pregnant with his child?

″I’m pregnant,” I confirmed solemnly.

Why didn’t I think about how there was a good chance he wouldn’t be alone? Not that I even gave Morgan a thought—why this morning of all mornings? Just when I finally put two and two together to have it equal pregnant me—why did he have to pick last night to get laid? And with my best friend?

″Wow. That’s—congratulations. Why aren’t you jumping up and down and waking up the whole house? What’s wrong?” J.B. asked, correctly sensing I was not as excited as the situation would call for.

″When did you go and get whatever you needed to have done? I thought you would have said something. Or maybe, hey, wait, is it David’s? You slut, you never said a word,” Morgan cried, oblivious to the gamut of emotions I was rushing through.

″I didn’t go anywhere,” I added, with my eyes not leaving J.B.’s. I had to admit, my gaze must have been pretty accusatory. “Unlike you.”

″Where did I go?” she asked in bewilderment. “What does—oh, Casey, no. No way.”

″What are you going on about?” J.B. wondered.

″She must have been a virtual smorgasbord for you,” I said bitterly. “Just lying there sleeping, all upset, so that you could take advantage of her! Being all needy and damsel in distress-y.”

″Casey, don’t,” Morgan said. “Don’t say another word.”

″What are you talking about? I thought this was about you being pregnant!” J.B. asked with confusion.

I jerked my head angrily toward Morgan. Now, I like to think I’m fairly laid-back. Like my sister, I do have a temper, but it takes a lot for me to get worked up about something. Normally. But this—bursting into J.B.’s room all excited only to find Morgan ensconced in his big, comfy bed—it’s obvious what went on.

To give me credit, it had been a pretty stressful couple of weeks, what with the David stuff and my mother’s little announcement the other night, so I think I must have been a little on edge. I’m also guessing hormones—OMG, I’m pregnant! —were playing a part, so I was a little less rational than usual. And unfortunately for him, all this junk I had going on had mixed together into a whole bunch of pissed-off at J.B.

″Huh?” J.B. said. He didn’t have a clue.

″Casey, J.B. slept on the couch,” Morgan told me urgently. She grabbed hold of my arm. “He insisted on giving me his bed, but he stayed downstairs. I was up here myself the entire night. You ran right past him on the couch on your way up here.”

″You woke me up, falling up the stairs,” J.B. accused.

″Yes, but—oh. Oh. Downstairs.”

″All night,” she said quietly. “And me up here. It was nice of him to let me sleep here, but I wasn’t that grateful. Or that needy.”

Once her words sank in, I felt pretty stupid. “Oh. So you and him never…”

″No,” she said quietly. “I wouldn’t do that. I told you.”

″Oh.” This was so not how I pictured this. I stood in the middle of J.B.’s room still holding my pee sticks and not knowing how to continue.

J.B. cleared his throat. “I have no idea what just went on here,” he said, in a voice that told me, yeah, he had a pretty good idea but he was not going to say anything. “But can we just take a step back for a sec and start again? You’re really pregnant?”

″Really pregnant,” I could only mumble, since I was feeling pretty stupid right then. “Sorry,” I said to Morgan.

″Forget about it. So—who?” Morgan let out a gasp. “Oh, no, it’s not Mike’s, is it? That would be too terrible to think about,” she shuddered. “But you didn’t sleep with him, did you, so how could—?”

″It’s not Mike’s. Thank God.” I turned back to J.B., but this time I could barely look him in the eyes.

″Then who?” Morgan demanded.

I could see the realization hit J.B., hit him like a knockout punch so he actually took a step away from me. “No way.”

″I’m sorry,” I cried immediately. “It doesn’t mean anything. You don’t have to—”

″What are you talking about?” Morgan shrieked. “Casey, whose baby are you having?”

″Mine,” J.B. answered.

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