Page 106 of The Hermit

I shake my head. “No. I’m fine.”

He stares at me, and after a few seconds, his eyes narrow. “Something’s up.”

Not wanting to have the discussion in front of a tattoo artist I met less than an hour ago, I say, “Nothing’s up. I promise I’m fine.”

It takes another ten minutes, then Miro says, “Done. You know the drill, right?”

I watch as he covers the tattoo with something that looks like a transparent dressing.

“Yes,” Dominik replies.

I get up, and when Dominik is done paying for the service, we leave the store.

The moment we step out onto the sidewalk, he takes hold of my hand and squeezes it. “Tell me.”

“I don’t even know if I’m right.” I glance up at him and watch his reaction closely as I say, “I want to get a pregnancy test.”

His eyes snap to mine, and I see the moment the shock hits. He tugs me to a stop.

“You think you’re pregnant?”

“I don’t know for sure. Don’t get your hopes up until I’ve taken the test.”

Suddenly, he starts walking fast, and I’m dragged to the pharmacy. When the doorbell jingles overhead, Dominik looks at the counter, and I assume he asks the cashier where the tests are.

When she answers, I’m pulled forward as he hurries to an aisle, and I watch as he grabs two pregnancy tests, then he pauses and looks at me. “How many do we need? Should we take five? Maybe ten. Just to be dead sure.”

“I’m not peeing on ten sticks. Three will do.”

“You’re right,” he replies, looking a little flustered while he grabs another one.

I’m dragged back to the counter, and after Dominik pays for them, he asks the cashier something.

She points to the back of the pharmacy, and before I know it, I’m hauled into a small restroom.

Dominik shuts the door behind us while I stare at him as if he’s lost his mind.

“You want me to do the tests here?”

“Yes. Pants down and start peeing,” he orders, already taking a test out of a box.

I undo the button on my jeans and lower the zipper. Grabbing the test from him, I sit and pee on the stick.

“We probably have to wait a few minutes,” I mention.

“Pee on the next one.”

“I’ve read it’s better to take the tests first thing in the morning.”

“It’s still morning,” he grumbles while staring at the stick he just took from me.

When I’m finished with all three, I quickly wipe off and pull my jeans up.

While I fasten the button, Dominik asks, “How do we know if you’re pregnant?”

“Two lines,” I reply as I lean closer, and when I see two lines, shock vibrates through me, closely followed by one of the most intense emotions I’ve ever felt.

Tears instantly jump to my eyes as I whisper, “It’s positive.” I grab the other tests, and when they all show two lines, a sob bursts from me.

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