Page 32 of My Promise To Keep

‘Probably.’

Despite knowing this thing between us couldn’t ever, wouldn’t ever be more, I wanted to say it,don’t stay, come back, but the words wouldn’t come.

‘Night, Leo.’

‘Night, munch.’

I’m Going To Seattle

Zoe

Seventeen Months Ago

‘Fuck!’ I whisper-cursed asI looked in the rear-view mirror one more time before climbing out of my car and heading toward the door of the shop. Last time I walked in there, a fewweeks earlier, I hadn’t planned to end up spending the night in Leo’s bed — with him, but I had, and now, I was walking in terrified.

‘Hey, Zoe,’ Gus, Leo’s old apprentice and now the other artist in his tattoo shop, greeted me as he sat sketching at the reception desk, and I smiled in return. Leo’s head popped up from the customer he was working on, and he flashed me the beautiful smile that got me into this mess in the first place.

‘Hey, I’ll be like twenty minutes here.’

I nodded and took a seat, picking up a tattoo magazine and considering some options before reminding myself I probably wouldn’t be getting tattooed again for a while and putting it back down.

Leo had been back from Seattle for a week. He had been so busy since then that we had hardly even talked, and now I was sitting, tapping my foot while I awkwardly waited to change his whole life.

I scrolled my phone for a while as I waited, and when Leo walked the customer over, discussing aftercare and saying goodbye while Gus prepared to take payment, my heart pounded in my chest.

‘Lunch?’ he asked as he dropped into the seat next to mine, nudging my shoulder with his, and I nodded. I wasn’t hungry, not in the slightest, but I needed to get him alone.

Heading upstairs to Leo’s apartment above the shop, I felt sick.

‘I don’t have much. I need to go shopping,’ he said brightly as he looked in the fridge. ‘Sandwich, ramen, what are you in the mood for?’

‘I’m pregnant,’ I blurted with his back to me and saw him freeze, then slowly turn to face me. ‘I mean, I think,’ I took a breath, ‘I think I’m pregnant. I’m late, and I’m never late.’

He took a slow step toward me, and I tried to read his expression. Angry? No. Happy? Not exactly… I couldn’t read him for the first time ever.

‘You’re pregnant?’

‘I didn’t take a test yet.’

‘With me?’

I nodded yes and saw his eyes widen as his hands came up to the back of his head, and he blew out a breath.

‘I’m not asking you to do anything. I just, I wanted to tell you, and I’m freaking out, and you have a way of helping me not freak out and…’

‘Take a breath, Zo.’ I did. ‘Do you have a test?’ I nodded, yes. ‘Why didn’t you do it yet?’

‘I’m afraid.’

‘What are you afraid of?’

‘The result. I’m terrified it’ll be positive, and I’m kinda scared of it being negative too.’

Leo stepped toward me, arms open, and wrapped me up in his embrace, kissing the top of my head.

‘Go pee on the stick, sweetie. I’ll make some tea.’

Just like that, he showed me once again that it was going to be okay. It was always okay with him.

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