Page 63 of Cautious

“There it is. Congratulations, Miss Ward, you are definitely pregnant.” He chuckles. “Let me do some measurements.”

“Oh my god! Wait, is it okay? Would the Depo have hurt it in some way?” I worry my lip between my teeth as panic sets in and the what-ifs flood my brain.

“Let’s not borrow trouble, Miss Ward. Most babies under these circumstances will be absolutely fine. Some might experience low birth weight, but most babies grow up happy and healthy without any lasting side effects.” He’s quiet for a moment as he works, and I lie there staring entranced at the screen. A baby. Holy fucking shit, there is a baby in there. I’m going to be a mom. Tears prick my eyes at the thought. What if I mess this up? What do I know about being a mom? I never had one I could look up to and use as a role model. What if I fuck my baby up like my parents did with me?

“Well, Miss Ward, you are measuring about fifteen weeks, which would have made you pregnant before you even started taking the Depo. And yes, before you say anything, I’m aware the pregnancy test we did back then came back negative. That can happen if it’s too soon in the pregnancy to pick up the elevated HCG levels.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll print out some pictures and write a script for prenatal medications I want you to take. The sickness you’ve been experiencing and the tiredness are all normal side effects of pregnancy, but come back and see me if you have any other concerns.”

I nod at his words, or I think I do, but I’m mostly in a daze.

“Wait, fifteen weeks means I would have been pregnant when I was attacked,” I choke out in a whisper, swiping at my tears as they begin to fall. “Are you sure it’s okay? They didn’t get hurt, did they?”

The doctor smiles kindly at me and gives my hand a squeeze. “Your baby is perfect. I’ll send your details over to OBGYN and get them to monitor you a little more frequently, just to keep an eye on things. But I don’t foresee any issues. It seems your child is as strong as their mother.”

Mother. I’m going to be a mother. Fuck. I look up at the doctor, whose face is blurred by my tears, and offer him a watery smile. “Thank you.”

I wait for my script, then follow him out of the room to Marcus and Felix.

“Everything okay?” Marcus asks worriedly, obviously noticing my pale, tear-streaked face.

“Yeah,” I cough to clear the squeak from my throat. “Everything’s perfect.” My smile is big and genuine, making him relax beside me.

“Blake just texted to say he will be out of contact for the next hour,” Felix says, quietly studying me as he holds the door open for me to pass through.

“Where is this meeting, anyway?” I ask, not that it’s uncommon for them not to answer their phones, particularly if they’re in court.

He’s quiet for a minute, running his eyes over my face, assessing if I truly am okay before answering. “He’s over at the government building with a couple of FBI agents and a senator, I believe, but you didn’t hear that from me. I can’t say anything else as it’s all very hush-hush. That’s why he won’t have his phone with him. They’ll take that when he enters. Only way to reach him will be by contacting the building, and only if it’s an emergency.”

“Gotcha. Any news on what you guys want to do about the office yet? Have you decided if you’re going to rebuild it or relocate?” I ask distractedly, my mind still thinking about the baby.

Marcus looks at me with a smirk as we climb into the SUV.

“I don’t remember you being around when we had the conversation about rebuilding or relocating, you little eavesdropper,” Felix teases, making me roll my eyes.

“I’ve hardly been let out of Blake’s sight, and you know it. I’m pretty sure you guys just forget I’m there now. Besides, I only heard you guys talking about what you might do, not about any decisions you might have come to.”

“Blake wouldn’t make any big changes without talking to you first, Callie. You are the most important thing to him right now,” he tells me, making me smile.

I know he’s right, despite everything going down, we’ve been blissfully happy. I just hope he’s as happy when he finds out about the baby.

We make the trek home, idly chit-chatting with each other before pulling up to the apartment.

My mind is in such a chaotic swirl about how best to tell him that I climb out of the car and head up through the garage to the first floor on autopilot. It isn’t until I’m halfway up the steps that a weird feeling, like a shadow of foreboding, washes over me. Pausing, I almost make Felix collide into the back of me as I shiver, feeling like someone just walked over my grave.

“What’s wrong?” Felix asks, making Marcus, who is ahead of us, stop and look at me in concern.

“Jesus, you’re as pale as a ghost,” Marcus comments.

I open my mouth to tell him it’s just my imagination running away with itself when Marcus’s phone rings. He pulls it from his pocket and frowns. Catching a glimpse at the screen before he hits answer, I smile as Marcus puts it on speakerphone.

“Hey, June, is everything okay?” I call out.

“There’s someone in my house,” she whispers, making my blood run cold as my eyes snap to Marcus.

“What?” Marcus barks as Felix pulls out his phone and dials the police.

“I can’t get a hold of Blake—” Her voice cuts off when we hear the sound of glass breaking.

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