Page 295 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

“Is she sure she wants to have this party? Everyone will understand if she wants to leave,” Natalie asks.

“I don’t know. Whatever she wants is probably best.”

I exhale when my chest gets tight. Rubbing over the knot with my fist, I take another breath.

“Are you okay, Harrison?”

“Me? I’m fine.” I hate that she felt the need to even ask. That makes me wonder what clues she picked up on. I move out of her way. “I’m going to talk to Nick while Tatum gets ready.”

Before I slip across the entry into the other room, I feel her hand on my back. When I turn, she says, “It’s all right not to know how to feel. It’s a surprise for both of you.”

My throat feels thick when I swallow, and my mind is muddled. I nod, but I’m not sure why. I just know I need fresh air. When I head for the front door, Nick says, “What are you drinking?”

I could be good and order a bottle of water or even a soda. But I know damn well that I need something stronger. “My usual.” When I step onto the stoop, it feels like a lot of night has passed though it’s still young. I sit on the top step and look down at the sidewalk, trying to wrap my head around the facts of what just happened.

Tatum’s pregnant.

I’m going to be a dad. Or maybe she chooses something else . . . That’s a discussion for another day, or at least, not in the middle of her surprise birthday party. I pull out my phone and flip to a few photos taken before I left California. It was an impromptu going away dinner with just my family.

It didn’t matter that I reminded them I’ll be flying back and forth. My sister took the lead and organized for all of us to get together. A photo of my niece and baby sister smiling like goofballs fills the screen. A lot has happened since Catalina, and I need to figure out how best to handle this.

“Harry, I need your help?” my sister says. It sounds like she’s crying though, which isn’t like her.

“Are you okay?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

I try to shake the memory of that night . . . and let what’s happening right in front of me guide my reaction.

This is about the woman I’m dating being pregnant with mine. We may have been doing it like rabbits, but none of this makes sense. The door opens behind me, and I’m quick to shove my phone back in my pocket. “Was that Madison?” Nick asks, closing the door.

“And Harlow.”

He knows why I was looking. They’d be the first people I’d think of after Tatum in this situation. Handing me a glass of whiskey, he sits on the other side of the landing, leaning against the concrete balusters. I take several sips noticing the soda is on the lighter side. I don’t mind and take another. “So Tatum’s pregnant.” We might as well just get it out there.

A slow exhale then has him replying, “So I heard.”

“Everyone did.” I roll my eyes. If I embarrassed easily, this would be the time. Fortunately, I don’t. “I think I would have preferred being told in private first.”

“Sorry you had to hear it that way. It won’t change things, but there are not that many people. Natalie kept the list on the smaller side. A few left, thinking it best to call it a night like Jackson and his date, a few co-workers of theirs. Look, Harrison, a lot can happen?—”

“A lot has happened.” My confusion wrinkles my brow. I’m not stupid. I say, “We’ve been driving this relationship at warp speed like we wouldn’t get a second chance.”

“This is your second chance. You’re in it.”

Looking down at the glass in my hand, I nod. “Second chance.” I glance over at him. “I’m not sure what Tatum will do . . . I just . . .” I take a long pull from the glass and rub my hand over my head as I swallow the liquor. “What do we do?”

“I’m no expert. I’m just some old married guy, but take it day by day, hour by hour if you need to. This isn’t about anyone but the two of you.”

“I don’t know if she’ll keep the baby or . . .” I empty the glass. Maybe I shouldn’t have had a drink when Tatum doesn’t have the luxury of numbing her thoughts the same way, but I’m considering another. “My heart is fucked up over this. I don’t want to be put in the position?—”

“Minute by minute if that’s what it takes, brother.” He stands, taking a sip of his drink before looking up at the night sky. “I think we should shut down the party.”

“It’s not my call.”

We go back inside to find Tatum holding a glass of water in one hand and a steak fry in the other while talking to Andrew and Juni. Natalie is bustling around with the remaining guests mingling, the conversations and laughter overshadowing the music playing in the background.

By looking at the scene, no one acts as though anything happened out of the ordinary. I’m struck by the casual mask everyone’s wearing as if they didn’t just find out Tatum’s pregnant at the same time I did.

Tatum looks back and sees me. A gentle smile graces her lips before she sets her drink down and comes over, her hand resting against my chest. She looks up, her cheeks slightly pink from the cry she had earlier. “Are you okay?”

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