Page 71 of Hooked On Them

My eyes fell to her stomach. There wasn’t a visible bump yet, but my child was in there while I sat here like a fucking stranger.

“How’s the morning sickness?” I was desperate to break the silence with something that didn’t sound like an accusation.

“Completely gone this week.” She relaxed slightly. “Still can’t stand the smell of bagels, though. It’s really a travesty.”

Miles’s thumb brushed over her knuckles in a gesture so intimate it felt like I’d walked in on something I shouldn’t see. They shared a private look, the knowing kind that comes from inside jokes and shared mornings, and something hot and ugly twisted in my chest.

I’d seen them leaving practice together multiple times now. Once, Nora had been wearing Miles’s sweatshirt, the one he practically lived in during our off days. It hung past her hips, sleeves rolled up multiple times to free her hands.

I’d walked out of the practice facility one morning and found them waiting for a car, his hand resting casually on her lower back. They jumped apart when they noticed me, but not before I’d seen the easy intimacy and the comfortable touches.

This wasn’t for show anymore. That much was clear.

And I didn’t even want to think about Carter and how much he’d been around.

“Nora Hastings?”

All three of us jerked to attention as a nurse in pink scrubs appeared at the doorway, tablet in hand.

We stood in perfect unison, like we’d rehearsed it. For a loaded moment, nobody moved. Miles’s eyes met mine over Nora’s head, uncertainty flickering across his face for the first time since they’d arrived. His hand remained firmly clasped around Nora’s, a silent claim I wasn’t sure how to challenge.

But this is what I wanted, wasn’t it?

I stared back flatly, jaw set. I wasn’t backing down. This was my child. My responsibility.

“Um...” The nurse glanced between us, clearly trying to figure out the dynamics.

Nora cleared her throat. “I’d like both of them to come with me, if that’s okay?”

The nurse’s eyes ping-ponged between Miles and me, and I could practically hear her brain whirring with questions she was too professional to ask.

“That’s... fine,” she finally said, gesturing us toward the hallway. “Follow me.”

Miles gave Nora’s hand a squeeze before releasing it, falling into step beside her on the left. I positioned myself on her right, close enough that our shoulders occasionally brushed. Each contact sent jolts of something though me. Anger? Longing? Regret?

The nurse led us into the exam room, and suddenly it hit me. This wasn’t theoretical anymore. We were about to hear a heartbeat. My palms started to sweat.

The nurse took Nora’s weight, vitals, and asked her questions about her medical history and symptoms. “The doctor will be in shortly. You’ll be having an abdominal ultrasound done so Mom can stay dressed.”

Mom.The word hit me like a stick to the throat.

“Thank you.” Nora shifted on the exam table as the nurse bustled out.

The door clicked shut, leaving the three of us alone in a room roughly the size of a walk-in closet. Miles leaned against the counter while I sat in the single chair next to the exam table, both of us focusing everywhere but on each other.

“So...” Nora played with the hem of her shirt, looking between us. “This is awkward.”

Miles let out a short laugh. “Could be worse.”

“How exactly could this be worse?” I scoffed, not really understanding why he needed to be in the room.

He met my eyes directly for the first time in weeks. “Carter could be here too.”

My eyebrows shot up toward my hairline. “Is that... something that happens?” My gaze flicked to Nora, whose cheeks were turning an interesting shade of pink. “The three of you?”

“Dom—” she started, but the door swung open again, saving her from having to answer.

A doctor in a white coat breezed in. “Good morning!” She glanced at Miles, then me. “I’m Dr. Patel. Who do we have here with us today, Nora?”

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