Page 29 of Zone Protection

“Yeah, I know. I’ll be home tomorrow night for family dinner.” I step up into the driver’s seat, then close the door and start the ignition.

Charlie created a schedule for meals in the house. It’s been fun, having a day each of us has to cook dinner for the house. My turn was last week, so all I have to do is show up this week. It’s a good way for us to catch up and bond and shit. I love it.

“All right, man. Later.” He hangs up the call before I can reply.

Today was a big day. Not that I hadn’t believed her when she told me she was pregnant, but seeing my baby on that little screen made this for real. We’re going to be parents. Emma and I will be tied together forever. Or at least until our baby becomes an adult. It’s so wild to think about now with the baby the size of, like, a peach pit or something.

Not telling my friends and family is going to be hard. I’m so close with my family, and I’ve nevernottold them anything. But I’ll honor Emma’s wishes and wait to tell them until she’s ready.

In the meantime, I’m going to keep working on getting to know her and showing her that she can trust me to be there for her.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

EMMA

After walkingaround campus all day, an early practice, then the doctor, I felt sweaty and a little stinky. When I got home, I jumped into the shower.

Just as I’m walking out of the bathroom in shorts and a T-shirt, there’s a knock on the door. I unwrap the towel from my head as I walk to the door. Seeing it’s Archie in the peephole, I unlock it and open it.

“Hey. Did you get everything okay?”

“Yep. I got my pizza and your pasta. I almost ate a few slices on the way here. I am so hungry,” he says as he walks over to the kitchen table, setting the bag with the food on it.

I walk into the kitchen and grab some plates from the cabinet, then some napkins. “Do you want something to drink?” I ask after setting everything on the table.

“Water is good for me. Thank you,” he says with a smile.

I grab him a bottle of water, a can of 7UP and a blue Powerade, and my Stanley, then walk back over to the table. Archie is standing, holding my chair out for me. Once I sit down and scoot myself in, he walks to his seat and sits.

“So, that was wild, right?” he asks.

My roommates aren’t home right now, so I don’t mind talking about it openly.

“For sure. Obviously, I knew it was real because of how I’ve been feeling and, of course, the tests, but seeing it on the screen and hearing the heartbeat made it so very real, you know. Like, Archie, we’re going to be parents.” I shake my head.

“Yeah, I agree. It made it all so real. And like you said in the room, we have to make some decisions. I know we’re hanging out, and I’d really like to continue to do that, but I also don’t want to be a part-time dad, you know?” He looks at me with a soft smile.

“I get it, and I wouldn’t ask you to be. If you want to be a part of the baby’s life, you can absolutely be there.” I run my teeth against my lower lip and tilt my head at him. “Archie, I need you to understand that I’d never keep you from your child. You don’t have to …” With my hands, I motion between the two of us. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Bythis,you mean?”

“The hanging-out thing. The kisses and attentiveness. The pizza. All of it.”

His eyes narrow a touch as he looks down and comprehends what I’m saying. With a nod, he looks up and gives a crooked smile.

“Okay, but here’s the thing.” He scoots closer. “I really want to keep hanging out with you and getting to know you too. I think you know I’m attracted to you, but I also just like you. I feel good when I’m around you—you know what I mean? I look forward to seeing you every day between classes or talking to you on the phone, texting. I want to keep this going not because of the baby, but because of that. Do you think you want to give me a chance?” He reaches over and places his hand on mine that’s resting on the table.

“Archie, I’m going to be completely honest here. I didn’t intend on getting involved with anyone in college because myplan was to move on and go to medical school. Having time for relationships when you’re going through that is hard. Or I imagine it would be.”

He raises a brow. “Is that why you ran off the night we were together without giving me your name and number?”

“Kind of. I mean, it’s not that I wasn’t incredibly into you. I have my boundaries, and getting involved with someone wasn’t in the cards. Going to medical school is all I’ve ever wanted.”

“You’re driven. And guarded. So, you bolted. That makes sense.”

There’s a piece of lint on his shirt. I zero in on it because it’s easier than looking at his intense gaze. “But this baby changes everything. And I know you have your own dreams to follow, so I want to figure out how we can both get what we want and be the best parents to this baby.”

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