Page 58 of All's Fair In Love & War

Sophia tilted her head. “Business good or is this a social call?”

“Yes, business is fine. I just wanna spend some time with y’all,” I whined, laying it on thick.

Riley set her fork down. “Okay, but I’m picking you up. You won’t get to back out on me this time.”

“That’s fine. I don’t feel like driving anyway.”

“Then it’s a date. I’ll see you bitches in a little while,” Sophia said, squinting her eyes as she moved her face closer to the phone, studying me. “You good, Tatum?”

“Yes, damn. Don’t start all that,” I replied and ended the call before either of them could ask anything else.

“I’m pregnant,” I said loud enough for Riley to hear over the music she had blasting inside her car.

“Bitch, we—" She stopped singing mid-line, her head whipping in my direction after realizing what I said. “Repeat that!” She ordered as she slammed on the brakes and held out her arm to prevent my chest from slamming into the dashboard.

“You heard me!” I held onto my chest, hand over my racing heart. “Goddamn, Riley! What the fuck? You tryna kill me or something?”

“Un-un, I don’t want to talk about that right now. I'm waiting on you to repeat what the hell you said.”

My head dropped into my palms. “I said I’m pregnant. Now, can you go so no one slams into the back of us?” I replied, reminding her that we were in the middle of the street.

She nodded as she pressed down on the gas. “Are you sure?”

“About eighty-eight percent. I haven’t had a period in almost two months, I’ve been sick, and my titties are sore.”

“Well then, we need to find out for sure. We’re about to stop and get a test.”

“Okay,” I agreed, though deep down, I knew the answer.

Naeem and I had been fucking like rabbits, never once stopping to use protection. As much as I wanted to blame himfor this mess, it wasn’t all on him. Going raw had been my idea. I trusted my birth control and got too reckless, plain and simple. The only thing he was guilty of was walking around with sperm strong enough to break through years of science.

In less than twenty minutes, we were parked, the test was purchased, and I’d already peed on the stock inside the CVS Pharmacy’s restroom. I wasn’t foolish enough to think I’d be able to take it home and handle my business. Naeem was entirely too damn nosy for that.

I let out a slow breath, wiped, pulled my clothes back on, and set the test down on the counter. Three minutes wasn’t supposed to feel this long, but it was dragging. My stomach was doing flips, and the more I tried to stay calm, the worse my nerves got.

Hands shaking, I grabbed the test off the counter and lifted it to my eyes.

Two pink lines.

Bold as day.

It was just what I thought.

I stared as my breath hitched in my throat, my heart pounding so loudly it rang in my ears. Maybe I’d seen wrong. Maybe if I looked away for just a second and prayed hard enough, the results would change.

I blinked. Once. Twice.

And then I looked at the test again. The two lines were still there, glaring up at me like a neon sign from hell.

I was pregnant. That was what they meant.

“No. No, no, no.” My voice came out hollow and desperate, barely a whisper.

I stumbled back, my spine hitting the stall, the pregnancy test clenched in my trembling hand. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. I was on birth control. What the fuck!

I sucked in a shaky breath, but that didn’t help. Panic was sinking its claws into me, winding tight around my lungs and making it impossible to breathe. My chest rose and fell in ragged gasps, my mind spinning.

I knew the risks. I knew.

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