Page 56 of Triplet Babies
“Months, maybe. The engagement is business. If he backs out, there could be consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?”
I think about the warehouse attack, the men Yarik killed to protect me, and the careful way he watches our surroundings when we’re together. Recalling what he told me about his past and present, I say without hesitation, “The dangerous kind.”
She’s scowling, but not at me. “You can’t keep living in limbo. You need to make a decision about what you want, and it’s not fair of him to ask you to twiddle your thumbs while he plays out whatever his scheme is.”
I nod. “I know what I want. I want him, but I don’t know if it’s possible, and waiting for months won’t work for me.”
“Then you need to find out. Have the conversation. Tell him you’re preggers, how you’re feeling, and what you need.”
I bite my lip, thinking it over. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should get some air, run a few errands, and think about everything.”
She nods approvingly. “Good idea. Clear your head and figure out what you really want.”
Thirty minutes later,I’m dressed in jeans and a loose sweater, making my way through the grocery store with a list of things we don’t really need, wanting to distract myself before it’s time to go home and get dressed to return to work. It’s unusually busy for a weekday morning, full of families with young children and elderly couples moving slowly through the aisles.
I’m in the cereal aisle, debating between brands, when I catch the scent that makes me shiver and causes a surge of nausea as sandalwood and spice, expensive and distinctive, assaults my senses. It’s Alex’s cologne and how it smells just on him.
The box of cereal slips from my hands and hits the floor with a loud crash. I spin around, heart racing while scanning the faces of the other shoppers. There’s an elderly man selecting oatmeal, and a woman with two toddlers arguing over sugary cereals. A teenage employee restocking shelves barely looks at me before returning to her task.
No Alex.
I tell myself it’s just a memory or fear playing tricks on my mind. Lots of men wear that cologne. It doesn’t mean anything.
The woman with the toddlers looks at me with concern. “Are you okay, honey?”
I bend to pick up the fallen cereal box, my hands shaking. “I’m fine. Just clumsy.”
She smiles sympathetically and returns to managing her children, but I can still smell that distinctive scent that haunted my nightmares for months after I escaped. I abandon my cart and hurry toward the exit, my heart thrumming so hard I can hear it in my ears. The automatic doors seem to take forever to open, and when I finally reach my car, I fumble with the keys before locking myself inside.
I sit in the parking lot for ten minutes, breathing deeply and trying to calm down. It’s nothing. It has to be nothing. Alex doesn’t know where I am. He can’t know, because I can’t go through all that again. Yet as I drive home, the scent seems to follow me like a shadow.
My phone rings as I’m pulling into my apartment complex at seven-thirty a.m. It’s a call from Dr. Ranick’s office, according to the caller ID, so I quickly answer.
“Miss Clark? This is Jennifer from Dr. Ranick’s office. I’m calling to confirm your ultrasound appointment tomorrow at two p.m.”
“Yes, I’ll be there.” I make a note to speak with Mrs. Nykova to tell her I have to leave early tomorrow.
“Great. At twelve weeks, we might be able to determine the gender if you’d like to know.”
My chest tightens with excitement and fear. Tomorrow I’ll see my baby and maybe learn whether I’m having a boy or girl. It’s a milestone I’ve been looking forward to, but it’s also another reminder of how real this pregnancy is becoming. “I’d like to know.”
She sounds super cheerful when she says, “Perfect. We’ll see you tomorrow at two.”
I end the call and sit in my car for another moment, resting a hand on my belly. Tomorrow, I’ll know more about the baby I’m carrying. Yarik’s bay. The secret that’s growing bigger every day.
Nina is right. I need to decide what I want. The problem is, I already know I want Yarik, this baby, and a future that includes all of us together. I just don’t know if it’s possible.
Back in the apartment, I find Nina getting ready for work. She takes one look at my face and immediately sits down, pulling me with her though I should be rushing to get dressed myself. I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry.
“What happened?”
“I smelled his cologne again. At the store.”
Her face goes pale. “Alex’s cologne?”
I nod, sinking into the couch beside her. “I know it sounds crazy. I know it could be anyone, but what if he really is here? What if he’s been watching me?”
