Page 26 of The Perfect Escape
Our first stop was Camana Bay. Davian assured me it had the best shopping and I would find everything that I could want. Davian, Mika, and I exited the SUV when Patton pulled up next to the curb near the shopping center. As soon as Patton drove away, we moved toward the shopping center. I wasn’t sure what to expect. It surprised me that there wasn’t an actual shopping mall like I had pictured in my mind. Instead, canopy after canopy of vendors selling specialty items spread along the street. It reminded me of a farmer’s market with everything from sunglasses to candles, to spices and fresh produce for sale. I was sure that most of the vendors were locals based on their accents and form of dress. One thing I knew for sure; the Caymanian people were very colorful and had a welcoming atmosphere around them.
Davian took hold of my hand as we walked to the first covered shop. Mika followed close behind while looking back behind her shoulder every so often. My guess was that she was keeping a watch out for Patton. The shopping center was crowded with people native to the island and tourists. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for shopping. An older woman, about sixty, was sitting behind a table that displayed different sized candles. She was stirring a pot of wax, slowly with a wooden spoon, while adding scented oil to a stone pot with a dropper. The scent of lavender hit my senses as we came closer to the table. I was amazed by how much pride she took in the candles she had created and the one she was about to make. I never saw candle wax being made, and it was interesting to watch her. We continued to watch the older woman until Patton stepped up behind us.
Standing next to Davian, Patton leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Based on the expression displayed on Davian’s face, something was going on, and it wasn’t good. Concerned, I gave Davian’s hand a light tug. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry, princess, but we have to cut our shopping trip short.”
“No. Why?”This can’t be happening. I hadn’t had a chance to speak with Mika, and I was afraid I wouldn’t get another opportunity to get the test. It had to be today. “Can we please shop a little longer?”
Davian looked over at Patton. “One hour, no longer. Don’t let either one of them out of your sight.
I was happy that Davian agreed to allow us to shop a little while longer, but the way he looked at Patton, he wouldn’t be sticking around. “Where are you going?”
“I need to get back to the villa. There is something that I need to deal with.”
Before I could argue, Davian’s lips were on mine, making me forget he was leaving. Maybe this was a good thing. The chance of getting Mika alone would be better. Davian said a few more words to Patton before walking away from the shopping center. The perfect time to let Mika know what I needed from her just arrived.
Pulling her further away from Patton and Davian, I whispered, “I need a favor from you.”
∞
When we got back to the villa, I breathed a sigh of relief to find that Davian wasn’t inside to greet us. Whatever he had to take care of must have taken him away. I wasn’t sure how long he would be away, and therefore, I needed to be quick if I wanted to find out if I was pregnant or not. Mika was more than willing to help me out as long as she was the first person I told about the results. I trusted Mika and was positive she would keep my secret.
Grabbing the shopping bags Patton brought in from the SUV, I hurried up the stairs to my bedroom. Even though Davian moved most of my things to the master bedroom, I still considered this room mine. I felt it to be the safest place to do what I needed to do without getting caught.
I set the bags on the bed, rummaging through them until I found the test Mika had purchased for me while I had distracted Patton at the pharmacy/gift shop. With the small box in my hand, I hurried to the bathroom and locked the door. The last thing I wanted was for Davian to arrive home and find out what I was doing. Filling my lungs with air, I calmed my nerves and carefully read the instructions included with the test. I had one chance to get this right.Why didn’t I tell Mika to buy two tests?
As I read the instructions, I decided it was best to use the cup method. The entire process would take two minutes. In the end, it would give me either a positive or a negative sign. Removing a small cup from the dispenser sitting on the vanity, I would have the truth in a couple of minutes. Before beginning the test, I weighed the outcome of what would happen if the test came out positive. Of all the thoughts running through my head, the one that caused the most concern was whether I was ready to become a mother. I just turned twenty-one and had my entire life ahead of me. I hadn’t even begun to live. If only I had taken more responsibility and not allowed my selfish desires to get in the way, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Taking a deep breath, I hiked up my dress and pulled my panties down. Whatever came of the test, I had to trust that Davian and I would get through whatever happened together. “Please, God, if You are out there listening, give me more time before becoming a mother.”
After filling the cup as best I could, I placed it on the counter next to the white testing wand. Adjusting my clothes, I stood in front of the counter and dipped the end of the wand into the cup for five seconds, just as the instruction said.
Holding my breath as I counted—one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand—when I reached five seconds, I let the breath I was holding, pulled the wand from the cup, and placed it on the counter. I didn’t have a watch or a cell phone to determine the two-minute mark. So instead of opening the door, I stared at the test wand and just waited. My eyes were glued on the horizontal line that slowly appeared, waiting and praying that a vertical line wouldn’t cross over the line.
So many thoughts went through my mind when the two-minute mark passed, if I had to guess, a long time ago.Had I done the test right?Could this test fall under the one percent inaccuracy threshold? Picking up the direction, I read through them again when a knock came at the door. I froze, unable to think. I felt like a child getting her hand caught in the cookie jar.
Frantically, I gathered the test and instructions and threw them inside a drawer. “I’ll be out in a minute,” I replied to the knock as I dumped the contents of the cup in the toilet and flushed it away.
“Miss Reyna, it’s Mika.”
As I opened the door, the grip around my heart lessened. Mika had a concerned expression on her face as I pulled her by the arm inside the bathroom and relocked the door. Pulling the test from the drawer along with the instructions, I handed them over to her.
I didn’t know what to make of her expression as she looked between the test and the instructions. “Miss Reyna, according to this, you aren’t pregnant.”
“I really thought I was. I did everything according to the instructions and knew the test was ninety-nine percent accurate. Maybe my missed period was because of what I went through and my loss of appetite. Either way, I need to get back on the pill. I just don’t know how to do that.” I took in a sigh of relief. All I needed was Mika’s confirmation that it was negative.
“You need to tell Davi the truth. I see how much he cares about you. He will understand this. Just be honest with him. He can take you to a good doctor on the island,” Mika said, her hand covering mine with understanding.
“Is he back?” I asked.
“Yes,” Mika began. “But I don’t think now would be a good time to talk with him. We have guests.”
“Guests?” I looked at Mika, confused. If it was Lorenzo, I wouldn’t exactly call him a guest.
“It’s your mother and father.”
~19~
