Page 35 of Love Me Forever

I bit my lip, deciding to tell her right away. "I need your mental support."

"Crap. For what?" Her voice was instantly alert.

"I need to take a pregnancy test."

She didn't reply for a few seconds. "Travis?” We’d spoken briefly of my fling, but I’d hoped it hadn’t been memorable for her.

"Yes. I've been feeling sick lately. I'm sure it's just a stomach bug, but I bought one, so I might as well do it."

"Okay. Let’s get it over with," Ashley said.

"I'm going to the bathroom. I’ll hang up and call you again when I’m waiting for the result.”

"You don't need to do that."

"I won’t pee on a stick while you’re on the phone."

"You know I don't get grossed out, which is a good thing if I'm going to babysit."

My whole body tensed up.Babysit. Oh God, this is getting too real.

"Let's not use that word until after I take the test. I’ll call you later." My voice trembled as I hung up.

I went into the bathroom and opened the package. It took me a while because my hands were shaking.

"Get a grip on yourself, Bonnie."

I finally managed to take out the test and read the instructions. It was all straightforward. I followed it step by step, going through the motions mechanically. Once I was done and had nothing left to do except wait for the allotted time, I paced the bathroom, unable to stand still.

I'd imagined this moment a million times. I always thought I wanted three kids. I’d dote on them and give them all the love in the world. But ideally, I'd be married for a couple years already to a guy I adored and who knew me inside out. Not to someone I barely met—who turned out to be nothing like I’d thought he would be.

I stood completely still when the two lines appeared, indicating it was positive.Oh my God. Oh my God.

My phone buzzed the very next second. I always knew Ashley had a sixth sense. I answered right away, putting the phone to my ear and dropping the test in the sink.

"Woman, you can't do this to me. What does it say?" Ashley asked.

"It's positive." I gripped the edge of the sink, looking in the mirror.

"Oh my God," Ashley screamed. "I don't believe this."

"Yeah, neither do I," I whispered.

"You know what? You should go to an ob-gyn. Tests can be wrong."

"I’ll look for one."

"Wait a second." I heard the sound of fingers hitting a keyboard on her end, and then she said, "Look, I found an ob-gyn. It's pretty close to you. Actually, it's in your town. Do you want me to make an appointment for you?"

"I don't think you can call at this time of day. They'll probably be closed."

"Let me check if I can make an appointment online," she says. "Of course not. Why would I think someone working in that godforsaken town has an online option?"

"I'll just call Monday morning," I said.

"Oh, honey, do you want me to fly there? I don't want you to be alone."

"You’re sweet, but no way. You have enough on your plate. I’ll keep you informed," I said. "I'll talk to you the second I'm out of the doctor's office." I left the bathroom, feeling too unnerved to stand next to the positive test any longer.

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