Page 50 of Press Your Luck

“Right,” Ruby agreed. “You just have to be okay with carrying a bowling ball in your belly for months.”

Everyone laughed. I tried to too, but her words struck me like a bolt of lightning. My period. When was the last time I’d had it? The fact that I couldn’t remember was a bad sign.

"Naomi?" Betts asked, her brows furrowed with concern. "Are you sure you’re okay?"

"Uh, yeah." I tried to keep my voice steady. "Just something... something Ruby said made me think about something else."

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Analyn’s expression was concerned as well.

I hesitated, fear gripping me. "No. I just remembered that I needed to take care of something.” A part of me wanted to confide in my friends, but I wasn't ready to face the possibility out loud. I couldn’t even think it.

I stood up, feeling unsteady on my feet. "I'm sorry, guys. Can we catch up later?"

"Sure thing, Naomi," Betts said with a nod. "Thank you for being here."

I felt selfish for leaving when I was supposed to be supporting Betts. But I needed to leave before my head exploded from the possibility that I could be... no, I couldn’t.

As soon as I stepped outside, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Could I really be pregnant? The idea seemed both terrifying and surreal. I needed to know for sure before I let my mind spiral any further.

I made my way to the nearest drugstore, my hands shaking as I picked up a pregnancy test. The cashier gave me a friendly smile, but all I could manage was a tight-lipped nod in return. My heart pounded in my chest as I hurried back home, my every thought consumed by what the test might reveal.

Once inside my apartment, I wasted no time in following the instructions on the box. The minutes it took for the results to appear felt like an eternity. I paced the bathroom floor, my mind racing with a thousand different scenarios. What would this mean for my life, for my career?

One minute, I told myself I was crazy for taking this test. I was on the pill.

The next minute, I remembered my body joined with Pierce’s without protection.

God. I was going to go crazy before the results arrived.

Finally, I couldn't avoid it any longer. I forced myself to look at the test.

Pregnant.

My breath caught, and a wave of emotions crashed over me. I sank to the floor. My mind went blank. I knew I needed to be making plans. Telling Pierce. But this had to be a dream. It couldn’t be real.

I pressed my hands over my belly. I was clueless as to how my life was going to proceed beyond the one fact that I was going to be a mother.

23

Pierce

Isat in my office, absently tapping a pen against my desk as frustration gnawed at me. The holidays were over, and I was back at work while Porter was back at school. Christmas hadn't gone as smoothly as I'd hoped. Jeannie had missed several calls, leaving the boy angry despite his claims to the contrary.

All the gifts I'd given him, like the hockey gear he'd seemed so excited about, now lay abandoned in favor of video games that consumed every spare moment of his time. It was as if the more I tried to make things right, the further away he pulled. I'd done everything I could think of to earn his trust and compliance, but it felt like I was just spinning my wheels.

As if on cue, my phone rang with the school’s caller ID. With a heavy sigh, I picked it up, dreading the conversation. "Hello?"

"Mr. Jackson? This is Principal Andrews from Porter's school. I'm afraid we've had an incident involving your son."

My heart sank. "What happened?"

"Porter got into a physical altercation with another student. We've had to suspend him for the rest of the day."

"Jesus ...” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to hold back the tide of anger and disappointment. "I apologize for his behavior. I'll come pick him up right away."

"Thank you, Mr. Jackson. We'll see you soon."

As soon as the call ended, I grabbed my coat and headed out of the office and down to the rink where Bo was working with a few team members. "I've got to go pick up Porter from school. He's been suspended for fighting."

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