Page 46 of Love From the Ashes

“Okay.” I went upstairs and curled up on Reid’s bed, spreading the lap blanket on top of me. Panic gripped me when the image of Geoff in the mirror nudged back into my mind. For some bizarre reason, I wondered for a moment which incident had been the most terrifying: Geoff’s breaking into the house and threatening to rape me, or the terror-filled incident with Denny when I was fifteen, causing me to run like hell to Dean. I shook my head. As horrible as today’s incident had been, the one with Denny had been worse. I covered my head with the blanket, feeling sick.

CHAPTER 17

A Weekend In New York

It was achilly Friday morning in late October. I’d taken the day off since Reid and I planned to fly to New York in a few hours to attend Samantha and Ryan’s weekend wedding. Finished packing the suitcase I had lying on the bench at the end of Reid’s bed, I zipped it up and set it on the floor. We would only be gone for two nights, returning to Boston Sunday afternoon. Reid had the wedding rehearsal and dinner this evening. I was supposed to join him for dinner since it was for the wedding party and their plus-ones.

The ceremony was tomorrow afternoon and, according to Reid, would be a sizable event. Samantha and Ryan had reserved all the guest suites at the luxury boutique hotel where the celebration was taking place, putting the rooms aside for their immediate family and the wedding party. Everyone else, except Ginny, had to stay in one of the hotels in the surrounding area. Samantha had opted for this venue, which was an hour’s drive from Manhattan, because of its privacy and stunning views. I’d initially been consumed with worry about fitting in with Samantha and Ryan’s upper-class friends. Now I didn’t care. I had something far more pressing than their wedding on my mind.

Reid had said he’d drop the subject of my moving in with him until I was ready to discuss it, but he’d brought it up several times over the past month. I’d promised him a week ago I’d give him an answer while we were in New York, and after much thought, I’d decided to give up my apartment, although my plans could easily change now that I was facing an unexpected and life-changing situation. Terrified of what Reid would do when I gave him the news, I nervously waited for him to leave so I could take a pregnancy test. It was to confirm what I already knew.

Reid came out of the walk-in closet toting his suitcase behind him while I stood there deep in thought. He set his luggage next to mine and turned to give me a quick kiss. “I’ll be back in about two hours, and we’ll head to the airport right after that.”

“Are you sure you have to go to work?”

“It’s best if I do. I don’t want to cancel this morning’s executive team meeting. The company is running so well right now, I want to keep the momentum going. Jason is brilliant, and since taking over Krista’s job, he’s made some great improvements. Between him, the new sales manager, and our design team, the numbers are shooting upward, and our financials are looking great. We’ve finally got a well-oiled and cohesive team. Krista was too aggressive and created too much friction. I hate to say it, but I never understood what my father saw in her.”

“That’s an odd thing to say about someone you previously dated.”

“I’d hardly call what we did dating. I went out with Krista maybe three times.”

“But what about the things she said to me and all the rumors? Krista made it sound like there was much more between you two than that.”

“Well, there wasn’t. It didn’t take that many dates for me to know Krista wasn’t my type. She bragged to everyone we were dating, and when I told her I didn’t want to go out with her again, she had to craft some story to save face. Who do you think concocted the rumors that I was a player and not relationship material?”

“That was her?” I stared wide-eyed at Reid, floored at his revelation.

“It was, and it wasn’t worth my time to correct. It would have been a battle to stifle all the gossip. So why bother? I figured I’d let people think what they wanted. Anyone who knew me personally knew the truth.” Reid glanced at his watch. “Okay, I have to go. Make sure you’re ready to leave when I get back.”

“I will.”

He rushed out the bedroom door, and I could hear his shoes on the stairs and the hardwood floor in the foyer as he hurried toward the front door. I sat on the bench at the end of the bed and waited for Reid to leave the house. When I was sure he was gone and not coming back, I went into the bathroom and retrieved the paper bag I’d stashed underneath the sink. My periods were regular and occurred on the dot, so having my last one a little over eight weeks ago had to mean I was pregnant. I’d buried myself behind a wall of denial, but I was now too far along to ignore it, and my mind still reeled at the thought. I was on birth control pills, and this wasn’t supposed to happen.

I took the box out of the paper bag and read the instructions before opening it. There were three tests in the box, and I removed one of them. I sat on the toilet and pointed the tip of the applicator into my urine stream, setting it on the toilet tank when I had finished. I looked at the time on my watch. The box said I’d have the result in three minutes. That was three minutes too long. I paced back and forth across the bathroom floor, then sat on the bathtub’s edge with my head in my hands. I was petrified to see the official result.

The time was up, and I slowly stood, moving cautiously toward the toilet. I nervously reached for the test, hesitating as if I thought it could bite. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked at the display and hung my head. There was a plus sign. I was pregnant. Now I had to explain the situation to Reid.

*

Impressed, I scannedthe hotel’s facade and landscaping as we drove down a private lane. The building was a beautiful coral color with bright blue wooden shutters at each window, and a multitiered fountain was visible in the decoratively tiled parking area.

“I can understand why Samantha and Ryan chose this venue for their wedding. This place is gorgeous. It’s like one of those huge Italian villas you see in magazines,” I said.

“I have to agree. The place is eye-catching,” Reid said while parking the BMW we’d rented.

A hotel employee rushed toward us when Reid stepped from the car and came around my side to open my door. The employee took our luggage after Reid pulled it from the trunk, and then we followed the gentleman up several steps and through a large oak door. Finding ourselves in the hotel lobby, Reid approached the front desk to check in.

I took several steps backward and glanced at my watch, surprised to see it was only three o’clock. But the time made sense. Our flight from Boston to White Plains, New York, had been one and a half hours, and the drive to the hotel added an hour. I hadn’t eaten anything since early this morning and would have been hungry, except my appetite had dwindled along with my tolerance of most foods this past week.

Reid got our room keys from the front desk clerk, and we followed the porter to our suite. The man deposited our luggage in the room, receiving a better-than-average tip from Reid. Then he quietly left.

“Well, what do you think? Is the room comfortable enough for you?” Reid said.

“Yes, it’s perfect.” I giggled with pleasure as I flopped down on the king-sized bed with its expensive-looking white comforter and linens. The room was bright and airy, with a small sitting area and three Italian-style French doors that opened to a wrought-iron balcony that overlooked a garden. Our room was larger than I had expected and more than comfortable.

“I’m glad you like it, although you wouldn’t complain if you didn’t.” He leaned down and kissed me. “You have to be the least demanding person I’ve ever met. Although you still like to argue with me. I swear you have me completely mesmerized.”

“And you are smart and ridiculously sexy, funny, and…”

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