Audrey glared at him. “What do you mean, more tests? I just have a stupid stomach flu that won’t go away.”
“Your dipstick came back showing elevated levels of HCG. It appears that you are pregnant. We will need a blood test to confirm, and in the meantime I am referring you to an Ob/Gyn. Because of your irregularity, we are unable to determine how far along you are, but—”
Audrey had stopped listening; surely, she had heard him wrong. Putting her hand up, she said, “Excuse me? What did you say?”
“I said you are pregnant.”
“Pregnant? There is no way, I can’t have children.”
“Well you are, and you are exhibiting all the signs of morning sickness. Like I said, your dipstick came back positive, but we would like to confirm it with a blood test.”
“No, I’m sorry, you are incorrect. I can’t have kids. I was told that when I was nineteen.”
“Well they were incorrect, ma’am, because you are pregnant.”
“There is no way,” she said, her heart kicking up. She felt dizzy and something was bubbling inside her. Maybe panic because there was no way she was pregnant! She’d had sex with a lot of guys and never gotten pregnant, and …
Oh my God, Tate never used protection, not even once.
The room felt like it was spinning as a wave of nausea hit her hard. She looked up at her grinning doctor and then promptly puked all over the floor.
For fuck sakes, am I pregnant?
Chapter 26
“I need to see Dr. Richards.”
The receptionist looked up at Audrey, and she knew the girl thought she looked crazy. After rushing from Doctor’s Care to her Ob/Gyn, Audrey was frantically looking for some answers. The first doctor was pretty damn sure of himself when he said Audrey was pregnant, but for some reason it wasn’t clicking for her. She would need to hear it from Dr. Richards for her to believe it.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
“Then I’m sorry, ma’am, but he is—”
“No, he is never too busy for me, tell him Audrey Parker is here and it is an emergency,” Audrey gasped out.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that—”
“Yes, you can,” Audrey said, interrupting her again. “I know you can. Who are you? Where is Linda?”
The girl gave Audrey a snobby little look before saying, “Just a second.”
Audrey’s heart was pounding as she tapped her foot quickly against the hardwood of the lobby. Her stomach was queasy and her head was clouded with questions. She had ignored all of Tate’s texts and even his calls. She was pretty sure he was about to start panicking, but hell, at this point all she cared about was finding out if there was a baby inside her.
Because she couldn’t believe it.
After years of thinking she couldn’t have a child, she couldn’t grasp the fact that it could be happening, and she wouldn’t until Bryan Richards said it was true. When Linda Richards, Bryan’s mom, appeared behind the reception window, Audrey let out the breath she was holding.
“Linda, I need to see Bryan. Like yesterday.”
“Audrey Jane, you’re white as a ghost, are you okay?” she asked, cupping Audrey’s face. When Bryan and Audrey used to date, eons ago, their families had become very close, and still were. Everyone had been convinced they would get married, but during his senior year of high school, Bryan dropped the “Hey, I’m gay” bomb on everyone. Audrey always thought it was true, since Bryan never really liked sex, but she had loved him. She still did, but more as a brother.
“No, I need to see Dr. Richards, Sr., or Bryan, ASAP.”
“Okay, darling, my goodness, you got my hands shaking!” Linda turned quickly to the nurse standing behind her, “Put her in Room 3. Tell Bryan to see her next. Audrey, honey, Matthew is sick today, so Bryan will have to work.”