“She does.” He took the drink, eyeing me. “I only need to work those days right now.”
What did that mean? I knew Roxy made decent money bartending, but she also did graphic design and that kind of stuff on the side. How much money was Nick bringing in if he only needed to work three days? Or maybe he didn’t need to work a lot because he could still live at home with his parents, for all I knew.
Oh shit. What if he still lived at home?
I recalled him telling me that he had a college degree, so why was he working at a bar, only three days a week? God, I had so many questions.
“Did you call me over to talk about my hours at the bar?” he asked, his lopsided grin spreading.
“No. I . . .” I cleared my throat as I slipped past him and walked to the couch, trying to clear my thoughts. He followed, sitting down on the edge. “That’s not the reason why I asked you to come over.”
His brows rose slightly as he took a sip of his tea. “I got to admit, the anticipation is killing me.”
I ran my hands down my denim clad thighs to keep them from shaking. I figured the best way to tell Nick would be like ripping a Band-Aid off. Make it quick and as painless as possible. My throat tightened. “I don’t know how to tell you this.” Pausing, I looked over at him. The easy grin had slipped a notch. “I’m . . . I’m pregnant.”
There. I said it.
The grin was completely gone from his face and he was staring at me like I’d spoken an entirely different language. I saw his hand spasm around the glass. He didn’t speak, but since I got the most important words out, there it was, like a plug had been yanked out of my throat.
“According to the tests I took, I’m around five weeks pregnant, which makes sense timing wise,” I continued in a rush. “I have a doctor’s appointment on Thursday, at noon, and I’m guessing they will confirm what I already know.”
Nick’s mouth moved for a few seconds but there were no immediate sounds. “I used a condom.” Those four words were hoarsely spoken. “I always use a condom.”
The muscles in my back stiffened as something I’d never even thought of just occurred to me. What if he didn’t believe he was the father? After all, what reason did he have, given how we got together? My heart started to pound. “I know, but the condom had to have broken, and looking back, it did feel . . . different afterward. I haven’t been with anyone else since you and it had been like six months before you. I take birth control pills, but when I was getting ready to move, I missed some,” I rambled on. “I didn’t pay any attention to it, because I wasn’t with anyone until . . . until you.”
Nick looked away as he set his barely touched drink on the end table. “You’re sure you’re pregnant?”
“I took three tests.” I waited for him to ask if I was sure he was the father. That question would sting, but I expected it, and couldn’t really blame him for it.
“Oh, shit.” He pushed to his feet, thrusting a hand through his hair. “Oh, shit.”
“That pretty much sums it up.”
Nick glanced down at me, his pupils dilated, and then he looked away. He walked toward the door, and for a moment my heart stopped. I thought he was leaving, but he spun around. Pacing. He was pacing. “How long have you known? Is that why you didn’t return my text last week?”
His question caught me off guard. “I took the tests last Sunday—a week ago. I didn’t answer your text, because I . . . well, honestly, I hadn’t wrapped my head around it then. I didn’t know what to say to you.”
He faced me, his lips thin. “You should’ve told me the moment you found out.”
I jolted. Of all the things I expected him to say, that hadn’t been it. “I needed to talk to my mom first.”
Nick blinked, obviously surprised. He opened his mouth and then gave a little shake of his head. Lifting his hand, he rubbed the heel of his palm across his chest. I hoped he wasn’t having a heart attack. I kind of felt like I might have one.
“I’m sorry,” I said, because I didn’t know what else to say.
He turned away and tipped his head back, hands at his hips. “All right. I wasn’t expecting this. I need a moment.”
Understandable. I pulled my legs up, tucking them close to my chest as I rested my chin on my knees. I had an idea what he must be thinking. Lots of confusion and shock, I imagined. I was still shocked and I’d known for a week.
“Are you okay?” he asked suddenly, whipping back around to me. I stilled, surprised, as he sat back down on the couch. “That’s why you were sick the other week, wasn’t it? How are you feeling now?”
Shocked, all I could do was blink at him.
“Pregnant women get morning sickness, right? That’s why you were sick?”
I snapped out of it. “I think so, but it hasn’t been severe. It comes and goes throughout the day.”
He stared at me a moment and then cast his gaze to the floor. “You’re really pregnant.”