Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele

Chapter 19

Tomorrow is still a day away, however, and I doubt I'll see Jude before then. We both have busy days ahead of us. Looking over at the pile of work waiting for me, I sigh, wishing I had taken him up on his Invitation for coffee. My stomach starts to grumble at the thought of coffee and a large pastry. I've been so busy that I forgot to eat. Again.

So I make a small brunch of eggs and toast. I don't reel like making a whole pot of coffee, so I pour myself a glass of orange juice before I sit down to start working again.

I'm about two bites in before I need to rush to the toilet.

Everything I just ate, along with everything still in my stomach from the night before comes out in a rush. I've never felt so sick before in my life. Even after throwing up, there is a pervasive feeling of nausea that lasts the rest of the morning. Just the smell of coffee is enough to make me swallow down bile.Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.

Later in the day, I try again to eat a banana. I don't even finish the first bite before I spit it out and throw the rest banana away.

Pull out my calendar and take a look at my schedule. Maybe something's wrong with me. I might need to

go see a doctor and...

Oh no.

There is a red circle on my calendar from the first day of my last period.

That was over 6 weeks ago. Doing a little quick math in my head I realize that I am two weeks late. This means I was ovulating around the time that Atlas and I

Impossible. It was only the one time.

Putting my running shoes back on, I grab my purse and rush out of the apartment. The closest store that might sell a pregnancy test is the pharmacy up the street. It takes me a few moments, but I find exactly what I'm looking for in the aisle next to the condoms. "Too late for that," I mumble under my breath.

"Too late for what?" a cheerful voice says from just over my shoulder.

Turning around quickly I hid the box behind my back and pretended I was looking at something else entirely as Jude crosses the aisle to greet me. "Oh nothing, I was just thinking about something from earlier today."

He raises an eyebrow. I don't think he believes me.

I look around for something to hide my purchase and to give me an excuse to be here in the first place. To the right of me is a whole shelf of cheap romance novels. That will have to do. Grabbing a large one, I hide the test inside.

Praying that my blush isn't obvious as I giggle nervously I raise the book above my head. "I needed a break and wanted a new book, so I came over here and thought I'd try something different."

"Oh," he looks at the title. Blinks twice, and then responds, "I've heard that one is pretty good."

lacter: 10.

I take a

ment to look up at the book. On the cover is a picture of a woman wearing a dress with a torn bodice locked in a romantic embrace with a handsome centaur. The title implies something regarding the size of his anatomy and I feel myself burning in embarrassment. "Oh, this, well it's not for me, it's...um...for my friend."

"Uh-huh," he nods knowingly. "Well, I hope you have a good afternoon," he winks as he walks out the door.

Oh gods! Now he's going to think I'm into animal porn.

Somehow I make it back to the studio without dying of mortification. Shutting myself in the bathroom, I take the test.

Maybe it's just food poisoning.

As I sit there, I hear that familiar ringtone again. Twice in one day. That's unusual.

Picking up my phone there is a picture of my neighbor and I running. Underneath the image is a single line

of text.

"Don't trust him."

"Huh?" I look at the photo shaking my head. There is nothing about this photo that makes me think I have anything to worry about. Besides, Jude is the nicest person I've encountered in a long time.

I'm sure my anonymous sender is confused. Jude is harmless. I've never met a kinder, more generous human being.

I'm about to respond to my anonymous friend when the alarm on my phone goes off.

My eyes blur as I realize the truth, even before I look down and see two pink lines.

Positive.

A tear falls onto the stick as I watch all my hopes and dreams shatter and reform into something different. Something involving a very small person who will depend on me to be my very best self. "Damn it, Atlas," I swear under my breath as I sit alone and cry.

I'm pregnant.