Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Harper’s shoulders fall, and she nods as she bites that lower lip. “Thank you.”
“Just relax. I’ll be right back.”
Rushing out of the room, I pull my phone out and start making calls, starting with administration. I want to make sure that piece of shit isn’t allowed anywhere near this hospital again.
Within twenty minutes, I have my shift covered, along with Harper’s, and I’m taking the IV out of her arm.
“I’m so freaking tired,” she says, barely holding her eyes open.
“That’s pretty normal, baby. You’re coming off the adrenaline of a scary episode. But I’ve got you.” Helping her to her feet, I keep my arm around her shoulders and lead her out of the ER and out to the parking lot where my car is.
“My purse. My car—”
“I’ll have someone get it for you.” I press my lips to her head. “Do you want me to carry you?”
“No, I’m going to keep my dignity intact and walk,” she says, making me smile. “But when we get home, you can carry me all you want.”
“Deal.” I keep pace with her, not rushing her as she walks to the vehicle, then help her into the passenger seat.
The ride home is quiet. Harper dozes next to me but wakes up when I pull into the garage. True to her word, she doesn’t put up a fight when I lift her into my arms and carry her inside.
“Bed or couch?” I ask.
“Couch. We need to talk.”
I nod and set her down on the sofa, then walk into the kitchen to get a couple of waters and bring her one, then sit facing her.
“I want it to be known right now that I’m super salty that all of my plans got ruined,” she says with a frown. “I mean, I wasn’t going to do anything cheesy because that’s not me, but still. I wanted to talk to you on my own terms and not spring it on you in the middle of a crisis at work. That’s fucked up.”
“I’m glad that you’re mad and not upset anymore.” I reach for her hand and steel myself for the answer to my next question. “What do you want to do, Harper?”
She blinks at me, and then she’s up and in my lap, hugging me close, and I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Shit, did you think I wouldn’t—” She shakes her head, not completing the thought. “I know I said I didn’t want kids. And neither do you—”
“I said I didn’t see myself with a family,” I correct her, brushing her hair back from her face. “But I didn’t have you yet, sugar.”
She bites her lip. “I was afraid that you’d be so mad, but you don’t seem mad at all.”
“I’m not mad. Surprised. Pissed off that someone put his hands on you. Worried about you. But no, I’m not at all mad at you, baby.”
“I’m really scared that you’re going to think I did this on purpose. That I’d try to trap you—”
“You said that before, and I hate that fucking word.” I tug her lip out of her teeth and run my thumb over the soft skin. “We’re consenting adults, Harper. I can’t keep my hands off you. You believed that your birth control was working, and if I was worried about that, I could have used condoms. I told you that I love you before we had any inkling that you could be pregnant. You moved in with me. We’re a team, sugar, so no. I don’t feel trapped in any way. I want you. I need you in my life.”
“It’s really soon for a baby.” She licks her lips. “I’m not trying to talk anyone out of anything. I’m just talking.”
“I understand. Go ahead.”
“We haven’t been together long, and I just moved in. I would have liked some more time with you, all to myself, before we started thinking about adding more people to the mix.”
Her fingers are in my hair, brushing through the strands. You’d never know we’re talking about bringing a life into this world. We’re both so calm.
I’d say that means that everything about this is right.
“The fact that you’re not running, that you want to be here with me, is all I need to know. I don’t disagree with you. More time would have been ideal, but we have roughly seven-ish months to get used to the idea.” I press my hand to her stomach, and a ghost of a smile spreads over her lips.
My clinical brain knows there’s a baby in there. I know all the medical nuances about everything happening in Harper’s body. The how and why and when.
But this is my girl, the woman who I’m so in love with, it’s a living, breathing emotion in every cell of my body, carrying my child. And that makes every bit of my medical degree go right out the window.