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ChapterSixteen
Hallie
I was beyond nervous. My stomach felt like it was flipping in my belly, and I honestly couldn't tell if I was actually feeling my baby move or if I was justthatnervous about Chase arriving to meet me for my doctor's appointment.
The other night with him had been good. Almost too good. I'd been dreaming of him and dreaming of our baby and starting to get hopes that were crazy. Super domestic. Visions of me cooking dinner, us having a big house and a whole passel of kids, a dog, and maybe a cat, or a bearded dragon. All these wildly overblown thoughts all because Chase said he wanted to see how things go with us. That didn’t mean we were going to fall in love. That was the problem.
I was really,reallyfalling for him.
But you've only had two nights with him. It's just the sex. You can’t even think straight.
I couldn’t ruminate or obsess any further. In all honesty, I'd obsessed for hours upon hours upon hours. There was a knock on my door, and I stared at it from where I sat on the couch. I’d texted him to pick me up here instead of at my studio because my schedule had changed.
I stood, smoothing my hands over my belly where the curve was starting to show more by the day. I crossed the room, stopping by the door. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing my pulse to slow the hell down.
He knocked again, and I laughed to myself. I swung the door open quickly. “Hey!” I practically yelped.
His eyes widened slightly. “Hey, Hallie.” His gaze skated over my face, dipping down to my belly and then back up. I felt my cheeks heating. “How are you?”
“Uh, just nervous actually,” I blurted out, not intending to be that blunt.
His eyes warmed. “Well, that makes two of us then.”
“Oh, you're nervous too?”
“Yeah. I've never been to a doctor's appointment with a woman. I have no idea what to expect. And obviously, I've never been a father. So this is all new for me.”
We laughed together. He stepped closer, lifting a hand and brushing some loose locks of hair off my cheek as he bent low to brush a kiss over my lips. “Good to see you,” he murmured.
It literally felt as if hot cinders fell through me. My whole body felt tingly with sparks of heat.
“Should we go?” he asked.
I nodded quickly.
“Should we drive?”
I shook my head. “No, let's walk. It's just a few blocks away.”
The next thing I knew, we were walking down the sidewalk, and Chase was holding my hand. His grip was firm and warm, his palm dry.
“How was your drive?” I heard myself asking politely.
“Good. I always like the drive to Anchorage.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it's a pretty drive. Anchorage is a city, but it's a stunning view all the way here from Willow Brook.”
I smiled up at him. “True.” I looked ahead again. “Here we are.” I stopped in front of the sign at my doctor’s office. I hadn’t even been thinking about it, but I suddenly realized I needed to tell him about my miscarriage. It wasn’t as if I’d been hiding it, it’s just it was a sad, painful time in my life. I cleared my throat, peering up at him. “I need to tell you something.”
His brows hitched up as he nodded. I gulped in a quick breath of air, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. “I had a miscarriage a few years ago.”
He was dead silent for long enough I started to worry. Until his eyes skated over my face, concern held there. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
I blinked away the tears stinging my eyes. “Thank you. I, uh… Well, you already know I have endometriosis, and they don’t know if that affected my pregnancy then. Anyway, it was with an ex who turned out to be an alcoholic. We broke up, and that’s long over, but I guess I thought you should know.” I gestured toward the entrance to the doctor’s office. “I don’t know why I’m telling you now. It just felt like I should.”
He studied me for another moment. The feel of his thumb brushing in a gentle path over the inside of my wrist was comforting. “Okay. You didn’t have to tell me.”
