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I nod. “Of course, as the pregnancy progresses, you’re going to feel more tired. Are you okay to drive back?” The thought of her falling asleep at the wheel leaves a knot of anxiety in my stomach.
“I’m good,” she mutters, not letting her gaze fall on me once as she gets off of the exam table and walks to the door. “I’ll let you know when the next appointment is, unless that’s not what you want.”
“Yes,” I blurt out. “I’ll be coming to every single one from here on out. I told you I’m trying to do better and I meant it.”
She nods. “Right, well, see you in four weeks.” There’s a sadness emanating from her that doesn’t sit right with me, but I don’t bother questioning her about it. The last thing I need to do is stress her out even more.
Plus, I’m pretty sure I need to focus on the growing feelings I seem to be having for her. It’s like they’ve been simmering just below the surface, and now that all this is happening, they are finally coming, begging to be released, and I’m not sure what to do about that.
But it’s something I should try to figure out.
Chapter Eleven
Casey
Thedayaftermyappointment I wake up feeling refreshed, except for the lingering feelings for Emmett still coursing through me. It did something to me yesterday – him being there and hearing the exact thing I heard during my first appointment. In the middle of getting the heartbeat I decided to steal a glance at Emmett, to see if I could get a read on his emotions, and nothing could’ve prepared me for the look of love in his eyes as he listened intently.
When I make it out into the living room, I’m surprised to find boxes stacked all over the floor ranging from big to small. Dominic is kneeling on the floor, eyeing each one curiously, and I clear my throat behind him. “What’s all this?
Dominic smiles. “Apparently an anonymous donation to you for the baby, did you sign up for something?”
I blink at everything, wondering when Emmett would’ve had time to shop for all this since the appointment yesterday, then nod in response. “Uh, yeah, the doctor’s office had some flyers for stuff in the waiting room that I filled out. I didn’t think they’d send all this though.” My heart clenched at the lie I’m easily spewing to him, but I can’t do anything else right now.
“Everything is here,” Dominic says, waving a hand out at the largest box. “That’s a crib, next to it is a car seat which turns into a bigger car seat once the baby gets big enough, and there’s even a high chair somewhere in all of this.” He glances at me briefly and points down the hall. “I’ll put it all in the empty room. I’ll ask Emmett to come help me get it all built and situated.”
The idea of Emmett coming here to do this has my head spinning, but I give Dominic a bright smile in hopes he won’t see the nerves threatening to escape. “That sounds great, but we can hold off. I’d much rather get into my own place, especially if I’m about to crowd yours with a baby.”
Dominic sighs. “Casey, I’m more than okay with you staying here. The last thing you need to be worrying about during the pregnancy is finding somewhere else to live. I have the room here, so stay.”
I’d love nothing more than to stay, but what about Emmett? Part of me wants to ask him how things are going to go once the baby is here. Will the baby be with me the majority of the time? How often does he want to keep the baby himself and, most importantly, is he expecting me to move into his home?
I won’t deny that the image of me waking up in Emmett’s home to the sight of him holding a small bundle in his arms won’t make my ovaries explode, but could I deal with that every day? Dominic wraps his arms around the largest box, grunting as he lifts it from the ground and starts toward the empty room. I follow him, holding the door open wide so he can sit the gift in the center of the floor, and I smile at it.
Emmett didn’t have to send anything. Considering I didn’t actually sign off on getting donations and the only people who know about the pregnancy are my brother and its father, there’s only one person who would’ve gone to these lengths. Would it be wrong of me if I tell Emmett I’ll pay him back?
If we are going to do the whole parenting thing, doesn’t he need things of his own in his house too? My skin bristles at the thought of him not only buying stuff over here, but his place as well. I’m not going to let him do that, this baby isn’t only his responsibility. I’ll see what I have saved up from working, then I’ll give him what I can.
As much as Dominic may not mind me staying here, I’m not going to subject him to late nights with the baby once he or she arrives. He deserves to have the place to himself and not have to worry about being quiet when he walks through the front door. I’ll start my search for a place soon, maybe even let Emmett tag along so he can direct me into a good neighborhood. He’d probably appreciate being part of the process anyway.
The guilt of not mentioning the truth to Dominic eats at me as I watch him carry each and every box into the spare bedroom, his face bright red from straining too much. If I were to spill the truth to him right now, I’m not so sure he’d be as eager to accept me and the baby into his home as he is right now.
“Are you sure this is from the thing you filled out?” He asks, scratching the back of his head. “This is all pretty high end stuff.”
I arch a brow at him. “How would you know that?”
He scoffs. “I’m your big brother, Casey. The moment you told me about the pregnancy I was researching everything you would need for the baby.”
This is why the guilt keeps eating at me.
My brother has always been right next to me, there for me in every way that matters, and now he’s here for me while I’m lying right to his face. It’s not a good feeling. There’s also the fact that I seem to have these deep, dark desires for his best friend that I can’t seem to push to the side and I’m hiding those from him as well. The longer this little secret of ours goes on, the angrier Dominic is going to be when he finds everything out and that’s not something I’m wanting to see. Angry Dominic is lethal.
While Dominic inspects the boxes further, I pull my phone out and find Emmett’s contact and send him a message. It takes a few minutes before he texts back, letting me know this is his way of showing me that he’s going to be here for me throughout the pregnancy, then he proceeds to tell me I’m not giving him the money back. I roll my eyes, wishing I could be in front of him right now just so I can tell him myself that he’s not going to tell me what to do.
If I want to give him two thousand dollars, I’ll damn well do it whether he likes it or not.
A text doesn’t seem like enough of a thank you for everything he’s gotten me for the baby, which is why I clear my throat and say, “I’m going to go for a walk. The doctor says walking is good for the baby.” Just another lie piled on top of all the others.
Well, not a complete lie. I will be walking, Dominic just isn’t going to know where I’m walking to. I’m sure once Emmett sees that I’ve chosen my two feet as transportation for the day he won’t be happy with me, but I’ll deal with that when necessary.
