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“Oh, really?” Dereck raised an eyebrow. When he spoke, his voice was hushed, and he pointed towards the washroom. “Why did you bring Amanda, then?”
Dina lifted her chin and flicked her hair. “I am simply reminding you that you don’t have to settle. There are plenty of more accomplished women with respectable families out there.”
“Thank you, but I don’t need to keep my options open. I’m with Alina, and I don’t want to hear anything else about it.” Dereck’s voice was firm.
“Fine,” Dina said in a dismissive tone. “But don’t come crying to me when she breaks your heart again.”
28
“The nerve of that man.” Alina slammed her coffee mug on the table and it made a loud, banging sound.
She didn’t sleep well last night. Dereck stopped by late in the night, but she pretended not to be home, so he went away. Though there was a hint of loneliness when his knocks stopped, Alina didn’t regret not letting him in. Dereck was being inconsiderate and selfish, and she needed to teach him a lesson.
If she hadn’t gone to his work unexpectedly the day before, when will he have told her about the new job? When he was packing up to move?
Alina shook her head and covered herself under the blanket in her sitting room area. Casey had called her earlier in the morning and she was in no mood to converse about Dereck’s shortcomings, so she lied and told her sister that she was feeling much better and Dereck had confirmed her hungover theory. In actuality, Alina’s stomach wasn’t any better. She could barely eat since she vomited at the mere smell of the food.
When Taylor stopped by, Alina went to the door with a frown on her face. “You look like shit.”
“Always so brutally honest,” Alina said, moving aside so her friend could enter.
“Would you prefer if I lied to you?” Taylor followed her friend back to the couch. “Are you not feeling well?”
“I can’t seem to keep any food down. I vomit at the mere smell of it,” Alina told her friend.
Taylor scrunched her nose disapprovingly when she looked at her. “What did Dereck say about it?”
“Nothing.” Alina kept her eyes low. “I went to the hospital yesterday, but I met his boss in the lobby and found out that Dereck is up for a job in upstate New York and didn’t tell me.” Alina shook her head. “I left before I could tell him what was going on with me.”
“That bastard.” The words flew out of Taylor’s mouth before she could contain them. Then she brushed it off with a wave of her hand. “Never mind him. Let’s work on getting you well. Other than the upset stomach, what else is going on with you?”
Alina thought for a while. “Well, I’m tired all the time. I have a slight headache and I’m urinating frequently.”
Taylor shook her head while eying her friend. “It can’t be,” she said before diving into her bag to retrieve a pregnancy test.
Alina’s hand went up in the air instantly. “I’m not pregnant Taylor. I had my period just last week.”
“Didn’t you mention that it only came for two days?” Taylor still held the test out for her friend.
“Yes. So what? The point is, it came.” Alina did not attempt to take the test from her friend. She and Dereck had been careful when they first got together and she went on the pill shortly after that. There was no way she was pregnant.
“Just humor me.” Taylor wasn’t letting up and the only way Alina could silence her was if she did as Taylor wanted. Alina grabbed the test from Taylor and went into the bathroom. She took a few minutes to read the instructions before finally doing as briefed. Then she waited the five minutes it took for the test to display the results in the bathroom. Outside, she heard Taylor pacing the floor.
When the time was up, Alina looked at the test and almost passed out when she saw the second red line displayed. It was too bold for her to miss it.
Alina sat there, mesmerized by the stick when Tylor called out to her. “What’s taking so long? All you have to do is pee on the stick.” Alina didn’t answer. She simply came out of the bathroom and handed her friend the pregnancy test.
Taylor’s eyes bulged when she saw it. “We can take another test. I have more.” She was headed to her bag when Alina stopped her.
“No need. It makes perfect sense.” Alina sat on the chair. “When Dereck and I broke up, I was so distraught I didn’t take the pill for a couple of days. And when we went to Connecticut, we had sex without any protection.” She sighed. “I’m pregnant.”
Taylor took the seat next to her. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know?” Alina’s eyes were swollen with tears.
“First, you have to tell him, obviously.” Taylor was being rather calm.
“Dereck is planning on moving away. He doesn’t want a baby right now. Alina’s words were choked as she fought back the flow of tears.
