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I’d love to meet. Shall I bring over some lunch?
Perfect,Billie replied. It would be better to meet at her apartment, where they could have privacy for the looming conversation, than to try to talk in a restaurant or other public place.
Billie spent the rest of the morning cleaning her apartment, taking a shower, and changing into a pair of jeans and a sweater with a reindeer on the front. Vaguely, she considered dressing up but decided against it. She’d rather be comfortable for the conversation they needed to have.
At around twelve thirty, the intercom rang. Billie buzzed Max in, then waited, her heart pounding.Please, let him take this well.
There was a knock on the door. Billie opened it to reveal Max on the other side in his usual slacks and a button-down shirt under his jacket. In one hand, he held a takeout bag that smelled amazing. Perhaps Billie’s nausea really was gone for good.
“Hi, Billie.” He smiled at her. “You look nice.”
Billie raised her eyebrows and looked down at her reindeer sweater. “That’s kind, but I’m not sure I believe it.”
“You should. You always look nice.” At Billie’s invitation, Max came inside and handed her the bag of takeout so that he could remove his shoes and jacket. Billie still felt nervous, but the sight of Max’s familiar face relaxed her a little. She set the takeout bag on the table and began to unpack its contents.
“I realized I haven’t been inside your home since the first night we met,” Max said.
Billie bit her lip. That was as good an opening as any.
“True. That was about a month ago now.”
“That’s hard to believe. I feel like I’ve known you longer than that.”
“Me too.” Billie grabbed a pair of plates from the kitchen cupboard and set the table. “Actually, before we eat, we’d better talk.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Max crossed the room to Billie. “First, are you feeling all right?”
“Yes, I feel much better today.”
“Good.” Max took her hands. “Billie, I really like you. This last month together has meant a lot to me. And I think that we should?—”
Billie bit her lip. “Hold on. I should maybe talk first.”
“Oh.” Max’s face shuttered.
“No, not because I disagree. I, um, I like you a lot, too. But I do have something to add — something that might come as a bit of a shock.”
“All right. What’s up?”
“Well, you remember how we spent the night together.”
“I do.” Max smiled.
“Well, it’s been a month now, and I… I haven’t gotten my period. Plus, I wasn’t feeling well last night or this morning.” Billie hesitated. “So, I went and got a test.”
“A test.” Max’s face was unreadable now.
“A pregnancy test.” Billie bit her lip. “I’m pregnant.”
Max stared at her for a long moment. His hands released hers, dropping by his side as he looked at her. Billie’s heart rate raced again as the tension built. She had no idea what Max was going to say, and that realization terrified her. For all that he had a good heart, for all that he was a good guy, he was still concerned with his business over anything else. Maybe he was going to reject her and their child.
“Are you sure?” he asked in a low voice.
“Yes.” Billie nodded. “Apart from the test, I’ve definitely had some symptoms, although I didn’t realize it until this morning.”
“We used protection.” It wasn’t a question.
“We did, but no protection is a hundred percent.” Billie bit her lip. “I know this comes as a surprise?—”