Page 59

Story: Triple Power Play 2

Cathy giggles—fucking giggles—at his eagerness. To her credit, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him smile this much. Every time I catch a glimpse of him, my heart flutters.
“There’s more to see if you get the enhancement after thirty weeks when the baby has more fat,” she explains.
“Can we only get it once?” He cocks his head, as if he doesn’t understand why anyone would limit themselves.
“No. No, of course not,” she stammers. “Today is an important wellness ultrasound, but you’ll have other ones.”
“Okay, we’ll get it then too.” He gives her a dazzling grin that has her blushing.
I take a seat and fill out the forms while Ethan pays an outrageous amount for a twenty-week ultrasound.
Jackson sits next to me, his gaze glued to the questionnaire. “How come it asks how often the baby moves?”
“Some women feel movement by now, but it’s normal not to. It’s hard to tell.”
His brows pinch in concern. “Are you sure?”
I give him a reassuring smile. “I’m positive.”
“Good. I can’t wait.”
His wistful tone breaks my heart.God, please don’t take this away. Just let him be happy.
“Really, Aurora?” Ethan drops into the seat beside me. “I asked you for one fucking thing: to support the baby financially.” He lets out a frustrated huff. “You’ve been paying thousands of dollars and never mentioned it to me?”
He strokes his beard, his signature scowl firmly in place. He’s cranky. Maybe it’s tension or lack of sex. Our flight was delayed because of a snowstorm on the East Coast, and I was dragging when we arrived at his apartment. We cuddled and passed out, only to wake up to a fully energized Jax, who doesn’t even drink coffee.
I squeeze his hand. “It’s okay. It’s my baby too.”
He grips my cheeks, puckering my lips, and plants a loud, smacking kiss on me. “No. It’snotokay.”
I finish the forms and return the iPad. Once I’m back, I hold Ethan’s hand and trace the prominent veins. I had no idea hands could be so sexy.
It’s not long before we’re called back, and I cringe when they take my weight.
It gets more awkward when the doctor enters the room and does a double-take. “Wow, who do we have here?”
“This is Jackson, and this is Ethan, the baby’s father,” I reply in an attempt to simplify our unique relationship.
“Okay, so boyfriend.” She gestures to Jax, then to Ethan. “And baby’s father. Is that right?”
“Close enough,” I answer as Ethan says, “We all live together.”
“Oh…oh!” she exclaims, struck by realization. “I get it.”
Who knew the three of us were living together? Ethan, apparently.
She reviews my medical record and asks the typical questions before getting to the more pertinent material. “Any dizziness or fainting?”
I shift, and the damn paper crinkles underneath me. “Once.”
“What was happening at the time?”
My heart rate spikes. “I was under a lot of stress.”
“Job related?”
Jesus, she doesn’t quit. “No…ah…relationship stuff.”