Page 45 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

When I came back out, I climbed up onto the bed and laid back. The paper under me crinkled softly. Pressure looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine for a second before drifting away again.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked softly.

He shrugged, still looking down. “Nothin’ really.”

I felt a sting in my chest. I wanted him to be excited, or at least show some emotion. “You not excited?”

He looked at me again, his voice even. “If you pregnant, I’m here for you and the baby. That’s what matters.”

I nodded slowly, trying not to let it show how much that response disappointed me. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but at least he wasn’t cold. I told myself not to overthink it.

A few minutes passed before the door opened and a woman walked in wearing a white coat. She smiled warmly. “Good morning, Ms. Charm. I’m Dr. Evans. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I said, forcing a smile.

She turned to Pressure and greeted him with a respectful nod. Then she rolled over a small machine on wheels, flipping through a chart on her tablet.

“So this is your first visit, correct?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Alright,” she said, typing a few things in. “You mentioned your home pregnancy test came back positive?”

“Yes.“

“Okay,” she said with a calm smile. “You’re still very early, so we’re going to do a vaginal ultrasound today. That will help us see things a little clearer.”

I nodded nervously, looking over at Pressure. He was leaning back in the chair, watching quietly.

The doctor had me adjust on the bed and then gently began the exam. I focused on the ceiling, trying to block out the sound of the machine, my heart racing as I waited for her to say something.

After a minute, her expression changed. She adjusted the probe, looked at the screen again, and then back at me.

“Hmm,” she murmured softly.

My voice came out weak. “What’s wrong?”

She hesitated before speaking carefully. “I’m not seeing a gestational sac right now. Sometimes if you’re very early, it’s hard to detect, but based on what you’ve told me, we should be able to see something by now.”

My stomach dropped. “What do you mean? You don’t see anything?”

She looked at me gently. “Have you had a blood test to confirm the pregnancy?”

I shook my head, my throat tightening. “No, just the home test.”

She moved the probe again, trying one more time, but the silence in the room said everything.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Charm,” she said softly. “I’m not seeing a pregnancy right now. It’s possible it was a false positive, or maybe a very early miscarriage, but there’s no visible sac.”

Her words hit me hard, like a cold slap across my face.

I couldn’t even speak. My eyes filled with tears I didn’t want to fall.

The embarrassment rushed in fast, mixing with confusion and anger.

I could feel Pressure’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at him.

I didn’t want to see whatever was on his face.

The doctor turned off the machine and removed her gloves. “I’m sorry for the confusion. If you’d like, we can run a blood test just to be sure.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s fine.” My voice cracked halfway through the words.

She gave me a sympathetic nod before stepping out quietly. The room went silent except for the sound of my heavy breathing.

I sat up slowly, staring down at the blanket covering my lap. Pressure stood up and walked over to me, his hand resting on my shoulder.

“Hey,” he said quietly.

I didn’t answer. I just sat there, fighting the tears that kept burning my eyes.

He helped me off the bed and handed me my clothes.

I changed quickly behind the curtain, trying not to break down completely.

When I came back out, he was sitting in the chair again with his elbows on his knees again.

He looked up at me as I walked over, and before I could even say anything, he reached out, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into his lap.

“Chill,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me.

I froze for a second, not knowing how to react. My body stiffened, but then I leaned into him, my face pressed against his chest. He smelled like his usual cologne, and it almost made me cry harder.

“I can’t believe this,” I whispered.

He didn’t say anything for a while. He just rubbed my back with one hand. “It’s gon’ be alright.”

I wanted to believe him, but the shame was too heavy. When we left the office, the drive home was quiet. Neither of us said a word. I stared out the window, feeling smaller than I did when my mama threw wine in my face.

By the time we pulled up to the house, I felt numb. I got out without looking back at Pressure and walked inside. The silence in the mansion made everything worse. I went straight to the elevator and pressed the button to go up.

When the doors opened, I rushed down the hall to my room, closed the door, and went into the bathroom. I leaned over the sink, staring at myself in the mirror. My reflection looked broken. My eyes were puffy, my makeup smudged, and my heart felt like it had been stomped on.

I slid down to the floor, burying my face in my hands as the tears finally came. I kept thinking about what my mama said about that faint second line, and how she doubted me from the start. She was right, and that was what hurt the most.

I thought I was finally winning. I thought I had something to hold over her, but now I just felt stupid, embarrassed, and crushed.