Page 79 of The Moments You Were Mine

“Other than my head pounding like a stampede’s going through it, I’m okay.”

“Nausea?”

I bit my cheek. Yes, but I didn’t want to tell her I’d been battling it for days.

“I’d like to keep you overnight,” she said.

I started to shake my head and caught myself, knowing it would hurt like hell. “I’d much rather go home.”

“The man with you, Parker, is it? He’ll stay with you and follow our instructions for checking on you throughout the night?” she asked.

I wanted Parker to stay up all night for other reasons—much better ones that had to do with the intensity of our kiss. But I could hardly tell the doctor I was going home, hoping to have a wild round of sex. She’d never let me out the door.

“He will,” I said. The truth was, I doubted I could send him away, even if I tried. And that thought took the passion of our kiss and sent it sailing. Because it meant I was an obligation again. A responsibility. Duty rather than love.

“How long have the two of you been dating?”

Surprise brought my eyes to hers.

She chuckled. “I’d have to be blind not to see that you care about each other. And the heat in his eyes when he looks at you…” She waved a hand in front of her face. “Hot potatoes.”

For all of two seconds, everything felt lighter. Brighter. More hopeful. But then, she took it away with her next words.

“It’ll make it easier for you to tell him about the baby.”

My mouth popped open. “Wh-what?”

Every single thought I’d pushed away in denial came flooding back. The nausea. The soreness in my breasts. My pure exhaustion. The couple of pounds I’d gained. The way my stomach was a solid knot, hard and unyielding in an unfamiliar way.

No. Goddamnit. No.

This could not be happening.

JJ could not be tearing apart my life even more. Not now. Not when I was this close to making Parker mine like I’d always wanted.

A baby.

I was having a baby.

Holy shit. My head spun, the world went fuzzy, and then the doctor was there, easing me back onto the bed.

“Just take a slow, steady breath, Fallon.” Her words were gentle. Concerned. And it caused those damn tears I’d barely been holding back to rush forward. “I thought maybe you knew.”

I wasn’t ready to be a mom. Not now. Not yet.

Not when I was failing so utterly and completely at everything.

I swallowed hard. “I… There have been a few moments in the last week or so I wondered, but I’ve been under a lot of stress, so I just thought it was that.”

She patted my arm. “Is this news going to ease that stress or add to it?”

I chuckled, but it wasn’t full of humor. It was dark and pained, and it allowed her to draw her own conclusions.

“Okay, then. I’ll get you some pamphlets that list your options and provide you with the names of my recommended OB-GYNs. I’ll be right back.”

I closed my eyes again, tears rushing down my cheeks as my own words that I’d tossed at JJ taunted me.I’m not pregnant. But even if I was, I’d never keep it. Not if it was yours.

I’d said it simply because I knew he’d try to get his hooks into me if there was a baby. He’d try to dip his hand into my inheritance as the father of my child, demanding child support and more. Look at what had happened with Will and Althea… My lungs squeezed tight as an even worse thought hit me. He’d have a say in how the baby was raised. He’d share his twisted ethics and make our child someone without honor.