Page 39 of Merci

“Oh my God,” she said, voice muffled as her hands covered her face. “It’s been so much going on I really haven’t paid attention. I think my last period was in August? Or was that September? So technically, it’s just late this month. Thathappens. I mean… that doesn’t mean…” Her eyes blinked rapidly as she processed the possibility of her being pregnant.

While she did, I pulled out my phone and did a grocery order. I put three different brands of pregnancy tests, ginger chews, crackers and bananas, and ginger ale in the cart before checking out.

“My client today was going to be blackmailed for millions,” I said, trying to get her mind off things. Her eyes softened as she smiled and took my hand into hers. “She wanted to pay, but I wouldn’t agree until I talked to the guy. We found out that he’d drugged her before recording them having sex. I got him to sign an NDA and agree to never mention their night together before beating his ass. I wanted her to press charges against him, but she didn’t want anyone to know about their night together.”

“I know you can’t tell me who she is, but she must be someone famous.”

“I’ma give you what I can,” I said, making her giggle. “She’s famous, but it’s because of her athlete husband. He made her sign a prenup, so she didn’t want him to know that she cheated. I tried to explain to her that, technically, it wasn’t her fault, because she was drugged, but she said she didn’t want to risk it, because she’d cheated before, and she has a history of drug use at parties.

“Because she agreed to go to the party with him, she didn’t want to risk her husband not caring that she was drugged just because she knowingly went out with another man. It was no secret to the man that ecstasy made her… sexually free. They ran in the same circles. So yeah. It was a set up, but she feels shame because she wasn’t supposed to be there to begin with.”

“Damn. That’s fucked up. I mean, I’m happy it worked out and that you beat his ass, but I would have wanted him to go to jail too. Whether she was supposed to be there or not, she didn’tagree to getting the ecstasy, so she was violated twice. Hate that for her, but if she’s satisfied, that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah. Sometimes a win doesn’t come the way you expect it to. She’s not being blackmailed, and he’s in the hospital, so that will have to do.”

“Can you ever fight without putting somebody in the hospital?”

Shrugging, I pulled her into my side. “We’ll probably never find out.”

We continued to talk, but she jumped when the doorbell rang. I told her who it was and that she needed to get ready to pee on a few sticks. Of course, she couldn’t because she hadn’t eaten or drank anything since this morning, so we had to wait until she drank the ginger ale and had to use the bathroom.

When she finally had to pee, she got out of bed and said, “Come with me.” Laughing, I nodded and went into the bathroom with her. “Talk to me. What else happened today?”

“Well, me and Cujo took Ma to dinner,” I said as she finally started to pee. “I talked to him about Ariel.”

“She misses him, but she doesn’t trust him. Plus, she doesn’t want to go against Daddy. Doesn’t help that we’re a secret. I feel like if she knew I was with you, she’d definitely reach out to him.”

“Yeah, I told him to call her. Think she’ll answer?”

Merci sighed as she stood and pulled her panties up under her gown. “Hmm, I don’t know. The old Ariel would answer. I don’t know about her now. She’s unwilling to date after her divorce because she doesn’t want to be hurt by a man again. If she feels like Cujo had an ulterior motive, she might not want to let him in.”

“Damn. I hate that. For both of them. Hopefully, when the truth comes out about us, she’ll feel safe enough to talk to him again.”

“I think she will.”

After she washed her hands, we went and got back in bed.

“If you’re pregnant, will you be upset?”

“No,” she said softly with a smile. “I knew there was a chance this would happen. I think I just didn’t think it would happen this soon. Will you be upset?”

“That the woman I love is having my baby love? Absolutely not.” She snuggled against me and tossed her leg around me while I held her close. “This baby was conceived in so much love. It might have happened fast, but I’m prepared. I’m going to take care of both of you, and you’ll never want for anything in your life.”

“If I am pregnant, there is one thing I want.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ll have to talk to my daddy sooner than later, Mr. Freeman.”

“I’m with that. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Merci released a shaky breath and rubbed the back of my head. “I’ve been trying to let as much time pass as possible. If I’m pregnant, I’m not hiding it. Well, not from them. I want to get a test done by my gynecologist before we tell them, but yeah. I can’t keep this from them too.”

“If you set the meeting up, I’ll be there, Ms. Merci. Whenever. Wherever.”

Silence found us until the alarm went off on my phone. When I got out of bed to go look at the test, she clawed at my arm.

“Hammer,” she whispered as if we weren’t the only two people in the room. “Are we really ready to be someone’s parents?”