Page 11 of Worth the Risk

Ruby pulled me into a hug, and I let myself sink into it for a moment. I was lucky to have a friend like her, someone who would rush to my side and hold my hand as my life completely changed.

“Do you want to order takeout and watch a movie?” she asked, and I nodded. I needed a little bit of normal right now.

Ruby recommended rinsing my mouth with warm saltwater before eating, and it helped neutralize the metallic taste enough that I was able to enjoy my food while we laughed at the antics of a couple of enemies falling in love on the TV screen.

My pregnancy lingered in my mind, as well as the worry that came along with it, but I tried to enjoy myself and take comfort in Ruby’s presence.

It was just after eight o’clock when she left my apartment, but I was already thinking about going to bed. Unlike the last couple of weeks, I knew that I wasn’t just tired because of working all day. The child growing inside of me was the reason.

I tried to imagine what it would feel like to hold my child in my arms, but it was impossible to imagine. Other than a brief rotation I did in the labor and delivery unit when I first started at Lakeview, I’d never spent much time around babies.

I wasn’t sure what it said about my ability to be a good parent that I had no desire to stay in that department the way that Ruby did.

Sighing, I picked up my phone to call Ford. Not to tell him about the pregnancy—that was a conversation that needed to happen in person—but because in the last couple of months, we rarely slept apart, and it felt strange to imagine going to bed without him. I wanted to hear his voice.

But as I unlocked my phone, a text came through from Ruby with a picture attached. My heart dropped to the floor as I took in the screenshot she sent me.

It was as photo Delilah had shared on her social media page with no caption. It was taken tonight, I recognized the navy blue shirt and black tie that Ford was wearing as the clothes he had on when I went to his office this afternoon.

The picture was taken in a restaurant and there were several board members present, just like Ford said there would be. But what he neglected to mention was that Delilah would be there. I zoomed in on the picture until my phone screen was filled with her face right next to Ford’s. She was leaning into him, which was easy because she was seated right next to him at the table. Her hand was on his arm and her head tilted toward him so that, even with six other people at the table, they appeared to be together.

God, they look like a couple.

So far, I hadn’t had any sign of morning sickness, but the sight of this picture made my stomach roil.

I knew it was just a snapshot, a single second in time that might not accurately portray the reality of the situation, but all I could think about was the way he’d seemed uncomfortable and guilty in his office when he told me he couldn’t come over tonight.

Was it because he knew that Delilah would be there, trying to get as close to him as possible, the way she always did?

He never truly set boundaries with her the way he should, and I’d always accepted it as necessary for staying in her dad’s good graces—always thought about it as temporary, just like the secret status of our relationship.

For the first time, I felt doubt about that. For the first time, I wondered if there was more to his decision not to firmly put her behind him.

I didn’t think Ford was truly cheating on me, even emotionally. He wasn’t that kind of man, but maybe there were unresolved feelings that he didn’t want to even admit to himself.

Or maybe my hormones were making me crazy.

All I knew was that I needed to see him. Tonight.

Without stopping to think about it, I shoved my feet into my tennis shoes and grabbed my keys.

The drive to his house only took fifteen minutes. I’d always liked that we lived so close to each other, and it came in handy tonight.

Ford’s house was a newer build in a community with an HOA and neighbors that always waved hello. It was a nice place to live, and as I pulled into the driveway, I found myself thinking about what it would be like to raise a child in a neighborhood like this for the first time. Then, I remembered that picture of him cozied up to Delilah.

We needed to talk about a few things before I told him about the baby.

Ford had a doorbell, but I pounded on the door with my fist. His car was parked in the driveway, and the lights were on in his living room window, so I knew he was home.

He answered the door with damp hair and pajama pants on. Nothing else.

His wide chest was on full display, and I’d normally let that distract me, but tonight was different. Our sexual chemistry wasn’t going to gloss over our issues anymore.

“Zoey? What are you doing here?”

Ouch. His less-than-welcoming words hit harder as he frowned at me.

“I need to talk to you,” I said, raising my eyebrows when he didn’t immediately step back to let me into the house.