Page 92 of The Equation of Us
“Everything,” I whisper.
“Maybe.” He reaches across the table, taking my hand. “Or maybe not. I don’t think it’s fair to make any decisions until we know for sure.”
Leave it to Dean to be logical. Practical.
When I feel like things are splintering apart.
“It’s not like this is serious between us, anyway,” I hear myself saying. “Friends with benefits, right?” The words feel sour leaving my mouth.
Dean swallows, looks away. “Right,” he whispers, eyes finally returning to mine.
“You should go,” I say, gently withdrawing my hand. “Pick up Daphne. Be there for her appointment.”
“Nora—”
“It’s okay.” I force a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. “Really. She needs you right now.”
Dean stands, hesitating by the door. “I’ll call you when I know more.”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
After he leaves, I sit in the conference room alone, staring at nothing. My perfectly ordered life feels like it’s unraveling around me. Just when things were going well—when Dean and I had found our rhythm, when the Archer application was nearly complete, when I’d started to believe this might actually work—reality comes crashing in.
Of course Dean will support Daphne. Of course he’ll be there for his child, if there is one. Of course he’ll do the right thing. Which will probably include getting back together with her.
And where does that leave me?
I return to the lab, forcing myself through the motions of the assay. Precision matters. Reproducible results matter. Emotional breakdowns can wait until after I finish this protocol.
Three hours later, I’m cleaning up when my phone buzzes again.
Dean:Can I come over?
My heart stutters. I haven’t heard from him since he left to pick up Daphne. I’ve been imagining them at the health center, his hand on her back, steady and supportive while she receives life-changing news. Her crying into his shoulder, him whispering encouraging words, holding her close.
Me:Yes. I’m heading home now.
The walk to my dorm feels endless. Each step, I alternate between preparing myself for the worst and desperately hoping for… what? That Daphne isn’t pregnant? That Dean won’t haveto upend his life? That I won’t lose him before we’ve really even started?
The selfishness of my thoughts makes me wince.
When I reach my room, Sadie is mercifully absent—probably at her internship. I pick up a few scattered clothes, straighten my bed, wash my hands. As if these small acts of normality could somehow prepare me for whatever’s coming.
The knock on my door comes exactly seventeen minutes later. I open it to find Dean standing there, his expression unreadable.
“Hi,” I say, stepping back to let him in.
He enters, closing the door behind him. For a moment, we just look at each other, the weight of the unspoken heavy between us.
“She’s not pregnant,” he says finally.
Relief floods through me so suddenly I have to sit down on my bed. “What happened?”
“False positive on the home test. The blood test was negative.” He sits beside me, close but not touching. “The doctor said it happens sometimes.”
“So she’s… okay?”
“Relieved.” He runs a hand through his hair. “We both are.”
