“He’ll kick you off the team, and then you’ll have plenty of time for a kid.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Coach Santos down the hall, talking to one of the trainers. As usual, he’s frowning. The man will definitely lose his marbles when he finds out Roxy got knocked up. Good thing the hot seat belongs to Ezra, king of the douchebags. And while I hate the idea of Roxy catching heat from her father, I can’t fucking wait for Coach to find out the truth about his precious quarterback.
Too bad Ezra’s declaring for the draft. He’s due some retribution from Coach. If he was sticking around another year and Coach got wind of what Ezra did, there would be hell to pay.
9
ROXY
“Rox, look at this one.”Charlotte holds up the cutest onesie I’ve ever seen. It has a football stitched into the blue fabric and a number one on the back.
I sigh dreamily. Retail therapy always makes me feel better. Too bad I can’t afford to buy anything. “I hope it’s a boy. My dad will give me grief about being pregnant, but I’m pretty sure he’ll suck it up if I have a boy.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile. “Don’t you think he’ll love your baby, regardless of the sex?”
“He’ll be more excited about the prospect of teaching his grandson the ins and outs of throwing the perfect spiral pass. Trust me, he’ll want a boy.”
Asher’s bushy head pops up between us. “Imma boy!” He points at himself, and we laugh.
“Yes, you are, handsome.” I hold out my hand, and he takes it before he grabs Charlotte’s.
We swing him between us as we stroll through Target. We drove to the farther one to avoid anyone from school.
I pause in front of the cribs. “Ugh, I’ve been fantasizing about a Pinterest-worthy nursery, but I can’t even afford cheapfurniture.” If I want to have any hope of having my parents respect my decision to have this baby sans father, I can’t go crying to them about money.
“Don’t stress. We’ll have a baby shower, and I bet we can get all of your essentials. Are you sure you don’t want to start scanning items for your registry?”
“I don’t want to jinx myself. It’s still early. Let’s wait a bit.” As much as this pregnancy is flipping my life upside down, I suddenly feel fiercely protective of this baby. I get the mama bear references now.
I’m also one hundred percent fine if Ezra flies off to whatever team that drafts him. I don’t need a man to raise a kid. I’ve always been a self-sufficient girl. I’ll figure it out.
I’ve been debating how to tell Abigail that her fiancé is a manwhore. She texted me yesterday and told me how happy she was to meet one of Ezra’s friends. It made me feel so guilty. When she finds out I’m pregnant with his baby, it’ll devastate her. I barely know the girl, but I don’t take any pleasure in ruining her life.
I stop in front of the breast pumps and nearly fall to the floor from the price tags. Do I even need a pump if I breastfeed? God, I know nothing.
Charlotte nudges me with her elbow. “You never told me how your appointment went. Billy took you, right?” Now there’s a topic that’s more exciting than breast pumps. I bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling, and she laughs. “You should see your face right now.”
We turn the corner and enter the toy section. I wait until Asher is busy ogling the toy cars on a shelf before I whisper, “Billy kissed me.”
Her eyes bug out. “Oh my God. Tell me everything! How was it?”
“Earth-shattering.” That’s no joke. I’ve kissed a few boys, and Billy is, hands down, the best kisser I’ve ever locked lips with. There was something so thrilling in the way he pulled me into his lap and kissed me breathless.
“So are y’all dating? You know how much Billy likes you. I’ve always thought he took me out on that ‘blind date’ last fall because he wanted to make you happy.”
“He wants to date and offered to take things slow, but I’m worried he doesn’t fully comprehend what he’s agreeing to. I’m a package deal here.” I wave at my belly that’s still fairly flat.
She tilts her head and hums. “Billy strikes me as a guy who goes after what he wants, and he wants you. Maybe the baby thing really doesn’t bother him.”
“But it’s Ezra’s,” I whisper. She already knows who my baby daddy is, but I feel the need to emphasize this point. “How could this not bother him? Theyhateeach other. I feel like I’m just welcoming unnecessary drama if I date Billy.”
“I see your point. But Billy is such a good guy, and I’d love to see you date someone who really appreciated you. Are you afraid he won’t be able to commit?”
Charlotte is one of my few friends who loves Billy. He helped her reconnect with Jake last fall, and now she’s his biggest fan. But she knows what I went through with Ezra and why I might be hesitant to jump into anything else.
I wait until a customer wheels his cart out of the aisle before my shoulders slump. “Billy promised we could be monogamous and everything, but I’ve heard that before. Ezra made all kinds of promises, and he broke each and every one. What if… what if I’m just handing off one heartbreaker for another?”
She loops her arm through mine. “A very valid concern. Has Billy ever seriously dated anyone?”
