I rub my growing belly, knowing the time will come soon enough.
Yep. I’m pregnant. Not on purpose,mind you. But that day on Maddox and Ryder’s couch, we kind of forgot the gift wrapping.Jake and the other guys have taken every opportunity to torment Dane with the knowledge that he walked in on his niece or nephew's conception.
I remember telling Jake. I remember being scared to tell him.
I stare at the pregnancy test on the counter. This is the fourth one. I’m pretty sure after the first, there wasn’t much point of another, but Ican’t believe what I’m seeing. We’ve always been careful. I don’t know how this happened.
I also don’t know how I’m going to tell Jake.Or how he’s going to react once I do tell him.
I’ve been feeling like crap for a few weeks now. It wasn’t untilCami asked if I had any tampons that I even realized I was late.And oh boy, am I late. I’ve missed two periods without realizing it.
I hear the door to the bus open. I quickly grab the test, throwing it under thecounter. He never looks under there for anything.
I know I’ve got to tell him, but I need more time to work up the courage.
“Hey, baby, where are you?” he calls out when he doesn’t see me right away.
I jump out of the bathroom with a finger to my lips. “It took me forever to get her to sleep,” I warn him.
“I’m not trying to wake the princess. I just wanted to know where my hot girlfriend was,” he chuckles.“You done in there? I need a shower.”
I nod, letting him by. When he’s in the bathroom, I run off the bus in search of Cami or Josephine. I need a girlto talk to about this.
I pound on their door.Cami opens itwith a confused look on her face. “What’s going on?’
“My brother in there?”
“No. He went to go over something with Ryder and Maddox.”
“What about Angel?” I don’t need him hearing this either since he’ll run right to Jake. Or Dane.
She shakes her head. “He just took Josephine out for lunch.”
I push my way past Cami once I know she’s alone. When the door closes behind her, I blurt out my news.Her eyes grow wide along with her smile. “Oh my God! What did Jake say?”
“I haven’t told him yet. I’m freaking out, Cami. He’s going to be upset,” I babble.
“Why would you think that?” she frowns. “Have you two talked about it before?”
I shake my head. “Come on, Cami. How could he possibly be happy about it? He just got his music career back.”
She narrows her eyes at me as she grabs my shoulders, turning me tosit on the sofa, then crosses her arms over her chest. “What does the band have to do with anything? Hedoesn’t have to leave the band just because he has a baby. He kind of already has a kid on tour.”
I huff. She’s not listening. “Exactly, he already has a three-year-old. He won’t want another.”
“Do you hear yourself?”she asks with a cocked brow. “You are inventing reasons he’ll be upset. You get that, right?”
“I’m not,” I pout. “After everything that’s happened the last few months, this isn’t ideal timing. I’m in therapy because my head is a mess. Lyra’s in therapy because of her mother. Hell, Jake is in therapy because of the three of us. He doesn’t need something else to stress out over.”
“Cami, is Cara in there?” I hear his voice call outside the bus.
I look at the door then back to Cami, panic washing over me. “Stop that,” she scolds. “That man loves you. That man has loved you long before youeven thought to love him. Ideal timing it may not be, but he’s going to be over the moon. The only reason he’llworry is if he thinks you’re not happy about it. Are you happy about it? Isn’t that what this is really about? Not Jake freaking out, but you’re freaking out?”
“What if I’m not ready to be a mom? What if Isuck at it?” I confess.
She shakes her head with a laugh.“That’s something you need to work out – with Jake – but you’realready a mom, Cara. You’ve acted every bit the part since you stepped onto that planefive months ago.”Jake’s voice calls out again.“Stop creating problems that aren’t there. Talk to him.”
Jake walks onto the bus, looking right at me. His eyes flash with something, but I’m not sure what. I swallow at the unfamiliar feeling. I always know what he’s thinking.
