13. Leah

CHAPTER 13

LEAH

W ho on earth would be here at this time in the morning? I'm not expecting any packages.

Leaving the bathroom, I pad across the living room and peek through the eyehole. It's Taylor, carrying a plastic to-go bag.

Composing myself, I open the door. "Hey."

"Hey, girl. I heard you're sick. I brought you some soup." She lifts the bag.

Her kindness nearly floors me.

"Taylor," I gasp, tears filling my eyes.

"It's just soup." She comes into the apartment and sets the bag on the kitchen counter.

But it's more than "just soup." All these realizations are rushing at me fast, ever since seeing those lines on the test.

At the top of the list is the fact that I don't have much of a community or support here in Olympus City.

But maybe that's about to change. Maybe I can build something here, with Taylor and the others. God knows I'll need it since I'm about to become a mother.

"Thank you," I say, my voice shaking with emotion. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know. But I wanted to." She flashes me a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great."

I hesitate. I could tell her about the test right now, but it's still so fresh and I think I might be in shock. Plus, I don't know what I'll be doing when it comes to Jack.

And there's the fact that Taylor and I work together. I trust her to keep my business private, but I don't want to put her between Jack and me.

"Can I use your bathroom?" She sets her purse on the floor.

"Yeah. Of course." I'm already in the small kitchen, distracted by the food she brought.

The aroma of the soup fills my nostrils, and I'm grateful for something warm in my stomach. But I'm even more grateful for Taylor's kindness.

I open the bag and pull out the quart of soup, then get two bowls so we can share.

"Hey, would you like some…" I trail off, the matter of tea suddenly completely unimportant.

Because something else is happening.

Taylor has gone into the bathroom. The bathroom where I left the positive pregnancy test out.

Maybe she won't see it. Or maybe she won't even know what she's looking at.

I bite my bottom lip. Shit.

The bathroom door opens, and Taylor emerges holding the test. "Uh, is this yours?"

I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest. There's no denying what it is. The pink lines are unmistakable. Taylor's eyes widen as she realizes what she's holding.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," she says quickly, handing the test back to me.

"It's okay," I whisper, my face hot with embarrassment. "I just found out this morning."

Taylor's expression softens, and she places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Congratulations? Or…"

I manage a weak smile. "Thanks."

We stand there in silence for a moment before Taylor speaks up again. "I didn't know you were seeing someone. Or—" She quickly corrects herself. "Maybe you aren't. Um…"

It's clear that she's insanely curious, but she also doesn't want to pry.

Sighing, I take a seat at the kitchen table. "I'm not seeing anyone. It's from a one-night stand. I guess something was wrong with the condom."

"Oh my God." Eyes wide, she takes the other chair. "Are you… are you okay?"

"Yeah." My laughter is nervous. "I'm actually excited. I mean, it wasn't planned, of course, but I want this."

She nods slowly. "And have you told the guy yet?"

"Uh…" I can't bring myself to look at her. "No. Not yet."

"Will you?"

Another long pause.

"I don't know," I admit, feeling lost. "I mean, it was just a one-night stand. And he's not exactly father material."

Then again, do I really know that? Jack might be ruthless in business and an ass to me, but maybe he would be a good father.

I don't know. This whole thing is so big, and I feel like I don't have enough info to go off of.

Taylor's eyes are full of understanding. "I get it. But he has a right to know, right?"

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. She's right, of course. But the thought of telling Jack makes my stomach churn. I don't even know how to begin that conversation.

"I know," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm just… scared, I guess."

Taylor gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Whatever you decide to do, just know that I'm here for you. And I support you no matter what."

I manage a small smile. "Thanks, Taylor. That means a lot to me."

"So who is he? Some guy you met at a bar?"

Jack's cocky, devilish smile flashes in front of me. I swallow against a lump in my throat. "No, we, uh… met somewhere else."

I flip my wrist dismissively. "He's a real jerk. Hot… but a real jerk. And I'm pretty sure all he cares about is his work."

She chuckles. "Sounds like Jack Leadsom."

I don't say anything, but my face warms. And in my silence, I understand that I've given myself away.

Taylor gasps, her jaw dropping. "Oh my God. No."

I bite my lip. "Yeah. It's him."

She grabs the edge of the table. "But… you… when…" It seems she can't stop sputtering.

"The night we met," I whisper. "When we had our meeting so I could tell him in person that I wouldn't be selling."

She shakes her head, lost for words.

"I know. It's crazy. And not like me at all."

"It's definitely not like you." She laughs. "But maybe you're wilder than I thought."

I stare at the table. If this is where cutting loose has gotten me, then I'm not sure I'll ever let my hair down again. I'm happy to become a mother, but the brutal reality is that being a single parent is no walk in the park.

"Even if you don't tell him, he'll suspect the baby is his," Taylor says. "I mean, in a few months you'll be showing."

"Yeah," I slowly say.

There's a part of me that wishes I never had to see Jack again. That would make everything so much easier.

But I won't be doing that. I made a promise to myself not to abandon my company, and I won't be going back on it.

I could act like the baby is someone else's, but that doesn't feel right. It also cuts me off from all potential when it comes to Jack.

Because the truth is that maybe he'll surprise me. Maybe he'll step up.

"I'll tell him tomorrow," I decide, my palms already sweating. "When I'm back in the office."

Taylor nods, looking like she's thinking hard. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What do you really think of him?"

I pause, wondering if I should be honest with her. But I know she's just trying to help me. "I think I… like him. I know it's ridiculous. I know he's an asshole a lot of the time."

She nods. "I think you like him, too."

I grit my teeth and clench my fists. Suddenly everything feels so fucking impossible. How did I let myself get into this situation? How did I let this happen?

Because, in the end, I did let it happen. I could have said no when he proposed we go home together. I could have gotten up and left. I could have outright said we could only have a professional relationship and that he was crossing a line.

I could have gone home and taken a shower and scrubbed him off me. But I didn't. I allowed it to happen.

"What do you want him to say?" Taylor softly asks. "About the pregnancy?"

I swallow hard because I have no idea. What do I want Jack to say?

"The truth. I want to know who he really is, what he wants when it comes to this."

It's not the full truth, though. I want him to show me that he cares, to step up and be the man that I want and need.

A wave of nausea washes over me, and I close my eyes. He's not interested in a relationship with me, though, so who am I kidding?

A baby isn't going to make him like me any better.

Taylor seems to sense my hesitation. She leans forward, her eyes wide and earnest. "I promise I'll help you all I can," she says, squeezing my hand.

"Thanks," I whisper.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow at all, but at least by the end of it I'll know where Jack stands, and I'll be ready to move forward into the next stage of my life.

With or without him.