CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - BELLA
It had been two weeks since Reed had bought the small house that he’d insisted on instead of an apartment. I was a little upset, but he’d told me that a house was a much better investment and since he was right, I couldn’t argue. It was still his money.
I’d spent the entire day at home, waiting for the last of the furniture to be delivered and as the men were carrying it in, I stumbled and fell down the stoop, twisting my ankle in the process. I had been a clumsy fool the entire day, and it had finally caught up with me.
Luckily, Kayla had stopped by for a visit and was there when it happened, only she’d been in the kitchen unpacking and didn’t see me fall.
One of the men with the delivery truck had seen it, and he scooped me up and walked me inside. “Kayla!” I called out as I limped into the living room. She came out and saw me holding my weight on the poor delivery man and before she could ask I told her what happened.
“I think you twisted it pretty good, Miss. You should probably go and get that checked out.”
“I think he’s right, Bella. I’ll drive.” She turned and gave the man a sympathetic look. “Do you mind helping her to my car?”
The man had the others help him get my furniture in the house while Kayla got some ice and gathered our handbags.
The pain was so intense that it was throbbing and I had tears in my eyes.
“You dinged it pretty badly. You might need a boot.”
“I’m not going to need an ugly boot. I’ll be fine. It’s just a bruise.” I might have been in denial, but I hated to think the worst.
“No, it’s swelling pretty good. Do you want me to call Reed?”
“No, he’ll be here tomorrow. Don’t bother him. I don’t want him trying to make it any earlier.
“You’re right, as fast as he moves, he’ll be at the hospital before us.” She let out a soft laugh, but she was right. Things had moved so quickly with Reed that even I couldn’t believe it, but things were also going too well to worry.
We ended up in the waiting room for a half hour, surrounded by people with the summer flu. I had gotten nauseous from the pain by the time they had called me back.
We got into the room just in time for me to grab the waste basket and dry heave into it.
Kayla held my hair back and then placed me in a chair as the woman got the blood pressure cuff ready. “You wouldn’t happen to be pregnant, would you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, she’s only hurt her ankle.”
“Actually, I’m a couple of days late, which isn’t usually that big of a deal. I’ve been late before, and I’m just getting back on my pills.”
“You were off your pills?” The nurse asked with a smile that told me she thought I was pregnant.
I thought back to the first weekend with Reed, and my stomach turned. I grabbed the basket and heaved again, this time expelling my lunch. No way. It was impossible, wasn’t it? I mean, that firsts night my last pill should have been working and then after he’d always been careful. I’d started my pills again too.
“Let’s give you a pregnancy test while you’re here and then we’ll know what kind of pain meds we can give you and what kind of precautions to take during X-ray. You can’t be too careful, and I think you’ve got a nasty sprain.”
Kayla’s eyes widened, but she waited for the nurse to leave. “What the fuck, Bella? Do you think you could be?”
I was suddenly as scared as she looked.
“I’m afraid there is a possibility.” I thought about Reed and what he would think, and then Kayla covered her mouth.
“Shit, Bella. You don’t think it could be Gavin’s, do you? I mean, you were just leaving him when you met Reed.”
Bile rose in my throat at the thought, but thankfully I knew better. “No, I’d stopped sleeping with him that last month. The last time we’d had sex was about a week before the art expo. But let’s see before we alert the media.”
The nurse came in and drew some blood and left the room again and then they took me to Radiology where they treated me like an expectant mother, taking every precaution as they examined my foot.
They sent me back to my tiny room with Kayla, and she held my hand to keep both of us from being too nervous.
“Reed will be happy, I’m sure. He’ll be understanding no matter what happens.” I wanted to believe that, but Gavin hadn’t wanted children, and though Reed seemed a little more open to the idea, the two of us also hadn’t talked about it. I knew he’d do the right thing and take care of me if I was, and he’d provide for our child. But with our relationship so new, it might be too much for him.
I placed my hand on my tummy and closed my eyes as the nurse came back into the room. I opened my eyes and could tell by the look on her face on that she knew my results. “The doctor is on her way, and she’s seen the X-rays. She’s also got your results, so she’ll discuss those with you.”
I opened my mouth to beg her for the results when a short, curly-haired blonde walked into the room with a white coat and comfortable shoes. She pulled up a stool and lowered herself into it and wheeled it right in front of me. “I’m Dr. Jenson, I guess you’ve been on pins and needles, but I’m going to start with what you came in here for. The good news is there are no broken bones, but there are a couple of torn ligaments. Because of the severity, you’ll have to wear a boot for a couple of weeks, but the good news is, I don’t think you’ll need any surgery. I’m going to recommend something for pain, which leads me to my next diagnosis.” She scratched her head and took a deep breath. “I’m assuming that since you came in here for an ankle that you weren’t expecting to be expecting, correct?”
“I’m pregnant?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“Yeah, and by the looks of it, you’re still early, but you need to find yourself an obstetrician and seek care immediately.”
“Are you okay, Bella?” Kayla twisted her hands in front of her and chewed her lip.
“I’m fine. I’ll call Reed as soon as we’re out of here.”
“Reed is the father, I assume?” The doctor scribbled into my file and then passed the papers off to the nurse who whispered her congratulations as she hurried out of the room.
“Yes. It’s a bit of a surprise.”
“Well, congratulations, Bella. Tell Reed the same and stay off that ankle.” The doctor left, and I sat in a daze thinking about what I would tell Reed.
After giving me some more instructions and fitting me with my boot, the nurse got us out of there wheeling me down in a chair so that I wouldn’t have to use my new crutches the whole way.
“I’ll be out of work for a week. I can’t run the shop like this or travel to the sales.” Things were sinking in as I thought out loud as I got into the car.
“You are dating a wealthy man—scratch that, you’re carrying his child. I think a little time off work and fewer dollars are going to be okay. I’ll be shocked if he lets you keep working.”
“Let’s me? I think you sent the women’s movement back like fifty years with that comment. I’m going to work and if I choose not to it will my doing and not because he made me.” My tone was a little uglier than I expected.
“Whatever, all I’m saying is, why worry about it? You’ll be fine. They baby will be fine.”
“The baby?” I put my hand over my stomach as tears pooled in my eyes. “I can’t tell Reed over the phone. I’ll tell him when he gets here tomorrow.”
I just wish I knew how he’d react.