Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
I’m so glad I have her!
I feel a bit like a charity case but at least I have someone by my side.
We end our phone conversation and I hang up the phone after thanking her again. I change my clothes and get ready for bed. Then I lie here unable to slip off to dreamland.
Sleep eludes me for quite a while. I toss and turn, thinking about everything. Eventually my mind wears me out and I'm able to sleep, although I’m still nervous about what tomorrow will bring.
And once I finally doze off, all I can do is dream about Steve and how much I wish I— and our baby— could be back in his strong arms.
* * *
It's late the next morning, around 10:30 a.m. I have my bags packed and I'm waiting outside the dorm, hoping no one sees me or asks where I’m going. Finally, I see Janice's car approach.
She pulls up to the curb and gets out of the car. Then she grabs my bags and puts them in the trunk for me.
After that, we get in the car together and drive away, with me feeling relieved that none of my classmates stopped to ask in a nosy way about what was going on.
Then again, it just shows how little I’ve managed to socialize or make friends with people here at school. I guess my mind has been preoccupied with being pregnant.
My stomach twists as I tell myself that this is why Derek is so upset. I’ve let him down by blowing my ability to focus on my education, which is what I’m supposed to be doing at this age— not having his best friend’s baby!
At least he doesn’t know that part.
And as I feel the baby kick, I’m reminded of why all of this is worth it—even the fact that he’s upset with me. This might not be the best timing and it might not have happened under the best circumstances, but I still can’t wait to have this baby.
"So, how did everything go? Did you get the time off from school that you needed?" Janice asks me.
I settle into the passenger seat and put on my seat belt as we drive.
"Yes, I did. They were surprisingly kind and accommodating about it. I wasn't expecting them to be. I expected a little bit of resistance on their part, but they agreed to it right away," I explain. “They said I can come back after a maternity leave and keep working on my degree, and that they’ll talk to the scholarship board to ensure I can still have that.”
"See, that's great that that happened. Everything is working out for you just the way you deserve. Don't worry, all this will keep getting even better and you'll have me by your side," Janice says reassuringly.
We drive to her family's vacation home. It’s two more hours away from the school, which is good because it puts quite a bit more distance between me and my brother. Janice already had to drive several hours to get here.
Janice reaches over and pats my hand gently in a comforting gesture.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Derek will come around eventually, but we both know how he is. Even if he doesn't, you still have me, okay? And you'll have your amazing little baby after all this is over," Janice reminds me.
I'm glad that she’s here for me, keeping me sane. That is definitely something to look forward to. In fact, that will be the best thing to come out of all of this. I'll have a tiny little person who was created in a moment of passion but who will be born into love.
I stare at the window as Janice drives, contemplating everything.
She’s right. With her by my side, things are really looking up— even though Steve isn’t with me and I wish he could be.
Chapter 11 – Steve
It's been two months since the last time I tried to visit Bella and found out that she had already gone to college. That means it's been six months in total since she and I were together.
I haven't been able to contact her in any way ever since then. I still haven't heard from her and despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to do anything to stop thinking about her.
I’d given an interview to a sports magazine where I talked about leaving my past behind and moving on and such. That's true in a way— or it’s true that I’ve at least been trying to.
It’s been helping me do better in my game, but I still can't get Bella completely out of my mind, and I don’t think I’ll ever actually be able to.
Once again, I find myself with some vacation time. I'm already back home, having flown into town early this morning. I decided not to get a room in the area.