Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Gunnar
Deafening silence fills the room as I stare back at my best friend, the only girl who has ever mattered to me, and know without a doubt that I just heard her wrong.
I shake my head, trying to clear the echo. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”
A soft smile flutters across her lips, her eyes lit with excitement. “I’ve decided to have a baby, Gunnar. I’m going to be a mom.”
My brain struggles to process those words but can’t because they make no sense.
I look around the room, expecting a cameraman to jump out at any moment and say gotcha. It would be a typical Ellie thing to do. Hell, I’ll bet even Ryland is in on this, the sneaky bastard.
I chuckle at the thought. “Nice one, Elle. You almost had me.”
She doesn’t share in my amusement. Hurt flashes in her eyes before she releases my hand. “It’s not a joke.”
Realization suddenly strikes, evoking a storm of emotions. Disbelief, confusion, and … panic. “What the hell are you talking about? Since when did you start seeing someone?”
She tells me everything and she has not mentioned any fucking guy to me. I’m the only guy in her life. It’s always been that way. It’s supposed to always be that way.
“I’m not seeing anyone.”
Relief floods my senses, giving me a moment of reprieve until another disturbing thought emerges. “Wait, are you telling me you’re someone’s sidepiece?”
I’ll kill the son of a bitch.
Ellie is not the kind of girl you screw around with. She’s the girl you marry. Not that I want her marrying anyone either, but that’s not the point.
“What? No.” She laughs, finding it funny.
I find none of this funny.
“There’s no booty call and no guy,” she assures me.
This should make me feel better, but it only leaves me even more confused.
Amusement fills her expression. “You can have a baby without having sex, Gunnar.”
I blink at that response. Ellie is one of the smartest people I know, but she’s also naive and inexperienced, which I have always been content with. However, I am not so sure that has been the best thing for her after what just came out of her mouth.
“Here, let me show you.” Reaching into her bag, she pulls out a pamphlet and hands it to me.
Taking it from her, I read the cover that says: Plan your future. Be a parent. Be a donor.
What—the—fuck?
“It’s called in vitro fertilization,” she goes on to explain. “It’s a procedure that I’ve been looking into for quite some time now.” Taking the pamphlet back, she opens it and begins explaining the pictures. “How it works is they take my egg and combine it with sperm from a donor. Then, they place it in my uterus for me to become pregnant.” She finishes the explanation with a smile as if it’s completely fucking normal for us to be talking about eggs, sperm, and her uterus.
If I wasn’t staring into her light hazel eyes right now, I’d swear I was just sucked up into the fucking twilight zone.
She clears her throat, shifting at my silence. “Told you you’d be shocked.”
“Shocked?” I choke out, struggling to speak past the grip on my throat. “You just told me you plan to have a baby. I’m a little more than fucking shocked, Elle.” My voice grows louder with every word, reaching high decibels.
“Keep your voice down,” she snaps, her gaze darting to the open door.
“The hell I will. What the fuck are you thinking?”
Her eyes narrow at my tone. “I’m thinking about where I am in my life and how I’m ready to be a mother.”
“Even if it means having some rando’s baby?”
Sex or no sex, that still makes me feel all sorts of pissed off.
Her chin lifts defiantly. “Even if it means having some ‘rando’s baby’.”
I shake my head, struggling to comprehend this.
“It’s not as uncommon as you think,” she says. “This sort of thing is done all the time. It’s safe and a great alternative for someone like myself.”
“Christ, Ellie, are you listening to yourself? You have no idea what kind of people they accept. You could have some wacko’s baby and not even know it.”
“No, that’s not true,” she denies vehemently. “All donors go through a rigorous screening process.”
I grunt, having a hard time believing that.
“It’s true,” she insists. “But it doesn’t have to be a stranger, you know …”
My gaze snaps back to hers, suspicion forming at the sudden shift in her tone.
“It could be someone I know. Someone I love and trust.” Her voice is soft now, each word carefully chosen. “Like … my best friend.”
A harsh laugh rips from my chest, the insinuation so outlandish it’s all I can manage.
“Hear me out,” she rushes to say, placating me with her hands. “This could be a win for the both of us.”