“I’ll stand, thanks.”
Creed’s mother looks up at me and she offers me a small smile before Darby starts to speak. “I want you to know how much we have valued you as an employee the last few months...”
My hands start sweating and my head becomes light. Is he firing me? He can’t be, can he? I didn’t do anything wrong. A small part of me screams ‘you fucked one of the bosses,’ but I push it aside.
“And we think this will be a nice bonus for your time with us, but I’m sorry to say that we are going to have to let you go.”
Shaking my hands I try to dry them, it doesn’t help. I feel lighter, my head woozy. “You’re firing me?” I ask, shocked.
Darby nods his head as Echo looks down to the floor. Creed’s mother stares at me with a small smile, not saying a word as Falcon’s lips pull into a tight line.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I say, my hands go to touch my head and before I can say another word, their words go fuzzy. My world goes white.“What the fuck did you do?”
Hands are touching me, feeling me over. Someone’s hand is on my forehead and someone is below me. Opening my eyes, a guy is hovering above me checking me over while everyone else stands next to him. Hands stroke my hair softly, and I instantly know who it is by the feel of his touch and his smell that’s all around me.
Pushing him off, the doctor asks me to lay back down. “You could have a concussion.”
I shake my head. I know what it was—a fainting spell. I had one in the doctor’s office when he told me I was pregnant.
“I’m fine, I feel fine.”
Creed’s mother is standing in front of me now. “Who’s going to take care of you? You can’t go home like this. What if it happens again? You can come with me.”
“Ma,” Creed warns, but she brushes him off with a wave of her hand.
“You’re coming home with me.”
I shake my head, managing to stand. Creed’s hands wrap around my belly and as he does so I feel my body lock as I look to his hands on my stomach. He doesn’t move, and when I look up his mother is watching as well—my shirt has risen up and my belly is on display.
“Are you pregnant?”
She can’t tell that from a single look. No way. Surely.
Creed’s hands don’t move from me as he grips me tightly.
“What? How could she be pregnant?”
Falcon almost laughs.
The doctor walks over and touches my belly, he looks up to me. “Are you pregnant? I need to know.”
A simple nod of my head and everyone goes silent. Hands on me don’t move, I don’t even feel him breathe.
“Holy shit,” Echo yells. “Is it Creed’s?” he asks.
Every eye in the room turns to me as I push away from Creed who can’t manage to even look at me. He stares at the floor and then his stare moves up to my belly.
“I planned to tell you, but I’ve only just found out.”
His eyes lift, and I have to take a step back when they do. They scare me.
“You should leave. Now.” These words come from Darby who steps up next to me and nods his head to Creed’s mother, who takes my hand and starts walking me out the door. She already has my bag in hand.
“He’s just shocked, is all. He’ll come around.” She doesn’t sound like she believes what she’s saying. I don’t believe her either.
“I can get myself home, thanks.”
She shakes her head. “No. That’s my grandbaby. You need someone to look after you right now. You can come to my house.”
I want to protest, to tell her no. But as her hands wrap around me, I can’t seem to form the words that are required to leave my mouth.
“How far along are you?” she asks opening the car door.
“Just over three months.”
“Oh, safe zone,” she says happily. “We must go shopping tomorrow. Have you done any yet?”
I shake my head as I lean against the car door. “He’s going to hate me,” I mumble.
After she slides in, her hand touches my leg.
“And I’ve lost my only income. No one’s going to hire a pregnant woman.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
What am I going to do?
“I’m sure your job is fine.”
I almost laugh at her. “They just fired me.”
“Then you fainted. You have grounds to sue. Let’s keep it at that.”
I almost laugh at her words as she pulls up to her house. “I have a room set up, you can stay here. I would love the company.”
I shake my head. “Thank you, but I’ve been doing it by myself for this long. It hasn’t killed me yet.”
Walking into her house Creed is a reminder everywhere, even his smell lingers here.