Released (Caged 3)

I had to start thinking about something else.

“When do you need to see the doctor again?”

“Not for a couple of weeks,” Tria said. “The main problem will be during the summer because the school clinic closes for the whole month of July and part of August.”

“We need to find you another doctor,” I said.

“We really can’t afford anyone else.”

I frowned and held her a little closer. I clenched my fingers over her abs.

“I’ll be making more steady money in a couple of weeks. I mean, I don’t get my first paycheck for a while, but it should be enough to cover a doctor.”

“Liam, be serious,” Tria sighed. “Trying to pay for a pregnancy and birth without insurance? There’s no way to do that without going through a clinic. I could probably try the free one over by—”

“No!” I said. “No fucking way!”

“Why not?”

“Have you been there?”

“No.”

“I wouldn’t take a pet cockroach to that place. Why do you think Yolanda always drove me downtown if I needed stitches or whatever? You aren’t going there.”

“Well, that leaves the clinic at the school.”

I growled in frustration.

“There are other options.”

“Don’t start again.”

“We can get married,” I said. “You’d be on my insurance in thirty days, and we’d all be covered with a real doctor and shit.”

Tria sighed.

“Liam, tell me something,”

“Anything.”

“Would you be asking me to marry you if I wasn’t pregnant?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

“Then stop it,” she said.

I released another frustrated sigh.

“Tell me this, then.” I sat up in the bed and looked down at her. “What are we going to name the baby?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “We haven’t really talked about it. I thought if it was a boy, you could choose—”

“I mean what last name will we give it?” I interrupted. “Teague?”

“I…I don’t know…”