The Senior (College Years 4)

She grabs hold of the front of my sweatshirt, fisting the fabric. “I’m still mad at you, Eli.”

“I’m a dick,” I say immediately.

“It’s going to take more than that for me to forgive you.” She shakes her head. “You pushed me away so easily.”

“It was a mistake. I’m just—I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me. There’s been so much going on, so much pressure coming in on me from all sides.” I press my forehead to hers and stare into her eyes. “I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry.”

“We can’t keep doing this to each other, especially now. We have someone else to think about.”

Oh fuck.

I lift away from her, needing the space for a moment. I lean back against the booth, waving at the server as she approaches us. “You serve liquor here?”

She cackles out a laugh. “No, we do not, young man, and especially not in the morning. How about a strong cup of coffee?”

“Done,” I tell her.

“Are you sure you don’t want a cup of coffee?” the woman asks Ava kindly.

She shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

I send her a look when the waitress leaves. “You live for that shit. Coffee. Starbucks. Whatever.”

“Caffeine isn’t good for the baby,” she admits softly.

I whistle low, marveling at what she just said. At how she just changed my life completely with only a few words. “This is crazy. You’re pregnant.”

“Right?” She glances helplessly around the mostly empty restaurant. “I agree.”

“I can’t wait to tell everyone,” I start, but clamp my lips shut when she shakes her head. “What? You don’t want me telling anyone?”

Fuck, I’m going to burst if I have to keep this to myself for long.

“Not yet,” she admits. “Let’s wait a bit first.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “Maybe I want to keep it just between us right now.”

“Do your parents know?”

“No, but Autumn does,” she admits.

“But you don’t want me to tell anyone?” I’m a little offended.

“She’s the only one who knows, besides you and me. She ran out on Thanksgiving night and bought me the pregnancy tests,” Ava explains. “My sister has been a huge help to me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”

“I get it, yeah.” I nod, not wanting to upset the mother of my unborn child.

Need to keep my girl and our baby healthy.

“I’m scared to tell my parents about the baby,” she admits, her voice the barest whisper. “What if they get…mad?”

“They won’t,” I reassure her. I can’t imagine them being anything but happy.

Well, maybe they won’t be happy I’m the one who got their daughter pregnant.

“Didn’t they have Autumn really young?” I ask.