Foster
* * *
I’m still whirling from the doctor’s office by the time Callie and I ride the elevator back down to street level in silence and climb into the car.
“That was terrifying as fuck,” I admit when the driver pulls into traffic.
“Hello, it’s my body. Did you see those diagrams on the wall?” She stares down at her stomach as if an alien’s about to pop out of it.
“I purposely tried not to.”
“What do you care? It’s my vagina that’s going to be all torn open.”
The driver slyly looks through the rearview mirror, but I give him a scathing expression, and his eyes go back to the road.
“Thanks for the visual.”
“You did this to me.” She points at me.
“If memory serves—” The driver glances at us again, and I decide we’re going to stop talking until we’re alone. He probably knows enough. Although I’m sure in his profession and with what he charges, he must be discreet, since this car service is specifically for clientele with a public profile. It’s better if we table this conversation for now. “Let’s go eat.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
Her mood has diminished since we saw the baby. I think reality has set in that we’re going to be parents.
“You have to eat.” I look at her stomach, and she covers it with her hands. “For, you know.”
She rolls her eyes and sighs, turning toward the window. “Just spare me the overprotective bullshit self you’ve morphed into since I broke the news to you.”
“Do you think I want to be like this?”
It’s as though something has taken control of my body. And I’m still trying to figure out if it’s the baby, the guilt that it’s Hayes’s baby sister, or just this thing in my stomach that won’t stop craving Callie.
“Well, you’re not trying very hard to stop. So far?—”
I give a small nod in the direction of the driver, and she sighs but stops talking. Surely, she knows we have to be discreet. Then again, one thing that turned me on about Callie was her I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude. I wouldn’t care if someone knew she was pregnant, and the baby was mine. Hayes just needs to find out first.
We pull up to her apartment a few minutes later, and I tell the driver that we’re done with his services, opening the door and waiting for Callie to slide out of my side before shutting the door.
“Thanks for the ride. I’ll see you next month at the next doctor appointment.” Callie pats my chest and walks past me toward her front door.
“I’m walking you up.” I follow her.
She pulls on the street-facing door and walks into the vestibule to the next door. She pulls on that door, but it doesn’t budge.
Thank you, Jerry.
“Great.” She opens her purse and digs inside. “Now I have to get my keys, but look, your wish was Jerry’s command. So relax, big guy, your kid is all safe and secure.” She nods at the door, pulling out her keys. “You can go now.”
“I’ll see you in.” I know it’s pissing her off that I’m being an overprotective asshole, but I can’t squash this part of me that needs to know she’s okay.
I’ve had women tell me they were pregnant before, but those all were attempts at extortion. The first time it happened was when I’d just arrived at college. I remember thinking it would destroy my entire life and everything I had worked hard for. Maybe it’s different this time because I know Callie isn’t lying, I’m late in my career, and although I never thought I was going to have a family, this might be my only chance.
“You’re driving me crazy, Foster.”
“Be careful, last time you said that to me…” I let my words trail off because she knows exactly what happened last time.
“Ugh!” She opens the door, walks through, and doesn’t hold it open for me, continuing to climb the stairs.
