One night stand with my daddy's best friend
19

Chapter 19 Ava

Nervous energy zinged through my body. I paced to work it off, but it only served to agitate me more. Sweat coated my forehead and my belly tensed.

Ava, you're being ridiculous. The way you freaked out. The doctor will think you're not ready for motherhood. That patient who...

Argh! I pressed my fingernails into my palms. Anything to ground me in the moment and get rid of those negative thoughts.

Nothing had worked in the past hour. And it sure as hell wasn't working now.

What was wrong with me?

I brought my hands to my face and cursed silently into them. How could I fall apart like that?

Dr. Morris must have thought I was unfit having a melt down on her that way.

Crap on a cracker.

My heart rate was spiking again. Will this never end?

Based on the wall clock, I'd been monopolizing this exam room for far too long. They would surely kick me out soon. Other patients probably had it all together and didn't just lose it when asked about simple things. Not that simple.

I massaged my temple. Thinking of it all made me want to curl up and cry. The corners of my eyes stung but I sucked in a breath.

I could do this. I could wait for Liam to come.

My cheeks burned and I was glad no one else was here to witness it. When Dr. Morris asked if she could call someone in to help, I considered

Lin. Then quickly squashed the thought.

She was great to cover for me at work and listen when I needed to vent. It wouldn't be fair to demand more of her.

Dad was out of the question. This wasn't the way I wanted him to learn about his grandchild.

That left me with one person. Liam.

I need time. This is a lot.

My insides turned turbulent. I resumed pacing and watching the clock.

He hadn't reached out to me since Sunday. Was it right to drag him into this? Dr. Morris said he was coming, but would he really?

Was it the type of thing you said to get someone off your back? Or did he really mean it?

Oh God.

If only I wasn't such a mess.

There was no reason to freak out. The meeting had been going well. She asked the typical questions.

How's the baby? How are you doing?

But then she started talking about genetic testing, blood work, monthly appointments which would become weekly in the final six weeks of the pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and risks such as preeclampsia. I just broke down.

Her question "Do you understand?" was still going off in my head.

I had no reply to that. My heart raced a mile a minute and my brain just shut down.

I hugged my arms around my body, seeking warmth. I shook so badly I couldn't stay still.

All of this was too much. I couldn't do it all on my own. I needed support.

I needed Liam.

Tears formed in my eyes but I blinked them away. He was coming, right?

I didn't dare call him. What if he turned me down? That might hurt worse than not seeing or hearing from him at all.

I hoped like hell he'd show up.

Hannibal was a long drive away. And he worked, too.

Oh my goodness, I had dragged him away from his job. His patients.

I'm such a terrible person!

Voices sounded outside the door. I spun to it. Surely, they'd come to kick me out.

Liam wasn't coming and I was taking up space.

I reached for my purse so I could leave as soon as they came in. No need to drag out the inevitable.

The door swung open, but it wasn't a security team here to kick out the ridiculous patient.

I blinked, disbelief tugging at my insides. My mouth parted. "Liam?"

His usually styled-to-perfection hair was windblown and disheveled. He didn't have on a jacket. The sleeves of his button-down bunched around his elbows and the open top button exposed his chest. All of this worried me. He looked like he'd raced over here. But it was his gray eyes, settling on mine and flooding with relief that clutched at my heart.

"This is Dr. Liam Cooper whom you asked for, is it not?" Dr. Morris took a step into the room, looking between us.

I found the strength to nod.

"Good." Still giving us a look, she said, "I'll see to another patient while you two talk."

She inclined her head slightly before leaving. The door clipped shut, leaving us alone together.

Liam jerked into motion. He rushed over to me, his arms open and inviting.

All the tension in my gut melted, and my body turned weak. Just in time as his arms wrapped around me. He pulled me against his hard chest, cocooning my body.

I tucked my head at the base of his throat and drew in deep breaths. All of him, his warmth, his cologne.

I flattened my palms on his chest, feeling his strength beneath my fingers. "You're here," I whispered.

"I'm here, princess." His throat bobbed with a rough swallow.

Tears welled up in my eyes. This time, I was powerless to stop them. The first drop touched my cheek.

As you reach the final pages, remember that 000005s.com is your destination for the complete story. Share the joy of reading with others and spread the word. The next chapter is just a visit away! "I was so scared. I-"

"Shh," he cooed, stroking my hair. "It's okay, Ava."

His calm voice combined with the soothing touch only made my tears fall harder.

"Ava..." He squeezed me some more. "It will be alright."

My tears soaked through his shirt but he only held me closer. How was he being so understanding?

I slipped my hands down and wrapped them around him, pinning my body to his. He felt like home and comfort, and I just needed both so badly.

"I was... I didn't mean to break down," I sobbed.

He didn't stop, just continued to trace his palm down my back and run his

fingers through my hair.

"I thought I could handle it all. I just didn't think " I drew back to look at his face. "I'm sorry, Liam."

I was pretty sure my nose was wet and red and my face splotchy. But Liam's gaze held only warmth and acceptance.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Ava."

"But I do." The last word was drawn out as fresh tears ran down my face. I buried my cheek against his chest once more. "I'm sorry for all of it. The way you found out, lying to my dad, pulling you away from your work today... I thought I could handle it alone. But then I came here and Dr. Morris started talking about genetic testing and preeclampsia and diabetes-" hiccup "I don't want anything to happen to the baby. I don't want my feet

to get swollen. I just want everything to be fine." "It will be."

I drew back. "How? You don't know that." I wiped the tears from my blurry eyes. "Wait, you do, because you're a doctor. But you don't know for sure!"

"Come here." Liam's voice was slightly amused as he pulled me back against him.

I sagged against him, my sobs turning into tears, and then into shudders. "It's going to be okay, Ava," he whispered against my ear.

A shiver racked through my body and I pressed closer. Somehow, everything he said in his smooth, calm voice sounded true and assuring to my worried mind.

"I've got you." He cemented that with a quick kiss on my temple.

My eyes, impossibly, got wet once more. I sniffed and hugged him tighter.

"You're not alone in this. I'm going to be here with you for every appointment, okay?"

"You-you are?"

"Yes, and you won't have to deal with everything on your own. We'll do it together."

"But you already know everything."

He chuckled softly. "Well, then, I'll help you understand the steps and keep you informed so you can make confident decisions."

I released a sigh. "You will?"

"Yes, sweetheart." He pulled back and looked into my eyes.

I clenched my teeth to stop my chin's wobbling, but it was futile. I was a mess.

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Liam captured my jaw with his thumb and index finger and dropped a kiss on my forehead. "We've got this."

We.

I swallowed, allowing the sensation to wash over me. "Liam?" His brow rose, waiting.

"I hope you're not saying this because " My eyes dropped from his to the map my tears drew on his chest. "Well, because you pity me. You said you needed time and I made you come all the way out here. Do you really want to be here, or-" "Ava," his voice was warm, but gently chiding. My gaze went back to his.

"I'm here because I want to be. I'm only mad at myself because it took me so long to see what was right in front of me this entire time."

My ribs expanded to contain my rapidly beating heart. What did that mean? Were we still talking about babies and appointments, or something more?

"Look." Liam cupped my cheeks with both hands. "All of this will work out, okay?"

My lips mouthed the word before my mind caught up. Okay.

"We're in this together." I nodded. "Okay."

A smile stretched across his face and I found myself smiling back.

Now that the crying was over, Liam didn't pull away. He seemed eager to remain close. I had zero problems with that.

"We're having a baby," I whispered. His smile shone brighter. "We are."

I chuckled at the surprised look on his face. For the first time since all of this started, true excitement started to work its way through me.

I had Liam's support. And enthusiasm, if the light in his eyes was anything to go by.

"Are we ready to see the doctor?" He searched my face. "Sure." I took a step back and ran my fingers through my hair. Then I caught his shirt.

"Oh, I messed up your..." I waved my hand at his chest.

Liam looked down and patted the area carelessly. "It's nothing."

His eyes stayed on me, though. Like I was his main priority here.

Warmth fluttered through me. He had dropped everything to be here. On short notice.

My hands suddenly shook for a different reason. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "I think I'll go get the "

The door opened and Dr. Morris walked in. She looked between both of us and her eyes warmed.

"Okay, Mom and Dad, let's try this again, shall we?" My brows furrowed. How did she know?

"Dr. Cooper told me when he got here," she supplied. My cheeks heated. "Of course."

Both doctors laughed, like there was a joke I wasn't in on. Thank heavens, for their sake, I was in a better mood, so I smiled.

Dr. Morris asked if I was okay before she resumed our earlier conversation.

Liam's fingers interlaced with mine and his warmth pressed close to me. Half of what she said sounded like a foreign language, but at least I wasn't freaking out this time. He was here. I wasn't alone.

We've got this.