Page 19 of Together

“How about not. I won’t take no for an answer, Ashley.”

“That’s what got us here,” I tell him.

“Do you trust me?”

I scoff. “Hell no.”

He chuckles. “That’s fair. Think youcouldtrust me?”

I look into his dark eyes. So mesmerizing. I wonder if our baby will have… nope. Not going to think about it. Can’t think about it. What is wrong with me? His eyes hold sincerity when he looks at me and I can’t help but feel like whatever he’s about to guide me into, isn’t bad at all. I might have only spent a day and a half with him, but I do know a good man when I see one. He’s one of the good ones.

Nik gets right up in my space and slides a hand from my elbow to hand. “Ashley. I would never, I mean never, do anything to hurt you. I wouldn’t put you in a position that I think you’ll be uncomfortable. I promise. Trust me?”

The feel of his hand on mine sends shivers through my spine and for whatever reason, I believe him. I find myself nodding in agreement and he smiles just a little bit, taking the pregnancy test from my hand and tossing it into his cart along with Mrs. Maxi Pads’s pads. Then he looks at the shelf where I was just contemplating which pregnancy test to get and proceeds to grab one of every other brand, throwing them in with the rest of his haul.

“Ready?”

“I have no idea.”

“Yeah, me either,” he admits. Then he’s shooting off a text to someone, probably Mrs. Pads to warn her that his potential baby mama is joining them for a night of fun and festivities. Oh lordy, if I ever say or think the term baby mama again, just slap me back to reality. When he’s finished, he slips his phone back into his pocket and places a hand on my lower back. The comfort it brings me is dangerous but I don’t want to step away and make him feel bad.

There’s absolutely no logic in me going with him wherever he is wanting me to go. But for the life of me, I can’t seem to say no to him. Obviously. Geesh, it’s not like my willpower is all that strong with this one anyway but this is ridiculous. I’m going to chalk it up to nerves. That’s the only explanation that could possibly make sense right now. I simply didn’t want to be alone when I took the test to find out if my life is forever changed so I accepted his offer slash demand to go along with him.

Rolling my eyes at my own inner-turmoil, I move out of his way so he can push the cart and feel a mixture of relief and disappointment that we’re no longer touching.

It’s just that I’ve never felt this turned on, for lack of a better word, in the presence of another man before. Nik does something to me, making me crave his touch. It’s more than just attraction. It feels like something I could become addicted to if I’m not careful. Since he’s buying feminine products for another woman, it’s safe to say he’s taken which means I need to be extra careful.

I stop walking and tug on his coat sleeve to get his attention. “You know what? Let’s just exchange numbers and I’ll let you know what I find out, okay?” I ask, my pleading tone heavy in my voice. He can’t miss it. I no longer want to go wherever he’s going so I can sit by and watch him and his girlfriend together while I’m finding out if I’m carrying his baby. This isn’t Jerry Springer — it’s real life. And that scenario won’t work for me.

He guides me into a side aisle so we’re not in the way of the shoppers’ traffic. Probably smart. Not a great place to have a conversation such as this one, anyway. “What do you mean?”

I wrap my arms around my stomach and his gaze follows. His eyes stay glued to where our baby could be forming behind my arms and I shift nervously on my feet.

“It’s just that this is already a lot to take on and I don’t think it will be good for me to go wherever you’re wanting me to go. I’m already stressed out enough and I need to be alone.”

“Ashley,” he pleads but doesn’t say anything further. He stares into my eyes hoping to find something that will give him a clue as to where my head is at. But the thing is, I’m telling him the truth right now. I do need to be alone and this entire situation is stressful. I want to go home where I’m comfortable and be surrounded by my stuff, the smell of my house, make a giant bowl of fettucine alfredo and maybe take a bubble bath afterward.

“It’s okay, Nik. You have plans tonight already.” I reach into the cart and grab all the pregnancy tests, dropping one because my arms are full. He bends to pick it up and keeps hold of it.

“I can change my plans, Ashley. This is… I want to be there for you.”

“And you will. If it’s positive.”

“But…”

“It’s fine, Nik. You go do your thing and I’ll,” I hike up my haul of tests and nod down the aisle toward the checkouts, “… I’ll just do my own thing and let you know, yeah?”

“I don’t like this,” he admits.

Yeah, well, neither do I. Never did I imagine that I’d be a thirty-three-year-old woman with a possible pregnancy with someone I literally have only known for a couple days, most of which we were both drunk. Doesn’t exactly say much for my character.

“It’s okay. It is better this way, you know? I’ll let you know, though.”

“You don’t have my number,” he reminds me.

“Oh. Um.” Looking down, I have no idea how I’m supposed to manage to fish my phone out of my purse. “It’s, well, my phone is in my purse. Can you help?”

“How about you just tell me your number and I’ll put it in my phone here,” he offers, holding his own up.

---