Page 22 of King of Hearts

Cresting the top of the path, I pulled into the circular driveway and put my car in park. I was used to opulence from my time growing up with my father and then moving in with Charlie, but this house still made me feel small. Maybe because there was also a part of me accustomed to poverty, thanks to the fact that my mother had accepted her freedom from my father, but only on the condition that she ask for nothing.

That extended to me as well for all the time I spent with her. It felt like a punishment more often than not, living in tiny one-bedroom hovels where the carpet smelled so strongly of mold and cigarettes that learning to hold my breath for as long as I could became a form of survival. I had folded my small body into tiny corners to sleep more times than I could remember. I was a mess, my head and heart a tangled mess of trigger wires.

Blinking, I reached in, grabbed my phone and purse, and then slammed the door shut. As I wandered to the front, a tiny little pulse point jumped in my chest as I entered the pin code into the keypad at the door. Once it clicked open, I let out a sigh of relief.

For however long, this was where I belonged.

I had grown accustomed to settling and adjusting…but something told me this would be an entirely different situation. As I looked around the living room and took in the cozy comforts, it looked as though the entire house was staged. Nothing personal was added. No photos of Juan’s big family, none of his mother, whom I had seen but never met, none of his younger sister.

I moved into the kitchen and began digging through the options for food: Greek yogurt, oat milk, gouda cheese, fresh lettuce and tomatoes. None of it was mine, and regardless of how much I craved a snack in the form of a juicy apple and a few slices of cheese, I would wait until I bought my own groceries.

I didn’t feel right about eating his food, so I shut the fridge and decided to stick to the snacks I had brought with me. They would have to do until I had a chance to go shopping for something fresh.

Back up the stairs and in my room, I let out a relieved groan. I liked the room. I loved the brilliance of light that was welcomed in and the attached suite, loved the plush bed and how simply the white and grey contrasts were arranged. I mentally put together a color scheme that would look amazing with some added textures and lamps, along with fresh flowers. If I did stay and this worked out, there was even ample space for a crib.

Sobering to the reality of my life and where it was headed, I sat on the bed and rubbed my belly. There was no way Juan would want a single mother and her baby living here. He had a life, he had girlfriends…and the memory of the night before rumbled into my chest like a runaway semi-truck.

He’d stood there, consuming me with his eyes…told me to taste myself. Then he told me I was filthy.

That couldn’t happen again. Maybe Juan was just a player, used to fucking and flirting, and this would be no different. He was the male version of me, so I wouldn’t judge…but still, we had to set some boundaries. Maybe with them in place, he wouldn’t mind if I stayed for a while, even after I had the baby.

That was assuming my father or Markos didn’t find me first.

Heaving a sigh, I stood and stretched. There were so many things out of my control and too many questions I had. There was no way to address them all, and for now, I just needed to let it go. I knew from listening to my podcasts that stress wouldn’t be good for the baby. So, I walked to where my duffle sat and pulled out my bathing suit, ready to test out the massive pool in the backyard.

Right as I was about to slip into the restroom, my phone pinged, reminding me I had a doctor’s appointment. I sighed as I looked out the window, realizing the pool would have to wait.

Chapter Ten

I lovedthat Dr. Kline always managed to fit me in before he closed up. I didn’t get out of school until after two and he stopped seeing patients at three, so by the time I actually got over to the side of the city I needed to be on, he was usually the only one in the small office when I arrived.

Opening the glass door, I found him in his blue scrubs, glasses perched on his nose while he filled out paperwork on the counter. The receptionists were gone, leaving just the two of us, like usual…unless there were other people milling around somewhere. I assumed there were, likely, janitorial staff or something.

“Taylor, good to see you,” Dr. Kline said, smiling at me.

He was insanely hot, and each time I saw him, my face never failed to betray how his looks affected me. He was maybe thirty-something, no wedding ring, but I knew he had kids from the photos in his office. He was nice to me, super helpful and always encouraging me regarding my pregnancy.

“Let’s get to it, shall we.” He held his hand out, indicating I lead the way to the exam room. We always went to the same one all the way in the back with a small alcove outside so there was a little more privacy. It was closest to his office, so I assumed that was why he preferred to use it.

“How are you feeling?”

I led the way into the room, setting my purse down and toeing off my sandals. “Good. Really hot all the time and exhausted.”

“Hop up.” He patted the table. “Are you drinking plenty of fluids?”

I nodded, feeling a little flutter hit my chest. This part was always odd to me. Growing up, I’d never been to a public health practitioner. My father had always made sure I saw a private doctor, same with Charlie. They paid to have people see us, and we didn’t have to go into offices. So, I wasn’t sure how things were normally done, but I felt mostly at ease with Dr. Kline. It was just overcoming the nerves of having my body inspected like I was a lab rat. It didn’t help that occasionally it felt like my doctor looked at me in a nonprofessional way, but that was probably just in my head because I wasn’t used to it.

“Well let’s take a look. Go ahead and strip down.” He turned toward his computer, grabbed a gown from under the sink, and held it toward me.

I took it then began to do as he said. As often as I had stripped in front of men, I always felt so exposed when I did it in front of Dr. Kline. The first time, he’d just assured me it was policy and I’d get used to it. Still felt strange to me.

I lifted my shirt, unclasped my bra, and shed my shorts and panties, folding them all in a small pile. Once naked, I pushed my arms through the front of the gown and returned to my spot on the table.

“All set?” He smiled at me, rolling on his little stool toward me.

I nodded, feeling my heart beat a little faster. I loved getting to hear my baby’s heartbeat. It was my favorite part of these appointments.

“Let’s check your blood pressure first.” He rolled over to me with a blood pressure cuff, placing it over my arm then tilting my wrist until his finger rested over my pulse. His face was so close to mine since I was still sitting up with my feet dangling off the table. “You’re definitely getting sun. I can see you have new freckles.” He smirked, tracing a small patch of skin along my nose.

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