Page 50 of Mercy

I hold my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You're pregnant," she says gently. "It's likely morning sickness you've been experiencing."

I don’t know how I knew, but something deep in my gut told me this wasn’t really something temporary.

I’m pregnant.

The words echoes in my mind, a thunderclap that drowns out everything else.

I clear my throat, looking directly into her eyes. "Are you one hundred percent sure?"

The doctor nods, her voice kind but firm. "The tests are quite clear. You need to see an OBGYN to determine how far along you are."

The rest of the appointment passes me by and I’ve checked out, walking up to my car.

I slide inside, hands trembling as I grip the steering wheel.

My stomach lurches, and for a moment, I think I might be sick again.

"Fuck," I whisper, leaning my forehead against the cool leather. "This is fucking nuts."

As I pull out of the parking garage, my mind racing.

Tor and I never planned this.

We were careful, weren't we?

Traffic crawls by as I make my way back to our apartment.

Each red light feels like an eternity, giving me more time to spiral into panic.

"If I tell Tor," I mutter to myself, "he'll want to go back to Tallahassee. Back to the club."

Images of my father flash through my mind—the violence, the fear.

My hands tighten on the wheel until my knuckles turn white.

"I can't let my child grow up like that," I say firmly, blinking back tears. "I won't."

As I pull into our complex, a heavy realization settles in my chest.

To keep this baby safe—to keep it away from the life I ran from—I have to end things with Tor.

The thought makes me feel hollow inside, but I have to do this.

I take a deep breath before opening the apartment door.

Tor's there, his green eyes lighting up when he sees me.

The thought of really doing this breaks my heart all over again.

"Hey, babe," he says, concern creasing his brow. "How was your day?"

I force a weak smile. "Tor, we need to talk."

He furrows his brows for a second. “Sure. What’s up?”

I take a shaky breath. "Tor, I... I think you should go back home."

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