Page 13 of Home Run

“But your appointment was three hours ago. You haven’t been there for three hours, have you?”

Truth be told I don’t know how long I’d been in the doctor. I just knew I went to the doctor this morning, I left the doctor and walked back to the Columbia gym where I’d arranged to meet Radley. One foot in front of the other. That’s how I’d done it.

“I don’t know. I guess it took a bit to walk back,” I replied, causing Radley’s eyes to widen and her brows to vanish under her bangs.

“Youwalked? FromDoctor Scott’s?That’s got to be a hundred blocks.”

“Maybe.”

My eyes narrowed at Radley. Was she swaying? Was the ground moving? Or was it all me? The ringing got louder, and I heard a muffled cry of my name as I sprinted to the nearest trash can and threw up.Thisis why I’d walked, because I kept vomiting.

Radley’s hand pressed into the small of my back, rubbing in soft circles.

“I have some water for you when you’re ready.”

Using my sweater sleeve, I swiped across my mouth and sat down on the nearby bench. I was lucky that it was quiet enough I had very few witnesses, beyond Radley’s two Secret Service agents standing on the other side of the path.

I took the bottle and a very small sip, too scared I was going to puke again. “Thank you.”

“She didn’t give you anything to help then, huh?” she asked, sitting down next to me.

“Not exactly.”

“Did she say it was food poisoning?”

I shook my head. “No. It’s not food poisoning.”

“Hmm.” She pondered on a solution while I mustered up the courage to tell her.

It would be the first time saying it out loud, in the open, away from the doctor’s office. It would make it real.

Terrifyingly real.

“I’m pregnant.”

“…could be a bug you’ve picked up, though I’d have it, too, I guess. Or perhaps it’s an allergy to something. Maybe you’re still getting over that chest infection…Wait, what did you just say?”

I bit down on my lower lip, halting the panic and summoning the courage again. If I couldn’t tell my best friend, I couldn’t tell anyone. My vision immediately clouded with tears. I hadn’t cried yet, the shock was too present to allow it.

“I’m pregnant.”

I think she thought I was joking. From the way her eyes scoured my face, I could tell she was waiting for a punchline. She’d be waiting a while. Perhaps I was the punchline.

“You’re pregnant?” she whispered in the exact same tone I had to Doctor Scott.

“Apparently.”

“Oh, Mills. God.” Her hands reached for mine, resting them on my knee as she squeezed. “What…I mean,how? No,who? When? Sorry.”

“Yeah. That’s where I’m up to.” I huffed a laugh, swiping my hands over my eyes.

“Do you want to tell me how it happened? I mean, not tell me how ithappenedbut…you know. I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

Part of wanting to forget the whole Tanner fiasco was never speaking of it again, therefore I hadn’t. And given how Radley had never brought it up, I made the assumption that Tanner hadn’t told the guys about it either. Because if he had, Lux would have told Radley and you’d better believe Radley’s first call would have been to me.

I sighed, my head dropped. It would be easier if I couldn’t see her. “Remember the day I needed you to pick me up from Grand Central, and Tanner came?”

“Yeah. You went back to the dorm.”

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