Page 116 of Stand Your Ground
He doesn’t evenwanta child,I reminded myself with panic slipping in like a mud slide, but I kept that part to myself.
Doctor Stroud reached out, touching my arm with a reassuring squeeze. “Your hormone levels from the labs came back clearly positive, which confirms the pregnancy.”
My throat was so tight I was sure I couldn’t swallow, but I tried anyway. “I haven’t felt anything.”
“You’re only a few weeks along — early enough that symptoms can be subtle or even nonexistent.” Her smile softened. “And I know you’re on birth control, and that we’ve discussed your AMH levels being lower than average. Both of those factors can make this feel confusing, even impossible. But low AMH doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant — it just means you may have fewer eggs overall. Fertility and contraception don’t always line up as neatly as we’d like. Even women withdiminished ovarian reserve can conceive.” Her shoulders lifted. “Sometimes when they least expect it.”
“This is… unbelievable.”
She nodded in understanding. “It may seem that way, but this is why we always test before we move forward with anything. With birth control pills, even slight inconsistencies — missing a dose, taking one late, or interactions with other medications — can reduce their effectiveness. It’s rare, but it happens. And it seems it happened here.”
My next exhale was shaky, my hand floating back to my abdomen. It was like everything in my universe had been shaken in that instant, like a snow globe without the pieces nailed down. Now everything was floating and flying, settling in the wrong places — or maybe the right ones all along.
Doctor Stroud paused, her voice steady. “We’ll do an ultrasound to confirm viability, but there’s no mistake, Livia. You’re pregnant.”
I stared at her, my pulse pounding in my ears, my body torn in two.
Joy, radiant and fierce, because this was the dream I’d always promised myself.
And dread, sharp and suffocating, because Carter Fabri had no idea what was about to hit him.
Barry White
Carter
“Fuck, I hope this isn’t stupid.”
I was bouncing on my toes, fidgeting, not feeling even the least bit cool as I waited for Livia to arrive. It didn’t matter that it was the perfect night, warm and pleasant with a crisp breeze for reprieve, the sun slowly sinking over the bay in the distance. It didn’t matter that we had the whole rooftop to ourselves, that I’d rented the thing out and wouldn’t have anyone watching me while I bumbled through my idiotic speech to Liv. And it definitely didn’t matter that she’d already told me she felt the same.
For some reason I couldn’t explain, everything just felt volatile, like my world as I knew it was a triangular-shaped rock balanced on its peak. It was stable for now, everything meticulously placed.
But one wrong move could shatter the whole thing.
“It’s going to be great, Fabio,” Will said, smirking from where he stood beside me. “Look, the worst thing that could happen is she turns you down and tells you to get lost. Nothing you haven’t endured before.”
“Comforting,” I said flatly, but the corners of my lips curled a bit. He wasn’t wrong.
When the guys had helped me come up with a plan for the evening, I’d suckered all of them into being involved one wayor another. I wanted every step of the night to feel luxurious, VIP treatment from beginning to end. And I didn’t just want strangers doing all the pampering. I wanted it to be our friends.
Our family.
I wanted to remind Livia that no matter what, even when things got difficult between us — which they inevitably would — we were never alone. We’d always have love and support around us.
I didn’t fill the girls in on the plan, though. For some reason, that didn’t feel like my place. I knew Livia would want to tell them in her own way and in her own time. So, all the girlfriends and wives believed we were having a guys’ night on the golf course, sneaking in a few rounds without Coach knowing.
In reality, Vince was playing limousine chauffeur. He’d picked Livia up at five from her condo and had her en route to us now. They were just a few minutes out, and it felt like the longest stretch of time in my life — more so than any period of hockey I’d ever played.
The rest of the guys were here with me, each committed to their role. Will was the bodyguard and gatekeeper. He’d go downstairs to receive Livia when she arrived, walking her through the lobby and into the elevator like she was a celebrity being ushered into a private dinner.
Aleks had been tasked with all the details, and while it had felt like the biggest mistake when I agreed to let him handle that side of things, he’d surprised the hell out of me. The rooftop was beautiful enough without embellishment, but Aleks had transformed it into something out of a dream. A long table was dressed in a sleek black runner, the surface scattered with dark roses, low bowls of floating tea lights, and candles in staggered heights that flickered like fireflies in the evening breeze. He’d hung string lights from the pergola in a way that made the whole place glow, cozy and intimate but still elegant. Soft linennapkins, polished silver, wine glasses that looked like they belonged in some five-star joint — he’d thought of everything.
And, because it was Aleks, he’d added the most ridiculous touch: place cards. He’d written my name and Livia’s in elaborate cursive on thick cardstock and propped them up against the plates like we were at a gala instead of my half-baked attempt at romance. But when I saw the way the whole scene came together — romantic, intentional, and just a little over-the-top — I couldn’t even be mad.
Jaxson was the DJ for the evening. He’d taken over playlist duty, ignoring every text suggestion I’d sent him. Now, a beat-heavy jazz song floated over the rooftop, the kind of music that felt sultry and alive, and it reminded me instantly of Liv. I supposed I could trust that he’d done the job well.
And then there was Zamboni, running around with his tail wagging and sniffer going nuts as he inspected every corner of the space. His job was gift-holder, the poor bastard, and he wore my little secret in a box strapped to his back by way of a doggie hiking vest, completely oblivious to the treasure inside.
It meant everything to me, having the guys there, having them participate. They were giving up their Sunday night to help me make a statement to a woman I loved more than anything in the world, and I would never forget that they showed up for me.
