Page 35 of Under the Dragon's Spell
"Another one?"
"When this is all over and you're carrying my child, I'll take you to our island. There, I'll show you what I truly look like. Who I truly am."
"Looking forward to it," I said, although I thought he'd already shown me a glimpse of who he was tonight.
13
ADRIAN
The alarm rang way too early the next morning. Tyrel and I had stayed out late, talking. Eventually, he'd given me a kiss goodnight. This one a bit longer, a bit deeper than the first time he'd kissed me. I hadn't wanted to sleep after that, but the sun was about to rise by the time we parted. I still had his promises, and he'd better make good on them.
Even though I was sleepy, I was feeling cautiously optimistic until breakfast rolled around and Tyrel's mother announced that today was the day we were going to the clinic to see the family's doctor.
He's going to find something wrong with me.
I couldn't shake that thought. I'd been just as nervous about my last doctor's visit, and even though I'd gotten the all clear once, nothing had changed.
Tyrel sought my eyes across the table, but not even he could ease my anxiety. I couldn't bear the thought of being told that I could never have the family I always dreamed of since I was a little boy and I'd first learned that I could create life.
"It'll be fine," Tyrel mouthed.
I lowered my gaze and tried to focus on my eggs and bacon, wishing his words to be true.
We saw the doctor, Dr. Kelve, shortly after breakfast. He was the kind of guy you would never have pegged as the intellectual type if it weren't for the stethoscope hanging around his neck. His shirt was buttoned the wrong way, as if he'd been summoned in at a moment's notice, and knowing Tyrel's mother, maybe that was exactly what had happened. His expression was kind, though, as he looked at us. I thought he might have gone into medicine because he wanted to help people. Hopefully he could help me.
Holding on to that thought, I tried to calm my mind. Tyrel was right; I was worrying needlessly.
I might have felt better if Tyrel had been with us, but neither he nor his mother were present. To give us privacy, his mother had said. I'd had to suppress a hollow laugh at those words, sure that whatever the test results were, they'd see them anyhow. Even if they were bad. Especially if they were bad.
Ugh, I was worrying again.
I really needed to stop doing that.
Zane was summoned into the examination room first. He didn't seem worried. In fact, he flashed me a grin as he walked past. Came out not ten minutes later, still smiling.
Couldn't have been so bad then.
But ten minutes could feel like a small eternity when you were scared.
"You seem nervous," Zane said, sitting next to me while Bernard went to see the doctor.
"What tipped you off?" I laughed in an attempt to make the situation seem funny. "All the nail biting?" I'd really thought I'd kicked that habit.
"Do you have anything to worry about?" He seemed honestly sympathetic, so I decided not to lie to him or wave him off.
"I've tried to get pregnant with no success before."
"I see. But there could be a lot of reasons why it didn't work. And hey, you're obviously not with the guy anymore, so maybe it was for the best."
I swallowed hard. "Yeah. Maybe." My mouth was dry.
I was sure there was something off with me. Nothing anyone said could change that. I wouldn't believe different until I was actually pregnant. And then, maybe not until I gave birth and the baby turned out alright.
The door opened again and I nearly jumped out of my skin when my name was called. Was it really my turn yet? I got up from my chair feeling slightly dizzy. It was a miracle I didn't stumble over my own feet on my way to the examination room. Or to the slaughter house, as I called it in my head.
The doctor greeted me with a smile. I made an attempt at returning it.
"Hello, Adrian," he said. "Please have a seat. We'll start by taking your blood pressure."
