Page 67 of Certified Pressure 4
I took the test, sat on the edge of the marble tub, and stared at the floor while the seconds dragged by. I tried to distractmyself by thinking about the wedding, the food, the music, the way Pressure would look waiting for me at the altar, but none of it worked. My stomach twisted with nerves.
When I finally looked down, the result was there.
My ass was pregnant…
For a moment, everything inside me went quiet. I just stared at it. Prestyn was only seven months old. I was about to marry the man I loved, and now I was pregnant again. My heart raced, but there was also this strange calm that came over me. I knew how this happened. Pressure never pulled out, and we never used protection. We had laughed about it before, like it was something cute, but deep down I had known this could happen.
I pressed my hand to my stomach and let out a slow breath. “Damn,” I whispered under my breath.
There was a soft knock on the door. “Pluto, are you okay?” Abeni’s voice came through, gentle but concerned.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I called back.
I cleaned up, tossed the test back in my purse, and splashed a little water on my face. When I walked out, Abeni was holding Prestyn and laughing at something Zurie had said. The sight of them together made my chest tighten in the best way.
“I just got a call from Pressure. I’m about to head out.”
“Alright, dear. Drive safely,” she replied.
“I know I still have more dresses to try on so I’ll see you tomorrow,” I told her, forcing a smile. “Pressure said he needs me back at the house for something.
Abeni seemed surprised but she didn’t press me. She just said, “of course.”
I kissed Prestyn’s forehead, hugged Zurie, and walked them to the car. I buckled Prestyn in his carseat and made sure Zurie was secure beside him.
“Are we going home?” Zurie asked, swinging her legs.
“Yes,” I replied lowly.
As the gates opened, I pulled through and started down the long driveway. The sky was starting to fade and made everything look peaceful. My mind, though… it was a mess.
I glanced at the rearview mirror. Prestyn was kicking his feet and babbling to Zurie. My baby boy... my first blessing, and now there was another one growing inside me.
I put my hand on my stomach, still processing it all. I wasn’t scared, just overwhelmed. Pressure loved me deeply, and I knew he would be happy, but I also knew how much we already had going on. Between the wedding, his businesses, and the family name, it was a lot. Still, when I thought about how he looked when he held Prestyn for the first time, I couldn’t help but smile.
By the time I got closer to home, the streetlights were flickering on. My phone buzzed, and Pressure’s name lit up the screen.
I didn’t answer right away. I needed a minute to figure out how to tell him
I glanced back at my kids again, my heart full, then looked ahead toward the open road. I didn’t know exactly what came next, but I knew one thing for sure. Pressure was about to find out he was going to be a father again.
After getting Zurie fed and washed up, I did the same with Prestyn. His little curls were damp from his bath, and he kept trying to grab the towel from me while laughing like I was playing a game with him. I kissed his cheek and wrapped him up tight before laying him in his crib. He was getting so big. Seven months ago, he was just this tiny little thing who barelymade sounds, and now he was trying to crawl out of everything. Watching him grow felt unreal sometimes.
I went to our bathroom and took a long shower, trying to clear my head. The warm water felt good on my skin, but my stomach still felt tight. I already knew what that test said, but part of me still couldn’t believe it. By the time I stepped out and wrapped myself in a blue silk robe, my heart was racing again.
When I walked into the bedroom, Pressure was sitting on the edge of the bed scrolling through his phone. His shirt was off, and the light from the screen was bouncing off his tattoos and muscles. I just stood there for a second staring at him, wondering how somebody could look that good doing absolutely nothing. That man was fine without even trying.
He didn’t look up at first. His focus was on the phone, probably handling something forCloud 9 Diningor checking messages about Trillium. Between the restaurant and his product getting into more dispensaries, he’d been working nonstop. I knew he was proud of everything he’d built, but I also knew that behind all that business talk, he was still my man and the same man who couldn’t go a night without reaching for me in his sleep.
I took a slow breath, walked over to my purse, and pulled out the pregnancy test. My palms were sweaty, and I could feel my stomach twist up like I was about to confess to a crime.
“Pressure,” I said softly.
He looked up, his eyes landing on me. “What’s up, baby?”
I took a few steps closer and held the test out. He frowned a little and then reached for it. When he looked down and saw what it was, his whole face changed. A smile that came after made my knees feel weak.
He looked back up at me, his voice dropping low. “So, you got another one of my babies in you?”
