Page 64 of One Pucking Surprise
The doctor shakes his head gently. “No, it’s not a stomach bug,” he says, his tone softening. “Ms. Carrey, you’re pregnant.”
Lainey freezes, her breath catching. “Pregnant?” she repeats, the word coming out as a whisper.
“Yes,” he confirms, nodding. “You’ll want to schedule a follow-up appointment with an OB-GYN for prenatal care and to discuss the next steps. In the meantime, I recommend taking it easy, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of rest.”
Lainey’s lips part, but no words come out. She looks at me, then back at the doctor, clearly trying to process what he’s just said. I feel my own thoughts scrambling for purchase, trying to wrap around the word pregnant like it’s written in neon lights.
I clear my throat, finding my voice. “How far along is she?”
The doctor glances at the clipboard again. “Approximately nine weeks, based on the timeline of symptoms and hormone levels.”
Nine weeks. My chest tightens, and my mind immediately goes to the engagement party.That night. The memory hits me like a tidal wave—the hallway, the kiss, the rushed, heated moments that followed.
Lainey’s face is pale, her hand moving automatically to her stomach as if the realization is just starting to sink in. “But… we used protection,” she says, her voice shaking.
The doctor offers a sympathetic nod. “Condoms are highly effective, but no method is 100% foolproof. These things happen sometimes.” He hesitates, his gaze shifting between us. “This news often comes as a shock. I’ll give you both a few moments to process. If you have any questions, let me know.”
“No,” Lainey says quickly, her voice tight. “Thank you, doctor.”
He gives us a final, reassuring smile before slipping out of the room.
The silence that follows is heavy, almost suffocating. Lainey sits frozen, her hand still on her stomach, her eyes fixed on some point far away. I’m not sure if she’s going to cry, laugh, or run.
Finally, she lets out a shaky breath, breaking the quiet. “How… I don’t understand.”
Lainey’s eyes suddenly widen, and she starts rummaging through her bag with franticenergy. “No. No. No,” she mutters under her breath.
Alarmed, I put a hand on her arm to stop her. “Lainey, what are you doing? Are you okay?”
She freezes for a second before blurting, “My lucky condom.”
I blink, completely thrown. “Your what?”
“My lucky condom!” She’s practically tearing through her purse now, her movements desperate. When she finally sits back, her face is pale, and her hand covers her mouth. “Zach… did you use the condom that was in my wallet?”
My stomach sinks as the memory sharpens—the condoms I’d grabbed from her clutch, one of them marked with a little sticker. I thought it was just Lainey being her usual over-organized, control-freak self. A cute quirk, maybe. I didn’t think twice. “You mean the one with the sticker on it?”
She freezes, her face going pale as she stares at me. “You used it?” she whispers, her voice shaking. “Zach, that condom was expired.”
The room tilts slightly, the air growing heavier with each passing second. “Who keeps an expired condom in their wallet?” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, my frustration bubbling over.
“I didn’t think you’d useit without checking the expiration date!”
“I didn’t exactly have time to read the fine print!” I snap back, running a hand through my hair as I pace the small room. My voice softens as guilt creeps in. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just… this is a lot to process.”
Her laugh is shaky, more a sound of disbelief than humor. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The weight of the situation presses down like a lead blanket. I want to pace, to do something—anything—to shake off the surreal feeling twisting in my chest.
“Lainey,” I finally say, my voice low, careful. “You know I’m not… I’m not ready to settle down. That was the whole point of us doing this fake dating thing. To avoid… all of this.”
She nods slowly, her expression unreadable. “I know. This wasn’t part of the plan.” Her voice cracks on the last word, and she looks away, blinking rapidly as if trying to hold herself together. “I mean, I’ve always wanted children, but I didn’t think it would be like this.”
The plan was simple. Fake dating to keep our families off our backs, no strings, nocomplications. But now? Now the lines are so blurred they’re practically nonexistent.
This isn’t what either of us signed up for, and yet, here we are, caught in the fallout of one impulsive night.
Chapter 23
