“Hidden? Really?” My sarcasm was thick though I was grinning, too.

“Okay, maybe not so hidden,” she allowed.

A knock on the door had me saying, “Doctor’s back. Gotta go.”

“Okay, call me and tell me what he says.”

“It’s a she.”

“Whatever.”

I ended the call just as the doctor entered.

“That took a little while,” I said.

She smiled as she pulled a little stool on wheels over next to where I sat. “I apologize,” she said. “We like to be thorough.”

Something about the way she said that, the way she smiled, set off alarm bells in my head, and the leftover grin from my conversation with Alisha faded.

“What is it?” I asked. “What’s wrong?” It hadn’t occurred to me that something might actually be wrong with me. But from the look on the doctor’s face, I knew she had something to tell me.

“I’m not sure if this is welcome news or not,” she said carefully, “but the tests show conclusively that you’re pregnant.”

I stared at her, shock rippling through me. My mouth was hanging open and I snapped it shut.

“But-but that’s impossible,” I stammered. “I’m on birth control.”

“No birth control method is one hundred percent effective,” she said, her voice sounding much calmer than mine. “I’d also say you’re suffering from exhaustion and malnutrition,” she continued. “You’ll need to be more aware of your body’s needs the next few months. Eat right, get plenty of water and rest.”

I barely heard her. “But . . . I can barely afford to pay my own rent. How am I going to pay for a child?” I was reeling, the implications and fallout hitting me with the force of a Mack truck.

“May I ask, is the father in the picture?”

Kade. Oh my God. He wasn’t even sure I could be a fixture in his life, what would he say when he found out I was pregnant? And Blane. Oh God . . .

The room tilted again and the doctor jumped to her feet. “Lie down,” she said, easing me backward on the bed.

I squeezed my eyes shut as tears threatened. I would not cry in front of the doctor. I felt her take my hand, but she said nothing until I’d regained control. When I opened my eyes, her face held only compassion.

“If this was unplanned,” she said, “there are things you can do. Terminate the pregnancy, of course. There’s also adoption, if you want to give the baby up.”

This was too much. Her saying those things, it made it all too real.

“I have to get going,” I said, sitting up. “Um, where do I pay the bill?”

“The bill’s been taken care of,” she said. “The gentleman who I believe helped you earlier?”

Blane.

Panic struck. “You’re not going to tell him, are you?” I asked.

“Your records are confidential,” the doctor assured me, “though if he’s the father, I would encourage you to consider telling him.”

Hysterical laughter bubbled up in my chest and I swallowed it down. This felt like déjà vu. Just a few months ago I’d been afraid I was pregnant with Blane’s child. Now I was pregnant, but with his brother’s.

I hurried out of the room, intent on getting away as quickly as possible. I couldn’t think, couldn’t begin to process the abrupt turn my life had just taken. I felt inches from falling apart. If I could just make it to my car . . .

“Hey.”

I was suddenly brought to a halt by a hand on my arm. I looked up to see that Blane had stepped into my path.

“What did the doctor say?” he asked.

My eyes were wide with panic. I swallowed, forcing my voice to be calm when I replied. “She said I was fine,” I said, pasting a fake smile on my face. “Just like I told you.”

Blane’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying,” he said flatly. “And I’m not in any kind of mood to be playing games with you. What did she say?”

Suddenly, it was all too much, and I snapped.

“Oh, now you’ve decided that you care? Listen, Blane, I don’t give a shit what kind of mood you’re in! It’s my life and you made it quite clear that you’re no longer in it. So don’t threaten me, and don’t push me!”

Blane’s face could have been carved in stone as my words echoed in my head. I was breathing hard, my fists clenched at my sides, as I stared up at him. I took a couple of steps backward, then turned and hurried away. I saw other people in the hallway staring, but I kept my gaze straight ahead and didn’t stop until I was locked safely inside the steamy oven of my car.

I started the engine but paused as I went to shift into drive. My hands were shaking, and it hit me all over again.

I was pregnant.

Leaning against the steering wheel, I started to sob.

CHAPTER FIVE

I drove home mechanically, everything on autopilot. My head throbbed from crying and my stomach was rolling. I trudged up the stairs to my apartment and unlocked the door.

Like a robot, I started sorting through the stack of mail sitting on my kitchen table, tossing three bills in a row into a separate pile. Two ads and a coupon book later, I saw an envelope that jerked me from my stupor. I’d been dreading this.

My grades had arrived.

I’d missed all my finals. I’d been kidnapped, then had attended Blane’s hearing, all of which forced me to skip the exams. The money I’d spent on the classes had been wasted.

I opened the envelope, steeling myself for what I’d see, then sat staring in astonishment.

Straight As.

But that was impossible! The final exam counted for half my grade in some of these classes. By all rights, the highest I could have possibly gotten was maybe a C, if the professor had been kind. They must have gotten things mixed up in the computer or something—wait.

Computers. Of course.

Kade had done this. That’s what he’d meant when he’d told me not to worry about it.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I disliked cheating, but what was I going to do? Go in there and tell them my friend had hacked their computers and changed my grades? Right.

Tossing the paper onto the kitchen table, I heaved a sigh. I’d just have to ask Kade to change them back, that’s all. But later. Not right now. Not until he was better.

My bed beckoned, so I lay down and shut my eyes. I didn’t want to think, didn’t want to face the fact that I was pregnant.

So I slept, not waking until the insistent buzzing of my cell phone on the table beside me wouldn’t stop. I glanced at the caller ID. Alisha.

“Hey,” I answered tonelessly.

“Where are you?” she asked immediately.

“Home.”

“Well, come let me in then. I’ve been banging on your door for ten minutes.”

Obediently, I ended the call and climbed out of bed. I walked through the kitchen and living room to the front door, then opened it. Alisha stood there.

“You’ve had me worried sick,” she complained, following me inside. “You didn’t call me back after you talked to the doctor. I’ve been imagining all kinds of horrible things.” She plopped down next to where I’d settled on the sofa. “So what did he say?”

“She,” I automatically corrected.

Alisha rolled her eyes. “Just tell me.”

Part of me, the irrational part that still hoped this was all a nightmare, didn’t want to tell her because that would mean it was real. I forced myself to speak.

“She said . . . she said I’m pregnant,” I stammered, my eyes filling with tears again.

Alisha looked as stunned as I still felt, but when she saw me start crying, she wrapped me in a tight hug.

“It’ll be okay,” she crooned to me as I sobbed.

“N-no, it w-won’t,” I sputtered through my tears.

“Of course it will,” she soothed, patting me on the shoulder as I eased back from her. She grabbed a tissue box from the coffee table and handed it to me. “So, do you, um . . . know . . . who the father is?”

“Geez, Alisha!” I said in exasperation. “Please tell me you did not just ask me that.”