Drew + Fable Forever: A One Week Girlfriend Novella (10 page)

Their relationship is kind of weird. As in, they’re completely and totally committed to each other but neither of them feels the need to make it legal. It works for her, it works for him, and they’re the only ones who really matter in this relationship, so who am I to judge?

“You two have been together for years and you’re married, so I’d think Drew would be
thrilled you’re having a baby,” Jen continues, sending me a pointed look. “Unless you’re the one who’s really unhappy? Because I know where we could go and get things taken care of.”

“Oh my God, no,” I breathe, the idea of doing what she’s suggesting flashing a big red no in my brain. “I’m not against that sort of thing but I want this baby, Jen. I want it more than anything.”

“So what’s the problem?”

She makes it sound so simple. I launch into the story of what happened in Boston. Hanging out with Amanda Thomas and her baby, telling Drew I wanted one, fighting over it, coming to the compromise that we’ll wait.

And now I’m pregnant.

“He’s going to shit,” I say after I explain everything.

“He’s also going to think you did this on purpose,” Jen adds.

“My biggest fear of all.” Propping my elbows on the edge of the table, I rest my head in my hands and stare down at my legs, at my still flat stomach. Will I soon not be able to see my legs at all? Will I have a giant belly that’ll make me waddle and look like an idiot? What if I get all bloated? Will Drew still find me attractive?

“You need to tell him,” Jen says, her voice soft. “Where is he?”

“He left for Chicago.” I drop my hands and look at her. I feel tears threaten and I blink them away. I can’t cry. I’ve cried enough this last week to fill a freaking river. I never do that. I’m a complete mess. “I was going to tell him last weekend but I chickened out.”

“Does Owen know?”

“No.” I shake my head. “He’d tell Drew. He’d tell everyone. He can’t keep a secret.”

“Are you having morning sickness?”

“More like morning, noon, and night sickness,” I say wryly, then take another sip of my water. “Plus I always want to take a nap. I told Owen I’m sick and that’s why I came back here, but that excuse is only going to hold up for so long.”

“That’s why you need to tell your husband you’re having his
baby.
” She stares hard at me. “You quit taking the pill when you suspected it, right?”

“Yes, absolutely.” I nod. My body had felt different a few days after I came home from Boston. I can’t quite describe it, but … I knew. Not at that precise moment, but something was up. I quit taking my pills a week later, figuring I’d go to the doctor for a different prescription.

Instead, I found myself knocked up.

“Are you going to Chicago this weekend?” Jen asks.

“No, I’m staying here. The weather is for crap, and I don’t think I’d be up to traveling anyway. I told Drew I was sick, too,” I admit miserably.

“Oh, Fable. You gotta be honest with him. He’s your man, your husband, and now the father of your child. He might be shocked, but he’ll get over it. What’s done is done. And he’s going to be happy. Trust me.” Jen smiles and I want to agree with her. I want to be confident that Drew won’t be upset or think I did something to deceive him.

But I’m scared. This is something Mom would do. In fact, she did just this with Owen’s father, who I can barely remember, he was in and out of our life so quickly. They weren’t married, but they were pretty steady for a short, intense period of time.

Then she got pregnant, told him, and he bailed. I don’t remember the details because I’d been young and I didn’t care, but here I am, so proud of the fact that I changed my path. I’d been sure I was going to turn into my mother. I looked like her, I was working the same sort of jobs as her, I had the same reputation. Then I met Drew and he changed everything.

My true colors slip out every once in a while, though, and bleed all over my new life. The old me isn’t completely out of my system yet. Though I hadn’t planned any of this, had not tricked him on purpose, something happened. Perhaps I forgot to take a pill or took one too late? Had it been some sort of subconscious thing? I don’t know.

All I know is I’m frightened of my husband’s reaction when he finds out.

I wake up from yet another nap to find Owen standing above my bed, his expression one of incredulity as he watches me.

“What’s wrong?” I scramble into a sitting position, smoothing my hair with shaking fingers. Everyone makes me nervous lately and I blame hormones. And the fact that I’m hiding a major secret that weighs on my chest like a solid steel beam, crushing my heart and making me anxious.

“I was, uh, just watching some gossip show on TV and it said you’re pregnant.” He pauses, his eyes so wide they look ready to bug out of his head. “Is it true?”

“What?” I stumble out of the bed, tripping over my feet, and I nearly fall. Owen dodges toward me, gripping my arm and saving me from landing on my ass. “What gossip show did you see this on? And since when do you watch gossip shows?”

“Never mind that, who cares about that shit? What I want to know is the truth.” He pauses, staring at me, suddenly looking so very wise and adult. I almost want to squirm under his stare and I wonder if he picked that look up from me. “Are you pregnant, Fable?”

I don’t answer him. Instead, I yank out of his grip and go to the bedside table, grabbing my phone to see if I have any text messages.

Oh, and I definitely do. My heart sinks. They’re all from Drew, asking that I call him, each one more frantic than the next, and there’s a voice mail from him, too. With a shaking finger, I press play and listen to it.

Fable, I need you to call me, baby. There are reports that you’re pregnant all over the internet and the publicists are asking me if it’s true. I told them it wasn’t, but I guess there’s talk of a reliable source and they heard it straight from your mouth or whatever. Anyway. Call me. We gotta talk. Now. Love you.

Closing my eyes, I press my lips together, the phone still clutched to my ear even though the message is over. I’m wobbly on my feet, my head is spinning, and I collapse onto the edge of
the bed, sitting heavily on the mattress. I crack open my eyes to find Owen still staring at me, though now he looks positively freaked out.

“You’ve been weird for weeks, telling me you’re sick or whatever. You sleep all the time and you’re not eating. I’ve heard you puke a few times.” He grimaces and shakes his head. “Fuck me, you
are
pregnant, aren’t you?”

I can’t even work up the energy to protest, let alone scold him for saying “fuck.” “Fine. Yes, I’m pregnant.”

He gapes at me, for once in his life at a loss for words. “Holy shit, Fabes. Does Drew know?”

“He’s gonna know in about two minutes, so can you give me some privacy?” My heart sinks to my stomach at the realization that I’m about to deliver news to Drew that’s going to change our lives completely. And he might be angry about it, too.

“Yeah, sure, Fabes.” As if in a daze, Owen leaves my bedroom, closing the door behind him.

I sit on the edge of the bed for a few more minutes, rehearsing in my head what I’m going to say to Drew.

Remember how I wanted to have a baby? Well, guess what?

Yay, I’m pregnant!

Drew, you’re going to be a daddy.

Please don’t be mad at me.

I love you.

Ugh.

Deciding to just go for it, I hit his number and put the phone to my ear, listening to it ring. He answers after the first one.

“There you are. I was freaking out,” he says, sounding a little frantic. “Where were you?”

“Taking a nap,” I say, swallowing hard. Now that I have him on the phone, it’s hard for me to actually do this. To say the words,
I’m pregnant.

“Fable, everyone in marketing and publicity is freaking out. Some jackass supposedly followed you and said he heard you say you were pregnant to a friend in a restaurant.” He pauses, letting the words sink into my stunned brain. Holy crap, someone actually followed me and Jen? Unbelievable. “Is it true? Or is this asshole just making shit up? I told them it’s not true
because I’d know if you were pregnant or not. I mean, shit—I’m your husband. And we already discussed this. You wouldn’t run and go tell a friend first.”

Actually, now both Jen and Owen know before my own husband, but that’s beside the point. “I don’t want you to be mad at me,” I murmur.

“What?”

I clear my throat. “Drew. I’m pregnant.”

He’s quiet. Way too quiet. I can feel the explosion building, can practically hear the wheels turning in his brain as he tries to process what I just said. “You’re kidding.” He sounds scarily calm.

“I’m not.” I lie back on our bed, my stomach pitching and rolling like a tiny boat caught in a stormy sea. “I’m about five weeks along.”

“How long have you known?”

“That doesn’t matter.” I didn’t expect that question, though it was stupid of me not to.

“It kind of does, at least to me. How long have you been keeping this secret, Fable? Did you really tell someone else at a restaurant? Who the hell was it?”

“I was with Jen,” I admit, closing my eyes. “I was scared to tell you, Drew. I didn’t know what you might say or how you’d react, especially after what happened in Boston.”

“When?” His voice drops to a near whisper. “When do you think it happened? That we conceived the—baby?”

“This is the funniest part.” Not really, but I’m trying to make light of the situation. “I’m pretty sure it happened when we were in Boston.”

“But you’re on the pill.” Another pause. “Right?”

“Yes. This is why I was afraid to tell you. I was scared you’d think I tried to trick you. We agreed that we wouldn’t try for a baby for at least a year, and then I go and get pregnant.” It was almost a relief, unloading all of that. For the first time in about two weeks, I feel like I can breathe easy again.

“Fable.” His husky voice is thick with emotion. “I can’t freaking believe it.”

“Are you upset?” Fear kicks in again, making my heart beat triple time.

“No. Hell, no,” he says quickly, his voice fierce. “I just … I think I’m in shock. Holy shit, Fable. We’re going to have a baby.”

“I know.” Tears form, slipping from the corners of my eyes. “I’m still shocked, too. It’s
hard for me to wrap my head around.”

“And it’s weird, right? That we have that entire fight about having a baby and then bam, you get pregnant. I think that’s a sign.” He goes quiet again and I listen to his breathing, know that he’s still trying to process all of this, the poor guy. My poor, sweet, accepting husband. How did I get so lucky? “It was meant to be, Fable. This baby, us becoming parents at this time in our lives. It’s like God’s will or something.”

“Yes, I-I think so, too,” I say, sniffing discreetly, but he hears me.

“You’re crying, aren’t you?”

“Fine. Yes, I am.” A sob chokes me up and I let it out, beginning to cry in earnest. It takes me a moment to compose myself before I blurt out a string of words. “I was so afraid you’d be mad and think I tried to trap you into this. I have no idea what happened. I can’t tell you if I took a pill too late or what. It just … happened.”

“Birth control pills aren’t one hundred percent foolproof,” he says, Mr. Factoid. “We’ve been taking a risk for years.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I wish you were with me,” he murmurs, the promise in his voice making my skin sizzle. Helping me momentarily forget my drying tears.

“I wish I were there, too,” I confess.

“Are you feeling okay?”

The question makes me laugh, because I have been the complete opposite of feeling okay. “No. This little booger does its damnedest to make me miserable on a daily basis.”

“How? Holy shit, Fable, I can’t believe you haven’t told me until now that you’re pregnant. All this time I could’ve helped you … do you need anything? Do you want me to come home?” He sounds panicked, and I immediately reassure him.

“No, I’m fine, really, and I have Owen. He’ll help me if I need it. And I have Jen. I just get morning sickness, like all the time, and I’m really tired.”

He doesn’t sound convinced, but he gives in. “Fine. Okay. As long as you’re all right.” Drew pauses and my heart lightens. He just wants to make sure I’m all right and I adore him for that. “I’m sorry, baby. I’d take care of you if I were there. Give you whatever you need.”

“I know.” I smile. “I’ll come see you when you get back.”

“No, I’ll come see
you
. It’s your lucky day because I have a bye week next week and no
game to play,” he says.

“Really?” Hope lights my chest, filling it with warmth. A bye week means my husband won’t have a game to play or practice for. He can have a few extra days off. “Oh my God, Drew, that’s such great timing.”

“I know, baby. I’ll be home Monday. And I’ll take care of you all week, okay? I promise.”

“Okay.” I sniff again, more tears falling. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Fuck, I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad.”

I burst out laughing, even through the tears. “Well, get over it because it’s true. You so are.”

“And you’re going to be a mom.” His voice softens, full of wonder. “We’re going to have a baby, Fable.”

“Yes, I know. A baby, Drew. You’re going to be a daddy.”

“I didn’t even ask when you’re due.”

“I figure mid-June.” I sniff again. “Isn’t that perfect? You won’t be playing, you won’t be at training camp. I’ll have you all to myself, the both of us anxiously awaiting his birth.”

“
His
birth, huh?”

“Yeah, I think it’s a boy.” I love the idea of a mini Drew.

“What if it’s a girl?”

“I don’t care, as long as the baby is healthy,” I say truthfully.

“Amen to that,” he agrees, his voice soft and full of sincerity. “I love you, Fable. So damn much.”

His words mean so much to me, as does his easy acceptance. Why had I been so scared? Did I really believe he’d think I tried to trick him? He has more faith in me than that. I’m the one who lacks faith—in myself. “I love you, too. Call me tomorrow after practice, okay?”