The Consequences of Forever (1) (14 page)

             
In so many ways that time almost felt like the first time. It was slow and full of kisses, with Adam whispering to me how much he loved me, and without the awkwardness of all the times before. It felt natural, somehow, despite the fact that it was in the worst possible place at the worst possible time.

             
I ended up being more than an hour late for curfew. Adam walked me home, holding my hand tightly in his the entire time. He had sobered up, but agreed driving was a bad idea. He kissed me goodnight away from the streetlight, promising he’d go back to Nolan’s and call me as soon as he got home the next day.

             
Nora was awake when I got home, but surprisingly not as angry as I’d thought she would be. She looked distracted and maybe even a little defeated, and calmly told me I was grounded for a week.

             
I couldn’t fall asleep that night, full of thoughts of Adam and the night we’d just shared together, how things had felt so bad at one point and then ended so well. I had no idea that my life had just changed forever.

Chapter Eleven

              “My birthday?” Adam asked, his eyes widening in surprise. “Are you sure?”

             
“Your birthday,” I confirmed. It was lunch period on Monday, and we’d skipped the cafeteria in order to get lunch in town at the Haven Café. It was the first time we’d really seen each other since Saturday morning; Hannah had called him like I’d told her to, and while she’d ended up spending time with him and Nolan that day, I’d decided to avoid them. The weekend had ended up being a nightmare, with me either arguing with Nora, or hiding from her to avoid another argument.

             
“How is that even possible?” He asked. “I don’t even really remember that much about my birthday except walking you home because you wouldn’t let me drive. And, well, the obvious. Are you sure?”

             
“Yes and your permanent reminder will be here shortly. About thirty weeks, give or take a few days.”

             
He grinned and I smiled back. “Good way to put it. Are you sure, though?”

             
I nodded. “Positive. There’s no other day it could have happened. We weren’t alone much all of September.”

             
He made a face. “Yeah, that much I do remember.”

             
I picked up a fry and threw it at him. He caught it in midair and popped it into his mouth.

             
“It’s kind of cool, actually,” he admitted. “If anyone ever asks me what I did for my eighteenth birthday, I can tell them I made a baby.”

             
“In the back seat of a car, no less.”

             
“Classy.”

             
“Very fitting to the stereotype of teen pregnancy,” I agreed. We both laughed. It felt good to be able to laugh about this with him. Everything had gotten so stressful so quickly, it was nice to know we could still have lunch together and laugh. It felt like it used to, before all of this, before reality came knocking.

             
Teagan came up to us, order pad in hand. “Please tell me you’re going to order more than fries,” she pleaded. “I swear I always get the people who only order one thing, and Karen’s starting to think I’m just a horrible waitress.”

             
I smiled up at her. “You’re not horrible. I guess I’ll have a cheeseburger, with everything on it.”

             
Adam raised his eyebrows at me. “You don’t eat red meat,” he reminded me. “In fact, I remember you lecturing me on how bad it is for you.”

             
“I know, and I plan on ditching this dirty habit as soon as the baby gets here, or stops making me crave it. Whatever happens first.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Teagan’s eyes widen.

             
“You don’t have to pretend you don’t know,” I told her.

             
She looked relieved. “Okay, good. I wasn’t too sure how to go about that.”

             
“I think everyone within a five mile radius of Bella Vista this past weekend knows. It’s probably good you’re the only guest we have.”
Maybe not for me
, I thought. I wondered if Nora could make more of an attempt to remain rational and sane if she had guests around.

             
She grinned. “I’d say.” She turned to Adam. “Please order something else.”

             
“I’ll have the same.” We handed our menus over to Teagan, who looked noticeably relieved.

             
“I’ll be right back out with all of that.” She hurried away and I took a long sip of my water, gazing at Adam.

             
“You look great today,” I told him. He looked the same as he did every other day, but for some reason, it seemed more noticeable to me. I reached across the table and grabbed his hand, tracing the lines in his palm with my thumb. I’d never believed in psychics, but I wonder what they’d say if we had our palms read. Could you tell if two people were meant to be, just from looking at their hands? It was a crazy though, but I pushed it away the best I could.

             
He grinned, tilting his head to one side and studying my face. “Thanks. You’re in a good mood.”

             
“That’s because I’m tired of being in a bad one.” It had dawned on me yesterday, that I was so sick of being so unhappy. I needed to take a stand, realize that I’d made a mistake, and live with it. I couldn’t let Nora’s anger at me and my father’s sudden absences overshadow the fact that I had some pretty amazing people on my mind, people that were going to make sure everything was going to be okay.

             
“The weekend was pretty awful, huh?” He looked sympathetic, and I was relieved. Although I understand and appreciated his anger, it could sometimes be draining for me, since there was nothing I could do about it.

             
“You have no idea. Nora and I were literally screaming at each other at one point.”

             
Adam looked surprised. “I’ve never heard you scream at anyone. Not even Hannah, or me, for that matter.”

             
“That’s because I don’t. But she’s so dead set on me not having this baby, it’s like she won’t even listen to what I want.” I’d received more information on abortion and the consequences of having a baby too young than I’d ever want or need to know. It was like Nora refused to believe that I actually understand what having a baby at sixteen meant, that I had no idea how much my life was going to change. What she didn’t realize was that my life already had changed, and it wasn’t the first time.

             
“What about your dad?”

             
“That’s what’s even weirder. I literally have not seen him since Friday night. It’s like he disappeared.”             

             
“Maybe Nora killed him and has him locked away somewhere at Bella Vista.” Adam suggested, wigging his eyebrows mischievously. I envisioned that happening, and knew that if anyone could find a way to get away with murder, it would probably be Nora. Hannah had to have learned her devious ways from someone, and they always say you learn from the best.

             
I grinned. “I hope not, but it seems entirely possible with the way she’s been acting.”

             
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Listen, my mom really wants to talk to you about finding a doctor, and soon.” His voice turned serious, and I felt that same jittery anxious sensation forming in my stomach.

             
“Random,” I said, looking away from him, playing with my straw instead. I wished Dr. Foster would have done some more tests or something, given me an ample excuse not to have to see anyone else for the foreseeable future. For all of its awkwardness, at least I knew Dr. Foster well enough to know he wasn’t going to do anything too terrifying to me.

             
“Not really. I told her how much you hate going to the doctor and how you won’t even take aspirin for headaches, and she wants to talk to you about making going with a midwife instead of an obstetrician.”

             
“What?” At the mention of a midwife, my mind automatically went to history class earlier in the year, when we were talking about the turn of the century, and how most women gave birth in the home, with the help of midwives. I shuddered at the thought of some random woman coming into Bella Vista and guiding me through labor, with nothing but a bucket full of warm water and a rag.

             
He shrugged. “I have no idea. That’s why I think you should talk to her about it.”

             
“Is she home now?” I knew she probably was, but hoped that she randomly had plans that particular day, so I could have time to think of an excuse not to meet with her and talk about this particular topic.

             
Adam nodded. “Yeah, she should be. Want to go after school?”

             
“No, let’s go after we eat.” I’d never skipped school, not once in my life, at any of the different schools I’d gone to before we moved here, and it wasn’t something I ever envisioned myself doing, but that seemed to be a theme in my life lately; getting myself involved in situations I never would have predicted.

             
“We still have three classes,” Adam reminded me.

             
“I don’t care if you don’t.”

             
He raised his eyebrows, but looked interested in the idea. “Rebellious Lainey. I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

             
I placed a hand over my stomach and grinned. “Comes with the territory,” I said.

             
Our lunch arrived and we ate quickly, before I could change my mind. I was nervous about the idea of skipping school and the punishment that would follow, but somehow a lecture or even detention didn’t sound that scary. Something told me I’d already survived worse, and was in for much more.

             
Needless to say, Julia was surprised to see us.

             
“Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” She asked when we walked in the front door.

             
“Yep.” Adam plopped down on the living room couch, pulling me into his lap. I wondered how much longer I’d be able to sit there without crushing him. “I told Lainey you wanted to talk about doctors and stuff, so she suggested we come now.”

             
Julia looked at me, even more surprised. “It was your idea?”

             
I nodded. “I have a 4.0 GPA and haven’t been absent since early freshmen year when I had the flu, so I don’t think there’s much they can do to me if I miss half a day.”

             
“She’s a new, rebellious version of herself,” Adam informed her.

             
Julia smiled, but still looked puzzled. “Okay, well, I don’t know that I necessarily agree with this, but since you’re here we might as well take advantage of the time. Have you put any thought into what kind of care you want to receive, and how you want to give birth?”

             
I shook my head. “Nope. It still doesn’t even feel real yet.” I traced a finger over the lower part of my stomach, but nothing felt any different than it had a month ago, or even a week ago. Maybe a little swollen-feeling, but that could easily just be me imaging that.

             
“It will once you start to show,” she smiled. “Trust me.”

             
“Adam said something about a midwife, but I’m not really sure what that means.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it meant, either, but it was worth a try. The more she told me about things, the more I didn’t have to make decisions about them.

             
Julia nodded. “I’ve been doing some research, and with your dislike of doctors and medication, I think maybe a midwife could suit you better. I’ll be right back.” She got up and left the room, returning moments later with a stack of papers.

             
“Read through these,” she advised. “It should be enough information to help you to make a decision, and when you think you know, call me and I’ll set up an appointment for you. Do you have insurance?”

             
I nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t know what it covers exactly.”

             
“That’s not a problem. Ned and I have discussed this, and we’re willing to pay for anything and everything you’re going to need.”

             
I looked up at her, shocked. “I can’t accept that,” I protested.

             
“It’s not an offer. We insist. I know that it’s expensive to run a bed and breakfast, and Ned and I are more financially capable of taking on this extra expense. I prefer neither of you to work while you’re in school, so this is our way of ensuring Adam finishes high school on a good note, and you can keep up your grades.”             

             
“That’s too generous, Julia,” I insisted. I slid off of Adam’s lap, seated in-between him and Julia. She reached over and took both of my hands.

             
“It isn’t, Lainey. I told Adam from the start that his father and I were going to help out, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. This is our grandchild, after all. Our first one.”

             
I smiled at Julia. “You’re too young to be a grandmother,” I said.

             
She grinned. “Keep telling me things like that and your baby will end up with a gold plated crib!” We all laughed.

             
“In all seriousness, though, I really would feel better if you got to a doctor soon. I understand you went to your family doctor over the weekend, but he didn’t really give you an exam, did he?”

             
I shook my head. “No, just a prescription for prenatal vitamins. He said he prefers to leave the other stuff to people who know exactly what they’re doing, but I think it was really just as awkward for him as it was for me.” I glanced at Adam, who rolled his eyes. He hadn’t been overjoyed to find out I’d gone to Scott’s father for an exam, but he knew it hadn’t been my choice, and didn’t hold it against me.