Evelyn

Chapter 18

For the past two days I haven't been sleeping. I've been worried sick waiting for the results. Every time my phone rang my stomach lurched, and every time it wasn't the doctor.

Violet tried to distract me. Shopping trips and movie nights weren't doing the trick.

Staring at my phone willing it to ring, it finally did.

Shakily I spied my finger across the screen and held it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hello Miss Evans, this is Doctor Johnson. I have your blood results here."

"Okay?"

"I'm sorry to tell you that Mr Walsh is not the father."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you so much doctor. I'll see you at my next appointment."

I didn't even hear him say goodbye. Frankie isn't the father. Thank Christ!! But that relief faded fairly quickly when I realised I would have to speak to James.

I knew I had to tell him. I didn't want my child to grow up fatherless like me. I know it wasn't my mothers fault. My father had passed away before I was born and my mother decided to raise me on her own. It must've been hard for her. She never asked for help from anyone and never dated, until I was eighteen and away at college.

Don't get me wrong. I had a wonderful childhood and felt very much loved.

History would not repeat itself. I would tell James so he could be a part of the child's life. I wasn't asking him to marry me or anything. I just wanted to give him the opportunity to know his baby.

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2:30pm and I have been sitting on his front porch for over an hour. Too afraid to knock on the door, too afraid to face him. I couldn't back out, he had to know.

I made sure that Mark wasn't home. Well, Violet made sure. She had organised a night away in New York to give me the time to face this. It's now or never.

I got up and knocked on the door quickly before I could change my mind. Seconds later I heard him make his way to answer the door and opened it.

"He---" I trailed off, distracted by his bare chest. Blushing furiously I cleared my throat, "hey." I smiled.

"Hey. Mark is away for the night."

"Oh, it's not Mark I'm after. I came to talk to you, if you're not busy?" I said as I nervously pulled at my sleeve.

He pulled his eyebrow up in confusion. "Oh, sure! Come in." He smiled and stood back so I could enter. "Just head into the sitting room, I'll be there in two secs."

He came back after pulling on a sweater and proceeded to sit down in the chair across from me.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No you didn't, I was working this morning." He looked at me inquisitively, "so--what do I owe this pleasure?"

This is it. I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "Do you remember the last time we, um, saw each other?"

"I sure do." He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Well, we might not have been that--safe."

James sat up straight in his seat. I definitely have his attention now.

"You mean--"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant." The words poured out of me. He just looked at me, I swear he didn't even blink.

"James? Did you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you." He said robotically.

"Are you..ok?" I wasn't sure what to do or where to look. His eyes were fixed on my stomach and he was nodding.