Every Bittersweet Step

Chapter 11

****Sydney's POV****

My hands shook as I held up the first test. My stomach was in full blown butterfly tornado. My body broke out into goosebumps, cold sweat, and my heart was racing so hard I could hear it in my ears. I fought myself not to throw up. Tears pricked my eyes. I was a mess. I was a complete and total mess and not the mess. I felt Steve gently hold both sides of my head as he looked at me. I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want him to know this. But a huge part of me is glad he is...

"Sydney, Sydney! Look at me, baby..." he said softly.

I struggled to lock eyes with him for once. I could faintly hear Lucy screaming in the background and running in circles.

"You're not pregnant, Syd. You're not pregnant, baby. You can relax. It's okay." Steve said softly, pulling me to his chest and wrapping his arms around me.

I couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't stop sobbing. I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed against his chest. Typically in my mind I'd be climbing him like a tree. But right now... I need a huge, monumental weight of biblical proportions taken off my shoulders. I could feel Steve kissing the top of my head and I learned. I learned to be more cautious... To be better prepared. To be smarter about my choices... When I finally managed to stop crying we looked at the other two little pee sticks on the counter to find all of them negative.

"If I'm not pregnant... Why was I throwing up? Where is my period?" I asked.

"Well... You've been stressed about Billy lately..." Lu said, not realizing what she had said.

Steve looked at me, "Stressed about Billy? Why? Has he done something?"

"No," I said, "I warned him this could be a possibility and he... Took it about as well as I expected."

"But.... My point being...," Lu hummed, "Sometimes stress can push your period back. And as for throwing up, Syd, you had a bad breakfast. Everything after that was your body in shock."

I nodded, "I mean it makes sense. But... I'm-"

"Condoms." Steve chuckled, "I can umm get those."

Lu gagged, "Steve please!"

"Well not right now!" He yelled.

I reached up and grabbed his jaw, pulling him forward to kiss him sweetly, "Not now... But down the line."

"Down the line." He grinned, "Are you feeling a bit better?"

I nodded, "Now we have to ditch the evidence..."

"Leave it to me." Steve said as he began to throw everything into a bag, "I'll take the trash to the curb and bury it under kitchen trash. No one will find it."

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Anything for you."

"Don't put ideas in my head." I smiled.

"Ew please. Not in front of me." Lucy gagged.

"NOW YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS!" Steve yelled as he threw a decorative hand towel at her.

Lucy ran, "DON'T THROW YOUR CUM RAGS AT ME YOU WANK MONSTER!"

I smiled, "Lu told me what happens here..."

"Oh... Um well... It's private-"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me... But maybe one day... When I'm not coming down from one of the worst panic attacks of my life... I'll join you here." I winked.

Steve swallowed hard and smiled, "Maybe?"

"Maybe." I confirmed as I walked out and followed Lu to her room.