The Free Pass

Chapter 8

Mallory

I'd left Toronto with the agreement that I'd move in with Shawn after I graduated.

It made the most sense, although it helped that I loved the city. What helped even more was that I adored his family. I'd seen them several times over my week there, and each time I grew more sure that I wanted them close by while Shawn and I raised our baby. I felt some guilt about my own parents, but my dad had done some serious damage to our relationship with how he'd handled my pregnancy.

Another factor in my decision to move to Toronto was how I felt about Shawn. I had it bad for the father of my unborn child. I found myself thinking about him the way I'd thought about my first crush in 7th grade. I imagined us happy and in love. It was just a fantasy, but now that we'd started a physical relationship, I hoped it could become a reality.

The timing of the move was going to be tricky. I was due June 14th. Less than three weeks prior, I was graduating. That meant, barring an early delivery, I had to move to Toronto between graduation and my due date. I'd read online that flying would be out at that stage of pregnancy. I couldn't drive myself that far when I was about to pop, and I couldn't sit in the car that long as a passenger. Shawn would have to drive me and we'd have to stop overnight. Thankfully I had months before it would happen.

Shawn visited in late January for my big mid-point ultrasound appointment. He'd come earlier in January for my regular appointment, but had flown in and out of Charlottesville on the same day. We had no time alone together, which stunk.

This time he arrived the night before the appointment, and I stayed at the hotel with him, telling my roommates I was crashing at a friend's place after working on a project. Our relationship and my pregnancy were still a secret.

It was the same hotel he'd stayed in last year when we met, which was kind of strange. He didn't seem phased by it, though.

When I got to his room, he'd greeted me with a kiss. He then pulled up my hoodie to inspect my belly.

"The baby's growing," he said with a smile.

"Yep. I think people are going to start suspecting very soon. As it warms up, I won't be able to hide my belly under oversized hoodies anymore."

He led me over to the couch in his suite and pulled me into his lap. "I actually met with Andrew about that this week."

"About my growing bump?"

"About word getting out."

"And what does your savvy manager think?"

Shawn kissed my nose. "He thinks we should come out as a couple and announce the pregnancy soon after that."

I looked at him. "Are we a couple?"

He gave me a confused look. "Aren't we?"

I rested my head against his chest while I thought about it. Were we? We'd never said. We'd never managed to get to that. I had no idea what he did when I wasn't around and if he was committed to me.

"Are you seeing anyone else?" I asked.

"No."

I knew I shouldn't ask, but I had to. "When was the last time you were with another girl?"

He gently pushed me off his chest so that I was looking at him. "I haven't been with anyone since we first had sex in Toronto," he said.

"You didn't answer my question. When did you last hook up with someone else?" I asked.

"December. Between Thanksgiving and when I saw you."

It's not like I was surprised, but it still hurt. It would have been nice if after Thanksgiving he'd given all that up. We weren't together, but I was having his baby.