Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele

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Tomorrow is still a day away, however, and I doubt I'll see Jude before then. We both have busy days ahead of us. Looking over at the pile of work waiting for me, I sigh, wishing I had taken him up on his Invitation for coffee. My stomach starts to grumble at the thought of coffee and a large pastry. I've been so busy that I forgot to eat. Again.

So I make a small brunch of eggs and toast. I don't reel like making a whole pot of coffee, so I pour myself a glass of orange juice before I sit down to start working again.

I'm about two bites in before I need to rush to the toilet.

Everything I just ate, along with everything still in my stomach from the night before comes out in a rush. I've never felt so sick before in my life. Even after throwing up, there is a pervasive feeling of nausea that lasts the rest of the morning. Just the smell of coffee is enough to make me swallow down bile.

Later in the day, I try again to eat a banana. I don't even finish the first bite before I spit it out and throw the rest banana away.

Pull out my calendar and take a look at my schedule. Maybe something's wrong with me. I might need to

go see a doctor and...

Oh no.

There is a red circle on my calendar from the first day of my last period.

That was over 6 weeks ago. Doing a little quick math in my head I realize that I am two weeks late. This means I was ovulating around the time that Atlas and I

Impossible. It was only the one time.

Putting my running shoes back on, I grab my purse and rush out of the apartment. The closest store that might sell a pregnancy test is the pharmacy up the street. It takes me a few moments, but I find exactly what I'm looking for in the aisle next to the condoms. "Too late for that," I mumble under my breath.

"Too late for what?" a cheerful voice says from just over my shoulder.

Turning around quickly I hid the box behind my back and pretended I was looking at something else entirely as Jude crosses the aisle to greet me. "Oh nothing, I was just thinking about something from earlier today."

He raises an eyebrow. I don't think he believes me.

I look around for something to hide my purchase and to give me an excuse to be here in the first place. To the right of me is a whole shelf of cheap romance novels. That will have to do. Grabbing a large one, I hide the test inside.

Praying that my blush isn't obvious as I giggle nervously I raise the book above my head. "I needed a break and wanted a new book, so I came over here and thought I'd try something different."

"Oh," he looks at the title. Blinks twice, and then responds, "I've heard that one is pretty good."

lacter: 10.

I take a

ment to look up at the book. On the cover is a picture of a woman wearing a dress with a torn bodice locked in a romantic embrace with a handsome centaur. The title implies something regarding the size of his anatomy and I feel myself burning in embarrassment. "Oh, this, well it's not for me, it's...um...for my friend."

"Uh-huh," he nods knowingly. "Well, I hope you have a good afternoon," he winks as he walks out the door.

Oh gods! Now he's going to think I'm into animal porn.

Somehow I make it back to the studio without dying of mortification. Shutting myself in the bathroom, I take the test.

Maybe it's just food poisoning.

As I sit there, I hear that familiar ringtone again. Twice in one day. That's unusual.

Picking up my phone there is a picture of my neighbor and I running. Underneath the image is a single line

of text.

"Don't trust him."

"Huh?" I look at the photo shaking my head. There is nothing about this photo that makes me think I have anything to worry about. Besides, Jude is the nicest person I've encountered in a long time.

I'm sure my anonymous sender is confused. Jude is harmless. I've never met a kinder, more generous human being.

I'm about to respond to my anonymous friend when the alarm on my phone goes off.

My eyes blur as I realize the truth, even before I look down and see two pink lines.

Positive.

A tear falls onto the stick as I watch all my hopes and dreams shatter and reform into something different. Something involving a very small person who will depend on me to be my very best self. "Damn it, Atlas," I swear under my breath as I sit alone and cry.

I'm pregnant.