Bad Boy's Bridesmaid(30)

"Ow! Stop!"

"That's pretty deep." She made a face. "You might need stitches."

Mom padded across the kitchen and yanked on my hand. She looked at the  cut and hmphed. "Sure, she can go to the hospital … and waste her money.  Not like her Daddy gives her good health insurance at that hand-me-down  job of hers."

Lindsey stomped her foot. "Well, I can't have a bridesmaid with a giant  bandage on her hand for pictures! Or worse … an oozing, festering,  puss-filled wound! We can't Photoshop staph infections out of the  photos, Mom!"         

     



 

That did it. Now I felt woozy. I clutched the sink and swallowed, hard.  If I got sick, at least no one would blame me. I did love the free  excuses.

I pointed to Bryce. "Rick's working tonight. We'll go to the hospital. He can patch me up."

Bryce refused to look at me, blocking me out of his vision with his  raised palm. "I'll give you a lift to the ER. Just … cover that up."

Lindsey busted into gear, grabbing my purse and pushing me out the door.  She paged Rick, but when he called to ask about the emergency, she  grabbed the phone from me and hysterically screamed for help.

Rick knew better. He texted me on the sly. I one-handedly told him I was  fine, but if he wanted to meet us in the ER, I'd love to have someone  relatively competent in my corner.

We got to the hospital, but Bryce couldn't leave the air-conditioned car  for fear of a complete panic attack. I thanked him as Lindsey hauled me  inside the ER, screaming to any nurse who would listen about her  destroyed paper flower bouquets and the maid-of-honor nearly slicing a  finger off. At least she got us into a room pretty quick.

Rick found us after only a couple of minutes. He immediately ordered  Lindsey to sit down and shut up-in the way only a lifelong friend could  tame the beast. He patted the bed for me. I hopped up, and his eyebrow  arched.

"Good thing it's slow tonight." He stuck the blood pressure cuff on me  and shook his head. "Linds, are you demanding blood tributes from your  bridesmaids?"

"For your information." Lindsey pouted in the chair. "This accident is  going to cost us the whole night. I don't have enough white tissue paper  for the rest of the bouquets, and we're way behind for the wedding  preparations."

Rick wasn't listening. He looked at me. "Wow … how much blood did you  lose? Your blood pressure is low. And your heart rate is a bit … high."

Uh-oh.

I shrugged and lied. "I must just be stressed."

This was a problem I hadn't thought about. Rick charted the numbers, and  I kicked myself for being stupid enough to come to a hospital.

I had discovered I was pregnant before my missed period and confirming  test. Lindsey forced her bridesmaids to wear Fitbits, and, like a total  dork, I was the only one who liked the cool little device. At first I'd  thought the readings were wrong or the result of a busted component, but  troubleshooting forums detailed the common causes for altered vitals.

Early pregnancy raised a woman's heart rate.

Whoops.

Rick tucked his stethoscope around his neck. He checked the wound, careful to keep the bloody rag far from his pristine coat.

"Bet people don't normally bleed on your rounds," I said.

"We generally try to prevent hearts from bleeding in the cath lab. This  does look pretty nasty. We should do a couple stitches. Let me clean you  up and get you sewed together. I'll have someone write you a script for  antibiotics."

He wheeled a chair over and had a nurse help set out the supplies.  Lindsey sighed and grabbed her phone. Rick pounded on the computer to  enter my information.

"Birthday?" he asked.

My mouth dropped open. "You jerk."

"Kidding." He winked. "August … ?"

"Don't make me wipe blood on you."

"Thirteenth. On any meds?"

"Nope." I flinched. "Well, a vitamin."

"One-a-day?"

Sure. That was close enough. The pre-natal vitamins were taken once a day. I nodded.

"I'll whoop your butt if you're taking drugs. Alcohol?"

"I wish."

He chuckled. "Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant?"

He meant it as a joke, but I stiffened. The world faded in that instant,  and I stared at my best friend. He probably deserved to hear the truth  regardless of his medical degree or willingness to stitch me up.

But Lindsey was right behind me. The lights got too bright, and the blood and panic and truth twisted in my stomach.

I couldn't lie.

Not this time.

Lindsey couldn't see my lips moving from where she sat. I shook my head no.

But I mouthed the words I hadn't admitted to anyone yet.

"Yes."

Rick didn't scream, throw a fit, or Hulk-smash and rip off his scrubs to  murder Nate. His eyebrow twitched, but he nodded to Lindsey.

"Hey, Linds. Go get my idiot brother. Tell him to buy me a sandwich from the cafeteria. I haven't eaten all day."

Lindsey was already texting Bryce. She didn't watch where she was going and nearly bashed into me. She waved a hand.

"I'm making him take me to the craft store for more tissue paper. We'll  bring you a sandwich when we pick up the walking wounded over here."         

     



 

I didn't answer, and I don't think Lindsey was listening. Rick closed the door behind her.

God, I hated that ominous click almost as much as I loathed the buzzing  florescent lights. It was the first time I was with a doctor and a  friend for this discussion, but it didn't make it any easier.

Rick sat. He pulled off his pager and set it on the counter.

"You're pregnant?" His voice weakened, defeated and shocked.

Just how Nate would probably sound.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Who … " He answered that question easily. His jaw clenched. "Son of a … how far along are you?"

"About … eleven weeks."

"Eleven weeks?"

The entire ER heard. I shushed him.

"How could you … you've known for two months and didn't tell anyone? Does Nate know?"

It sounded crazier when he said it aloud.

"No."

"Why?"

I pointed at the door. "Lindsey's wedding? My parents' divorce? It wasn't the time to tell them."

"I know they're fucking self-absorbed, but Jesus, even they'll notice you popping out a baby."

At least the blood pressure cuff came off. I'd have popped the glass on that sucker.

I took a breath to calm myself, but that didn't seem possible. Having a  male best friend wasn't always easy. He never tried to listen or  understand. Rick always wanted to fix things.

Well, this was one thing he couldn't fix.

"My family doesn't need any more drama," I said. "I was going to tell  them after the wedding … once I hit the second trimester and the pregnancy  wasn't as risky. Then Lindsey would be normal again, Mom wouldn't be  worried about the party, and they wouldn't stroke out when they heard  the news."

Rick crossed his arms. "And Nate?"

" … He doesn't know yet."

"When are you going to tell him?"

"I already tried. A couple weeks ago. But then he told me about this  brewery he wanted to open in California. He was already scheduling  visits to the property. I panicked. I didn't want to take that dream  away from him. So I waited, and I hoped I'd find a better moment to tell  him."

"You haven't."

"The timing's always off."

"How can it be off? The timing is always right for something this big."

"After the wedding. When we can actually sit down and talk and figure  things out without worrying about dress fittings and dances and  caterers."

"You're making excuses."

"I'm thinking objectively."

"No, you're hiding it. Please, tell me you've been to a doctor."

"Of course I have-"

"Then why? Why haven't you told anyone?"

"Because I'm terrified!"

I said it too loud and covered my mouth with my hands. I blinked away  tears and cradled my belly instead, something I hadn't really done, a  simple comfort I couldn't believe I denied myself.

"I'm scared, Rick." My voice wavered. The rest of my body trembled too.  "I'm really scared. I don't know what Nate is going to say. I don't know  how my family is going to react. I don't know what will happen because  I … I want the baby. It's scary, and I have no clue what I'm doing, but  it's like … me and the baby are in it together. I have this little buddy  who is keeping me calm because I know I can't get upset and risk hurting  her. Or him. I have to be strong, and I'm doing the best I can."

Rick rubbed his face. He took my good hand and nodded.

"Okay. I understand. It's only three weeks until the wedding. You really want to keep it quiet until then?"

"Yes."

"All right. We will." He shook his head. "But Nate can handle it. He should hear it."

"I know." I nibbled on my lip. "I don't want to keep it from him  anymore. We've been getting … closer. Very close. I feel like there's  something between us-and don't say I'm imagining it, and don't say it's  because I'm pregnant and want there to be a spark. It's real." I lowered  my gaze. "I'm afraid I'll screw it up if I tell him about the baby."