The word hit me like a slap, and I froze. “No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “That’s not possible.”
“Really?” Sarah arched an eyebrow, her tone sharp. “With Caleb? And Logan?” She softened slightly at my horrified expression. “I’m not saying it is, but we have to rule it out. You need to know.”
I stared at her, my chest tightening. “I can’t.”
Sarah grabbed her bag, pulling out a box she’d clearly been holding onto. A pregnancy test. “Yes, you can,” she said, thrusting it into my hands. “And you will. Now.”
***
The box sat on my nightstand like it was mocking me, the bright, sterile lettering a cruel contrast to the storm inside me. I hadn’t moved for minutes, my hands gripping my knees as I stared at it. My breath came in shallow gasps, the silence of the room pressing down like a weight.
“Okay,” I whispered to myself, my voice shaky. “Just do it.”
I reached for the box, my fingers trembling as I tore it open. The instructions slipped out, and I grabbed them, scanning the tiny print through blurry eyes. My hands fumbled with the test itself, plastic and fragile in my grip. It felt surreal, like this was happening to someone else, not me.
The bathroom was too bright, the harsh light exposing every tear-streaked line on my face as I stood there, staring at the test. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped it, but somehow, I managed.
When I was done, I set the test on the counter, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might break through my chest. The timer on my phone ticked down the longest three minutes of my life.
I paced the bathroom, my thoughts racing faster than I could keep up.
Am I really here? Is this who I’ve become?
The memories flooded back, unbidden and unrelenting: Caleb’s hands gripping my waist in the backseat of his car, his breath hot against my neck. Logan’s mouth on mine, the way he whispered my name like it meant everything.
My stomach churned, and I gripped the edge of the sink. What kind of person does this? Am I... am I a whore?
The thought made me flinch, tears stinging my eyes. I hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. I didn’t plan to fall into Caleb’s reckless charm or get pulled back into Logan’s orbit. But now, it didn’t matter. I had made choices—choices that led to this moment.
My reflection in the mirror was pale, unrecognizable. I looked like someone who had lost everything.
“Who’s the father?” The question slipped out in a whisper, the words as heavy as bricks. Caleb, with his wild, impulsive ways? Or Logan, with his raw, aching intensity?
The timer buzzed.
I froze. My breath hitched as I turned toward the test, the tiny window staring back at me like it held my entire future.
I stepped forward, my legs unsteady, and picked it up.
Two lines.