AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod.
“Is she pregnant?”
I shake my head slowly. “I don’t think so. I’m not sure.”
“So talk to her. If she’s appalled, you only have Dad to deal with, and she can walk away. But I have a feeling…”
“Who has a feeling?” comes a booming, jovial voice just outside the classroom.
“Dad!” Ishmael yells.
“We were just coming to see you.”
“I should hope. Because it’s…” He looks at his gold wristwatch, studded with precious jewels. “Twenty minutes after you said you’d be here.”
Time flies when you’re questioning everything about your life.
20
ELLIE
Cedrick walks into the kitchen adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. He looks so sharp in the suit, my teacup almost misses my lips looking at him.
“You’re leaving?” I ask after a sip. “I thought we’d spend the day together.”
“Morning to you, too. How are you?”
“Wonderful! Thank you.” I flash him a bright smile.
“I wish we could spend the day together. But the work of a prince is never done. I have a few more meetings with Ishmael and the palace staff about some family land, nothing big. You're sure you’ll be fine? Any plans for today?”
Hmm. Let's see. Worrying about this no-show pregnancy and stressing over how I feel about you.
I nod, quickly grasping for an actual answer. “Liza asked me to help her with something this week. I need to check my calendar to confirm.”
“Oh, good. So you won't be bored without me.” He grabs a piece of toast from the table and starts to leave, blowing me a kiss.
“True. I don’t know how I managed before I met you.” I blow him a kiss back, and he catches it.
I sink deeper into the chair and stare down at my empty belly, trying to will a baby to materialize so that it could occupy my thoughts instead of Cedrick.
I hear his car start and pull out of the long driveway. “See you later,” I whisper.
Liza confirms our plans to plan for the autism fundraiser, and I’m glad I remembered correctly. I can’t blame pregnancy brain yet. And it’ll distract me from my uncertain feelings about Cedrick, and maybe I can ask Liza for some advice.
“I saw him the other day at the palace,” she tells me. I immediately want to ask if he talked about me, but I don’t want to risk finding out he didn’t.
“How did he seem?”
“A little stressed? But good.”
Stressed because of me? I vow not to ask her more questions, although I’m dying to follow up. No, Ellie. You’re already making yourself crazy.
In the days leading up to the school event with Liza, I actually run into Cedrick at the palace more times than I see him at home. I feel like I just saw my crush in the hallway, and I want to hide in a locker.
“I thought I recognized that head of hair,” I say when I nearly crash into him in one of the large halls.
He has a phone plastered to his ear but turns around and holds a finger up at me. I desperately want to run my hands through his locks.
