Page 11 of Accidentally in Love

There was a beat of pause.

“Now?”

“Now, Nolan. It’s really important,” I cried.

“Avs, are you okay?” he asked. I heard the worry in his voice.

Nolan hated when women cried. I think it was why we became friends. We met after a man left me with the check at the brewery and I cried into my beer over another unsuccessful date. Nolan had the bartender send me another beer on the house, and that’s how this whole affair started. I knew one day it would end. I just didn’t think it would be because I got pregnant.

I sighed. “No.”

“Avs, what’s wrong?”

“It’s… can you just come over?”

“Okay…” He sounded unsure, but I couldn’t tell him I was pregnant with his baby over the phone. “Are you gonna explain why you’ve been avoiding me?”

I cringed. I hoped he hadn’t noticed. Nolan wasn’t a clingy guy, but I guess it was obvious when I’d been leaving his texts unanswered and avoiding the brewery at all costs.

“Yes, but I can’t do it over the phone.”

“Okay. I’ll be over in a bit,” he said in a whisper and then hung up.

I laid back on my bed and tried to think about the best way to tell him. How was I supposed to tell a man who never wanted to be tied down that I was about to complicate his life? That we would be inexplicably connected for the rest of our lives?

I jolted at a loud knock on my door. I hadn’t realized how long I had been lying in my bed trying to figure out my next move. The brewery was a short walk to my apartment, so it didn’t take Nolan that long to get here.

I got out of bed and walked down the steps to my front door. When I opened the door to find Nolan furrowing his brow in concern, I burst into tears.

He wrapped his arms around me and held me to his big, burly chest. “Hey, hey, what’s going on?”

I felt the tears falling down my face again, and I tried to shake them away. Okay, this might be pregnancy hormones. I had never been this weepy before.

“You’re gonna hate me,” I cried and clung to his flannel jacket.

He tipped my chin up to look at him. “Let’s go inside so you can tell me what’s wrong.”

I wiped my tears away but felt queasy. I wasn’t sure if that was the pregnancy or my nerves. Maybe a little of both.

I pulled away from Nolan and walked back up the stairs. His loud footsteps followed behind me. I walked into my bedroom at the back of the apartment and sat on my bed in defeat. Nolan toed off his shoes and sat on the bed next to me.

“Tell me,” he urged.

“I’m pregnant,” I sobbed.

He was silent beside me, but he didn’t storm out or call me a liar, so that had to be a good sign. I couldn’t look at him, though. I couldn’t bear to see the look of disappointment on his face.

“Are you sure?” he asked after what felt like a full minute passed.

I nodded. “It’s why I’ve been avoiding you. I took three tests tonight.”

“Oh. Oh, Avs.”

My vision swam from the tears that I couldn’t stop coming. I looked over at him, and he didn’t look mad, but his brow was still furrowed.

“You’re not mad?”

He looked taken aback at my question. He cupped my face in his hands and wiped my tears away. “Avery, no. You should be mad at me.”