Free The Moment We Began (A Fairhope New Adult Romance) by Sarra Cannon

that tiny
flicker, unable to take our eyes off of it.
    “Holy shit, Penny,” he says. “You’re
going to be a mommy.”
    I sniff and wipe the tears from my face. I can
hardly believe this moment is real.
    “From the measurements, I would say you’re
right at around five and a half weeks pregnant,” Dr. Mallory
says. He pulls out a little paper chart, moves a few things around
and then nods. “That puts your due date in early April.”
    Five and a half weeks. I try to think backwards to
when this happened. I’ve been on birth control pills for the
past couple of years, but I’ve gotten careless about taking
them. I tried setting alarms on my phone as a reminder, but in the
past few months, I sometimes missed days at a time. I guess I never
thought that much about it, because Mason almost always used condoms,
too.
    I thought between the two things, we were being
safe enough.
    But somewhere along the way, a forgotten pill and
a moment of passion came together at just the wrong—or
right—time.
    Staring at that flickering heartbeat, I know that
my life will never be the same again.

Chapter Seventeen
    My parents bring me home just after sunrise.
    I know they have a lot more they want to say to
me, but for now, everyone is just too tired and too drained.
    We separate to our own suites, but instead of
going back to his apartment, Preston comes with me to my room. I’m
so grateful he’s here for me. Without his support, I might have
already lost my mind.
    “Can I get you anything?” he asks. “Or
if you want to get some rest, I can sleep on the couch out here for a
while.”
    I reach inside my bag and pull out the bottle of
prenatal vitamins the doctor gave me. “Would you mind getting
me a glass of water?”
    When he disappears to grab some water from the
kitchen, I search for my cell phone. I dial Mason’s number. I
have no idea what I am going to say to him, but we really need to
talk. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I know
we’re okay. What am I going to do if he hates me?
    The phone rings a couple of times. My heart skips
a beat when someone picks up, but then I realize it’s just
voicemail.
    “It’s me,” I say. I hardly
recognize my own voice. There’s a weariness inside the sound
that goes deeper than just being tired. “I don’t even
know how to begin to apologize for last night. I really need to talk
to you. Please, call me.”
    I hang up and toss the phone on the table beside
the couch. I sit down and pull my favorite fuzzy blanket over my
legs. I’m not really cold, but having something to wrap myself
inside feels good. Like a cocoon. I wonder if I sit here long enough
if I’ll somehow emerge a better person. Someone who doesn’t
make such stupid decisions over and over.
    I pull my knees up tight against my chest and wrap
the blanket tighter.
    When Preston comes back with the water, he opens
the bottle of prenatals and brings a couple over to me. I take them,
finishing off the entire glass of water in one gulp.
    “Thanks.”
    “Anything you need, sis. I mean it.”
    I feel the tears starting again. It’s a
feeling that starts deep in my belly. A tightening that spreads
upward. I take a deep breath, but I’m too tense and tired. My
chest is too tight.
    “Do you want to talk about it?” he
asks. He sits down against the opposite corner of the couch.
    “I think I’m still in shock,” I
say. I run a shaky hand through my hair. It feels so dirty and heavy.
I desperately need a shower, but I don’t want to move from this
spot. “I don’t know whether I’m happy or upset or
just really, really scared.”
    “I think that’s probably pretty normal
in this kind of situation,” he says. He looks away, his lips
pressed together and his forehead wrinkled up. “Penny, I don’t
want to say anything that’s going to upset you, but—”
    “It’s okay,” I say. I can tell
from the struggle going on on his face that he wants to ask the tough
questions. “I think I already