Free Taming Damian by Jessica Wood Page B

over a week since I found out and I’m still in a bit of a shock. One moment, I’m totally fine and am thinking about things positively, but then the next moment, I’m breaking down in tears and can’t seem to believe it’s true.” I sucked in a deep audible breath as I held back the tears.
    “Oh, Alex. Look at me.” He leaned across the table toward me and held my gaze. I saw the sincerity and compassion in his eyes and felt a new wave of emotion wash over me. “Believe me when I say this. You will get through this. You are one of the strongest people I know. Plus, you have me.”
    I looked at him and gave a half smile. “Thanks.”
    We ate in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.
    “So…” He shifted in his seat as he looked down at his food.
    “What?”
    “So are you sure you’ve made up your mind about what you’re planning on doing?” He finally looked up at me, his eyes full of worry.
    “Yes!” I exclaimed with more confidence than I felt. “I’m definitely keeping the baby.” I looked down toward my hands as they automatically circled my stomach.
    “Are you sure?” There was fear in his voice as his gaze moved to my hands.
    “Didn’t I just say yes?” I was starting to feel annoyed by his obvious disapproval.
    “Even though…” His voice trailed off, unable to finish the rest of his words.
    “Yes. You don’t have to worry… I’ll be okay.”
    There was an awkward pause between us, and for a moment, I wondered if seeing Chris again was a good idea.
    “Have you been eating well?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
    I shook my head and looked down at my picked-over food. “Not really.” 
    “Alex, I’m worried about you. If you want to keep this baby, you need to take better care of yourself.”
    “I know that in my head, but…but my body won’t keep any food down.”
    “Morning sickness?”
    “No, that hasn’t been too bad yet. No, I’m sick to my stomach with worry.”
    He reached for my hands from across the table and squeezed them. “I’m here for you. Just tell me what you need. It can be anything and I’ll do it.”
    I looked at his hands on mine and tears started to fall down my face. I looked up at him. “Can you tell Damian?”
    Chris looked at me sympathetically. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
    I pulled my hands from under his grasp and dropped them to my side. “You’re right. I know.” I felt my body slump deeper into my seat.
    “When are you planning on telling him?”
    The thought of Damian caused panic to spread through me, leaving me gasping for air. “I don’t know… I know I have to soon. I thought maybe after this weekend. I still need some time to get mentally ready.”
    “Okay.” He sounded unconvinced.
    I buried my face in my hands and began to sob quietly. “Chris, what do you think I should do?” I sounded as desperate as I felt as I looked up at Chris, irrationally hoping he had an idea that I was blind to.
    “Tell him—”
    I opened my mouth to protest, but he stopped me.
    “— sooner rather than later. He’s going to find out eventually, so why not tell him now? That way he’ll have time to digest what this all means.”
    “I’m not ready yet,” I shot back stubbornly as I wiped a tear from my cheek.
    “Alex, Damian deserves to know. If you’re keeping this baby, then he’s going to be a father soon. He needs to know that.”
    The weight of his words felt like a splash of cold water on my face. This was the first time I’d heard the words “Damian” and “father” together. And somehow hearing it now out loud made it more real, and I felt the full urgency of the situation hit me all at once. I knew Chris was right—I needed to tell Damian soon. As much as I hopelessly wanted to hold on to our fairytale relationship and carefree love, I knew it was time for me to face reality.
    “You’re right,” I said solemnly. “Tomorrow’s Friday and we have dinner plans, so I’ll tell him