Free Forever Bonded (BWWM Pregnancy Romance) by Cleo Jones

apartment, taking a seat on her sofa as she
responded to a text from Caleb.

 
    Zoë
excused herself and entered her bathroom, locking the door behind her. With her
eyes steadied on her reflection, she shook the contents of the pharmacy bag
into the sink and tensed when two pregnancy tests came spilling out. She
couldn’t do this. Not alone, anyway.

 
    “What’s
going on?” Aniyah questioned when Zoë tore into the living room, frowning at
the crazed expression on her face. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”

 
    “I might,”
Zoë admitted, struggling to catch her breath. “I just…I need you to come with
me.”

 
      “Come with you where?”

 
      “The bathroom,” Zoë said as though it
was common sense, motioning for her to follow.

 
    Aniyah
hesitated as she watched Zoë disappear down the hall, but her curiosity got the
better of her and she was quick to follow.   “I knew your ass was sick,” she said as she entered the
bathroom and took a seat on the edge of the bathtub. “If I’m not in perfect
health when I walk down that aisle, I’m blaming you.”

 
    Zoë
sighed and turned to look at Aniyah for the first time since she’d entered the
bathroom. “You will be,” she said, picking up a pregnancy test and tossing it
over to her. “Last I checked, pregnancy isn’t contagious.”

 
    Aniyah
gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth. “But how can you know for sure?”
she questioned after taking a moment to adjust to the idea. “I mean…there are
plenty of reasons a period can come late. Do you know how many pregnancy scares
Caleb and I have had that ended up being nothing?”

 
    “Thus
the test,” Zoë clarified, nodding at it.

 
    Aniyah
nodded and glanced down at the instructions. “Well you know what you need to do
next,” she said, handing the box back to Zoë. “Pull down them pants and get to
peeing. There’s no sense in holding off the inevitable.”

 
    Zoë
hesitated before rummaging through her medicine cabinet for a cup. Once she was
ready to do the deed, Aniyah stepped out into the hall and waited on the other
side of the door for further confirmation.

 
    “I
bought two tests,” Zoë called out to her when she was done peeing. “Do you
think I should take the other one too?”

 
      “Duh,” Aniyah replied, stating the
obvious.

 
    Zoë
sighed and reached for the second box.

 
      “I think it’s been long enough,” Aniyah
called out after a full minute had passed without Zoë saying anything. She
reentered the bathroom to find her sitting on the lid of the toilet with her
head in her hands.

 
      “I know,” Zoë said. “I just…I can’t
bring myself to look.”

 
    Aniyah took
that as an invitation and snatched up both tests before Zoë could stop her.
When she didn’t anything, Zoë looked up at her and tensed when she caught sight
of the lackluster expression on her face. “Shit,” she muttered, rubbing her
temples.

 
    Aniyah
set the tests back down and rubbed Zoë’s back in an attempt at comforting her.
“Let me guess,” she said, giving her friend a serious look. “It’s Nate’s?”

 
    Zoë’s
silence spoke for itself.

 
    “What
are you going to do?” Aniyah questioned.

 
    Zoë
knew Aniyah was referring to Audrey and the very delicate condition she was in
as well, but she didn’t bother commenting on it. She was already well aware of
what a ratchet situation she’d gotten herself into. The very last thing she
needed right now was a lecture. “I don’t know,” she said instead. “I haven’t
thought that far ahead yet.”

 
      “I figured,” Aniyah said. “I just don’t
want you thinking you don’t have any other options but to go through with this.
We live in a post-Roe v. Wade world. Besides, every woman’s entitled to one
good fuck up.”

 
    Zoë
gave her friend a disapproving look. “You know how I feel about that,” she
reminded her. “I’d never judge