Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Thank God all they had to do was draw my blood to confirm what we already knew. We both sat there, lost in the turmoil of a future we hadn’t predicted. Not for one second.
When there was a loud knock on the door, I jumped out of my skin, completely unprepared for what happened next. Moments later, Dr. Taylor stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
“Hello,” she greeted, looking at my chart in her hands. “I’m Dr. Taylor.” She glanced up. “You must be Elizabeth?”
“Yes.”
She smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
I pointed at Ethan. “That’s Ethan. He’s, ummm… my best friend.”
His stare locked with mine.
“How nice of him to come here with you. I don’t get to see a lot of that.” She paused, looking at my chart one last time before she added, “Well then, my nurse caught me up on everything, and I have your blood results for your pregnancy test in my hand.”
I nodded, feeling as if I would pass the hell out.
“Would you like me to confirm your results?”
“Your blood shows that you’re…”
This was the moment of truth.
Three.
Two.
One.
“Not pregnant.”
“What?” I exclaimed, caught off guard. “The pregnancy test I took said I was.”
“Sometimes false positives can happen, but blood doesn’t lie. You’re not pregnant, Elizabeth.”
The immediate relief was like a shot of adrenaline through my veins.
“I see in your chart that you’re on the pill, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, great. I don’t think I need to tell you how important it is to make sure you’re taking it on time and not skipping days? Especially if you’re sexually active.”
“Yes, of course. I am.”
“That’s great to hear.” She stood. “We also have other forms of contraceptives, but if you’d prefer to stay on the pill, it doesn’t hurt to use a condom as well.”
“Right, that’s probably smart.”
“You’re still very young, and until you’re ready to have a baby, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Yes, Dr. Taylor. Thank you for the advice.”
“No problem. Are there any other questions you have for me?”
“No, I’m good, thank you.”
“It was nice meeting you, Elizabeth.” She glanced back and forth between us. “You two take care.”
I wish I could tell you that this instantly fixed everything between us, but I’d be lying. Neither one of us spoke on the drive back to my house. After Ethan stopped his truck at the end of my driveway, I knew he wasn’t coming inside, and I didn’t know why I expected him to.
Especially with everything we just went through.
Stating the obvious, I uttered, “I leave next week.”
He nodded, staring out in front of him.
“Are we okay?”
He eyed me. “Of course.”
The sudden silence was deafening.
I had no clue what to say or even how to say it. Where to begin, how to end. Although, the relief was there for not being pregnant. A whole other emotion showed up and that was terror of us not being able to get back to where we were prior to having sex.
I didn’t want to lose him.
I couldn’t.
I wouldn’t survive it.
As if reading my mind, he asked, “Do you want me to help you pack?”
“Yeah, if you want to.”
He faintly smiled, parking his truck in my driveway.
We spent the next few hours packing up my room until my mom walked in.
“Aw,” she professed with her hand over her heart. “This might be the last time you’re in this room together for a while.”
Ethan greeted, “Hello, Mrs. Collins.”
“Aren’t you sweet to help Elizabeth pack. She’s going to miss you so much.”
“Mom…”
“I know, I know. You don’t want me to fuss, but as your mother, I’m allowed to feel emotional right now. My baby girl is moving away for college. I’m so beyond proud of you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not sad you’re leaving.”
“You can blame your husband for that,” I stated, not holding back.
She gave me a sympathetic smile, sitting on the edge of my bed while I sat on the floor packing my bookshelves with Ethan beside me.
“Sweetheart, I know it feels that way, but we just want what’s best for you.”
“By taking me away from everything I know?”
“This is the perfect time for you to explore your independence. You two have been inseparable for as long as I can remember. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. It feels like you two were running around the house playing hide-and-go-seek just yesterday.” She paused, allowing her words to sink in.
“I know you’re upset with your father, but trust me when I say he’s going to miss you like crazy. We both are. Except we know this is what you two need. You two will always be best friends. Distance isn’t going to change that. Plus, you’ll be visiting often, and I’m sure Ethan will be visiting you too. It’s a great opportunity for you two to appreciate how important you are to each other.”