You never were pregnant though, Kennedy.
I tore through the wrapping.
I wish you ended up having one. It would’ve been nice to have a little person here on this earth that reminded me of you.
I looked in the mirror. Tears spilled out my eyes. I had no idea, why I was crying again. I wiped them away and tore open the next test.
Fuck it. I’ll use the third one too.
I took that one out and started the process quick. I barely had to pee. It took a minute to force something out. But I did, making sure to hit each stick.
I can’t believe I’m doing this now.
I thought about Kazimir, knowing that he would’ve wanted to be here.
Don’t worry, baby. Don’t worry. . .
I had a few minutes, before the results. I hoped the guard would give me the time. There was no way for me to escape.
Come on. What is it? Fuck. Am I ready? It doesn’t matter. It is, what it is. If I can deal with this kidnapping, I can be. . .
Scared to say the word, I paced in the bathroom, as the sticks rested on the edge of the sink. I didn’t know how much time I would have before someone would come into the bathroom to check on me.
Come on. Come on.
To give myself something to do, I put the toilet cover down, sat on it, picked up the box, and read it.
Two lines. Pregnant. One line. Not. Simple. No problem.
One line or two. It was just that two lines meant the changing of my entire world. And one line kept everything the same.
Time must be up.
I picked up the first stick.
Two lines.
I began hyperventilating.
I’m pregnant.
I picked up the second stick.
One line. What?
I held them both in my hands and looked back at each on.
What the fuck does that mean? Pregnant or not. Come one. Not today.
I picked up the third one.
Nothing. No lines. This is some bullshit.
I considered all three sticks.
Can you get a false positive?
Tears fell from my eyes.
Just one fucking thing. And I couldn’t even get that. And now I’m fucking crying again. Stop it.
I put the sticks in the trash can.
Fuck this. I’m getting out of here. I’m going back to my baby. I’m hungry. I’m tired. I’m pregnant, or not, and I’m tired of fucking French people!
Rising, I opened the door.
Jean-Pierre stood right in front of the doorway. “Are you okay?”
I glanced behind him and counted two guards. “Yes.”
“Do you need a doctor?”
I blinked. “N-no.”
You know what? You’re not a bad guy. I’m going to try to get out of here without killing you.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Are you sure? You haven’t eaten. You’ve been fighting and killing men all day. Perhaps, you want to check on. . .things.”
“I’m not pregnant.”
“Of course not. That’s why you look like you’ve been hit repeatedly in the jaw by hard truth.”
“No.” I gritted my teeth. “My usual upbeat expression is gone, because I’ve been kidnapped.”
“We’ve treated you fairly.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Really?” He leaned his head to the side. “Do you roll your eyes at the Lion?”
None of your business.
I glared at him.
“Good. I hope you aggravate the shit, out of Kazimir. Does he have as much trouble with holding on to you, like I do?”
Enough with this. I have to escape. I’m going crazy.
The two guards appeared weary. One leaned against the wall.
I lowered my voice. “Can we talk somewhere private?”
Get him alone. Fuck him up. Get his gun. Run as fast as I can.
Saying nothing else, Jean-Pierre led me a few feet from the guards and the bathroom.
At that moment, Natalie opened her bedroom door, and almost bumped into him with Benji, still on her right hip. “Oh wow. Sorry.”
“No.” Jean-Pierre backed up. “I apologize.”
“It’s all good.” Natalie looked at him and then me. “How did those tests work out for you?”
“Uh. They were fine.” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“Hmm.” Natalie nodded and glanced back at Jean-Pierre. “Okay.”
“I was just wondering, if I could talk to him privately.” I gave her a weak smile. “I’m sorry. This is your apartment and—”
“Oh, no. Go ahead and use my room.”
Jean-Pierre eyed me with suspicion.
I walked inside. “Thanks so much. We won’t be long.”
“Girl, take all the time you need.” Natalie sighed. “You both have a lot to talk about.”
Do we? Whatever. I just need him alone.
Jean-Pierre followed. “What did you want to talk about?”
The door shut behind him.
I waited for another guard to come inside.
What now? Are they going to leave us alone?
I paced back and forth. “What’s your plan after this is over?”
“Oh. You want to have a brainstorming session with me?”
He has a gun on him. If I knock him out, I can get it. Then, what?
I stopped and stared. “You’re going to try and kill Kazimir.”