Lateisha held up her hand to stop his sentence. “It’s okay, Bryce. I’m fine. I don’t really feel like talking right now.”
Bryce sighed heavily and looked away, running a hand through his hair. Lateisha almost laughed because he messed up his perfectly gelled hair and a short lock fell over his eye. Without thinking she reached over and brushed it away. Bryce gasped, grabbing her wrist as he did. That was the first time they had touched since the night th
ey had sex in his office. Lateisha’s breathing picked up, the spot where he held her arm throbbing with awareness. Electricity sizzled between them and for a long while they stayed like that, staring each other in the eye. Lateisha wasn’t sure what this feeling was, or why Bryce was the one that evoked it in her but she knew it was dangerous. If they kept up this way, dancing around one another only to fall again and again into the passion, they would break each other in the end. It was too much, and too intense. But if that was true, why did Lateisha not want to let him go? Not now and not after she had his baby.
*****
Bryce looked at his hand wrapped around Lateisha’s dainty wrist. He longed to bring her hand to his mouth and kiss the palm. But that would be a disaster. It would only lead to what happened that night in his office and Bryce wasn’t sure that was a good idea. They were from different backgrounds, they had different goals, it wasn’t meant for them to be together. If that was the case, why did everything feel so right with Lateisha? Sighing with frustration, Bryce finally let go of Lateisha’s wrist and leaned back into the chair. He could see her chest rise and fall in panting breaths and knew his own mirrored it.
“Lateisha,” he said again; not sure what he was going to say but knew he needed to say something.
She shook her head and looked at her hands. Seconds later, before Bryce could attempt to speak again, the nurse and doctor came into the room.
“Congratulations, you two. You’re going to have a baby!” The doctor exclaimed and stood back waiting for them to react.
Bryce looked over at Lateisha, who was staring at him with surprise. This was it, she was having his baby. Bryce wanted a child to call his own for so long and never imagined the woman that came with it. Suddenly raising this baby without Lateisha didn’t seem right.
Chapter 6
Lateisha couldn’t get the look of surprise off of her face at the doctor’s news. Everyone in the room was staring at her waiting for her to respond but she couldn’t. How did a person respond to something like this? She was having a baby with a man, but even though biologically it was hers, the baby wasn’t hers. Something about that made a large lump form in Lateisha’s throat and she had to clear it to make it disappear. Why was she sad? She didn’t want children. A scary thought niggled at the back of her mind but Lateisha was afraid to even think about it. Arranging her features so as not to give away the way she felt, Lateisha cleared her throat again to speak.
“That’s great! I’m so happy for you, Bryce.” She stood, and wrapped him in her arms.
He stiffened and Lateisha released him, only he didn’t let her go. She pulled back, and their eyes met. The look in his eyes was back, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. The need to pull away from him was strong but he wasn’t letting her go. From the corner of her eye she could see the doctor and nurse looking at them strangely. What was he doing?
“Bryce?” She whispered, looking him dead in the eyes.
“I’m so sorry.” He finally spoke, releasing the grip he had on her.
“Well, we will give you two a minute. When you’re ready come to the front desk and we will make a few prenatal appointments, etc.” The doctor said, hurrying the nurse from the room.
Great, now we are scaring the office staff with our strange relationship, Lateisha thought.
She looked at Bryce, who had backed away from her and was gathering his briefcase to leave.
“I meant what I said, you know,” Lateisha started, moving towards him. “I’m happy you’re going to get your baby.”
“Our baby,” Bryce said, which was followed with a look of shock on his own face. “I mean, if it wasn’t for you, there wouldn’t be a baby.”
Turmoil and emotion clogged Lateisha’s throat again. The thought that plagued her when the doctor announced that they were having a baby resurfaced; could it be that she wanted this baby because it was hers and Bryce’s?
*****
Our baby? Bryce thought, mentally kicking himself.
What was he thinking? That’s the problem, he wasn’t thinking. When the doctor told them that Lateisha was pregnant, all Bryce could think was ‘we’re having a baby’. But they weren’t, not really. Lateisha was having a baby to give to him and then she would walk out of his life forever. A pang gripped his gut but he ignored it. This was business; he didn’t have time for complications. From the corner of his eye, he watched Lateisha as he bent to gather his briefcase. She looked sad. He stood; ready to comfort her against his better judgment, but when he looked at her again the expression was gone. Had he imagined it?
“Are you ready?” She asked, pulling the door open.
Bryce nodded and followed behind her to the reception desk. Lateisha made three of her next appointments and one for an ultrasound in a month and they headed out the door.
“Do you need a ride?” Bryce asked, secretly hoping she would take him up on it this time.
Lateisha shook her head. “I have to work, I’m going to take the bus right there.”
“If you’re sure…” Bryce began; he didn’t like her taking the bus alone in the city.
“I’m okay. I just need some time to myself.” She turned and walked away from him before he could ask her why.