The Perfect Storm 3

Chapter 264

"How . . . how long?" I gulp, not managing the words out correctly and not even sure if the doctor understood what I just said. I can't help but force myself not to glance over at Stephanie or Elijah because I know they're just as horrified as I am.

he raises a brow and his eye peeks at me under his glasses before they look back at the papers in his hands, "I can't tell you exactly, but, it's fairly recent, any recent sexual encounters?" The doctor asks and I'm both embarrassed and frozen in shock with all of this.

I manage a small 'yes' under my hot cheeks.

"Well then, all I can do now, is let you know that you do have some other options," he says, handing me a brochure with a picture of an outlined mother holding an outlined child against her chest. But the child on the photo is no longer just a child but rather my reality and something I have growing inside of my stomach right now.

"If there are no further questions, all I have to tell you is that you're healthy and welcome to leave when you're ready," The doctor siles, and I manage a small nod before he's out the door.

"How are you feeling?" Stephanie manages kindly, her eyes tilting to me as her head and body follow.

"I--I don't know," I say half in shock, I never expected this; not ever.

"I thought I . . . after I made the decision that I didn't need any of this with him, hat's when It . . . it happened." I manage and then my eyes fling to Elijah's. I know they have nobody to tell but somehow I feel safer when I remind them, "Please don' tell him . . . or anyone--" before I finish Stephanie spring into a smile, "Of course not," She says, her eyes looking at Elijah's to make sure he understands and when he nods, I feel slight relief.

"Maybe you'll give us . . . just a moment?" Stephanie asks her kind boyfriend and he nods with a smile before giving her a kiss on the forehead and smiling at me before closing the mint green door behind him.

Stephanie climbs into the bed with me, covering herself with the mint green blanket that made me feel secure minutes ago.

I feel bad for making her always have to turn Elijah away from whatever is going on with me.

"Do you have any idea of what you want to do?" Stephanie looks down at the brochure and I know exactly what she means, the thought makes me nauseated again and I'm reminded that this is my reality.

"I'm going to keep it," I say, my tone low. Stephanie stays silent for a moment and at first, I think she's about to protest telling me how toxic Miles can be and how I don't need to do any of this but then she flashes me a surprising smile; "I think you're making the right choice, Madison." She says, her voice soft.

"You know . . . even though you end up broken up with him, find yourself single, and alone and heartbroken and on top of that, broke with less than three dollars in your pocket, sleeping on subways every night, and maybe never really finding someone like your first . . . I know that baby is going to be so grateful for you choosing to keep it," she explains, her voice low and her eyes seemingly teary.

"I know I was . . . when my mom decided--" I stop her, knowing how painful these words are to her. I lean over to her, letting her head rest on my shoulder as one of my arms hugs her as much as I can manage through the still shock running through me.

"Nothing is harder than this," she says, "But you're now responsible for another human being--" She lifts her head up to face me again with now apparent tears in her eyes, and with a small sniffle she finishes, "You're choosing right,"

"ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T want me to come with?" Stephanie asks again and I gulp the question down, I want to be alone, completely alone, I know that I'm going to have a baby and the pregnant stomach I've always wanted to but none of this is the way I imagined it, and a month ago I decided I didn't even need any of this.

The doctor explained to me that my dizziness was because my body is very weak during pregnancy is something I never thought I'd go through, but I couldn't help feeling relief, knowing that this wasn't my mother's fate.

"I'm sure," I tell her once more, this time with a soft smile. I need to be able to think about this and somehow Ohio feels to be the perfect place to go back to, I need to be without him.

"Okay," she says, and with a soft hug and letting me know she'll always be there for me, I'm seated on the train, watching everything around me moving too fast through the window.

"Tea?" A man walking past dressed too nicely to be a passenger asks but I shake my head, "I never thought my head would be filled with all kinds of questions about what I can even ingest or what my next step is or how I'm going to figure anything out now that I'm responsible for something so small, much smaller than me that needs my guidance without knowing so.

Miles's POV

The April rain taps too harshly on the ceiling of the bar but I don't seem to mind the loud sound.

I glance at the Porsche parked outside hut my head quickly turns back to the bar, I can't let myself think about what I'm doing right now or that I'm leaving her there all alone because I know ill feel worse than I already do.