46

“What are you talking about?” I asked her, standing to my feet in shock. I placed both my hands by the edge of the desk to support the out of nowhere dizziness that suddenly seemed to spiral around me endlessly.

“You heard me Chad.” She stood to her feet as well and folded her hands across her chest. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed before looking back at me. “I took one at home first and then I did a blood test.” She opened the purse in her hand and revealed what looked like a hospital test results. This was all the proof I needed to know that she was not playing.

My hands reflexively went on my head. I closed my eyes and when I reopened them, she had left the results on the desk for me. I doubted there was anywhere else in the world that the news of pregnancy seemed to be so traumatic.

“I’m going to leave now, I can see that you are still in shock but I’m going to return so we can fully discuss this, you and I need to work these things out so take your time to recover, whether or not you request that I come back, I will definitely be back.” Although, Rebecca was talking in her normal tone, I could only hear threats. “Have a nice day Chad.” She turned around to leave, stopped to look over her shoulder and added with a small smirk, “my regards to your secretary.” With that, she took her leave from the room.

I still found her words unbelievable and so I remained on my feet watching the wooden door as if she was going to come back and tell me it was nothing but a lie, she didn’t…



*

Nikki promised that she would stop by my place when she closed from work and so when it became late and she still had not showed up, the only thing that seemed to go through my head was how she must have found out about Rebecca’s pregnancy. I’d left the test results in my drawer back at work because I was afraid she would manage to see it if I brought it back here. I was really not afraid about the child being born. My only fear was Nikki and how she would probably take the news. Although our relationship was still new, I knew the affection was present and it made me anxious to know I could probably lose it all over something so careless.

I refrained from calling her phone number but as time kept running without control, I could not help it.

It was two hours past the time I expected her to show up and just as I was about to give in and contact her when I heard my doorbell ring. “Thank God.” I muttered to myself.

Immediately I opened the door, I pulled her in for a hug and pressed her head against my chest.

“Well. That is new.” She chuckled.

“Are you okay?” I asked after a reluctant pulling away from her. “I am, thank you.” She smiled and looked up at me with a sigh, “boy, am I tired!” She moved forward and put her handbag on the couch beside her.

“I am, just tired. Sorry I’m so late, I’m going to start working overtime for a few weeks.” She informed me, sitting beside her handbag and putting her hair into a low bun.

“You don’t have to apologize?” I assured her and sat beside her, “why? You just started working there?”

“We are trying to find new ways to make the organization and all of that better stuff like that.” She simply shrugged and turned over to kiss my lips. It lasted a few seconds and did manage to calm me for the time being but the worry in my heart was immediately rekindled the moment we pulled apart.

Nikki looked at me with furrowed eyebrows and cupped my cheeks in her small hands, “what is wrong? Why do you look so worried?”

“I’m not, its fine.” I shook my head and closed my eyes after a sigh, pressing her hand against my cheek.

NIKKI

I had a feeling chad was hiding something from me but he was undeniably worried about something and that made me bothered but I decided to attempt to cheer him up rather than make him feel even worse by further questioning.

“It is okay,” I smiled, “so anything for dinner, I am literally so starved.” I told him, pulling away. I was genuinely hungry and thought it would make sense to swerve in that direction.

“I already ordered something for us earlier, I left it in the kitchen, I will warm it up for us to eat, and then you can tell me all about work today, how is that?” He suggested, standing to his feet so he could get going.

I nodded in agreement and watched him leave with a smile that disappeared as soon as he left and was completely out of sight.

I knew something was up and I surely hated where it was going.

My phone vibrated in my handbag and I reached to reach for it. It was a text message from Cornelius asking me to wish him goodluck on his date.

I smile at my screen and sent him a goodluck text message. It was a new thing for me to know that someone especially one who was a colleague, was actually interested in me.

I was notified that he was typing back when I was startled by the phone that was suddenly ringing beside me on the table.

I put my phone down so I could take his to the kitchen where he was.

“Ch-“ I called but stopped halfway when I picked the phone up and realized who the caller was.

“Rebecca Black?” I frowned wondering why she was calling. Out of anger and curiousity, I set to click the accept button.