I Want You

Anything But Mine

It was dark by the time he left the hospital one Thursday evening and he was tired. But the one thing that had kept Ben going through a particularly tough day was his woman's voice in his head and in his heart. Nearly five months with Miranda Bailey was a thought that shocked him every time. Their relationship excited him and she kept him on his toes. He loved that about her. He loved her. Ben called her before he could get out of the hospital good. The phone rang a few times before she picked up. "Hey, baby," she said in his ear.

"Hey, babe," he said starting the car. "What are you doing?"

"Just doing some online shopping," Miranda laughed.

"Do I need to come over and hide your card?"

Her laughter continued. "I don't even need my card to shop."

"How about I just come over then?" He asked already knowing the answer. Tuck had been at his dad's house since last Friday. And Ben had spent all but one night with Miranda. And they'd been having a lot of fun. It started raining and he turned on his wipers, watching the road through the raindrops.

"Yes."

Ben pulled up to her house and walked toward it. His phone rang and seeing Regina's name, he started to decline it. He hadn't heard from her since she'd blocked him on Facebook and the silence had been golden. Before he could decline the call, his thumb slipped. Shit, he thought. "Hello? Hello?!" He heard her saying.

Standing in front of Miranda's door, his shoes getting splattered by rain, he said: "Hello?"

"Hi," Regina responded.

Even after all this time, Ben could tell something was wrong by her tone. He waited a few seconds before saying: "What's up?"

"Um, I don't know how to say this."

"Just say it," he said simply, his pants were getting wet now and he was cold.

Regina's end was quiet and he started to say something but she spoke first: "I'm pregnant."

Ben took a breath. "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah."

"With a baby?"

"Yes, Ben, what else?"

"Wow. Good for you. Congrats." He licked his lips, confused. "But why are you calling me?"

"Because you're the father," she laughed. He didn't find anything funny. What the hell kind of joke was that?

He didn't know it, but he was heading back to his car. "Regina, we... we haven't... I haven't seen you in months, almost half a year. We haven't slept together in..." Counting in his head proved to be difficult with the words "pregnant" and "baby" and "father" floating around up there. "Um..."

"Eight months," Regina said. "I'm about... I'm about that far along."

Ben felt his blood pressure rising "Regina, look—"

She cut him off. "Ben, uh, I know you're in a relationship. I know you're probably happy or whatever, but I also know that I'm carrying your child." Ben was sweating and it was mixing with the rain that coated his face. He glanced at Miranda's house wanting to end the call and go inside and lay in his girlfriend's bed, holding her. He also wanted to throw up. A baby? As logical as he was, he couldn't wrap his mind around it. He and Regina had talked about it a few times, but the timing never worked out in their favor. Once he met Miranda, he was glad that it never had. But, now—Ben ran a hand over his face. "And if I know you, which, you know, I like to think that I do or I used to..." Regina paused. "I... I know you'll do the right thing. By us."