Even The Playing Field | BOOK #1 IN THE PSU SERIES

seventy-four

Mattison Williams

Happily Ever After is a funny thing.

"Daddy, you wanna hear the heartbeat to double-check the baby is okay?" The doctor asks. Naomi nods, wanting to hear it for herself. I pause before slowly nodding.

I was unofficially meeting the person that would dictate my life for the next eighteen years.

Besides Naomi of course.

With Naomi's shirt already up from her exam, the doctor grabbed a few tools. And then I giggle looking at the bottle of clear liquid. The doctor looked up at me as the chuckles passed through my lips. "What?" She, the doctor, asked.

I nodded towards the bottle. "Is that lube?" I asked without a filter.

Naomi looked up at me from her twirling thumbs as the doctor let out a laugh. "Yes, do you need some?" Naomi giggled.

I chuckled.

"I'm just kidding, glad mommy got a kick out of it. Poor thing has been crying since she walked through the doors here," Naomi smiled at her as the doctor turned on a screen, opening a different gel and spreading some out on her stomach.

I was not looking at the screen though.

I couldn't look at the screen.

How could I get myself to look at the screen?

Naomi's eye's met mine, a smile on her face. I nodded towards her as her hand crawled towards mine—gripping it tightly.

We were a fucked up couple, but she was my happily ever after because Naomi Black was a person that happy endings were made for.

I continued to stare into her eyes as her eyes glistened with tears, a smile still present on her face.

That's when I heard the most life-changing noise.

Someone else was in the room.

I couldn't look at the screen still.

Naomi's eyes weren't meeting mine anymore, they were turned to the right, looking at the screen. She quickly turned her head back to me to see my reaction but I still hadn't looked at that point.

Her tiny thumb rubbed patterns into my rough skin as her eyes that were glistened stared me down, nudging me to look at the screen. I bit my lip.

I was scared.

I hated my dad.

She hated hers.

"Look at the screen, Matti." She spoke softly as I huffed out a breath. Mustering up all of the courage I had– I turned my head. My eyes were closed.

It will be okay.

I opened them.

My breath of air immediately released from in between my lips. Then slowly the smile appeared on my face and grew. My ears opened, and I heard the thumps even clearer right before.