Just Once (Book 1 in the Just Once Series)

Chapter Twenty-One

Brook’s POV:

I’m late.

That is the first thing that ran through my head as I sat on my bed Saturday morning.

Three days after the Rick incident.

How is this possible? How can I be late?!

I look down at the calendar in my hands once more and count again, but I knew the numbers were going to be the same; I had counted and recounted three times already.

I looked at my mobile, which was lying next to me on the bed and picked it up slowly.

My hands shaking slightly as I did so and my stomach jumping up and down and making me feel sick again.

Jack had gone out with the guys from his football team to get some ice hockey training in, but I needed to talk to him and this wasn’t something that could exactly wait.

The phone rang but he didn’t answer, so I tried again, but still no luck.

My stomach cramped and heaved and I rushed to the bathroom quickly, bringing up the rest of my breakfast. I’d already puked once this morning, just after Jack had left.

            It had started out fine, I had been a bit tired, but otherwise ok and then after breakfast, I’d started to feel a bit ill. I’d told mum and Nate I was going to stay in and study and they’d left to go visit my mum’s sister, Aunt Lisa, who lived a few hours away in the city.

I’d come up to my room, started studying and then felt like I was going to be sick.

I’d run to the bathroom and puked. Then out of the corner of my eye, I’d spied my sanitary towels and realised I was late.

After that, I’d sat on my bed for nearly an hour, with the same three words running around in my head, ‘I was late.’

I mean, I’ve been late before, but never this late. I was nearly two weeks later! That just wasn’t normal for me. Two weeks!

I jump with fright when my phone suddenly starts ringing and I pick it up quickly, answering.

“Brook, you ok?” Jack asked, I could hear shouting in the background and the sound of the ice skate blades against the cool, hard surface of the ice.

“I...when will you be home?” I asked hesitantly.

What the hell was I going to tell him? How was I going to tell him? Would he hate me? Would he freak? Would he leave me? No, that was a stupid question, but, holy shit! I was freaking out right now, because this couldn’t be happening!

“Are you ok? Has something happened? Brook, speak to me,” he demanded now and I realised he’d been talking to me for a while without me answering.

“I...I think... oh god, Jack...” I whispered tearfully.

“Brook, baby, what is it?” he whispered gently.

“I-I think I... I might be pregnant,” the words tumbled out of my lips and the tears fell softly and a small sob escaped my lips.

Silence.

A shout in the background.

A buzz of a scoreboard.

“Are you sure?” he asked softly.

“I’m two weeks late,” I murmured, “I’ve been puking all morning and I... I feel different,” I whispered now.

“You feel different?”

“I... I don’t know how to explain it, but... please, Jack, I need you,” I cried softly.

“Alright, baby, I’m on my way home, ok. Do you want me to pick up a pregnancy test on the way back?” he asked softly and I sniffled.