Running Around Royal (Prince Harry #4)

Chapter Seventy-Two

In the locked bathroom, Meredith stared at the box in her hands. She didn't know how long she stared at the pregnancy box in her hands. She just did. The world stopped moving around her, and her breathing hitched. She stared at the box in her hands, which meant the future. The more she stared at the box, the more in made sense. Yet, Meredith didn't want to know. She preferred bliss-- she wasn't ready for this. She wanted a dog and some down time. She was in the middle of a tour goddamnit! What was going to happen then? But then again, Jessica already knew.

Rubbing her thumb over the box, she felt the grooves of the print. The box was pink, like it somehow made it better. Meredith hated the color pink; she was only ever placed in it when she needed to look feminine. Her stomach clenched, and she thought she was going to be sick. Her bottom lip trembled. Meredith always hated the unknown, and this was the unknown. It was all unknown.

Anyway, Meredith always expected herself to be thirty before having a child. Maybe, twenty-five was going to be the earliest. But she didn't expect to be twenty-two. Harry promised her dog; he got her a collar for their future dog.

In the locked bathroom, Meredith stared at the box in her hands. The sound drowned out. Time stopped. She didn't know how long she stood there, and she didn't know. She was only pulled out of her thoughts when someone knocked on the door.

Meredith jumped. "I'll be out in a minute, Jessica."

It was quiet on the other side of the door for a few seconds. "Mere, it's Harry."

She muttered, "Shit." Of course Jessica threw her under the bus. However, Meredith didn't move to open the door. She knew how Harry was going to act: he wanted a child, so he was going to be excited. How was Meredith supposed to crush that? She certainly didn't have the same excitement.

"Mere?" Harry asked through the door. "Can I come in please?"

She called, "I'll be out in a minute, Harry."

"Please, Mere." His voice sounded helpless. "Jessica told me that you need help, but she didn't tell me what it is about. If I can help, then please let me help."

Meredith weighed his words. She knew she trusted him, but even then, she wasn't so sure.

"Mere?"

Making her decision, she spun around, unlocked the door, opened it, grabbed him, pulled him in, slammed the door and locked it again. She did this all quickly, hiding the box behind her back. Harry didn't stand too close, knowing his wife when she freaked out. She didn't meet his gaze, standing in a defensive position.

"Mere? What is it?" He took a hesitant step forward, eyes searching her face. Her blonde hair covered most of it. "You're upset. What's it about?"

Behind her back, Meredith curled her fingers tightly around the box. When she looked up, she wanted to go swimming in Harry's blue eyes. Swallowing, she forced her hand out, and Harry took the box. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. She thought his jaw was going to hit the ground. His own breath hitched. It took him a few seconds, but he started up again.

"Are you?" he asked, staring at the pregnancy test box.

"I don't know," Meredith said. "I haven't taken it."

"You have the test."

"Jessica got it for me. She seems to think that I am."

Harry nodded slowly. "The vomiting," he began slowly, "that wasn't because of the flu." There were other symptoms, but he didn't mention those. He had noticed a shift in her boobs, but he assumed it was because it was her period was coming. Now, he knew differently. Also, Harry didn't want to admit he noticed a difference in her breasts because Meredith was going to have a comment about that.