Three months.
The doctor said I was not out of the woods until I was at least three months. My body was not the problem, but because this was not a natural pregnancy, complications are more likely. As if I needed more pressure carrying this baby.
Back at home, my mom would always criticize women who would stop working and just stay home the moment they found out they were pregnant-I wish I could talk to her about this.
"How's dad?" I ask when I call her the week after visiting the doctor- two weeks after taking the pregnancy test.
"he's much better now."
I smile and catch my reflection in the rearview mirror of Colton's truck; he is putting my stuff in the trunk. I postponed moving in with him for as long as I could, but Colton is so impatient. "That's good," I respond to my mom.
"he looks so much better now, sweetie-I wish you could see him."
The knot in my throat gets bigger and I gulp, not wanting to cry. "I wish I could too, mom."
"you'll come after you graduate right?"
"I don't know if I'll be able to," I say, guilty. "you know I have to look for a job so I can help you guys."
"Right. I am sorry you have to work so much, Emily; you are supposed to be enjoying your life. You know…dating, getting married."
"there'll be plenty of time for that later." This is harder that I thought it would be. "What matters is that dad gets better. Do you need more money? I can send you more soon."
Colton already gave me another two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar check. I know I am doing this for the money, but I still feel guilt whenever I take it.
"Emily where are you getting the money?" my mom's voice interrupts my thoughts.
"I work," I say quickly.
"But you sent so much last time…I- "
"I have money left from my scholarships. I've been saving, it plus I've been working." I bite my lip; I hate lying to my mom, but there is no way in hell I am going to tell her what I am doing.
"You do have enough for you, though, right? Are you eating? Do you have a place to sleep?"
I half-smile. "yes, mom, I do. Do not worry about me and tell dad not to worry either. You worry about his health; let me worry about the money."
"please visit whenever you can, sweetie."
I look up as Colton opens the driver's side door. "I'll try, but I can't promise anything. Mom, I have to go, okay?"
"please take care of yourself."
I smile. "I love you."
"Love you too."
Colton speaks at he starts the truck. "How's your father?"
"Better now, thanks," I say, casually rubbing my eyes to clear the tears from my eyes. "did you get everything already?"
"It was two suitcases."
I laugh. "Right."
"The furniture is all his?"
"We bought it together," I shrug. "he can keep it."
"you're very fond of him, aren't you?" he asks, glancing at me sideways.
I roll my eyes. "Peter is my friend. I am fond of my friends, yes. You wouldn't know that firsthand, though," I tease.
He half-smiles. "I don't need friends.'
"you're not going to admit that your ego is too big to let you have friends?"
"I'm better off without other people-I like it that way." The words roll of his tongue like he has said them before.
"you weren't always like this, though right?" I ask slowly, afraid to push his buttons. Colton does not like to talk about himself at all, but it is impossible to not be curious. Is it so bad that I want to get know him? He is a very mysterious, independent man-but only because that's how life made him. No one is born dark and twisty.
He grips the steering wheel tight. "Why do you ask?"
I look at the road as I play with my hands, nervous. "Well, I have a friend…"
He looks at me and smiles, teasing me. "another boyfriend, Emily? I'm going to have to start keeping track of them."
"A girl-friend-Elizabeth."
"okay…" he says, urging me to go on.
"we talk about stuff…"
"of course."
"Just forget it,' I say, changing my mind.
"tell me."
I shake my head, "No, because you're going to get mad. Then who's going to help me carry my suitcases?"
A smile plays on his lips when I look at him. "I'll still help,' he promises.
I sigh and advert my gaze. "I didn't know who you were originally, but when I told her what your name was, she told me you were this…important person. And she told- "I pause, gathering courage to look at him. "-she told me you were going to get married, but you were left at the altar."
"And?" he looks at me when we hit a red light.
"Is it true?"
"All those magazines and tabloids should give you a clue."
"I'm sorry…"
"Why are you sorry?" he looks at the road again as the light turns green.
"You got left at the altar…"
He chuckles. "you didn't know me then."
"I can imagine that it must have been horrible, though."
"Well, I'm still here."
I glare at him. "would you stop?"
"stop what?"
"pretending you're some heartless person. It must be exhausting to pretend you don't care about anything ever."
"What do you want me to do? start crying? It was over three years ago, Emily. It's exhausting that people still want to talk about it."
I look out the window. "I never should have asked-I'm sorry."
He does not say anything, and I do not either; it is my fault. I know how he is, and I should not have asked him…I hate that I am going to have to deal with him at home now, too. It is going to take a while to get used to it because he is so hard to talk to.
I should stick to keeping this professional. As bad as it sounds, this is a business deal after all- we do not have to be friends.
When we get to his condominium, he keeps his promise and takes my suitcases. I grip my backpack closer and hug my pillow as we walk down the quiet hallway- it is always so empty here. How many people actually live here? There is a bodyguard standing outside Colton's door, who opens the door for us, and I walk in with Colton behind me. I stop, letting him take the lead. The hallway leads to three doors-two on opposite sides and one at the end-facing us.
He opens the door on the right and I walk int, silently looking around. The room is so much bigger than my old one. There is a beautiful queen bed with spotless white sheets, two big windows, white couch, a fancy glass desk, and small tables with lamps on either side of the bed. Colton walks in and he opens the door to a walk-in closet, setting my suitcases down.
"That's the bathroom," he says pointing to the other door.
I nod. "thanks."
He puts his hands into his pockets. "Do you need anything?"
"No, thank you."
"Emily- "
"You don't have to say anything, Colton," I interrupt him, then sigh. "I understand why you don't like to talk about it. I shouldn't have asked-I shouldn't want to get to know you."
He nods slowly, his brows pulled together as he opens the door. "No, you shouldn't." he says before walking out, leaving me alone with my worried thoughts about Colton's past.