“You promise.” The rawness of his voice sent a soft shudder across Kate’s skin as he repeated her statement, carefully analyzing her serious features as he reiterated, “You’re not going to leave?”“God, no,” she whispered, cupping his cheeks as she kissed him. “I know you think you’re a terrible person, Colton, but you’re not. You’re so far from terrible.”Tugging away from her grasp, Colton stood, brusquely retreating to the back door. Kate watched him closely, her heart jumping to her throat at the prospect of having said the wrong thing. Instead, he closed the door with a forceful slam and flipped open the two quarter-panel windows of the rear seat before sinking down into the cushions once more. Kate gasped as he jerked her into his lap, trailing her gaze to his flaming eyes.Tangling his fingers into her hair, Colton brought her closer, his mouth crashing to hers with a fervent intensity. Salty tears stained his full lips and his heart pounded vociferously ben

The television sat atop Kate’s dresser, Paloma demanded Colton move it before he hesitantly left for the night. She’d made Kate a cup of lemon and ginger tea before sidling up to her in the bed, flicking aimlessly through the channels until she found a more recent comedy. A comfortable silence fell over the room, Kate scrunching her nose after every sip of the spicy drink while Paloma snorted in laughter at the lame jokes of the movie.Watching Kate give up on the tea, resting it on her nightstand, Paloma scowled. She let out a deep, whistling breath, tapping her palms against her thighs impatiently, “So… when are we gonna take a pregnancy test?”“Huh?” Chocolate eyes bulged as Kate swiveled violently towards her smirking best friend. “I’m not pregnant, you idiot. Don’t be ridiculous.”“Had your period?”“Not yet,” Kate retorted. “But I’ve been having cramps so it’s coming.”“I thought I was getting my period with Florence, but it was implantation cramp

The apartment was spotless. Kate had even emptied the kitchen cupboards, scrubbing and reorganizing through the haze of nausea that threatened to slow her down. Her nails bitten down to nothing, the inside of her cheek chewed so fervently she had given herself an ulcer, and yet Colton still hadn’t come home. The sun was beginning to sink, orange and pink streaks dancing across the sky. Kate sipped a glass of water, her head resting against her palm as she stared blankly out the window. The tears had run out hours ago, her tear ducts completely drained, but the sadness still enveloped her like a thick, warm blanket on a scorching hot day.A creak rang from behind her, the doorknob turning as if in slow motion, and Kate jumped from the stool, raking her gaze over Colton’s exhausted frame. His shoulders slumped forward dejectedly, tear-stained cheeks reddened, his hair still a complete mess. Hesitating for a moment, Kate realized she didn’t care if he pushed her away. She needed

The plastic covering of the examination table squeaked as Kate cinched the sheet over her bare legs, waiting patiently for the sonographer to return. The past few days had been torturous at best, sickness washing over her at every turn. Colton had tried his best to reassure her; promises that the ultrasound would find their baby in the right position recited so often Kate thought it was just an automatic response for him now.Dr. Bharathi had confirmed the pregnancy through Kate’s blood work, stating that she was around 5-6 weeks pregnant, and although there was a slim chance Kate wouldn’t see much, the sonographer would know exactly what to look for.As the sonographer returned, beginning the ultrasound, grey flickers of Kate’s uterus flashed across the small screen. Her breath hitched in her throat, the beating of her heart stopping completely as her eyes narrowed on the image. She had studied Paloma’s ultrasounds and thought she would know what to search for, but she

The door swung open, Paloma’s sorrow-filled face greeting Kate with a warm hug, “Dylan’s offered to take Floss for the night. It’s just you and I, babe. I bought chocolate and ice-cream and the caramel popcorn you like, as well as a shitload of Tylenol and pads. I didn’t know what you’d need so I just bought everything I could think of.”Straining a smile, Kate felt the stiffness of her cheeks from dried tears. She hadn’t thought of any of the necessities and she was so thankful for Paloma’s common sense. It seemed like her own had evaded her. “Thanks, P.”“You’ve done the same for me,” Paloma smiled, soothingly rubbing Kate’s arms as she ushered her inside. “Go and put your sweats on. I’ll get a heat pack and we can hang out and watch movies.”As Paloma disappeared from sight, Kate meandered down the hallway, stopping at the entrance of the spare bedroom and taking a deep breath. As much as she loved her best friend, this isn’t where she wanted to be. Not really.