My cheeks heat because neither of us has any idea what to call thisthingbetween us. Well, he does but doesn’t know how I'll react.
I’m not sure I know either.
Leila extends her hand, and her grip is warm and firm, ignoring the weird atmosphere in the room. "So, tell me what's going on."
The question is open enough that I can say as much or as little as I want, but I decide if I’m here, I may as well just be honest, so I go for it.
"We had a one-night stand,” I blurt out. “And now, I might be carrying his baby. But we're not together, exactly. And this is all a bit weird because I only just found out he's..." I frown, testing the word. "A bear.” I shake my head. “Man, that sounds weird to say out loud."
Leila blinks slowly, then pins Beau with a look that’s slightly terrifying coming from such a beautiful woman.
"I might have to have a conversation with the rest of your brothers about getting women pregnant before you're mated. This is becoming a habit."
Especially when she then turns to me with an exasperated shake of her head.
Beau grits his teeth and takes the telling off. There’s obviously a story there that I’d like to hear sometime, but right now, I have my own surprise pregnancy to worry about.
Leila turns her bright smile back on for me while continuing to give him serious side-eye as she helps me onto the edge of the bed.
"I should warn you," I add, watching her drag over the ultrasound machine, anxiety bubbling up inside me. "I don't actuallyknowif I'm pregnant. My evidence so far consists of two men who claim they can smell it.”
Leila doesn't bat an eyelid at my dramatic eyeroll.
“We used condoms at first, but then we ran out..." God, that sounds lame. We’re grown-ups. We should have known better. “But it was ages ago. Waaay too long ago.”
Beau doesn’t interrupt, just lets me ramble on like an idiot.
"Well, let's find out, shall we?"
Shimmying back on the bed, I recline and turn to Beau, a feeling almost like panic building inside me. What if he’s not happy about this? What if he blames me for getting pregnant?
And the whole bear thing. There are things I want to ask Leila,somany things, and I can't ask them with him standing right here.
Whether the baby will be like him, what this means for my body, what happens if I'm not ready, and when they say cub, do they mean a literal cub is inside my belly? This list is endless.
Beau must recognise that I’m spiralling because he leans close. "Do you want me to step out?" he offers, and the relief must be obvious on my face because guilt chases it immediately.
"Would you mind? Just for a minute. I just need to..."
Thankfully, he gives me a kind smile that melts my heart and eases my fears before he presses his lips to my forehead. "You don't need to explain. Ask her anything. Take your time."
The door closes behind him, and Leila raises an eyebrow as she snaps on her gloves. “So, what have you got for me?”
The questions come fast once he's gone. Leila answers each one calmly and without judgement, and by the time she's finished, the panic has quieted enough that I can breathe properly.
"Do you want him back in?" Leila asks, her eyes on the monitor as she adjusts the wand.
I nod quickly because whatever is on that screen, he deserves to see it, too. Something inside me wants him to see it at the same time as me. We’re in this together.
"Beau. You should come in."
He's through the door before I've finished the sentence, his eyes going straight to the monitor.
Leila presses the wand against my stomach and taps a key, freezing the image. "There." She points to a small, bright cluster on the screen, barely visible against the grey. "See that?"
My lips part, and a sense of peace washes over me.
It’s true. Only now do I realise how devastated I would have been if she’d told me they were wrong. That’s why I was nervous. Because I wanted so much for it to be true.