NovelEnglishTHE BABY
JESS
The morning sunlight streamed through the thin hotel curtains, casting long streaks of gold across the room, but
that's not what wokeup because | wasn't sleeping. The entire night, | lay awake thinking about what could
have happened and where he could be. Somewhere, deep down, | knew he was alive, and so was Josh.
They had to be.
| sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my hands, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the faint curve of my belly.
| couldn't hide it anymore. | was almost at 3 weeks-and | felt it. Felt him. or her, a tiny heartbeat tied irrevocably
to Luke. Luke.
The nlingered in my mind, a sharp ache that pulsed with every breath. He was everywhere and nowhere all
at once. My hand automatically reached for my phone to text him before | remembered.
In the hollow silence that filled the space where his laugh used. to be.
Laura's voice broke through the fog. "Jess? Are you even listening?"
| blinked and glanced up at her. She was standing by the window, arms crossed, her sharp green eyes fixed on
She sighed and sat down beside me, her knee bumping mine. "You're shutting down again. | get it. | do. But you
can't ignore this."
"I'm not ignoring it," | said quietly, though even | didn't believe it.
Laura raised a brow. "Jess. You haven't eaten breakfast, you barely sleep, and you refuse to talk about..." She
gestured vaguely at my stomach. "That."
| flinched at her words, my arms instinctively wrapping around myself. "I don't know how to do this, Laura. Any of
it. How am | supposed to " My voice cracked and | looked away, blinking hard against the tears threatening to
spill. "How am | supposed to raise a baby without him?"
Laura softened, her hand covering mine. "You're not alone, Jess. You have me. And you don't have to figure it all
out today. But right now, we need to make sure you're okay. And the baby, too."
Her words struck a chord, and I bit my lip, staring at the floor. She was right. As much as it hurt as much as |
wanted to curl up and pretend the world didn't exist, | couldn't.
"I..." | started, hesitating.
Laura-smiled gently like she knew I'd give in eventually. "Good, because | already made the appointment."
My head snapped up. "You what?
"Don't look atlike that. You've been dragging your feet for weeks, Jess. It's time." She squeezed my hand. "I'll
go with you. You don't have to do this alone."
A faint smile tugged at the corners of
my lips despite the tregvines n'fry
cfrest. WodrebSssy, you know that?"
"Someone has to be," she quipped,
standing up and dp berhag)
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
er gel dredsd) ere leaving in
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As she moved to the other side of the
room, my phone buzzed on.ths m
nightstaqdy reached fol it, my heart
skioping when | saw the non the
screen. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
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