Read Online The Price of Fame: A Price Novel (The Price Novels Book 2) by Maggi Craft - Free Book Online Page A

think this is the end of the world, baby, but it’s not. I know this isn’t what you want right now, but we will figure this out. It’s going to be OK.” I held her and let her cry. She eventually fell asleep.
    I hated for her to cry, but I wasn’t upset she was pregnant. I wanted to have a baby with her more than anything in the world. I just hadn’t expected it so soon. She had been on the pill.
    The next morning I woke up to her throwing up in the bathroom. Where had I been? I had no clue this was going on. I got her a cool rag, some crackers, and a soda and sat down on the bathroom floor. “I know the last thing you want to do right now is eat something, but it will settle your stomach.” I pulled her hair into a ponytail for her. “When did you start getting sick?” I wiped her face with the cool rag, and she laid her head on my lap.
    “A couple of weeks ago, off and on, but it really got worse yesterday. That’s why I took the test.” She pushed herself up, brushed her teeth, and got into bed.
    “Weeks? Why didn’t you tell me?” I sat next to her on the bed.
    She looked up at me from under her red, swollen lids. “I don’t know. At first I thought it was only stress, but I guess I was wrong.” She started crying again.
    “But you were taking the pill. I know you were. I picked them up at the pharmacy for you last month.”
    “I was, but for that to actually be effective, you have to take them at the same time every day, and if you miss one, you are supposed to use backup protection for, like, seven days. With my schedule the way it’s been, I know I’ve been taking them whenever I thought about it. Sometimes I’d miss one here and two there. I can’t believe how irresponsible I was.”
    “Baby,” I looked her in the eyes. “I love you, and we are going to be OK. I know you don’t want to have a baby right now, but … ” I hesitated before continuing, but it needed to be said. “Please don’t have an abortion.”
    She didn’t say anything at first, and I felt myself getting sick. We had already had a previous pregnancy scare. She wasn’t opposed to it at the time, and that was before she had started her residency.
    She finally looked at me. “I could never do that, Slayde.” I was so relieved. “But I’m still not ready to tell anybody yet, OK? Not even Lexi.”
    “All right.” I got under the covers with her and pulled her close to me, and we both went back to sleep.
    The next few weeks were terrible. I felt so bad for Arden. She was sick all the time. She spent more time sleeping in the bathroom than she did in our bed. I didn’t know how she was managing at work, but she was a wreck at home.
    One morning she was in the bathroom, getting ready for her 7:00 a.m. shift. She’d been up most of the night before. She had to be exhausted—I was. “A, why don’t you call in?”
    She looked at me like I was insane. “Call in? Really, Slayde?” she snapped.
    “Sorry, whatever. I just thought you had to be tired. Have a good day.”
    I went back to bed. Now I was sure that she was exhausted, after her little moody outburst.
    She came out of the bathroom dressed for work minutes later and kissed my forehead. “Sorry. You’re right. I’m exhausted. But I can’t call in, baby. I’ll be OK, I promise. I love you, and I’ll try and call you later.”
    Which didn’t happen, but at eleven p.m., she did text me.
    Hope you get some sleep tonight. I should be home around 8 in the morning. And I’ll get a good nap, so I’ll be in a good mood when you get home. Promise! Love you. ’Night.
    And she was. When I walked in, I could smell that she’d even cooked. Which was scary, but sweet, and I told myself I’d eat it no matter how terrible it was. She gave me a hug. “I missed you,” she said.
    “You look like you’re feeling better,” I said.
    She smiled. “I am. And I slept like a baby. I actually feel human again.”
    “Oh, I’m so glad. Human wife beats … uh, whatever