“I need to know what you’d like to do,” my doctor continued. “If you’re hoping to carry the pregnancy, it’s imperative that we act fast. With the IUD still in place, it could result in an ectopic pregnancy.”
“Ectopic,” I echoed. “You mean…”
“The egg could attach in the fallopian tube outside the uterus. Such a pregnancy is fatal for the baby. It can also be extremely harmful to you, as well. If a tube ruptures, there could be severe internal bleeding. I’ll have to run a few scans to ensure that everything is as it should be.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “Okay, let’s remove the implant then.”
My doctor nodded. “Excellent. I’ll get everything organized. We’ll take care of it straight away. Would you like me to have someone call the father for you?”
She didn’t realize how loaded that question was.
First of all, I had no clue if I needed to call Dylan, Cash, or Red. And even if I called one, I was sure that the other two would show up anyway. But the question remained: did I want them to know?
I read in the news that Dylan and Red’s assault charges were thrown out, but their public image was effectively broken . The outside world saw them as two brutish, hot-headed men picking fights with the paparazzi —justified or not. Cash’s knee was ruined, his chances at a UFC title possibly destroyed forever.
And now ababy?
The press would have a field day. I could practically see the headlines. I could imagine the scrutiny, the criticism, the judgment. If Cash and Red’s careers weren’t already dead and in their coffins, then news of one of them fathering a child would surely be the final nail.
I rubbed my belly, thinking about the life growing inside me. They could never know. If word got out, it’d be a fiasco. I needed to do whatever it took to protect my baby, and by extension Dylan, Cash, and Red.
“No,” I said finally. “No need to call. Let’s just take care of the IUD first and make sure the baby’s okay. I’ll, um… I’ll tell the father when I’m ready.”
Which might be never.
The doctor nodded. “Alright. Sit tight and I’ll get everything sorted. Oh, and if I haven’t said it already, congratulations.”
I felt a smile stretch across my lips, warmth filling my cheeks. “Thank you.”