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9

Rose

“What is he doing here?” I demanded of Summer, knowing full well that she was as clueless as me.

“Maybe he came by to see Sam. They are friends and all,” Summer suggested as she flopped onto my bed.

I shook my head. “No, there’s more to it than that. Hunter won’t quit. He won’t accept that I’m with Noah again.”

“How do you feel about that?” Summer asked quietly.

I took a deep breath and sighed. “It doesn’t really matter now, does it? I’m pregnant and I have to marry Noah.”

Summer sprang off the bed and grabbed my arms. “Whoa, you have options. Life isn’t over because you’re pregnant.”

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the bed.

“You never did tell me how Noah reacted,” Summer said as she joined me. She placed her arm around my shoulder.

Staring at the ugly wallpaper adorning my walls, I quickly thought about what I should say. Even though she hadn’t come right out with it, I knew Summer was already against Noah. If I told her what he’d said, she’d really get down on him.

“I took your advice. I’m going to wait a little while longer before I break the news.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“From the first moment I laid eyes on Noah, I’ve acted impulsively...and look where it got me. I’m going to take things slower from now on and really think everything through before I make a decision.”

Summer pulled me into a tight hug and said, “That’s a girl. You’re not alone, either. Sam and I will be there with you every step of the way.”

I sniffed back the tears and returned her hug. The smell of her flowery shampoo tickled my nose, and I was suddenly very grateful to have her by my side.

The soft knock at the door separated us. Summer’s face scrunched into a frown, and she said loudly, “Go away, Sam, I’m busy with Rose.”

There was a silent pause before Hunter’s voice called out.

“It’s me. Rose, can we talk for a minute? I promise if you hear me out, I’ll leave when you ask me to.” Another pause and he said, “Please, Rose.”

Summer’s frown disappeared, and she looked at me thoughtfully, shrugging her shoulders.

“Maybe you should listen. What harm can it do?” Summer leaned in and whispered.

A whole lot, I thought, but instead of trusting my instincts to keep distance between me and Hunter, I reluctantly nodded.

“If you need me, give a shout. I’ll be right downstairs.” Summer squeezed me one more time and then hopped off the bed.

When Summer opened the door, Hunter smiled thankfully at her as she held her arm out, allowing him to pass.

She quietly shut the door behind her, and I was alone with Hunter.

I couldn’t look at him. Too much guilt. Noah was the love of my life, but Hunter had touched my heart. He’d been there when I’d needed a friend...and he’d accepted me unconditionally. His willingness to change colleges to be close to me flooded my memory, and sometimes I wondered if I’d regret someday not picking him over Noah.

He moved across the room swiftly and sat where Summer had been. Touching my chin, he lifted it, forcing me to face him.

“Please, don’t ignore me. I hate this awkwardness between us. Have you forgotten how you used to talk to me—and laugh with me?”

When my eyes met his greenish-hazel ones, I was once again mesmerized by the little brown flecks in them. He flicked his head slightly when a few strands of his blond hair fell over one of them. The action reminded me of so many other times he’d done the same thing, and I relaxed a bit.

“I remember, but it can’t be like that anymore. I’m with Noah, and I’m afraid that you won’t let up and accept it.”

Hunter sighed and looked straight ahead. When he spoke, his voice held a tone of defeat that made me suddenly sad.

“I’m sorry I’ve pushed you to be with me. I just couldn’t help it. I’ve had this feeling all along that we’re meant to be together— Guess I was wrong. I won’t bother you anymore if that’s what you want.”

My heart was greedy. Even though I knew it was wrong to keep Hunter on standby, I didn’t want to lose him. When I glanced at the side of his face looking so depressed, I needed to comfort him.

Reaching out, I touched his cheek lightly with the back of my fingers and said, “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

Too quick for me to pull away, he turned and wrapped his arms around me. He did no more than hug me tightly, and the warmth and security of his hold felt good.

Letting him continue to embrace me, I pressed my face against his chest.

“I know you didn’t mean to make me fall in love with you. It was my fault that I ever thought I could rid your mind of Noah,” he said quietly.

I pulled back to look up at his frown and felt a sharp sense of loss myself.

“I do have feelings for you, Hunter. I don’t want you to think I don’t. It’s just that it’s not the same as what’s between me and Noah.”

When he sighed, I looked at him, and he said, “Are you happy to be back in Meadowview?”

Was I happy? I didn’t even know my own feelings anymore. The fear of being pregnant was even worse now that Noah wanted to wait before bringing our relationship out in the open. I could understand his reasons, even though I didn’t like them. I didn’t have room to be worrying about Constance’s feelings. I couldn’t afford to be generous at this point in my life, not with a baby to think about.

The pressure inside of me began pushing outward, and I suddenly felt as if I couldn’t keep it in any longer. Hunter had helped me get a grip on my emotions before—maybe he could do it again.

“It doesn’t really matter where I live now,” I whispered, staring straight ahead.

“I thought you’d be ecstatic to be so close to Noah.”

I hesitated and remained silent.

“Look, I’m not mad or anything. I really want you to be happy...and I hope we can remain friends.”

Hunter’s voice was sincere, and when I glanced at his face, I couldn’t keep the secret any longer.

I blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”

Hunter’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. I watched him turn away and take a breath before he faced me again. Seeing that his expression was neutral gave me confidence that I hadn’t made a mistake telling him.

“What is Noah going to do about it?

Realizing that I’d just told Hunter about the baby before Noah, I felt a stab of guilt. But the slight tremor of anger toward Noah for proposing to Constance still heated my insides, and I pushed aside the troubling thought.

“He doesn’t know yet.”

“What? How come you haven’t told him? You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone,” Hunter said harshly, his voice rising.

“Shhh, my dad doesn’t know about it, either. Just Sam, Summer and Justin.” I paused, catching my breath. “Justin figured it out on his own, but Sam and Summer were with me when I took the tests.”

“You still haven’t told me why Noah doesn’t know yet.”

I fidgeted for a second, worrying what Hunter would think about my relationship with Noah when he knew the truth.

“I was going to tell him tonight, but I just couldn’t. He has our future planned out in his head, and a baby isn’t part of it right now.”

“What do you mean? I’m sure he’d be thrilled if you’re pregnant. Then he has you trapped forever.”

Fire swelled in me. I sat up straighter and said, “I’m not trapped. I can still make my own decisions.”

Hunter groaned. “That may be true to an extent, but Noah’s part of the equation, and he’ll use the situation to make sure you never leave him.” He stared at me with a deep frown and said, “How could you let this happen? Now you have no choice but to become Amish.”

I wanted to be with Noah, more than anything. Even if I had to become Amish to do it. But then why did what he’d just said make my belly do a somersault? Were my choices really gone?

Reading my mind, Hunter’s voice softened when he said, “I guess you don’t have to become Amish if you don’t want to. You don’t even have to raise the baby. There are other options.”

I looked at him questioningly, and he said, “My cousin gave her baby up for adoption.”

The subject of other options for my pregnancy hadn’t come up with Summer or Sam. I think they just assumed that I would keep the baby...and so had I. I understood why some girls would choose to go that route, but the thought of giving the child I created with Noah away made the bile rise from my already queasy stomach.

I swallowed down the hot juices and muttered, “I’m keeping my baby. How could you suggest such a thing?”

“I hate to think of you in this situation. You’re still important to me and this pregnancy changes everything.” He paused and lowered his voice. “You’re going to have to tell your dad about this. It’s too important not to.”

“That’s what Sam says.”

“He’s right. I’m sure you’re afraid to and all, but he’s a doctor. He’ll understand better than most parents.”

I shook my head. “He’ll be devastated...and he’ll probably ship me back to Cincinnati to live with Aunt Debbie. I need to get some things straightened out with Noah before I tell Dad.”

“When do you plan to let Noah in on it?”

“Sam thinks I should do it right away, but Summer wants me to wait. She thinks that I need more time to decide about the whole Amish thing...and to be honest, I’m not sure that I want to be Amish anymore.”

Hunter was quiet for a minute and so was the house. I listened for any sign that Summer and Sam might be arguing, but heard nothing. The only noise was the wind rattling the window every so often.

“If you aren’t absolutely certain about the course you want your life to take, then give it a little more time to decide.”

“You really think so?”

Hunter put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulders softly. I rested my head in the crook of his arm.

“If you decide to take care of the baby on your own, you’ll have support from your family and friends. And, from me— It doesn’t make a difference that it’s Noah’s child. I’ll be there for you one hundred percent no matter what you decide.”

As I listened to his heart beat against my cheek, I was more confused than ever.