Tied - Part Three (The Tied Series) by Ellen Callahan Read Free Book Online Page B

Patrick that evening was cut short. Ironically, he had to get home to watch his kids. I met him in Grand Central Station so we could talk for a few minutes while he waited for his train.
     
    The landmark building always stressed me out more than it should have. It seemed like there was a constantly flowing sea of people moving smoothly in every direction, and I was always swimming upstream. For me, walking through the wide halls was like trying to follow a rhythm but constantly missing a beat. Constantly getting pushed, bumped, jostled.
     
    Patrick swam through with no problem.
     
    “Have you told him?” he asked right away. We’d settled on a bench near his platform and shared a black-and-white cookie. I wasn’t hungry but I was glad to have something to do with my hands.
     
    “No,” I said, “I want to wait until I see the doctor. I have an appointment in a couple days.”
     
    “Good.” He patted my knee. “No need to panic before then. And no need to panic after. You have options.”
     
    I scoffed. “Like what? Move back in with my mother?”
     
    “Options that include not having it. Not keeping it. And so on.” He sighed. “Of course I know you too well. Those aren’t really options at all.”
     
    I rested my hands on my abdomen - still flat, of course, but I could imagine what was going on. What was growing. “Afraid not.”
     
    The train’s wheels shrieked as it pulled into the platform. “You should go,” I said, “Thanks for meeting with me.”
     
    “Sorry it had to be so short. You can call me when I’m home, but Katherine…” He rose and stood before me, looking down with a stern expression. “You’re strong and you know it. You’ve got this. You’ll figure it out, and you know I’ll be here to help.”
     
    “I know. Thank you.”
     
    He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. That was a little more affectionate than normal for him, and I blinked back up at him. “Everything will work out,” he said.
     
    I watched him go. He sounded a lot more confident than I felt, but I took his words to heart. Whatever happened, I had him at my back. And Alexa, I reminded myself. Which included Mallet. And hopefully Lockett. Hopefully.

CHAPTER 7
     
    I wandered through the days leading up to my doctor’s appointment in a daze. Round and round my head spun - I should tell him. I should tell my sister.
     
    Instead, I wound up spilling to the last person I should have told.
     
    “Sorry I’m late!” I was working at the library two days before my appointment when I saw Whitney again. Her son was the last one left at the end of the day and I volunteered to wait with him until his mother showed up.
     
    “It’s no problem,” I said, “Brandon was a pleasure.”
     
    “Mmm, no need to be nice, I know what a devil he can be.”
     
    “Mom! I was good! Tell her!” He tugged on my skirt.
     
    “He was very good,” I said, “We finished up all of his homework, right?”
     
    “Even the math,” he said, grinning a gap-toothed grin.
     
    I watched Whitney help him into his jacket. “How do you do it?” I blurted.
     
    “Do what?” she asked, straitening back up.
     
    “I’m sorry, I just assumed that you’re a single mom…”
     
    “Oh!” She laughed. “Not exactly. Brandon’s father is in the picture. It’s tough coordinating our time, though.”
     
    “And you look so perfect on top of all of that!” I said, gesturing at her shiny hair in particular. “I don’t mean to be nosy,” I said, “I just wondered. It seems so hard. Holding a job, taking care of him, still making time for the fights...”
     
    She shrugged. “You make it work. I have help. My mother lives closeby.”
     
    “Are we gonna see grandma tonight?” Brandon asked. Whitney ruffled his hair.
     
    “Why do you ask?” she asked me, raising an impeccable eyebrow. I looked away, and she gasped before I could conjure up a good reason - for a friend! For a parent of a student! Anything!