Chapter 1

2 MONTHS AGO

I groaned and hurried out of bed, reaching the toilet just in time to throw up the contents of my stomach. That chicken last night really got to me. It was probably spoiled, I thought as I washed my mouth in the sink. I took a deep breath and went downstairs to find my best friend, Rayna, eating my cereal.

"Ray, really? Don't you have a house?" I commented as I downed a glass of water. I sighed with content as my stomach settled.

"But mine isn't as nice as yours. Plus, you have more food than me." She said, stuffing her face. I grinned slightly at the sight. A pang of pain streaked through my stomach and I groaned, clutching it, waiting for the pain to pass. When I looked up, Rayna was looking at me with searching eyes.

"Are you okay, Ari?" She asked and I merely nodded.

"I'm fine, Ray. Just haven't been feeling well lately." She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you preggo?" I gasped.

"What? No!" I exclaimed. She held her hands up.

"Okay, just wondering. How long have you been feeling like this?" She asked, putting her elbows on the counter. I bit my lip, already knowing the answer.

"Uhh, just-um a couple of months?" It came out like a question and Ray's eyes widened.

"Arielle! You're totally pregnant!" I rolled my eyes and took out some eggs to make an omelet.

"That doesn't mean anything. I get sick like this sometimes." I cracked the eggs on the side of the pan and started to fry them.

"When's the last time you got sick like this?" She wondered. Before I could answer, the smell of the eggs made my stomach roll with nausea and I dropped the spatula and ran the the nearest bathroom, throwing up for the second time this morning.

After rinsing out my mouth, I walked back into the kitchen, eggs gone and spatula picked up. Rayna had her jacket on and in her arms were my coat and purse.

"Let's go to the doctor." I shook my head, not wanting to go.

"Rayna, there's no point. I'll be fine soon. I don't need a doctor." I argued and she sighed.

"Okay, if you're not pregnant, then you have nothing to worry about." I glared at her, knowing she was right. She grinned smugly when I ripped my jacket and purse away from her, walking out the door to my brilliant blue Lamborghini.

"Only because I love you, Ray." I commented as I drove to the nearest clinic. This is crazy. I'm not pregnant. I'm only doing this to appease Rayna. I parked in the spot closest to the clinic and we walked inside. Not many people were there since it was early in the morning, which I was thankful for.

The paparazzi seemed to always find where I was, mainly because people would take pictures of me and send it to them, giving them my location. And I definitely didn't want them to see me at a clinic. The rumors that would spread...I shook my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts.

I walked up to the counter. "Hello, I'm here to get a...um pregnancy test." I told the receptionist. She handed me a clipboard with some paperwork to fill out. I sat back down next to Ray and filled it out. I gave it back and waited for the doctor.

"What are you gonna do if you are pregnant?" Rayna asked and I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about that.

"I'm not pregnant so I'm not worrying about it." I told her, but also trying to convince myself. If I was..no I'm not going to think about that. Rayna shot me a look, but didn't say anything else.

"Arielle Fortunato?" A nurse called out and I stood up.

"Is it okay if my friend comes with me?" I asked, and she nodded. Rayna followed me to one of the rooms in the back.

"The doctor will be here shortly." The nurse smiled and I nodded, suddenly nervous. We waited for about ten minutes before a male doctor, who seemed to be in his fifties, entered the room. He adjusted his glasses as he read my name on the form I had filled out.

"Hello ladies. My name is Dr. Drew. So Arielle. You're here for a pregnancy test?" He looked at me.

"Yes, but not because I want to be here. My friend here thinks I'm pregnant, which I'm not, so I'm just taking it to shut her up." I answered and he smiled.

"Maybe she did the right thing. Alright, normally we don't give options, but I'll let you pick. Do you want a blood test or a urine test?" He asked.

"Can I get both?" I asked, warily. I wanted to make sure I did everything in my power to get the right results back. Dr. Drew chuckled.

"Of course. Let me draw your blood and then you can take this cup to the bathroom in the hallway." After sticking a long ass needle inside my arm, I went to the bathroom and peed in the clear cup.

"Disgusting." I murmured as I put the cup through the little cabinet/hole above the toilet and washed my hands. I walked back to the room to see that Rayna was the only one in there.

"So, how are you feeling?" She asked, putting her chin in her hand, leaning forward.

"I feel good, creep. Just want to hurry up and get the tests so I can get the hell out of here." She shrugged and we waited for twenty minutes. As I started to get anxious, Dr. Drew came back with multiple papers in his hand. He had a neutral facial expression, so I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He sat down in front of me and put his hands on his knees.

He didn't speak at first and I got impatient. "Well?" I asked, wanting to know the results.

"I'm sorry Miss. Fortunato, but you're pregnant." I felt as if the wind was knocked out of me. What? How could I be pregnant? I hadn't had sex with anyone since....Then it dawned on me.

"How far along am I?" I whispered, not trusting my voice. I felt as if someone was squeezing the air out my lungs. This couldn't be happening.

"According to the two tests, about two months." Two months. It has been two months since I had sex.....with Daxton King. Unprotected. I closed my eyes and then opened them again. "Does that line up with....the last time you-"

"Yes. It does." I interrupted him, not wanting him to finish. I couldn't believe I was pregnant with Dax's baby. He had broke it off with me the day after we had sex, saying he didn't want to commit to a relationship. We had been dating for months and the publicity was eating it up. They went ballistic when they found out we broke up, saying he only wanted me for sex. Which was one hundred percent true.

He nodded and looked at me with a sad expression, knowing I didn't want to be pregnant. Now that I knew, I had to own up to it. "Can you, um, be my doctor for when I come for my checkups...and stuff?" I asked, fiddling with my fingers. His face lit up.

"Of course I will. If you have any questions, please contact me. I'm available anytime." He handed me a card and stood up. I put my jacket back on and thanked him as I left, Rayna following closely. We didn't speak the entire ride back, even when I hung up my coat and threw my purse on the sofa.

"Ari?" Rayna called my name hesitantly, sitting next to me on the couch. I looked at her, not knowing how to feel. I was still in shock. I'm pregnant. There's a life growing inside of me. "Who-Who's the father?" She asked.

"Dax." Her eyes widened with shock.

"Daxton? Like THE Daxton? I thought you guys always used protection." She said, turning her whole body to me, wanting the juicy details.

I groaned. "That one time, we didn't. We were kinda....too distracted to think about that. I don't think he even realized that we didn't use protection."

"Then how did you realize it? Weren't you to riled up in your passionate lovemaking to think about that?" I blushed at her comment.

"When I woke up....he was still inside me." Rayna got off the couch and ran around the living room, screaming.

"Oh my goddddddd! You dirty little whore!" She shrieked, smiling like a maniac. I smiled back and shook my head. She always lived through my sexual escapades.

"I don't think I'm gonna tell him." She stopped in her tracks.

"What? Why not? He deserves to know." She said, sitting back down, but still bouncing.

"Hello? It's Daxton, man-whore of the century. He's not fit to be a parent." I said, laying my head down.

"Sure. Whatever you say." Rayna said, laying her head down next to mine. I closed my eyes, thinking about how I was going to deal with having a baby. I was so not ready.

***

TODAY (2 1/2 MONTHS LATER)

"Rayna, you slut! Get your boyfriend out of my house. Or at least go to your side of the house, dammit!" I yelled, stepping over discarded clothes that belonged to my best friend and her boyfriend, Sam, of one year. Rayna moved in after we found out I was pregnant so she could take care of me, much to my chagrin.

"Sorry, babe. I'll pick up the clothes later." Sam kissed my cheek and I swatted at him. Ray laughed as she munched on my favorite cereal, Reese's Puffs.

"Stop eating my shit, bitch." I chucked a shirt at her head and entered the kitchen. She laughed and ducked, but it still hit her.

"Damn, feisty this morning, aren't you?" Rayna commented, throwing the shirt to the ground. I was not in the mood, at all. My back ached, my feet ached, hell my vagina ached. Damn pregnancy.

"Shut up." I muttered, searching my fridge for milk to put in my cereal. I could only drink soy milk because I'm lactose intolerant. "Ray, where's my milk?" She froze and looked at Sam, guilty.

"Uhhh, it's a really funny story." I glared at her and she held her hands up. "Okay, okay. There was no more regular milk and I really wanted some cereal."

I yelled, exasperated, and marched towards her. She grabbed Sam, using him as a shield.

"Wait, wait! I'll buy you some more, right now." She bargained and I stopped.

"Okay, slave. Go get it now. Right now!" I yelled, plopping onto the sofa and turning on the tv.

"Sam, will you do the honors?" Rayna asked, batting her eyelashes. Sam chuckled and kissed her. Barf.

"Sure. I'll be right back with your milk, Ari."

"Yeah, better hurry before I kill your girlfriend." He laughed, grabbed his keys, and headed out the front door. Rayna came and sat next to me. I ignored her and absently rubbed my visible baby bump. I was five months pregnant as of yesterday and I still haven't gone to see what the sex of my baby is. Deep down inside, I want Daxton there with me when I find out. But I know that was not happening.

"Soooo.....are you gonna go find out if it's a boy or a girl?" Rayna asked, cautiously, knowing I could blow up at anytime. But I was too exhausted to fight with her.

"No, not now." I don't know why I was delaying it, but I just didn't feel right going alone. My doctor knew about Daxton and how I felt about the situation.

"You should tell him." I knew exactly who she meant. I had been thinking about that since I found out I was carrying his baby, but I couldn't get the balls to tell him.

"I know." I sighed and decided that it wouldn't hurt to tell him that a mini him and me was popping out later this year. "I guess...I'll get it over with today."

She squealed and hugged me, but not squeezing too tight. "Can I come with you?"

"Definitely not. This is something I have to do alone."