Chapter 6

The clinic waiting room was too bright.

Everything smelled like disinfectant and coffee.

Mia sat beside me with both hands folded over her stomach.

We did not talk.

Not because there was nothing to say.

Because there was too much.

A nurse called her name.

Mia stood, then hesitated.

“You don’t have to come.”

“I know.”

She nodded and followed the nurse alone.

I stayed in the waiting room, staring at a poster about prenatal vitamins.

Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed.

Ethan.

I almost deleted it.

Then I opened the message.

I need to talk to you. Mia is lying about some things.

My hands went cold.

Another message came.

My mom says your dad has no right keeping Mia there. This is getting legal.

Then another.

You don’t want to be responsible for ruining a child’s life.

I laughed under my breath.

He was still doing it.

Still handing me guilt like it belonged to me.

I blocked him.

Then Linda Parker walked into the clinic.

I froze.

She wore sunglasses indoors and carried a designer purse like armor.

Ethan followed behind her.

I stood.

“What are you doing here?”

Linda removed her sunglasses.

“We were informed Mia had an appointment.”

“By who?”

She smiled.

“That’s not your concern.”

My stomach sank.

Sandra.

Mia’s mother had told them.

Ethan looked past me.

“Where is she?”

“With a doctor.”

Linda stepped closer.

“Good. We will wait.”

“No, you won’t.”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“Excuse me?”

I had no authority.

No legal right.

No friendship left strong enough to explain why I was standing between them and Mia.

But I stood anyway.

“She doesn’t want to see you.”

Ethan scoffed.

“You don’t speak for her.”

The exam room door opened.

Mia stepped out holding a folder.

She saw Ethan and stopped dead.

Linda smiled.

“There you are.”

Mia’s face went white.

“How did you know I was here?”

Ethan said, “Your mom told us. We’re worried.”

Mia looked at me.

I shook my head.

She understood.

Linda stepped forward.

“We need to discuss next steps.”

Mia clutched the folder.

“I’m not discussing anything with you.”

Linda’s smile thinned.

“You are eighteen, pregnant, unemployed, and living in another girl’s guest room. You should be grateful we are willing to help.”

Mia’s voice trembled.

“You don’t want to help me. You want control.”

Ethan looked annoyed.

“Mia, don’t start.”

Something changed in her face.

Maybe it was hearing him use that tone in public.

Maybe it was the baby.

Maybe it was finally realizing love should not feel like being managed.

She lifted her chin.

“I want a paternity test.”

Ethan blinked.

Linda’s expression sharpened.

“Of course.”

“And if the baby is Ethan’s, I want child support handled legally.”

Linda’s smile vanished.

“And custody will be discussed.”

Mia shook her head.

“No. I’m not agreeing to anything today.”

Ethan grabbed her elbow.

“Mia, stop acting crazy.”

I moved instantly.

“Let go of her.”

He glared at me.

“This is not about you.”

A deep voice behind us said, “Take your hand off her.”

My father stood at the clinic entrance.

I had never been so relieved.

Ethan let go.

Dad walked to my side.

Linda’s face tightened.

“Mr. Carter, you seem very invested in a situation that does not involve you.”

Dad looked at me.

Then at Mia.

“Funny. I see two girls being bullied in a clinic.”

Linda bristled.

A nurse approached.

“Is there a problem?”

Mia spoke before anyone else could.

“Yes. I don’t want them here.”

The nurse nodded.

“Then they need to leave.”

Linda looked shocked.

Ethan looked humiliated.

Good.

As they were escorted out, Ethan turned back.

“You’ll regret this.”

Mia did not flinch.

“Maybe,” she said. “But at least it’ll be my decision.”

After they left, she sat down hard.

I sat beside her.

Dad went to talk to the front desk.

Mia stared at the folder.

“There’s a heartbeat,” she whispered.

I said nothing.

She opened the ultrasound picture and handed it to me.

A tiny shape.

Small.

Blurry.

Real.

My throat tightened.

“I don’t know what to do,” she said.

“You don’t have to know today.”

She looked at me.

“That sounds like something your dad would say.”

“He’s annoyingly wise sometimes.”

For the first time in days, she almost smiled.

Then the smile fell.

“I ruined us.”

I looked at the ultrasound.

“You did.”

She nodded, crying quietly.

“I don’t know how to live with that.”

I handed the picture back.

“You start by telling the truth. Even when it makes you look bad.”

She wiped her face.

“Okay.”

That afternoon, Mia posted her own statement.

Not a dramatic one.

Not a perfect one.

She wrote that Ethan was the father to the best of her knowledge, that their relationship had started while he was still dating me, that I had not attacked her, and that I had helped her during a medical emergency despite being hurt by both of them.

The post went viral in our town within hours.

By evening, Linda Parker had deleted every comment.

By night, Ethan called Mia seventeen times.

She did not answer.

The next morning, the Parkers’ attorney sent a letter to our house accusing me and Dad of “emotionally influencing” Mia.

Dad read it at the kitchen table.

Then he smiled.

I did not like that smile.

“What?” I asked.

He slid the letter into a folder.

“They want lawyers?”

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He stood.

“Fine. We’ll get better ones.”