The Test
923 Words
Ava’s studio smelled of turpentine and old coffee.
She locked the door behind her, leaning against it as if it could hold back the weight of the night before. The morning light filtered through the grimy windows, casting long shadows over half-finished canvases and crumpled sketches. Her easel stood in the corner, a half-painted portrait of a woman with stormy eyes—her eyes, though she’d never admit it.
She kicked off her heels, the movement sending a jolt of nausea through her. Too much scotch, she told herself. But the unease in her stomach had nothing to do with alcohol.
Ava pressed a hand to her abdomen, her breath hitching. No. No, no, no.
She hadn’t been careful. She’d been reckless, lost in the heat of Liam’s touch, the way his hands had mapped her body like he already owned it. And now—
Her phone buzzed. A text from her best friend, Mira.
Mira: You alive? You never texted last night. Did you sell a painting? Or did you finally rob a bank?
Ava’s fingers hovered over the screen. She should call Mira. She should laugh it off, pretend everything was fine. But the words wouldn’t come.
Instead, she dropped her phone onto the couch and stumbled into the tiny bathroom. The pregnancy test sat on the sink where she’d left it last night, still unopened. She’d bought it on a whim, her stomach churning with dread as she stood in line at the 24-hour pharmacy, the cashier’s judgmental gaze burning into her back.
Now, the pink-and-white box seemed to glow under the fluorescent light.
Ava ripped it open.
The instructions blurred. Pee on the stick. Wait three minutes. Simple. Clinical. But her hands shook as she followed the steps, her pulse roaring in her ears. She set the test on the edge of the sink and paced the length of the bathroom, counting the seconds under her breath.
One.
She shouldn’t be nervous. It was just a test. A negative result, and she could chalk last night up to a mistake, a blip in her otherwise carefully controlled life.
Two.
But what if it wasn’t?
Three.
Ava stopped mid-step, her breath catching. She didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Just stared at the test like it was a live grenade.
Two lines.
Positive..
The world tilted. She gripped the sink, her knuckles white, her reflection in the mirror a stranger’s—wide-eyed, pale, terrified.
“No,” she whispered. But the test didn’t lie.
A knock at the door made her jump.
“Ava?” Mira’s voice, muffled but insistent. “Open up. I brought coffee and a lecture about disappearing on me.”
Ava swallowed, her throat tight. She grabbed the test, shoving it into the pocket of her dress before splashing water on her face. The cold helped, grounding her. She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and opened the door.
Mira stood there, holding two steaming cups of coffee, her dark brows knitted in concern. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks.” Ava took the coffee, the warmth seeping into her fingers. “Rough night.”
Mira’s gaze sharpened. “Did something happen?”
Ava’s fingers tightened around the cup. “I slept with someone.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. Who? That guy from the gallery? The bartender?”
Ava shook her head, her stomach twisting. “No one you know.”
“Wait—” Mira’s expression shifted, her voice dropping. “Was it bad? Did he—?”
“No,” Ava cut in. “No, it wasn’t like that. It was…” Reckless. Life-changing. “Complicated.”
Mira studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “Okay. Sit. Talk.”
Ava perched on the edge of the couch, her coffee untouched. “I don’t even know his last name.”
“Ava.”
“I know.” She rubbed her temples. “It was stupid. I was stupid.”
Mira sat beside her, her voice gentle. “People do stupid things. It doesn’t make you stupid.”
Ava wanted to believe that. But the test in her pocket felt like a brand, a permanent mark of her mistake. She took a shaky breath. “Mira, I—”
Her phone buzzed again. She pulled it out, her heart stuttering when she saw the name on the screen.
Liam Carter.
Ava’s breath hitched.
Liam: You left something.
A photo. The silver bracelet, resting on his palm. His fingers were long, elegant. Dangerous.
Liam: I’m sending it to your studio. Be there in an hour.
Ava’s stomach dropped.
Mira leaned over, her eyes widening as she read the screen. “Oh, hell. That’s—wait, Liam Carter? As in, the Liam Carter? Billionaire, CEO, total asshole Liam Carter?”
Ava’s hands trembled. “Yeah.”
Mira’s expression darkened. “Ava, what the f*ck?”
“I know.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I know.”
Mira grabbed her shoulders, forcing Ava to meet her gaze. “You need to tell him.”
Ava’s vision blurred. “I can’t.”
“You have to.” Mira’s grip tightened. “This isn’t just about you anymore.”
Ava closed her eyes, the weight of the truth pressing down on her. She was pregnant. With Liam Carter’s baby. And he had no idea.
- Writer
