Waiting

But the beats were coming both faster and less regularly.

She wondered—which was going to explode first, her heart or her brain?

Then finally she heard her very last heartbeat, and the world dissolved.

CHAPTER ONE

Riley laughed when Ryan snatched the box of books away from her.

She said, “Just let me carry something, OK?”

“It’s too heavy,” Ryan said, carrying the box over to the empty bookshelf. “You shouldn’t be lifting it.”

“Come on, Ryan. I’m pregnant, not sick.”

Ryan put the box down in front of the bookshelf and brushed off his hands.

“You can take out the books and put them on the shelf,” he said.

Riley laughed again.

She said, “You mean you’re giving me permission to help move into our apartment?”

Ryan looked embarrassed now.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “It’s just that—well, I worry.”

“And I keep telling you, there’s nothing to worry about,” Riley said. “I’m only six weeks along, and I feel great.”

She didn’t want to mention her occasional bout of morning sickness. So far it hadn’t been very severe.

Ryan shook his head. “Just try not to overdo it, OK?”

“I won’t,” Riley said. “I promise.”

Ryan nodded and went back over to the pile of boxes yet to be unpacked.

Riley pried open the cardboard box in front of her and started putting books on the shelves. She was actually happy to be sitting still and doing a simple job. She realized her mind needed the rest more than her body did.

The last few days had been a whirlwind.

In fact, so had the last couple of weeks.

Her graduation with a psychology degree from Lanton University had been a crazy, life-changing day. Right after the ceremony, an FBI agent had recruited her for the bureau’s ten-week Honors Internship Summer Program. Right after that, Ryan had asked her to move in with him when he started his new job.

The amazing thing was that both her internship program and Ryan’s new job were in Washington, DC. So she hadn’t had to make a choice.

At least he wasn’t freaked out when I told him I was already pregnant, she thought.

In fact, he’d seemed delighted at the time. He’d gotten a bit more nervous about the idea of a baby in the days since graduation—but then, Riley felt plenty nervous about it herself.

The very thought of it boggled her mind. They were just getting started in their lives together, and they’d soon be sharing the greatest responsibility Riley could imagine—raising their own child.

We’d better be ready, Riley thought.

Meanwhile, she felt strange putting her old psychology textbooks onto the shelves. Ryan had tried to talk her into selling them, and she knew that she probably should …

God knows, we need every cent we can get.

Still, she had a feeling she’d be needing them in the future. She wasn’t sure just why or what for.

Anyway, the box also contained a lot of Ryan’s law books, and he hadn’t even considered selling any of them. Of course, he probably would be using them in his new job as an entry-level attorney in the DC law firm of Parsons and Rittenhouse.

When the box was empty and the books all on the shelves, Riley sat on the floor watching Ryan, who kept restlessly pushing and repositioning pieces of furniture as if trying to find the perfect place for everything.

Riley suppressed a sigh …

Poor Ryan.

She knew he really wasn’t happy with this basement apartment. He’d had a nicer apartment back in Lanton, with the same furniture they’d brought here—a pleasantly bohemian collection of secondhand items.

As far as she was concerned, Ryan’s stuff still looked quite nice here. And the little apartment didn’t bother her at all. She’d gotten used to a dorm room back at Lanton, so this place seemed positively luxurious, despite the covered pipes hanging over the bedroom and the kitchen.

True, the apartments on the floors upstairs were much nicer, but this one had been the only one available. When Ryan had first seen it, he’d almost refused to rent it. But the truth was, this was the best they could afford. They were already seriously overextended financially. Ryan had maxed out his credit card with moving expenses, the deposit on the apartment, and everything else they had needed for this momentous change in their lives.

Ryan finally looked over at Riley and said, “What do you say we take a break?”

“Sure,” Riley said.

Riley got up from the floor and sat down at the kitchen table. Ryan grabbed a couple of soft drinks from the refrigerator and sat down with her. The two of them fell silent, and Riley sensed right away that Ryan had something on his mind.

Finally Ryan drummed his fingers on the table and said …

“Uh, Riley, we’ve got to talk about something.”

This really does sound serious, she thought.

Ryan fell silent again, and he had a faraway look in his eyes.

“You’re not breaking up with me, are you?” she asked.

She was joking, of course.

But Ryan didn’t laugh. He seemed to have barely noticed the question.

“Huh? No, it’s nothing like that, it’s …”

His voice trailed away, and Riley felt really uneasy now.