Overcoming Circumstances by Belinda Slider-Baker (best book club books of all time txt) 📖

into a ponytail.  Cooryn is right behind pulling my hair up, wetting a washcloth and rubbing my back.  He hands me the washcloth as soon as I am down throwing up.  I wash off my face.  He hands me a toothbrush and toothpaste.  I thought he was going to leave, but he didn't.  He told me I looked pale and should lie down.  I told him I needed to brush my teeth and pee.  I didn't move.  He said he would wait right there in the doorway to make sure I was okay. I told him I would be just fine, but he didn't listen.  So, I brushed my teeth and peed.  When I was pulling up my pants, I noticed his eyes glued to me.  The minute our eyes locked on each other, I knew I was in trouble.  

"Bly, are you pregnant?"  

"Why would you ask me that, Coor?"  

"Bly, answer the question." 

 I didn't answer the question.  I just walked right past him and opened up the door and walked out.  He was following me down the hall.  

"Damn it, Bly, what is wrong. Please come back and talk to me.  BLY."  

I just stopped and crumbled to the floor.  My stomach is cramping.  I am scared and start to cry out.  Cooryn picks me up and takes me back into his room.  He put me on the bed.  He is frantic.  

"Bly, are you pregnant, please I need to help you."  

"Yes, I am pregnant."  

"Have you been cramping any other time today?"

"No, I started when I left."  

"Are you cramping now?"  

"No."  

Coor comes over and pulls up my shirt.  He can see just a small little pouch.  

"When are you due?"  

"July."  

"So you are about four months pregnant then?"  

"Yes."  

Coor just freezes.  He looks at me.  

"We need to talk to Bly."  

"No we don't Coor.  I don't have the energy to talk."  

"Bly, who is the father?"  

"That is not important, Coor; it is none of your business."  

"If it is Thane's, then we need to call him." 

I just rolled over on the bed.  I just wanted to go to sleep.   I felt him rubbing my back and slowly drifted off to sleep.  When I opened my eyes, Cooryn was lying beside me looking right at me.  

"Hi beautiful."  

"Please don't say that Coor, I just can't handle that right now." 

"Sorry Bly, I was just trying to get you to calm down."  

"I called Thane.  He will be here very soon."  

"You did what?"  

"I called Thane.  I told him you were cramping.  He was freaking out on the phone.  He said he had a private jet and would land in the next town over at a private air strip."     

"Coor, you should not have done that."  

"Thane deserves to be here Bly.  I know you haven't been with anyone else.  You have only talked about him.  By the sound of his voice, did he know you were pregnant before I called him?"  

"Yes, he knows I am pregnant.  He has been a wonderful support person.  He goes to my appointments with me and everything."  

"Good, I am glad to hear that."  

"Why, why are you so concerned whether or not he steps up?"  

"Maybe he is like you and doesn't want a child."  

"Don't go there, Bly."  

"Yes, I am going to go there Coor and maybe Thane can't be a father."  

Cooryn never caught my words.  He never listened when I said Thane could never be a father.  He just kept going on and on.  I was about ready to ask him what he would do if this baby was his and there was a knock on the door.  

Cooryn went to the door and opened it up.  Coor invited Thane in, and he immediately was at my side.  He grabbed me and put me in his arms.  

"Blythe, are you okay honey?"  

Cooryn did not like it when he heard Thane call Bly ‘honey’.  He just sat there and listened to Blythe and Thane talk to each other.

"I got very sick and was throwing up.  Then I was leaving to go back to my room and fell to the ground in pain.  I was cramping really bad.  Thane, I thought I was, I was..."  

"No, you will not lose this baby Blythe.  Honey, listen to me.  I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure you have a strong healthy baby.  I would do anything for you honey.  Do you hear me?" 

 As tears stream down my face, I just nod my head yes.  Thane just held me in his arms and kissed my cheek.  It was really strange to be held by Thane, and Cooryn was sitting on the couch just watching us.  I needed to get out of Coor's room.  I had to before I told him the truth about the baby.

"Coor, I am going to go back down to my room.  Thank you so much for dinner.  I am sorry I freaked you out earlier.  I am sorry I didn't tell you in our previous conversations over the past few months that I was going to have a baby.  I was in shock first of all.  I never thought I would ever be able to carry another baby.  Oh, god, I can't lose my baby.  I can't lose my baby."  

By this time Cooryn was up and over to me as fast as he could.  He took me out of Thane's arms and put me in his own arms.  Thane politely stood up and moved out of the way.  Cooryn was looking down into my eyes.

"Bly, what happened to you with Tanner was not your fault.  He was the bastard that beat you.  You are being blessed, baby."  

He lowered his mouth to my lips and grazed my lips.  My lips grazed his back as well.  I truly love my best friend.  I was wrong to keep this from him.  

"I stood completely up and said I needed to use the bathroom."  

I knew in my gut that Thane was going to ask Cooryn something about children.  So, when I went into the bathroom, I didn't shut the door completely.  I wanted to be able to hear.

"Cooryn, can I ask you a question?" Thane asked.

"Yeah, sure."  

"Blythe doesn't go into detail about her two best friends, you and Marissa.  I know about you two.  She does tell me how much you two mean to her.  She talks about Marissa's little girl, Emmison all the time.  She has never said anything about you having a family.  Do you have a family?  I am only asking, because you called me when Blythe was not feeling well."  

"I felt Blythe needed you here.  If something was wrong with the baby, you deserved to be here with her, not me.  Plus, I will never get married nor have children EVER.  I grew up with a shitty home life.  I will never do that to a child ever."  

"What if you found the perfect girl that would give you the perfect family?"   Thane said in a whispered voice.

"It doesn't matter.  I could have already found the perfect girl, yet, I will never father a child, ever."  

"I guess you definitely know what you want, that is for sure."  

"Yes, I do.  I set up cancer research centers all over the world.  I don't have time or want to settle down with just one woman.  One time I thought I knew who the perfect girl was for me.  I knew it could never be.  We both wanted two different worlds.  I would never want a woman to give up her dreams.  I have two nice women friends who feel like I do when it comes to marriage and children.  They both don't want children.  Neither of them can have children, so we can have a no strings attached relationship when we are in the mood.  I know that might sound bad to you about me, but it is what it is."  

Thane then says: 

“I guess I would still be nervous, how do you know for sure they can't have children, how do you know they haven't lied about it?"  

"No matter what, I always wear protection with them.  Always.  One time we met up by chance at a nightclub.  I didn't go with Paxton, because I didn't have protection no matter how much she begged."  

"You are a much smarter man than Cooryn."  

"Thank you, Thane. I am glad you are taking great care of our Blythe.  Do you have a problem with Blythe and I being best friends?"  

"I don't have a problem with it at all."  

I had been sitting on the toilet listening to these two men talk back and forth.  Cooryn has made it bluntly clear about his life and what he does and doesn’t want in it.  He truly thinks that Thane is the father of my baby.  I can't tell him the truth.  I get up and walk out of the bathroom.

"I am ready to go, Thane."  

"Okay, honey, let's go."  

"Goodnight, Coor, thank you for coming to my old house today.  It was great to walk through it together.  I can't believe all the memories that came flooding back.  I will miss the house, memories, but most of all, I miss Granny.  She is never going to be able to see my baby."   

"She will see her Bly.  I am glad I came to see you too.  I will call you whenever I get where I am going.  I love you Bly.  Until next time, love and will miss you"  

"Until next time, love and will miss you too!"  

"Bye Cooryn." 

"Bye Thane."

Thane and I walk to the elevator.  As we get on the elevator, I break down like a total mess.  Thane just picks me up in his arms and soothes me like a baby.  As soon as the elevator opens, he gets my keycard out of my purse.  He opens the door.  He lays me on the bed.  He takes off my shoes.  He asked me if I wanted to take a nice hot shower.  I told him that would be great.  I went to get up, but I felt so weak.  He helped me into the bathroom.  He said instead of a shower, why don't I take a bath in the jetted tub.  I totally agreed with that.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Hell, Thane and I have only kissed a handful of times.  I knew he was scared to leave me alone in the bathroom.  I was scared to tell the truth.  

"Blythe, I am going to help you, is that okay?"  

"Yes, Thane, I truly need help. Thank you."  

Thane started running the water to the jetted tub.  He had me sit on a little bench that went with the vanity in the bathroom.  He took off my socks.  He then took off my shirt and bra and then my jeggings and underwear.  He was such a gentleman about it all.  Instead of letting me walk to the tub, he picked me up and placed me in the tub.  He said he wasn't sure if I wanted the jets on or not.  I told him to leave them off for now.  He immediately redid my hair, but put it in a bun instead.  I leaned forward to stretch my back, and Thane immediately took a sponge and started rubbing my back.  It felt like heaven.  

"Wow, I didn't realize how sore my back was until now." I said.  

He then sort of moved behind me as best as he could and tried to rub my shoulders.  I could have died and went to heaven.  He also massages my arms and legs.  He said I was very tense.  As he massaged, my body began to relax.  Finally, his hand found its way to my belly.  He hurried up and pulled away.  I grabbed his hand and placed it on my belly.  He just smiled so big at me.  All I could feel was fluttering and small movements.  The dr. said I could probably feel movement because of how thin I am.  Thane felt a flutter and froze.  He looked straight into my eyes.  Our eyes locked, and he said: 

"WOW".  

"I KNOW."  

He just kept looking into my eyes.  Finally without thinking he