The Date

I wish I could say I remembered the weeks that followed Molly’s departure, but it was just a blur. I can’t remember if I ate or even left the bed. I don't know if I spoke to anyone but Scott.

Scott went above and beyond during this time. He rarely left my side, and when he had to, he always told me when he would be back. Then he stuck to that time limit.

I don’t remember those days very well. But I do remember the day I got up out of bed.

I stared sightlessly out the window as the clouds slowly crossed the morning sky. In my head, I was lost in the memories of every moment I spent with Noah, no matter how wonderful or painful that time was. My numb mind and body wished to feel something to prove I was still alive.

The sight of the date caught my attention. For some reason, it triggered the memory of when we were in the shower. Something about that whole moment bothered my less than sharp mind. Noah had been concerned about putting me at risk… about protection. Surely nothing we had done had really risked anything. But my vague recollection of Health class and all of their warnings did not feel adequate enough to settle my suddenly jumpy nerves.

Unfortunately, their advice had echoed my mother’s, and their preachy abstinence rants did not help the growing feeling as I stared at the date. My severely lacking sex education and extremely limited knowledge did not leave much to go on.

I used to rely on Molly to answer my random questions that would pop up. But that was not going to happen any time soon.

“God, I wish Molly was here,” I murmured as I finally pushed myself upright.

“Me too,” came Scott’s voice from the doorway.

I looked over at him, then at the clock, and saw he had been gone exactly the thirty minutes he had promised.

“I'm glad to see you're sitting up, Becca,” Scott said as he brought in the tray of food.

He set the tray on a small table beside the bed, then sat next to me and handed me a cup of coffee.

“How are you doing?” he asked as he always did.

It always seemed like a stupid question to me. A feeling that I had stated multiple times to him. But Scott would just give me a shrug and wait for my answer, even if I didn’t want to give him one. Usually, it was a snide comment about me still breathing. Scott, to his credit, would accept it as if he understood where I was coming from and felt it too.

Today I had no idea how I was feeling. But I knew what I was thinking about. The only problem I saw was I would have to ask someone my questions. The very last thing I wanted to do was to ask Scott my burning questions about sex. But I didn’t see that I had a choice. My eyes caught on the date again, and I had to remind myself that time was not stopping for me.

“Scott—” I began, but had to stop before I swallowed my tongue.

“Yes?” he prompted.

I could feel his gaze on my face, but I refused to look up. “I… umm… I was wondering if… a man has to… completely… ummm… inside a woman for her…for her too….”

The bright red flush of embarrassment coated my cheeks, and my stuttering tongue made it impossible for me to finish my question. But as I spoke, I felt Scott’s gaze getting sharper and sharper until I thought it would burn a hole in my head. I knew that he understood my questions even if I couldn’t finish them.

“There are very few 100% fool-proof methods to keep a woman from getting pregnant, Becca. Is something going on that would make you worry that you might be?” Scott asked me cautiously.

I was trembling with anxiety and fear, but the slow, steady, calm voice that he was using went a long way in helping me.

“I-I don’t know. I th-think so. But I really don’t know,” I admitted.

“Well, what is causing you to worry about it now?” Scott questioned gently.

I nodded towards the calendar. “I think… I think that I’m a few days late.”

I finally plucked up my courage to look him in the face and saw a barely controlled anger boiling under the surface. I reeled away and immediately began to apologize. But Scott just laid his hand on mine and shushed me.

“Becca, none of what has happened is your fault. Noah is the one I’m pissed at. He has failed in most, if not all, the most basic duties as your Dom. This is just proof that he is being insanely irresponsible. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. But I swear by all that is holy and unholy that if Noah has gotten you pregnant on top of everything else, I’ll rip his balls off and shove them—” Scott broke off. “Never mind, let’s just get you a test, and then we will make plans for mutilations later, alright?”

What Scott said was so Molly-esque that it brought tears to my eyes and made my heart twist as I missed her that much more.

I grabbed his hand before he walked away. “Scott, you don’t have to do this. I can handle this on my own,” I told him.

I wanted to reassure him that I wasn’t his responsibility, even though I had no idea how I would go about doing that. I would figure it out, though.

Scott squeezed my hand. “Becca, as your friend, I want to be there for you. As a Dom, I can’t stomach the idea of you being left rudderless and so vulnerable. It’s just not right. I don’t mind helping you anyway. You need someone, but honestly and selfishly, so do I.”

His words startled me. It had never occurred to me that Scott needed anything. This whole time he had been so helpful, kind, and attentive. It had felt as if that had been all for me. The idea that he had NEEDED someone to care for had never crossed my mind.

“I’m so sorry, Scott,” I apologized guiltily. “I’ve been so caught up in my own misery.”

Scott sat back down and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, giving me a tight squeeze.

“You are doing just fine, Becca. Being able to care for you has helped me greatly and was exactly what I needed. It’s sweet of you to worry about me. But for now, let’s just get you taken care of, okay?”

I gave him a pointed look of disapproval. “You need to take care of yourself as well.”

Scott chuckled. “I will, I promise. But you first.”

I nodded. “But as soon as we find out, one way or another, I want you to keep your promise. It’s not just me that’s hurting.”

Scott looked away as if he couldn't stand that I could see his pain. I couldn’t hide the weak smile that popped up on my face. Stubborn, stubborn, Dom. I thought with a shake of my head. I knew that if I didn’t push him, he wasn’t going to do it.

“Promise me,” I demanded, gently bumping my shoulder with his.

Scott pulled away. “We’ll work on it together.”

I knew that was as close to him agreeing to my terms as I could get, and I wasn’t going to press my luck.

Scott got up and headed towards the door. “I’ll be back in an hour.”