Ring Around A Posy
The cell rang and Annika looked at it as if it were a poisonous snake, ready to bite her. The cell rang again and Annika’s hand moved slowly towards it, almost of its own violation.
“Hello?” Annika spoke cautiously.
“Could I speak to Annika please?” a cheerful voice asked.
“This is she.”
“Annika, it’s Doctor Miles. I have the results of your tests.”
“Yes?” Annika asked even more cautiously.
“The test results came back positive. Congratulations, you’re pregnant!”
“Thank you,” Annika replied woodenly and Doctor Miles either doesn’t hear her tone of voice or chooses to ignore it but by the time Annika hangs up the phone she’s got an appointment to see an obstetrician, and a list of things to do.
Her cell phone on the bed next to her, Annika stayed curled up for the next few hours. After Doctor Miles’ call, Detective George contacted her with new information and it’s this that made her ignore Alex’s phone calls (he’s called five times in the last two hours and left that many voice mail messages).
Steve - the guy who drank too much at parties, flirted with her too much at those parties, smoked too much every time else, accidentally cc’ed his flirty e-mail to everyone in the office, someone whom Annika thought genuinely cared about her was the prime suspect in her stalker/burglary case. But appearances can be deceiving and Steve had managed to pull the wool over Annika’s eyes most thoroughly.
And Alex…Annika brought her hand up to her face as a half laugh - half sob escaped her. What was she going to say to him? Here she was throwing two life-alternating items at him and they were still trying to figure this dating thing out. There were times when they were out on dates where she had to fight down the instinct to call him Mr. Howell. But yet, she was having his baby and Steve was stalking her and both of those had the potential to bring down the company and ruin Alex. The last thing she wants to do is hurt Alex in any way.
But Alex was calling her again and Annika knows in order to protect him, to save him she can’t answer.