CHAPTER 02: BABY BOUND

JADA'S POV

My hands were shaking as I stared at two lines on the pregnancy test. A tear rolled down my cheek, and a heavy pressure settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I was pregnant.

Deep down, I already knew I was. All the signs were there, but I still hoped.

I hoped the test would say I was wrong.

Hoped this wasn't real.

A shaky breath left my lips as another tear rolled down my face.

I wasn't ready for this.

It wasn't that I hated the idea of having a baby. I didn't. But how was I supposed to take care of a child when I could barely take care of myself?

I worked long shifts at a hotel I could never afford to stay in. My bank account was always close to empty even after getting paid. I had student loans, credit card debt, overdue bills, and stress that never seemed to end.

And now I was pregnant by a man whose name I didn't even fucking know.

What kind of a sick joke was this?

A broken sob escaped me as I buried my face in my hands. The test slipped through my fingers and fell down somewhere on the tile floor.

"Jada." Mani said from behind the door, knocking softly. "Jada? I'm coming in."

The door opened and I looked up just enough to see her expression change the moment she noticed the pregnancy test sitting on the floor. Her face fell and I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. Mani quietly closed the door behind her and walked over to me.

"Oh, Jada..."

That was all it took.

I broke down crying.

Mani immediately wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly while I cried against her shoulder.

"I can't do this," I whispered through sobs. "I seriously can't."

"Hey, hey," she said softly, rubbing my back. "Breathe first, okay? Just breathe."

"What am I going to do, Mani?" I cried, gripping her tightly. "I'm broke and I don't even know the name of the man responsible for this."

That was what devastated me the most.

I felt embarrassed and stupid for the way I just opened my legs for a complete stranger.

I had never done something like that before in my life. If anything, I hate hookups. I always preferred genuine emotional connection before I even considered getting intimate with someone.

But I foolishly decided to go against my morals.

And now, look at the consequences.

Mani pulled back slightly. "Is it that guy from Miami?"

I nodded weakly. "Yes."

"Didn't you two use protection?"

"I don't know. I don't remember." I muttered, shame eating me up inside. "God, I'm so fucking stupid."

Mani shook her head. "No, you are not. You didn't know this would happen."

"I'm not on birth control, Mani. Of course, I should have known I could get fucking pregnant." I snapped at my best friend even though she didn't deserve it.

But I couldn't help it.

I was getting frustrated. I was embarrassed, terrified, angry, and panicking. All the emotions crashed into me at once. It felt like my thoughts were spinning too fast for me to keep up with.

My chest tightened again, and suddenly breathing felt impossible.

"Jada, hey," Mani said gently, holding my arms. "Look at me. Jada, look at me."

I kept shaking my head.

"I ruined my life." I whispered in despair.

"No, you didn't."

"I did, and I'm going to ruin an innocent baby's life too."

"No, you won't." Mani said firmly. "A baby is scary, yes. Unexpected? Definitely. But your life is not ruined."

Tears kept sliding down my face.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do now."

"Right now?" My best friend said softly. "Right now, you're supposed to calm down and we are going to try to think clearly about this."

Mani grabbed a tissue from her pocket and handed it to me before sitting down beside me on the cold bathroom floor.

"We'll figure this out, I promise," she said softly. "You're not alone in this, okay?"

I looked at her and wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

All I could feel was love and gratitude for Manila in that moment.

Ever since we met in college, she had always been there for me. Through every problem, every heartbreak, every stupid mistake, she never left my side. We fought sometimes, sure, but somehow we always found our way back to each other.

She was the kind of best friend people prayed for.

Loyal. Caring. Protective.

Even if she could be a complete bitch sometimes.

I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes for a second. My chest still felt tight, but at least I could breathe again.

"I hate myself for this," I admitted quietly.

Mani immediately shook her head. "Don't say that."

"But it's true."

"No, it isn't." She turned to face me properly. "You made one mistake, Jada. One. That doesn't make you a bad person."

I stared down at my shaking hands.

"I've given my parents yet another reason to feel even more disappointed in me."

Mani frowned, her jaw clenching.

Talking about parents was always a sensitive topic for her. She carried deep scars from her own family, even if she rarely spoke about them.

"Who gives a fuck what your parents think?" she muttered.

"I do," I whispered.

My voice cracked, and I hated how weak I sounded.

"They already think I can't get my life together. First dropping out of college, then struggling to keep up with bills, and now this?" I laughed bitterly. "Pregnant by a stranger. They're going to look at me like I'm a complete fool."

Mani rolled her eyes.

"Parents always think they know what's best for you," she said. "But half the time, they're just projecting their own expectations onto your life."

I stayed quiet because deep down, part of me knew she was right. My parents loved me, but their love always felt conditional. It always depended on whether I was making them proud or not. And lately, all I ever seemed to do was disappoint them.

"I don't understand why people care so much about the opinions of people who don't give a flying fuck about them," Mani muttered as she pushed herself up from the floor. "Could never be me."

She held her hand out toward me.

"Come on. We should get back to work before Spitfire starts looking for us. "

I let out a tired sigh.

Spitfire aka Ms. Baron was the strict General Manager at the hotel. The woman acted like smiling would physically kill her.

I nodded and grabbed Mani's hand, letting her pull me to my feet. The second I stood up, dizziness slammed into me hard. The room spun for a moment, and I stumbled slightly.

Mani quickly grabbed my arm. "Whoa. Easy."

"I'm fine."

"You look like you're about to pass out, Jada."

"I said I'm fine," I muttered weakly.

She gave me a look that clearly said she didn't believe me.

"Okay," she said slowly. "But be careful."

Mani bent down, picked up the pregnancy test from the floor, and tossed it into the trash beside the sink. The sound of it hitting the bin made my stomach twist.

It was strange how something so small could change my entire life in seconds.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I couldn't believe there was really a baby inside me. A tiny human being. It was hard to process it.

"Jada."

I looked at her.

"You are going to be okay," Mani said firmly, like she needed me to believe it. "Maybe not immediately but you will be okay. I promise you."

Tears burned my eyes again.

I wanted to believe her so badly.

I just didn't know how.

♧♧♧

The next morning, I was still lying in bed when Mani stepped into my room with her bag hanging over her shoulder.

"Did you call in sick?" she asked.

I nodded and turned onto my side. "Yeah. Spitfire wasn't too happy about it. She kept complaining about how she needs everyone at the hotel today because the Sterling family is arriving."

"Screw her," Mani said. "You're sick. She'll survive one day without you."

I let out a weak laugh.

I felt worse today. My body was tired, my stomach felt strange, and my head wouldn't stop hurting.

I couldn't go to work feeling like that.

Mani walked farther into the room and sat at the edge of my bed.

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked softly.

"Not really."

How could I sleep when my mind would not stop spinning?

I felt like my head was going to fucking explode at some point.

I rubbed my face tiredly.

"I can't stop thinking about it," I admitted quietly. "And I'm trying to remember anything about him."

"You're planning to find him?"

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Where would I even start?"

She shrugged slightly. "Yeah, Miami is huge."

"And who's to say he's even from there?" I muttered. "Maybe he was just visiting too."

"That too." Mani sighed. "But if you decide you want to look for him, we'll try. It just won't be easy."

I nodded slowly and leaned back against my pillow, closing my eyes for a second.

"I feel sick."

"You probably need to eat something."

"My stomach says no."

"Your stomach doesn't get a vote anymore," she said. "You have to take care of yourself now."

I nodded again.

She was right.

It wasn't just about me anymore. No matter how I felt about this at the moment, I still had to take care of myself.

For the baby too.

Mani stood up from the bed and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"I should get going now. Do you need anything before I leave?"

I thought about it for a second before nodding slowly.

"Can you buy me another pregnancy test on your way back?"

Mani stared at me for a few seconds like she couldn't believe I was still doubting it.

I looked away awkwardly.

I knew I was being stubborn, but part of me still hoped maybe the first test was wrong.

Maybe all of this was some terrible mistake.

"There is no harm in checking again," I mumbled quietly.

Mani shook her head, sighing. "Okay."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."