CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Bo sat on her bed.

The same one where she and Lauren had made love last night.

In less than twenty-four hours, her life had been turned upside down. 'This can't be happening,' she told herself silently.

She glared at her flat stomach.

She...

No!

"It can't be Dyson's," she said. But he was the only one she had slept with other than Lauren recently.

How could Lauren even look at her, let alone talk to her?

She had made a promise to Lauren: "No more Dyson."

She'd fed from Dyson that day to heal, out of life-saving necessity, and now she could be carrying a reminder of that decision inside of her. Now she questioned that decision. Would going to the hospital instead have been so bad?

She couldn't keep tormenting herself; what's done is done.

And now she had to deal with the consequences.

One of those being that Lauren would not stay with her.

How could she?

'I violated our relationship,' she berated herself. "I can't have this baby," she muttered. "I won't lose Lauren."

"Bo... can I come in please?"

Bo knew Lauren would come up eventually. She would have done the same. "Yeah," she replied.

Lauren slowly opened the bedroom door and noticed the bed was still unmade.

Memories of their evening together last night came rushing back to her.

Were those to be their last intimate memories?

Would she ever kiss Bo again?

Would she ever have another chance to hold her through the night?

To laugh with her?

To love her?

"Hi," Lauren said as she entered the room.

"Hey."

"So... um, Jacob is getting some vials ready so we can take blood samples and run the tests again. Just to be sure," Lauren explained as she approached Bo.

Bo nodded. She knew Lauren believed the results and was only doing this to reassure her. "Lauren... what are we going to do?"

Lauren sat down on the bed. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't want," Bo shook her head. "I want to stop hurting you," she answered.

"You didn't do this on purpose, we both know that," Lauren told her as she looked down at Bo's hand, fighting the urge to reach out and hold on to it for dear life.

Lauren needed a sign that they could get through this.

"Lauren..."

"Yes Bo."

"I... I understand if you don't want to or can't be with me anymore. I wouldn't blame you."

Lauren gasped. The thought had never crossed her mind. "Do you remember when you told me what happened? Between you and Dyson?"

"Yes," Bo whispered.

"I was so angry."

Bo looked at Lauren, saw tears cascading down her face and knew she was the reason for them.

"But I knew then and I know now... I love you with everything I am."

Bo's breath caught. This couldn't happen to her; she didn't deserve someone like Lauren.

"I love you so much and will stand by whatever decision you make," Lauren continued.

"Why Lauren? I don't understand," Bo asked wiping the tears from Lauren's cheeks with her thumb.

"This is something you'd thought about and something I had hoped for," Lauren laughed mirthlessly. "I just thought I'd play some part in it."

Bo's heart broke at Lauren's sorrowful reply.

"Bo, you have to tell Dyson..."

"No!"

"What?" Lauren asked surprised by Bo's response.

"I'm not going to tell him."

"Bo, he deserves to know," Lauren told her. She would not have Bo hide something this big from the shape shifter.

"If I hadn't been hurt, I wouldn't have had to..."

"If I had been enough, you wouldn't have had to," Lauren interjected. "It goes both ways Bo."

Bo looked down quickly. "I don't blame you," she said.

"Then how can you blame him?"

"You know," Bo got up off the bed. "Sometimes I wish you wouldn't be so noble all the time."

"Excuse me?" Lauren had no idea what Bo was talking about.

"You heard me. Stop acting like everything's alright when it isn't!"

Lauren got up and stood toe to toe with her girlfriend. "And how is it that you want me to act? Hmm?" Lauren cocked her head to the right. "What do you want me to do Bo? Should I fall to my knees and cry my eyes out because yet again Dyson has managed to get between us? Do you want me to strike out? Do you want me to leave and never come back? Do you? Have you any idea how much restraint it's taking for me to not go after him and cull him from the pack?" Lauren ranted, gasping for air.

Bo reached out.

"No," Lauren said brushing Bo's hand away. "Isn't this what you wanted?"