#Chapter 139: Protecting the Baby

I still hadn’t decided what to do, even by the night before the qualifying exam. I skipped all of the cheerleading practices, taking time to rest as Nancy had suggested. She hadn’t been pleased by my lack of commitment to quitting the qualifying exam. Neither had Asher, though he hadn’t openly said anything. He sat with me now in my dorm room as the time for my final choice drew precariously near. I would have to decide by the morning. Did I risk the baby? Or did I let go of my dreams and accept that I would need to drop out of school? Asher was quiet most of the time he was with me. I knew he worried. With the way he kept glancing at my stomach, his preferred outcome was clear. “Asher,” I said, when I caught him looking again. “Sorry,” he said. “It’s your choice.” I wanted him to be honest with me. “If you had to choose…” He looked at me. “Are you sure you want me to answer that?” “I won’t be angry,” I said. He closed his eyes. “I’d give anything to keep that baby sa