Someone To Watch Over Me

Chapter Two

I spend lunch picking up a few belongings from home. Liam isn't there, thankfully. I know I should get to my afternoon classes, but the exhaustion, both mental and physical, is getting to me. I look at the key that Alex gave me. Maybe I should just call it a day. My brain isn't absorbing any additional information, anyway.

I look up the address on my phone and find out he lives somewhere off campus. Thankfully, it isn't too far off campus. A short bus trip and I am there. It feels weird entering an apartment of a guy I just met. In fact, it feels downright invasive. I don't even know his last name, but since beggars can't be choosers, I put the key in the lock and open the door.

The place is nice and well kept for a guy living on his own. I am forever picking up after Liam. It is a constant struggle to keep our place livable. I wonder how Alex can afford such a place on his own.

It's small, but comfortable. I, however, instantly notice a problem. There is only one other door, which means only one bedroom. William! What the hell did you get me into? Silently I curse him in my mind and then immediately feel guilty for doing so. I sit down on the sofa. "I guess I'll be sleeping here tonight."

My eyes drift over to Alex's bookshelf. He has an impressive number of books, most of which look like Manga comics. I stand up to get a closer look. I come across some titles I recognize. He has the complete series of One Piece, Dragon Ball (of course), and Naruto. He even has a nearly complete series of Astro Boy.

I am even more impressed when I pull one book off the shelf and discover it's written in Japanese. I carefully return it, not wanting to damage a collectible. It is then I see a picture of Alex. In fact, looking around, I see several pictures of Alex. A tad narcissistic, but the outfits he's wearing in them definitely confirm my suspicion of him being gay.

Again, I wonder if he and William have something going on. If they do, it can't be something serious, because William has never mentioned Alex. Of course, William sees himself as the playboy of the gay sector, often saying, 'I have too much love to give and see no reason I should limit myself in my selection to whom I give it to.' Still, it is odd since he said he trusted Alex so much, yet I never heard mention of him before.

I first met William during freshman year. He was going through something. He really wouldn't talk about it, but I noticed him missing time and falling behind, so I offered to help.

He never explained what caused his sadness, but he said he truly believed that without my help he would have failed out of college in his first year and maybe even failed out of life. I can't imagine life without William now. He is my best friend of all time, and I need friends now more than ever.

I call my OBGYN to set up an appointment. It normally takes about a month to be seen, but because I mention being pregnant, they push me ahead in the schedule.

Pregnant... it still feels strange to say. It all seems surreal.

They tell me to pick up some prenatal vitamins, so I set a reminder on my phone. My eyes feel so heavy, I give in and lie down on the sofa. I'm not sure how long I have been asleep, but the most delicious aroma is now beckoning me to open my eyes. I open them and sit up, startled, forgetting where I am for a moment.

"Not used to waking up in strange places, I see."

It takes a second for my brain to catch up as I turn on the couch to find a half-naked man cooking in the kitchen behind me. At least I am hoping Alex is only half-naked, as he is definitely not wearing a shirt, but the kitchen island between us blocks the rest of him.

He fixes two plates and turns to put them on the counter, but stops when he sees me looking at him.

He is a gorgeous, nearly naked man. Who has made me food? Well, that's different.