Lovers

False Alarm

Hello hello hello! Welcome to the first installment of Lovers, the third book in the Captivated/Together series. If you haven't read those yet, I'd highly suggest that you do. If you have, then welcome back! I'm super excited about this book and I hope you are all too. With that being said, we get right into the drama with this one, so let's go! Enjoy, and don't be afraid to leave a comment or vote. I love getting feedback from you all! Xxxx
-ab

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June 5, 2027

Harper

I sigh as I set down the little white stick on the counter in Patrick and I's bathroom. It makes a little noise upon hitting the marble countertop.

"Negative again," I inform him. "I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up. I'm sorry."

This is our second 'false alarm' in the six months that we have been trying to get pregnant. It's been six months of me, sitting around the house, unemployed. My vocal range has improved tremendously, and I've been working on my audition repitoire, of course, but I've not gotten to use it. We wanted to take this time off to have a baby. The plan was for me to start auditioning again in a few years, when our child was two or so.

"What do you think we are doing wrong?" Patrick asks me. "Do you think we should go to a fertility clinic?"

"I mean, if you want to, we can," I say, "but I think we could spend a few more months trying first. This shouldn't be so hard." I lean up against the bathroom wall and allow my body to fall down into a sitting position.

"We can try for a bit longer," Patrick tells me. He sits down next to me and I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to him. "I'm sorry that I can't make my body function properly."

"What?" he asks. "Harper, don't say that. That's not true at all."

"I can't get pregnant. I'm supposed to be able to do that."

"Maybe we aren't timing things right," he sighs. "Like, your tracker might be off. I don't know. Maybe right now just isn't quite right for this, and this is our sign."

"I don't know what it could be."

"It's alright. We can just try again next month, okay?"

"I was so sure that we had been successful this time."

"I know, but it's alright. We are alright. I love you, and you love me."

I smile at him. He's right. No matter what, we have each other's love. That's the most important thing of all.

"Now, what do you say we go get some gelato at that little place you like?"

"That sounds lovely," I tell him. I stand up and go to the sink, splashing some water on my face, then tossing the pregnancy test in the bin. I bury it under some used tissues, and tell myself that I'm going to forget about it. I really am. I'll be alright.

Both of us slip on shoes, then Patrick takes my hand and walks me down our street, towards my favourite little gelato place, called Oddono's. It's been my favourite ever since I lived in a little apartment, shared with my friends Nessa and Katherine, even before I did Les Miserables on the West End. I was attending the Royal Academy of Music.

It wasn't all that long ago, but it really does feel like it has been forever.

Patrick orders chocolate gelato, and I get strawberry, then we sit at a little table outside. We are on a side street from the main street of the area, and it isn't very busy, but very quaint and relaxing. Compared to the hustle and bustle of central London, Hampstead is very relaxing, and being on an uncrowded street such as this one is even better.

Even after we have finished our dessert, Patrick and I stay outside of a bit longer, relishing in the fresh air. I take deep breaths and savour this moment. He reaches his hand across the table and places it on top of mine.

We don't speak too much, but we don't need to. We both know how the other is feeling. We love each other more than anything, and we love spending time together like this.

At one point, I see Patrick pull out his phone to read a text, then look up at me.

"Taylor wants to know if we are free for dinner tomorrow. She says that she might have some new music to play for her biggest fan."

A smile spreads across my face. Recently, Taylor has been working on putting out an album that's set to be finished within the next year. She's taking the process slowly, as this is her first time going through the process while also being a mother.

Her original thought, when she first had Audrie, was that she would just put some of her feelings into songs and share it on a short EP, perhaps only five tracks or so, but she had so many feelings to get off of her chest, and she still does, that she decided to make it into a whole album.

She's been sharing her music with me, as she knows that I'm going to give her an honest opinion. As somebody who was a fan of Taylor Swift, long before she became Taylor, my sister-in-law and one of my best friends, she figures that I know better than anyone what her fans want to hear on an album. It means so much to me, that Taylor values my opinion, and I happen to think that everything she creates is beautiful, but there have been a few songs that have given me vibes that they wouldn't fit in with the mood that she's going for on the album, or whatever else the issue may be.

"Tell Taylor that I can't wait," I tell Patrick. He types into his phone, then sets it down on our table.

"Well, what do you think? Shall we be heading back home? It's going to be dark soon."

"That sounds good," I say to him. The two of us stand up, and Patrick intertwines his fingers through mine. As we walk back, looking at the sun setting on the day, I hum a song from The Phantom of the Opera lightly to myself.

Patrick squeezes my hand. "Cutie," he tells me. "Do you miss performing?"

"A little bit..."

"If you want to get back into the game, then you should just go for it. If you end up getting pregnant, then that's just going to be what happens. Your director will be understanding."

I smile at him. "I might see what I can do about that, especially in a few months."

He knows that I've been going a bit stir-crazy, having nearly nothing productive to do while sitting at home these last six months, but I've also enjoyed the break. I'm on a normal sleep schedule now. I've gotten quite good at cooking. Our house is cleaner than it has ever been.

There are both good and bad points to me being home, I suppose. It feels good to know that Patrick wouldn't be opposed to me going back to performing, though.