Dancer Read Online Free PDF

better and quite elaborate. So far I'd had ten bad yeast infections and two especially crampy periods this month.
    I was afraid—with his body pressed to mine—he'd feel the hard slope of my pregnancy and think 'WTF is this?'
    No. That wouldn't be good.
    Either way I had to tell someone. If not I was going to explode. Other than Allison, someone else should know.
    Even though I vowed never to tell my parents, the only other option was to hide my flourishing gut, eventually give birth in my bedroom and then hand the squalling infant to Mom and Dad as I say, "Congratulations. The title of grandparents is hereby bestowed upon you. Enjoy this new bundle of joy."
    Yeah. It was high time to tell my parents. Then that problem would be out of the way.
    As the saying went: Easier said than done .

5
    I blurted the news just to get it over with.
    Too agitated to sit, I lingered by the foot of the stairs while Mom and Dad took their usual spots on the sofa.
    They gaped at me in silence. Silence so thick and troubling that I heard my own heart hammering.
    "You can't even take care of yourself—let alone a helpless baby." Dad raised from the couch, his face so red I feared he'd suffer a stroke. "What the hell were you thinking , Samantha?"
    "Allison said she'd help me."
    "Allison," he snarled with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She's a burned-out worthless pot head. She wouldn't know one end of a baby from the other."
    Don't talk that way about Allison! I wanted to scream. Allison might smoke pot but she's still a good person. She's better than you, Dad.
    Face full of pain and disappointment, Mom lowered her head without saying a word, her dark hair cascading her shoulders. It hurt to see her upset with me. Made me ashamed.
    Fuck it.
    I raced upstairs, retreated to my bedroom and flopped face-down on the mattress. The rickety bed frame wobbled.
    Flipping to my side, I stared at the poster next to my bed. My favorite male actor stared back, posing provocatively with his arms folded above his head. He reminded me of The Dancer with his messy blond hair.
    The Dancer.
    My tears burned and blurred the actor's image. Rage replaced sadness and I slapped away those tears.
    This time I flat-out refused to cry. Wouldn't allow it. Somewhere deep within me, something grabbed hold and from that point on I resolved to become stronger.
    My days of being a victim were over. No more shedding tears. No more getting hurt.
    And I didn't cry. I sucked up every uncomfortable emotion, firmly locked them in the darkest corners of my conscience.
    An argument began downstairs. I heard their shouts in regards to the baby's future needs; what was best for it and best for me. Best for the family. They honestly didn't think I'd take decent care of him or her.
    That pissed me off. I wouldn't be a bad mother.
    Couldn't they see I wasn't a kid anymore? And why were they so quick to underestimate my abilities and underestimate me ? They've made it clear their opinion—of me—couldn't be any lower.
    Fine. In five months I'd prove them wrong.
    This evening's disaster made me seriously debate Caleb's offer of moving in.
    But—I still had to tell Caleb. That would be the ultimate test of our relationship. Caleb would prove how much he'd truly changed, if he'd changed at all.
    Holy fuck.
    * * * *
    I spent Saturday afternoon at Caleb's small apartment.
    We hadn't had sex in weeks and he was going batshit with urges. Meanwhile I was going batshit trying to figure out the best way to tell him my secret.
    Caleb held me and dipped me to the silky softness of his bed, covered by ebony sheets. Intense iridescent eyes, more intoxicating than those earlier glasses of wine, held mine and placed me under his spell.
    Caleb's lips and tongue tasted me; his endless kisses warmed my face, mouth, throat, heightening my arousal, getting me warmer.
    Without thinking I spread my thighs. He hovered above me on all fours and his firm cock pushed out the center of his jeans. He unzipped,