Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59983 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Because this is Jenni, and because she’s that good of a friend who can read me so well, she nods quickly and turns toward the counter. “Rob? Can you close and lock up?”
“Sure, sure. Like, for overtime pay, right?”
I cringe at more expenses. Jenni and I usually stay late to prep for the mornings because we don’t pay ourselves overtime. Just like my parents never did.
“Yeah. Whatever.” Jenni ushers me toward the back, pausing at the office to snag our coats. I lean on her, feeling so dependent just to make it to her apartment. But she’s there for me. Holding me up, not demanding answers.
It’s only a temporary reprieve, though. She’ll want to know everything, but she holds off until we reach her apartment. As soon as I’ve showered and dressed in comfy sweats, I slump onto the couch that’s been my bed these past two months.
I cover my face with both hands and sigh. When I lower them, she’s seated on the coffee table watching me warily. A bottle of water is in her hand, held out to me.
“I’m pregnant.”
She blinks once. Then twice. As her mouth drops and she stares at me, clearly shocked, I wince and hate how bad this is going to sound.
I’m not ashamed to have had sex. After the shitty time I had with Roman, for way too long, I’m proud to know I’m not frigid or broken, and that sex can be phenomenal with the right man. But the taboo details of the man I’d deemed right, in the heat of the moment? That’s going to be harder to share.
“You’re carrying Roman’s baby?” she whispers, scandalized.
“No!” I jerk back and shake my head. “No, no, no. No!” A nervous laugh slips out. “No. Not Roman’s.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I got tested and everything after I broke up with him. Like the day after I caught him with Maeve.”
She nods slowly. “That’s right. You did.” She sits, brow furrowed, her expression a mix of worry and something softer, and waits for more. “Then who?”
Here goes.
There’s no point in being too shy to admit the full truth to her. She’s my ally. My support. I’ll hate to think that I’m lying to her at all.
“When I went to the vacation home to get my notebook, um…”
“Yeah. The notebook with the calculations and notes about the delivery idea,” she says.
“Yeah. I skidded on the road and hit a parked car at the estate. It turned out to be Roman’s father’s car. He was there and let me stay. But when the power went out and we kind of started talking…” I raise my brows.
She slaps her hand over her mouth but it doesn’t mask the sound of her gasp. “No.”
“Yes.”
“You slept with Roman’s father?” she asks, full shock on her face.
“I did. And now I’m…” I roll my hand, letting her fill in the gaps in her head.
“You’re pregnant with Anton Sokolov’s baby?” She shoots to her feet and paces, holding her hair back. “I can’t—This is—Oh, my God, Lili!”
I cringe. “I know. It’s unexpected.”
“You mean you didn’t even use protection?” She practically screeches it. But she’s not judging. I hear the shock more than any criticism.
“No.” I shake my head. “It just happened and…” I lower my gaze, feeling slightly more human to talk about it and share this secret. I can trust her with it, and in talking to her, I can start processing this news, fully, on my own. “And I never thought I’d see him again. Or Roman.” I lift my head and continue. “I didn’t even know he was Roman’s father when we fell into bed. I thought he was just a guard or soldier or something.”
“Didn’t he know who you—Oh. No, he wouldn’t have. Roman never brought you to anything.”
I nod slowly. “I think he assumed I was a guest of the house at some time. I realized who he was in the morning, and I told him that I had been with Roman, and…”
“And that was the end of it?”
I wince.
She gasps. “You slept with him again after you both knew that?”
“Like I said, I didn’t think I’d ever see him again. It happened. It was over. I never intended to reach out to him.”
“Well, it’s too late for that!” She flings her arms out as she paces. “Markus works for the Sokolovs!”
“I didn’t make that connection before,” I admit. “I knew he was someone Roman knew, but I thought it was independent somehow, through a firm only.” Before she can ask any more questions, I continue. “When we were in the office, it hit me that I’m late. And then I thought back to how I’ve been feeling and I panicked. So I rushed out to get a test and I took it at CVS. Then on my way back, Anton was just there.”