Shayne blinked. “Excuse me? I do notheartbreak.”
Reena sliced some more bread. “You heartbreakworsethan all of us. You literally ruined my green fleece because you were crying so hard when Anderson left you.”
Shayne frowned. “We’re not supposed to say his name.”
Marley hadn’t told Shayne that she’d bumped into Anderson a few weeks ago. Because… well, Shayne would spiral. She sighed. “I didn’t think I heartbroke, either.” She didn’t remember ever feeling so…sadafter a breakup.
“You don’t,” Shayne said. “At least not normally. When you and Celeste broke up, you shrugged, then put an extra sugar cube in your tea to let loose.”
Marley glared at him, then filled her mouth with a bite of sticky bun.
“Yeah, you’ve always been the mosttogetherof the three of us,” Reena said. “Lord knows y’all have been there for me through way too much relationship drama.” She patted her husband on the knee. “But here’s Marley, always upstaging me without even trying.”
“I’m not upstaging you…” She wasn’t intentionally upstaging anyone, at least.
Reena tilted her head. “Seriously, Marley? You’ve outdrama-ed the rest of us now. I read about you in BuzzFeed.”
Marley cringed. “I still can’t believe we werefollowed. And that someone took a picture of me in the doctor’s office.”
Shayne nodded. “Celebrity photographers have no shame. The money is good, but I couldn’t imagine being desperate enough to do that.”
“This is why I can’t be with him. It’s only going to get worse. He’s a paparazzi magnet. I’m a private person—I can’t live like that.”
Nadim shook his head. “It’s not his fault, though. Put the blame firmly where it’s due—on the ghouls who follow him around.”
Marley nodded. “I know it’s not his fault. It’s Serena’s rabid fans, the racist industry, and his incredibly demanding publicity team. And of course, people like his own brother who are willing to sell him out for some money. He’s a victim, but that doesn’t make all these issues go away, does it? I’ve lost myjobbecause of this mess. It’s not worth it.”
“What are you going to do about Reid’s?” Shayne asked. “Are you going to sign the termination letter?”
Marley shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I’ll do some research tomorrow. Maybe find an employment lawyer.” She did not want to deal with this now, but she had to. She sighed, then stuffed more sticky roll into her mouth. Reena added cardamom to hers, which was why they were Marley’s favorite. “Thanks for bringing this, Ree. Fuck, I’d love a drink… Let’s promise to meet up here with bottles of rosé in two months when I’m healed.”
Reena shrugged. “I’ll need to wait longer… seven months. More if I breastfeed.”
Marley blinked, looking at her cousin.
“Um… Reena… is there a… baby in your future?” Shayne asked.
Reena grinned ear to ear. “We were going to wait until I passed the first trimester, but…”
Nadim grinned proudly.
Shayne got up and tackled Reena with an enormous hug. Marley wanted to do the same, but hugging was still hard.
“Reena! You’re going to be a mom! I’m so, so happy for you!” Marley said. Reena and Nadim deserved happiness more than anyone. She was so glad at least one of them was lucky in love.
“And you two are going to be the most fabulous aunty and uncle around,” Nadim said.
Shayne grinned. “You bet I am. I’m ready. I’m taking your maternity photos. And your baby pictures. Versace is making strollers now, you know.”
Reena and Nadim gave them more details about her pregnancy and about how excited they were. “I can’t even believe it,” Reena said. “Not long ago, I was a chronically unemployed and single hot mess, and now look at me. Married, running my own business, and now having a baby.”
“Couldn’t have happened to a better person,” Marley said. “And who would have thought that I’d take over your hot-mess status.”
“Marley, you’re not a hot mess,” Nadim said. “You’re just going through some stuff.” Marley shrugged. That was an understatement. She couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t a mess in her life right now. She’d fallen in love with completelythe wrong man. She’d lost not only the promotion she’d been working for years to get, but also her previous role as sales consultant. She wasn’t sure she wanted kids, but with her genes, she probably shouldn’t have them anyway, which might be an issue if she wanted a long-term relationship.
Oh, and also? She had no nipples.
She would probably be single forever and get sick alone, thanks to this mutation. Which was for the best—why would she want to subject someone else to her fate?
