“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” he says.
“I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to mention it,” Mac says. He looks utterly miserable. “I’m so sorry. I feel terrible.”
“Don’t feel bad, Mac,” I tell him. “You had no way of knowing. You were out of town when I told the others I wanted to wait before I told Miss Margaret or Lily.” I swallow. “Besides, the news was going to come out eventually.”
“I hope I didn’t spoil Miss Margaret’s birthday celebration,” Mac says.
“You didn’t spoil it.” I try to smile at Margaret, but my lips don’t quite comply. “It’s happy news, isn’t it?”
Margaret blinks several times. “Your child will be Lily’s half brother or sister?”
“Yes.”
“A sibling. A blood relative.” She lies back against her pillow, her expression thoughtful.
I hold my breath.
A large smile blooms on Margaret’s face. “Why, I think that’ll be very good for Lily. Wonderful, in fact.”
“Itiswonderful,” Lauren says, clapping her hands.
“It’s fabulous,” Sarah states with conviction.
“We need cake to celebrate!” Teri exclaims.
Mac, Teri, Lauren, and Sarah swarm around, pat my back, and give me hugs.
I avoid looking at Zack or Jessica. I can’t bring myself to face them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Jessica
I FEEL LIKEI’m about to be sick. I look at Zack. He’s staring at Quinn as if she’s just levitated off the floor or done something equally miraculous.
“Quinn, can I tell them about your visit to the doctor yesterday?” the woman with silver-streaked hair asks.
Good Lord—there’s more?I brace my hand against the wall.Please don’t let it be twins!
Quinn nods.
“I went with Quinn to the obstetrician’s office for her first ultrasound and we heard the heartbeat.”
A knife blade of jealousy twists in my gut.
“Oh, how wonderful!” all the women murmur. Everyone, that is, except me.
Even Zack mutters an awestruckwow—which makes my blood boil. I want to slap him. I want to cry. Instead I pinch myself, partly on the off chance I’m having a bad dream and I’ll wake up, and partly because pinch pain is a hurt I can control.
“So you’re going to be a father for the second time,” Margaret says.
“I—I guess that’s what this means,” he says.
I’m angered by his response, although I dimly realize there’s not a single thing he could say or do that would seem right at this moment. I’m so upset, I’m shaking.
“Let’s go,” I murmur to him.
“I can’t. Lily’s coming back,” he says. “I promised her I’d be here.”
