I crawled onto the bed and pulled her into my arms.
“Shhh, Em, you’ll wake Rosie.”
“I can’t stop crying,” she wailed, her shoulders shaking.
And then, her next words gutted me.
“I can’t believe I’m carrying his child.”
My breath hitched.
Emily buried her face into my shoulder. “I’m such a fool. There’s no way he’d ever want this baby. He told me in plain words—I mean nothing to him. Nothing! Can you believe it, Olivia?” Her sobs turned frantic. “I gave him everything. My heart. My soul. I tried to change him, but I failed. I’m so stupid.”
I held her tighter, smoothing her hair as she broke apart in my arms.
“Emily, listen to me.” I pressed my cheek to her temple. “You are not stupid. You loved someone who didn’t deserve you—that doesn’t make you foolish. That makes you human.”
Emily’s breath came in shuddering gasps.
“We will raise this child together,” I swore, gripping her hands. “You are not alone. We’ll stick by each other like we always have.”
A shaky breath escaped her lips as she clutched onto me like I was her lifeline. She eased back, her tear-streaked face searching mine, her lashes wet.
“What would I do without you, Olivia?” she whispered. “You give me hope.” Then, swallowing hard, she added, “And now that Marcellious and Balthazar have the journal… we need to ask Malik what to do next. He can advise us—he can help us.”
Malik.
His name sent a rush of heat curling through my body, a pulse of embarrassment so strong it made my skin tingle.
“No!”
The word exploded from my lips, too forceful.
Emily blinked, startled.
“We can’t ask him for help,” I said quickly, shutting my eyes.
I couldn’t tell her.
I wouldn’t tell her.
Because if I said the words out loud, I’d have to admit it.
I’d have to admit that Roman—the man I loved, the man I’d chosen—was beginning to feel like a distant memory whenever Malik was near.
I was just as pathetic as my mother.
Emily’s voice softened. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head.
She reached out, cupping my cheek. “Tell me, Olivia. That’s what we do for each other.”
“I can’t,” I whispered, my throat tightening.
And then, to my horror, tears filled my eyes.
Great. Now we were a couple of blubbering idiots, both of us blubbering over men.
