"Hardy-har-har!" I smirked. "Poor Bernie. I always leave her to handle everything."
"I thought Bernie was your manager."
"She is. I still feel guilty, though." I shook my head. "I can't investigate anything without Penelope by my side." I frowned. "Do you know if she's okay?"
Levi blushed to the tips of his ears. "I believe she is just fine."
My brows shot up. "No way! Already? That was quick." I wondered if she had told Jessop about his impending fatherhood.
Levi paused mid-drink.
"You caught that?"
"You were rather loud, Tallulah. I won't repeat it, and I have no idea if Pen told Jessop that he's going to be a dad."
"What the fuck!"
Levi and I quickly turned our heads to face the doorway, where Jessop Hallen stood, going paler by the second.
I gasped and ran toward him and, with a gentle hand on his arm, pulled him into the apartment. "I wasn't expecting you?"
"No shit," he croaked.
Without giving him a choice, I shoved him into the armchair by the window. "I'm so sorry you overheard that." I grimaced. "I honestly didn't want you to find out like you did. Pen is going to flip out. She plans on telling you."
"Ask him to pretend he doesn't know." Levi silently suggested.
I shot him a dark look before turning to Jessop, whose color had returned. I winced because he was so angry. "Jessop, I promise you Pen intended to tell you. She was waiting for the right moment." I exhaled. "She was afraid you would only want her for the baby, not her as a person. She was scared after being with Aiden."
His shoulders sagged. "If I hadn't been a jerk to her, she would've told me by now."
"Yes."
Jessop was a complete blank to me. I tried to pick up a stray thought, but there was nothing. It bothered me that I could communicate with Levi but not with anyone else. So far, at least. Well, I don't think Lionel counted. I haven't heard anything from him since that one time.
"She knows now," Jessop murmured, his eyes on me. "We cleared up the misunderstanding, and I admitted things." Color rushed into his cheekbones.
My mouth formed a huge grin, and a bubble of laughter burst out. I wrapped my arms around him as soon as he stood up. "Don't mess it up again."
He huffed a laugh.
"Why are you here anyway?"
I stepped away from him, and he followed me into the kitchen while Levi stayed in the living room. "This will warm you up. It's gotten very cold outside."
"It's supposed to snow." He drank. "I'm going to be a dad." He gave me a lopsided smile. "I never saw that one coming."
"I don't think Pen did either." I squeezed his hand. "How is she?"
"She's not too happy about having Rosie and Dodge babysit her." He shrugged. "I don't care, as long as she's safe from that asshole."
"Have you seen him?"
He shook his head. "Jane told Carlisle that she hadn't heard from him. He doesn't believe her." Paused. "As for me being in town, I wanted to get some supplies. Neither Carlisle nor I have slept at the house for over a week, so we're low on basics."
"I wish this was over with, Jessop. I don't like Carlisle being in the middle of this." I rubbed my arms as a chill slithered down my spine. "You're not angry with Pen, are you?"
He placed his empty mug down and ran his hands over his head. "I was shocked and then angry when I heard you talking about it." I didn't miss his eyes straying to the living room where Levi waited. "I'm not angry now. I'll talk to her when I get back. Don't worry."
