"I didn't mean, well, I was going to tell you, but—"
"Alex?" he asked. "He doesn't know?"
I shook my head.
"Now I see why you stopped talking to him, but why would you do that?Howcould you do that to him?"
"I, well, I'm going to tell him, but I wanted to wait for him to come home," I stuttered. "I didn't want him worrying about me."
"Worrying about you?" he said. "You're pregnant."
No shit, Sherlock!
"I know," I said. "But I didn't want him to come home because he felt like he had to."
"So you shut him out?" He was angry, and I understood why.
"I was afraid," I said. "I wasn't sure what to do. And I knew if I kept talking to him, he would wonder why I stopped talking to you. I knew you'd tell him."
"He thought you found someone else," he said. "He didn't think you were going to wait for him."
"Evan, I know this looks bad, but I was only thinking about what was right for Alex." I tried to defend the choices I'd made. "I have every intention of telling him."
"He's coming home tomorrow."
"What? I thought he was coming home closer to Thanksgiving?"
Tomorrow?
My stomach started to hurt, and I grew lightheaded. My heart was so full of love for him, and thinking that I could see him in twenty-four hours made me smile, but then I realized he could react the same way Evan was, probably worse.
"He finished up early, so he's coming home," Evan said. "And you better get in touch with him immediately."
"I will," I said. "In a few days, after he gets settled."
"No," he snapped. "I'll give you tomorrow, but after that, I'll tell him myself."
"Evan, please don't be mad at me." My eyes blurred with the tears that threatened to spill. "I've missed you so much." I hated being so emotional, but I really did miss him, and my nerves were shot.
"Joce, don't cry," he whispered and touched my hand. "You just hurt us all so much, and we didn't know why. You shouldn't have tried to hide this from us."
"I know, but I was scared. I was afraid if I kept calling him, I'd eventually tell him."
Before Evan could reply, I saw Brenna and Julia approaching us, loaded down with designer shopping bags. I looked like a dishrag compared to them. They looked as if they just stepped off the runway. My clothes were worn and hardly fit, my sneakers were dirty, and I didn't have a jacket to hide my stomach. I hadn't bought any maternity clothes, because I was trying to save my money, but now I wished I looked a little neater.
"Evan, please." I begged.
"I won't tell them, but they might figure it out." He frowned.
"Well, look who it is," Brenna said, raking me with her gaze.
Julia whispered something in her ear, and they both smiled. No doubt they were making fun of me.
"Brenna." Evan warned. "Don't start."
"Hello, Jocelyn." Julia smiled.
I nodded.
