“Two months.”
“How much actual time had you spent together?”
“About two days.”
“Wereyouever worried that AJ was going to tell anyone that you were pregnant?”
“No.” Poppy shook her head.
“He has a twin brother, didn’t you think he would tell Niko, it’s histwin?”
“No.”
“What about Frankie? You know they’re closer than most siblings. Zion explained they went through trauma as children. Lost a parent. Did you think he would tellherhe was expecting a child?”
“No, he would never do that.”
“Why?”
“Because he…” As soon as the words were about to come out of her mouth, she realized she’d walked right into that one.
Zion turned to Miss Carol, his head tilting slightly to the side. “Well played, Miss Carol.” Zion slow clapped. “Well played.”
“Okay,” Poppy got it, she saw where Miss Carol was going with this.
“No, you’re not getting off that easy, ma’am. Continue,” Miss Carol insisted.
“I knew because he told me he wouldn’t and he never breaks a promise. And also because unless it is his story to tell, he does not tell it.” He had a very strict moral code when it came to that.
“That isexactlywhat Zion told me about, AJ. Now, honey, I’m not saying that it shouldn’t bother you, that’s fine. You’re human, we all have feelings. But he wasn’t not telling you to hurt your feelings or out of some misguided loyalty to Deacon. And I think it’s a little hypocritical of you, it is serious double standards, if you expect him to keep your secret from the people he loves the most and expect them not to feel betrayed, but youget to be upset and blame him for not telling you something. Did you ask him how he found out?”
She nodded, feeling even worse. “He felt that Deacon was hiding something. He didn’t think it would be ethical for him to look into it, so he told his friend to only send him the report if there were any discrepancies that had to do with me. And Deacon said he confronted him and told him that he had to tell me, Deacon asked to wait until after the wedding so that it wouldn’t take away from Yaya’s day.”
“I think somebody was just scared to have the talk and was using the whole half-brother thing as an excuse.” Zion lifted up his hands. “But that’s just me.”
“You’re right. I’m gonna talk to him. I am.”
“Well, they say no time like the present.” Zion dipped his chin as he looked past Poppy’s shoulder.
She turned around and saw AJ walking toward the house with purpose in his stride and an expression she’d never seen before. Her heart began to beat rapidly, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe.
Oh boy.
When she turned back to Zion and Miss Carol, they were both gone. Poof. Disappeared. Vanished. No one was in the kitchen. She turned back and AJ was standing in front of her.
“I need to talk to you.” His voice was rough, like sandpaper. Gritty and deep.
She also noticed that there was a heaviness to him that she never felt. Concern for his wellbeing overrode all the nervous energy she’d been stockpiling.
“Okay.” She nodded. “Of course. Are you oka?—”
“I told you I didn’t want to have children,” he spoke over Poppy.
She stared up at him, and her heart slammed in against her ribs at the same time her stomach dropped down to the floor.If that’s how this conversation was starting, she didn’t want to imagine how it was ending,
“I know and?—”
“And I still don’t,” he continued.
