I feel everything at once. Happiness, because holy shit, I’m having a baby. Sadness, because Mateo isn’t here. Anger, because I’m finding out in a hospital bathroom instead of at home with him.
I take a breath and open the door. Lauren and Tanner aren’t there.
It’s Alonso.
He looks at me. “You okay, Ness?”
I don’t answer. His gaze drops to my hand, to the test.
“Oh shit,” he says quietly.
“Yeah. Oh shit,” I whisper. “What am I supposed to do? Mateo isn’t here.”
Alonso is a good friend, but he isn’t the person I need right now. I need the one who would tell me everything is going to be okay and that he’ll be home in a few days. And I don’t have that.
“It’s going to be okay,” Alonso says softly, pulling me into a hug. I cling to him for a moment, letting myself breathe. When he lets go, he nods toward the desk. “I’m going to head back to the waiting room. Your friends probably want to know what’s going on. I had to practically wrestle them to let me stand here.”
“Okay,” I say with a small laugh.
When I walk back, Lauren and Tanner are both watching me.
“So?” Lauren asks.
“I guess surprise, I’m pregnant,” I say, trying to smile.
“Holy shit,” Tanner blurts. “I called it.”
“Shut up,” Lauren snaps at him.
“I just thought you got married because you were pregnant,” he says with a grin. “Guess I was half right.”
“Yeah,” I say, then my voice drops. “But Mateo’s been missing for days, and I’m scared. My brother’s freaking out, and he never does.”
“It’ll be okay,” Lauren says gently. “He’ll be back before you know it.”
The rest of my shift stays quiet until I look up and see Gino and Drew standing there, both of them wearing the same grim expression. My stomach twists. Drew motions for Alonso, and the three of them walk over.
“Vanessa,” Gino says, “can we talk in private?”
“There’s a break room down the hall.”
We all head there, stepping into the white, empty room.
“Can you sit down?” Gino asks.
“What’s going on, Gino?”
“Please.”
I sit, and he lowers himself beside me. “We haven’t found Mateo yet, but we know he’s alive.”
“That’s good.”
“It is. But the Russos have him.”
“The people he went to see? Why?”
“One of their warehouses was raided during his meeting. They think we did it.”
