It’s heaven.
Or it would be if I weren’t nauseous.
Behind the counter, Callie slides a tray of golden croissants into the display case, her cheeks still pink from the heat of the kitchen. Sloane rings up a customer with her usual cut-through-the-bullshit attitude, and Lilah comes through the swinging door balancing a pan of muffins.
I lift a brow. “You work here now?”
She grins. “Just helping out for a few hours.”
With a smile, Callie gives me a little wave. “Hey. I wasn’t sure if you were stopping by this morning. Everything good?” There’s a slight pause. “You look a little pale.” Instead of waiting for an answer, she tilts her head toward our corner. “Go sit. I’ll bring you tea.”
“I’m fine.” Without saying anything more, I settle at our usual table and press my palms flat against the wooden surface, as if the solid feel will help steady my nerves.
My heart thunders so hard it feels like it might crack my ribs. I’ve been going back and forth for days, caught between wanting to hold my secret close and needing to let it out. The second I tell them what’s going on, it becomes real in a way that’s impossible to ignore.
But I can’t keep this to myself anymore. I need my girls to ground me. To hold me together when it feels like I’m seconds away from splintering apart.
As I wait, I glance toward the counter and catch the ordinary flow of their lives. The easy way they move together, the laughter that floats above the music playing in the background. Lilah has a calmness about her that feels Zen. It’s steady and sure, as if she’s already built a life that fits her. Callie glows these days, softer but stronger somehow, as if her relationship with River has reshaped her from the inside out. And Sloane? Well, she’s dynamite wrapped in eyeliner and confidence. They all seem so certain of who they are.
I used to be like that.
Now it feels like I’m standing in quicksand, unsure which way is solid ground.
After they gather around, mugs and muffins scattered between us, I don’t give myself time to reconsider my decision.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt.
A shocked silence follows, stretching just long enough to make me squirm.
A memory flashes in my head before I can stop it, of sitting on the bathroom floor, the test balanced on the edge of the sink, my hands shaking too hard to hold it steady. I remember the way I froze when those two pink lines appeared, how everything inside me went quiet and loud all at once.
Lilah blinks. “As in… pregnant-pregnant?”
“Yeah,” I croak, heat crawling up my neck. “Pregnant-pregnant.”
Sloane nearly chokes on her latte, coughing as her eyes bug out. Callie slaps a hand over her mouth to muffle a shocked squeak.
“So… who’s the baby daddy?” Sloane demands once she recovers.
“Is it someone we know?” Lilah tacks on quickly.
I swallow hard and brace myself for their reaction. “It’s Oliver.”
There’s another beat of stunned silence.
Or maybe five of them.
“Oliver freaking Van Doren is Big D?” Sloane whisper yells.
I groan. “I really hate you saw that on my phone.”
Lilah’s lips twitch before she breaks into laughter. “Wait. So the Big O is actually the Big D?”
Callie’s shoulders shake as a chuckle slips free. “Oh my God. Every time those rumors popped up, I thought they had to be exaggerated. It would seem as if they weren’t exaggerated enough.”
Sloane leans forward, eyes bright with glee. “Okay, I need details. Was this a one-time thing? A repeat offense? Or are we talking full-blown, exclusive access to the Big D? Tell me. I need to know.”
“Stop calling him that!” I bury my face in my hands. “Contrary to what you think, this isn’t funny.”
