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“Asshole.”
Chapter Twenty-One
RILEY
The weightof the news that I might lose my baby weighs on me since I leave the doctor’s office.
I’m quiet the whole ride home and as Jace parks the car in the garage. It takes everything I have to keep from falling apart.
I just need to make it to my bedroom, and then I can let it all out, unless, of course, I run into Kieran.
I suck a breath as I try to hold back my tears.
Thankfully, the kitchen is quiet, so I quickly sneak through to the foyer, and when I catch no signs of life coming from any of the downstairs rooms, I let out a sigh of relief.
It seems like Kieran has either gone out, or he’s locked himself away in Ronan’s office, which means I don’t have to face him for a while just yet.
I need some space in order to pull myself together because I know the moment I look into those brown eyes, I’m going to fall apart.
As I reach the stairs, my phone starts vibrating in my bag, and when I pull it out, Lucy’s name flashes across the screen.
I hesitate, my thumb hovering over the answer button. I know she’s calling to ask how my appointment went, and I knowI’ll have to tell her the truth at some point, so I might as well rip off the band-aid now.
I quickly hurry up the stairs and lock myself in my room before swiping the screen to accept the call.
“Well? How did it go?”
I swallow as a familiar lump starts to form in my throat.
“It…it went…” I take a breath and force a smile, but it’s not enough to convince Lucy of anything.
“Has something happened?”
“Dr. Rogers confirmed the pregnancy.” I sink to the floor at the foot of the bed. “But the heartbeat’s slow.”
“Slow? What does that mean?”
“It could mean…he said it could mean I lose the baby—” I choke on the words and have to clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle my sob.
It feels like my heart is being cracked open, and there is nothing I can do to repair it. Everything feels as if it’s spinning out of control, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop any time soon.
Lucy is quiet for a moment as she looks at me through the screen.
“Riley. You’re not going to lose this baby.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but?—”
“Every article I’ve read on the drive back from the clinic says the same thing. A slow heartbeat equals a miscarriage. It’s…it’s basically a death sentence.”
“You can’t rely on Google searches. You’ll drive yourself insane.”
I wipe my eyes. “I already am.”
“What did the doctor say exactly? Not what you think he meant, but what heactuallysaid.”
