Page 169 of Lovely Venom

“I’m okay.” I smooth my hand over the fabric. “Just so many changes lately, it feels like my life has done a complete one-eighty.”

“In a good way, hopefully,” she says. “Minus the psycho stalker, of course.”

“Yeah, that.” I shudder. “I’ll be relieved when they finally catch him.”

“Me too,” Abella says grimly. “But I’m glad you’re here where I know you’re safe.”

I nod, and we fall into a comfortable silence before I work up the courage to ask her what’s on my mind.

“Were you nervous when you told Angelo you were pregnant the first time?”

“Honestly, I didn’t even really have time to process.” She laughs. “He was at the Stavros estate trying to renegotiate the treaty with Ares. At that point, we were just two hot tempers away from having a bloodbath, so as soon as I found out, we had to race over there and break the news.”

“Well, that sounds intense.”

“It was,” she muses. “But it didn’t even matter in the end.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’d already signed some kind of agreement with Ares.”

“Oh.” I swallow, deciding it’s probably better not to pursue that line of questioning.

“But to answer your question, once everything calmed down a bit, I was nervous,” she admits. “We’d been through so much, and I just wanted a happy ending. But it was hard not to feel like it might be ripped away from me at any moment.”

“I know what you mean.” I let out a shaky breath. “It sucks when your mind is always preparing for the worst.”

Abella studies me for a beat. “What made you ask that anyway?”

I shrug, trying to play it casual, but her eyes widen as she pieces it together.

“Are you pregnant?”

I give her the tiniest of nods before I hold up my hands. “But don’t freak out. I’m already anxious enough as it is.”

“I’m not going to freak out,” she promises.

I arch a brow at her.

“Okay, maybe a little, but oh my god,” she gushes. “We’re going to have babies together. Do you know how cool that is? They’ll be best friends for sure.”

Her excitement is contagious, and I can’t help agreeing that it will be fun to have kids who grow up together.

“I still need to tell Cristian.” I twist my fingers in my lap. “I’m so nervous.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be,” Abella says. “That man is down bad for you. I can’t believe I never saw it before, but holy crap. When you walk into a room, you’re all he sees.”

“Yes, well—” My throat works. “I’m not sure that will always be the case.”

“Why do you say that?” She frowns.

“It’s…complicated.”

“Whatever it is, you two will work through it, I’m sure. Cristian is very logical, and he has a solution for everything.”

I force a smile, fidgeting with the hem of a baby blanket. “I’m going to tell him tonight. Any advice?”

“Rip it off like a Band-Aid.” She smirks. “And be prepared to get mauled as soon as you do it.”