Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“I’m going to mix them up first,” Billie says, giving the basket a little shake.
“I’m sweating,” I mutter, flapping my arms like wings, trying to get some air to my armpits. “Book Club is supposed to be fun, Ava. Not stressful.”
Ava giggles, and Billie pulls out the first stick.
“Negative.”
We collectively breathe a sigh of relief.
“Next one,” Billie says, “negative.”
“Thank God. I hope that was mine,” Skyla says.
“Positive.”
We all freeze at that one word uttered from Billie’s perfectly painted lips.
“Fucking hell,” I grumble, shaking my head.
“Negative. Negative,” Billie continues, but now we’re all eyeing each other as if we can tell who's knocked up just from looking in each other’s eyes.
“Positive.”
“Wait.” Alex holds up a hand. “Are you fucking telling me that two of us are pregnant?”
Unease slips through my gut. I cannot be pregnant. Neither Blake nor I want kids. We’ve only been together for like six minutes.
No.
“Okay.” Ava doesn’t sound so sure of herself now. “I guess we’re all taking another test.”
“I hate you,” Dani says to Ava. “Like, not really, but I hate you right this minute.”
“I think we all do,” Alex agrees, and then we file into the bathroom, one by one, as if we’re walking the plank to our doom.
This time, we hold on to our tests.
Dani breathes a sigh of relief when hers is negative.
Skyla does a little dance in her seat. “Not it.”
“Alex?” Billie asks, and Alex shakes her head.
“Not me,” Alex says.
Billie checks her test and then goes stone still.
“No,” she whispers, shaking her head. Her eyes fill, and her eyes fly up to Dani. “Are you kidding me?”
“Finally!” Dani jumps up and claps her hands, then attacks her best friend in the tightest hug, holding on tight. “I told you it would happen. You just had to give it time.”
“We’ve been trying.” Billie wipes at her tears. “And we were going to go see a specialist because it wasn’t working. But it worked.”
“I’m calling my brother right now,” Skyla says, wiping at her own tears. “Hello, brother. You should come to the bookshop to see your wife.”
“Is she hurt?” we hear him ask.
“No, she’s not hurt. But she could use a wee hug from her man.”
“I’m on my way. If someone hurt her feelings, they’re going to pay.”
We all chuckle at that, and while everyone is distracted, Ava swaps her test with mine. I frown at her, and she winks at me.
“Okay, who’s the other pregnant one?” Dani asks, looking over our way.
“Me,” Ava says, holding up my test.
Oh my God.
Oh my God, no.
“Ava, are you okay?” My friend is bombarded with questions, and she just shrugs and deflects, acting as cool as a cucumber while I silently freak the fuck out. Connor storms in, and everyone is distracted by the incredibly handsome billionaire sweeping his wife off her feet and kissing the hell out of her.
“What’s wrong, a ghrá?” He hooks her hair behind her ear and nuzzles her nose, as if none of the rest of us are even in the room.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she says through fresh tears. “But I have news.”
“We’ll be fine, bumble, no matter what it is.”
Billie smiles and rests her forehead against her husband’s, and my own eyes fill with tears.
They’re so sweet together.
“You’re going to be a daddy, billionaire.”
Connor blinks at her, then lifts her right off her feet, hugging her so hard and so close.
“Jesus, that’s beautiful,” Ava mutters, wiping a tear from her eye, and all I can do is nod.
I have to talk to Blake.
Because I’m going to have a freaking baby.
And it’s official. I’m really not a fan of a surprise baby.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
HARPER
“Why did you swap tests with me?” I ask Ava as we walk into Blake’s house and dump my bags on the kitchen island. We were dead quiet on the drive home because I think I’m numb.
What the fuck is going on?
“Uh, duh.” She rests her hands on her hips and tilts her head to the side. “You’re clearly not thinking straight, which is valid. Honey, Billie is Blake’s sister, and the others are all either with his brothers or are good friends with him. If they found out that you’re pregnant before Blake does, you can’t control that information. They might call him immediately. I mean, I like them all, but I don’t know them very well. I bought you time, babe.”
“Shit, you’re right.” I lean against the countertop and feel faint. “Ava. Holy mother of fuck, I’m pregnant.”
The word doesn’t even make sense to me right now.
“How did this even happen?”
Her eyebrows climb. “Well, when a mommy and a daddy—”
“Shut the fuck up.” I roll my eyes as she snickers, and I pace away. “I know how. But I don’t know how.”
“Because that makes sense.”
“I’ve had an implant in my arm for four years, Ava. They last five years. Mine hasn’t expired.”