Page 156 of Veil of Lies

The sky was shot through with pink streaks as the sun sank over the horizon. It was so beautiful, but I wasn’t in a fit state to enjoy it. My nerves were shredded. This was the hardest conversation I’d ever had, bar none. I loved these boys, and I knew they loved me, but a baby changed everything.

“Stella, whatever it is, just tell us, please.” Brax stepped forward and took my hand. I dove into his blue eyes for a moment before saying the words that would change all of our lives forever.

“I’m pregnant.”

Chapter 117

Brax

Of all the things I expected Stella to say, it wasn’t that. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to be honest, except things had been good lately. Too good. And if history had taught me anything, it was fate loved to fuck me over the minute I was happy.

She was pregnant?

From the look on her face, she didn’t seem all that happy about the idea. Did that mean she wanted to get rid of it? Our baby? The thought made me sick. Yeah, we were all pretty young, still at college, but it wasn’t like we were living in some shitty trailer park, eking out welfare payments from one week to the next.

Money made life a lot fucking easier, and since my grandmother had been arrested, I was not short of cash. Neither were my friends, and I knew them well enough to know they would never ask Stella to get rid of the baby. Not unless it was what she wanted.

I saw her lip wobble as tears spilled down her cheeks and my heart crumpled in my chest. Before the other two idiots could move a muscle, she was in my arms, sobbing against my chest.

“Shhh, it’s OK.” I rubbed her back, trying to think of the best way to have this conversation without making things worse.

“If Stella’s knocked up, it has to be mine,” Harley announced after a moment, a smug grin on his face.

“How do you work that out?” Quinn scoffed.

“Oh come on, it’s fucking obvious really. Brax has been away a lot lately, so it’s mostly been you and me in our girl’s bed. And let’s be honest, my DNA deserves to be passed on more than yours. Simple biology, dude.”

“I have no words.” Quinn spoke for both of us. He turned to face Stella. “Angel, if you want the baby, we’re here for you. Anything you need. Not sure Harley is the best baby daddy material seeing as how he has yet to mature into a fully functional adult, but Brax and I can do the heavy lifting.” He looked at me and I nodded.

“Between the three of us, we got you, sweetheart,” I reassured her.

She pulled back and looked at each of us in turn. “Really? You’re not mad with me? I didn’t plan this!”

“No, of course not!” Harley said, pushed past Quinn and grabbing hold of her. “I’m excited at the idea!” His gaze dipped down into her cleavage and I rolled my eyes. I could see exactly what he was excited about, and it wasn’t changing diapers.

“You might not be the father,” she pointed out, but Harley just grinned.

“Yeah, we all know it’s me.”

“No, we fucking don’t!” I snapped. “We can do a DNA test when the kid’s born.”

Tears welled up in her eyes and she burst out crying again. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “My emotions are all over the place, it must be the hormones.”

All three of us squeezed around her and wrapped her up in our arms. Eventually the crying eased off and she sniffed. “Fuck, you’re all covered in snot,” she murmured, looking up at me.

I laughed. “Think that’s the least of our problems!”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and frowned. “Shit, Tessa’s trying to call me again, I better answer.” She swiped the screen while I stepped back to turn off the grill. Dinner could wait a few moments.

“Drink?” Quinn asked in a low voice. I nodded. We all needed one. Except Stella. No alcohol for her.

“I am and I told them,” Stella said, wiping her eyes with the edge of her tee. She chuckled then put her phone on speakerphone,

“Yo, bitches, you better treat my girl right, you hear me? If any of you assholes do anything whatsoever to make her cry, I’ll make your lives a living hell.”

“Fuck, Tessa, that’s a low blow!” Harley said.

“Just a warning shot, dickhead. Your reputation for being a player has not gone away. You leave my girl high and dry and there is an unmarked grave in the forest with your name on it. You all know who my father is, so let this be a warning to you.”

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