Page 82 of Protected By the Billionaire Ex-SEAL

“No, of course not.” And we really should stop talking about him. “Anyway, how’s Aaron?”

I manage to successfully divert the topic before we hang up, just in time as my mom calls out that the waffles are ready. I hurry outside my room, my mouth already watering at the smell wafting across the hall.

But the waffles are wiped from my mind as another sight greets me instead.

“Soph!”

My sister, Sophia, grins, her arms wide open and waiting for me. I promptly fall into it, hugging her back with gusto and all the emotions I have upon seeing her.

“I missed you so much, Sophia!”

“I missed you so much, too.” She croons it, her arms tightening around me before she steps back and scrutinizes me. An approving nod follows. “You look great. Pretty as always, which never changes, but…shit.”

She softens when her gaze lands on my stomach, even though it’s still flat. I take her hand and place it there, watching as her fascination evolves into something deeper.

“You’re pregnant.”

I nod. “I’m pregnant.”

She blows out a breath. “You know, I’m kind of pissed off that you didn’t tell me.”

Noting her light tone, I raise a brow. “I couldn’t contact you. You were off the grid for a while. How did you find out…?”

We both peer at our mom, who already has two plates ready on the table. She gestures casually. “You guys catch up. Your dad and I already had some, and we have some errands to run. But we’ll be back shortly.”

It’s her way of saying that she wants to give us some privacy, which has us hugging her before she leaves. I can’t help but devour the waffles and the chocolate chips on them, not caring that they’re not as healthy as I would have liked. While eating, I also watch my younger sister.

She’s wearing the most fabulous clothes and looks like she just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. I suppose it comes with the territory of her working as a model, one who jet-sets into the most exotic places and gets to experience a lot of cool things. Her connections made it possible for her to keep most of the stuff she models, too, a lot of which she sells and adds to her bank account.

Yes, she’s smart that way. We both are for saving up and thinking about our financial future, which is also why I can take a lot of time off work without going broke. But the nice clothes and fashion can’t quite hide the bags under her eyes.

“How was your trip? And your modeling gig? Last you texted me, you got to work on this big project with a famous designer. Is that still the project you’re on?”

“No, I’ve moved on to another one, but that one was a success. This one…” She shrugs. “It’s okay. Nothing too special, but I did it. It’s done.”

“So, you don’t have projects now?”

“Hmm.”

My gaze narrows. “Or did you give it up to come home when you heard the news?”

“No, nothing like that. I just don’t have anything lined up at the moment.”

I study her some more, noting that while her tone is casual, there’s a weariness and fragility to her, too.

“Soph, what’s going on?”

Sophia shakes her head, her lips quirking. “Nothing is going on, Raven. I came home to see you.”

“But…”

“What, are you worried about my career?”

“Well…”

“Did you know what my first thought was when I found out you were pregnant?” She leans over the table, her eyes wide. “I thought it was a shame that I couldn’t be there for my big sister and I hated that I had to be so far away. But now I’m here. A few weeks late, but I’ll be here for a while.”

My eyes widen, too. “Really?”

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