Page 60 of Invidia

Chapter 21

After the best nap of my life, I headed to the palace with Meera to grab some food for lunch, updating her in hushed tones about how the conversation had gone before she slunk away to spend some time with Iris.

I felt guilty that I hadn’t been doing the same, since Iris was cooped up in her apartment, unable to leave while Lochan, Sebastian, and Cora were hanging around.

Tomorrow, I resolved. Tomorrow, I would go and spend the day with her.

I’d almost joined Meera, but I didn’t trust myself to be good company at that moment. I was too worried about Evrin to focus on anything else.

Had I ruined his life?

I genuinely couldn’t tell. He’d been so caring and careful with me, but he seemed more worried than excited. Then again, I was worried too. There were a lot of unknowns with this pregnancy, and if I thought too hard about them, I’d rapidly start spiraling. I guess I’d been hoping that Evrin would bring his signature calming energy to the situation, which wasn’t a fair expectation, considering it was his baby and his life too.

“Tallulah!” I turned at the sound of my cousin’s voice, finding Austin jogging toward me, Selene following behind. I doubted she ever jogged anywhere—Selene was elegant. She never looked like she was rushing.

“Hi!” I pasted on my brightest smile for Austin’s benefit, and took a calming breath in the hopes of tricking Selene’s olfactory senses. “How are you guys?”

“What’s happened?” Austin asked, immediately frowning. “It was that prick, Lochan, right? I’ve always hated that guy.”

“No! Wait, do you? I didn’t realize you even knew him.”

“I don’t. It’s just the vibes, you know?”

In Lochan’s case, I did kind of know. There was something just a little off there.

“I’ve barely spoken to him,” I assured Austin.

“Then what’s upsetting you?” Selene asked.

“I’m pregnant,” I blurted out, immediately clapping my hands over my mouth. I hadn’t intended to say that. I’d wanted to discuss sharing the news with Evrin first. But Selene was also pregnant. If anyone knew what I was going through, it was her.

“You’re what?” Austin asked loudly.

Selene blinked at me. “I wish you hadn’t told me this right before my shift was about to start. I can’t get out of it—not with the Hunters’ recent activity.”

“I don’t expect you to,” I assured her quickly.

“Well, I’m not doing anything. Let’s go back to Elverston House and have some girl talk,” Austin suggested, already ushering me along the path.

“I’ll come back here at the end of my shift,” Selene said, and I turned away, giving them a private moment to say goodbye.

“Alright,” Austin said, grabbing my hand and setting a pace that was just beyond comfortable for my short legs. “We have a lot to discuss. Who knocked you up?”

“Oh my god, Austin.”

“I thought we’d just rip the Band-Aid off, you know what I mean? Oh shit, do you not know? Maybe I should have found a more tactful way to ask that—”

“Please stop talking. Evrin. It’s Evrin. You haven’t met him. He’s stationed in the in-between.”

“I haven’t met him, but I’ve waved at him once or twice, on our way to Cartava. How did you meet him? Are you dating him? Is he going to make an honest woman out of you? Do I need to have a manly talk with him? I’ll do it.”

“He’d eat you alive, Austin.”

“We both know that, but that should tell you how much I love you. Obviously, I’d bring my wife along to save my ass.”

“You two are so cute, it’s sickening.” I nudged him with my shoulder before pulling my hand free so I could open the front door. “And I don’t know about making an honest woman out of me, but we had been looking at a house to move into. You know, together.”

“Oh. Oh. So, it’s serious then. How am I just hearing about this now?”

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