Page 79 of Covetous

She takes a tentative sniff of her champagne and scrunches up her nose like the smell is gross. “Yeah, I’m definitely pregnant,” she concludes with a chuckle. “I’ll pass.”

She goes to pour her champagne into the sink, but I grab it from her hand just in time. “I’ll take that,” I say, downing the Cristal.

“Help yourself.” Novalee giggles, shaking her head as I drain the cup.

We settle into an easy conversation while we continue to unpack my things, enjoying the moment of shared happiness and the promise of new beginnings. The morning sun streams through the windows, bathing the apartment in a warm, golden glow. It’s a perfect day, and for a moment, all the guilt of the past few months seems to fade away.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on my door. “I’ll get that,” Novalee offers, setting the box cutter to the side.

“Thanks. I’m not expecting anyone, but the more, the merrier.” I reach for another plastic cup to fix whoever it is a drink, but I accidentally knock over the bottle of Cristal, spilling champagne on my counter. I right the bottle quickly and look around for a paper towel or something but don’t see one among all the boxes. “Be right back,” I call out, going to grab some tissues to clean the mess, just as Novalee answers the door.

In the bathroom, I take a moment to relieve myself and wash my hands before grabbing a wad of tissues from the roll. As I head back out to the kitchen, I’m surprised to see Victor standing there. I thought he had to work today.

He and Novalee abruptly stop speaking, their faces etched with a mixture of sorrow and apprehension. The air in the room feels heavy. My grin fades when Novalee looks away, blinking back tears.

“Hey, baby,” Victor says carefully, his voice strained and hoarse.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my words trembling as I tear at the pieces of tissue in my hand. A sinking feeling forms in the pit of my stomach as my heart races.

He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, before sharing a loaded glance with Novalee. She clears her throat, her voice thick with emotion as she speaks. “You…you should sit down.”

I look back and forth between them, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Victor’s hair is more disheveled than usual, like he’s been running his fingers through it over and over. His normally clear eyes are bloodshot and red. “No,” I say, shaking my head as my heart pounds wildly in my chest, so loud I can barely hear anything else. “I don’t want to sit down.”

My mind races with possibilities, each one worse than the last. Did someone die?

“Please, Skylar,” Victor pleads, his voice cracking with emotion. He takes a step toward me, grabbing hold of my hand as if to lead me to the couch, but I remain rooted in place, squeezing his hand for support. A sense of foreboding washes over me, and I know I’ll need his strength for whatever comes next.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Novalee sink onto the couch, her legs giving out like the weight of the news is too much to handle.

“Is it Yasmine? Niko? Did something happen to my dad?” I ask, my chest getting tighter with each word, making it hard to breathe.

Victor shakes his head, his eyes filled with a sadness so deep it takes my breath away. “It’s…it’s Esme.” He takes my other hand, holding both of them in his as he struggles to find the words. “There was an accident—a car accident.”

An accident? The words echo in my mind, but I can’t seem to understand them. “Is she okay?” My phone starts ringing, the sound making me jump. I glance at it on the counter before turning back to Victor, my eyes searching his face for answers, for any sign that this is all just a terrible mistake.

“No, baby. She’s not,” he says, his voice raw.

I pull my hands out of his. What does he mean no?

The phone rings again, but I ignore it, my attention only on Victor, waiting for him to tell me that Esme is all right. Novalee stands up from the couch and grabs my phone, answering it softly. “Hello? Skylar’s phone.” She takes the call into the hallway, her voice fading as she walks away.

“Where is she?” I’ve heard enough, and I can’t look at him right now. He’s freaking me out. I’ve never seen him so broken. “Help me find my keys,” I say, searching around the apartment. “I have to get to the hospital.” I don’t even know which one, but I’ll figure that out when I get to the car.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind. “Skylar, baby, listen to me for a minute.”

“No,” I snap, spinning around to face him. Tears are sticking to his lashes now. “No,” I say again, my voice cracking.

Novalee appears again from the hall, her arms wrapped around herself, with eyes as watery as Victor’s.

“Who was on the phone?” I ask her.

“It was Liv.” Novalee looks to Victor, who wraps his arms around me in a hug. But why is he hugging me right now? And why is Novalee crying? We have to get to the hospital. With Liv calling, it must be bad. “How bad is it?” I ask, pulling back from Victor’s hug.

He looks like he’s about to break, but he takes a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. “No,” he says. “She didn’t make it.”

A weak laugh escapes me because this has to be a cruel joke. “What do you mean didn’t make it?”

“She…she died on the way to the hospital.”

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