Page 58 of The Undercover Billionaire's Baby

“We’ll go to my place,” said Alice. “We’ll go right now. I have a couple of tests there. I had a fun summer.”

I flipped the shop sign to CLOSED and locked the front door. Any reading emergencies would just have to wait. We slipped out the back way and Alice drove us to her place, and ten minutes later, I was locked in her bathroom.

“You just pee on it,” she called through the door.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I can’t with you standing right there.”

She backed off a step or two. I did what I had to. Then I sat and waited, and waited some more. How long did these things take? Two minutes? Five? I’d heard they sometimes took extra time, up to ten minutes. You’d think you were safe, then bam. Two pink lines. Was that even true, or an urban myth?

“What does it say?”

I closed my eyes. “It’s not time.”

Alice huffed. “It’s two minutes. It’s time.”

I sat where I was, on the lid of the toilet. Pictured myself turning the stick in my hand, turning it over so I could see. I pictured one line. Two lines. No lines. A tiny pink troll face grinning up from the stick. What I couldn’t picture was what would come next. If I was pregnant, or if I wasn’t. Which did I even want it to be? A kid in the shop, growing up like I had, making forts in the shelves, would that be so bad?

“The lines fade if you leave them. You can’t just not look.”

I pictured the window blank, no lines. Not pregnant. My shoulders sagged. Relief? Disappointment? It didn’t matter. Neither was real. Nothing would be till I looked, till I knew.

“I can look for you.”

“No. No, I’m looking.” I turned the stick over, eyes still tight shut. Then I sucked in a long breath and opened them, and looked. And I kept looking till I had to blink. There. Now I knew. Now it was done. Now I could?—

“Lana?”

I dropped the stick in the trash, stood up, washed my hands. Braced myself for Alice and opened the door. She practically tackled me.

“So? Where’s the stick?”

“I tossed it.”

“And?” She shook me by my shoulders. “Am I an auntie or not?”

“We’re not related.”

She rolled her eyes. “Details. Now, are you going to tell me, or am I digging through the trash?”

I let out a long breath. “Yes.”

“You mean…?”

“It’s yes.” I still couldn’t say it. Yes, I’m pregnant.

“Are you going to tell him?”

“I have to, don’t I?” A tiny, traitor part of me was jumping for joy. I’d be seeing Sam again! I could go today. He’d sweep me into his arms and say something perfect, and somehow, somehow, we’d be us again.

I squished down that part of me as hard as I could. Sam hadn’t changed his mind, and neither had I. I couldn’t live in his world and he’d walked out of mine. Wasn’t there some middle world where we could meet? No. If there had been, we’d already have found it.

“I’ll come with you,” said Alice.

I shook my head. “I’m not going in person. It would be too hard.”

“You can’t tell him by text, though.” Alice grabbed at my phone. I held it away from her.

“I’m not. I’m just… See?” I held up my screen so she could see what I’d sent: We need to talk.

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