Page 42 of Before He Was Her Headmaster

Stepping inside, I close the door behind me so we have some privacy. “Did you… hear something today?”

“Go away.”

“I will. But can I say something first?”

She flops onto her back and glares at me. “You lied to me.”

“I couldn’t tell you the truth.”

“You shouldn’t be sleeping with him.”

“You wanted to!”

“That was stupid!” She swipes at her eyes. “You’re pregnant with his baby?”

“It’s complicated.”

“How?”

“We met before he was my headmaster,” I whisper. “We’ve been keeping a secret this whole time. I couldn’t tell you.”

“This is so embarrassing.” She groans. “You let me tell you I wanted to give him my virginity? How gross is that?”

“It’s not. It was awkward AF, but it wasn’t gross. And I felt bad. Oh my God, so much, and I couldn’t tell you the truth.”

“No, I get it.” She gives me a rueful look. “You’re havinghisbaby?”

I nod. “Mm-hmm.”

“Holy crap. I thought you slept with some townie and didn’t know his name.”

That makes me laugh so hard I snort. “When I met him, that’s what I thought Sebastian was.” I take a deep breath and decide to trust her. A leap of faith. “We met at a truck stop.”

“Shut up.” She shifts and makes room for me on her bed. “What? Tell me everything. Except the sex parts.”

I sit next to her, my body a twist of emotions. Excited to confide in someone but nervous that to do so could throw everything into peril. “You can’t tell anyone. I swear up and down that Sebastian would never have touched me if we hadn’t met outside of school first.”

She holds out her hand, baby finger extended. “Pinky swear. I was sad for a hot minute because I’m going through some kind of sexual awakening or something—”

“You’re horny all the time?” When she nods, I lean in. “Me too, I get it. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find someone to help you with that just as soon as you leave this place. I promise life will get better once you graduate.”

Her eyes go wide. “Which you get to do in a few weeks. Are you the reason he’s leaving at Christmas?”

Warmth blooms in my chest. “Yeah. I am.”

It’s the first time in my entire life anyone has ever put me first.

“Where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know yet. Far away from here. We’re going to settle somewhere near a college, and I’ll enroll in a school after I have the baby.”

“I can’t believe it.” She glances at my belly. “You’re going to get fat.”

I laugh out loud. “Maybe. That’ll be okay.”

“He’ll love you no matter what.” She says it wistfully. “I’ve heard him say that, too.”

“How do you hear these things?”

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