Page 28 of Origins

“That’s just how he is,” I mumbled, drawing my knees to my chest.

I made sure he ate and trained and didn’t need to worry about anything other than his future. He tried to make sure I didn’t work myself sick.

“He’s worried because he likes you.” Rori nudged meas she spoke. “Last Friday, Jack came home complaining because Sulien wouldn’t stop talking about you during Combat Simulations.”

A small smile sprouted on my lips as I remembered Sulien’s side of the story. He said he’d tried to find common ground with my brother. They’d been teamed together for the showcase, and that meant they needed to find some common ground, something they both enjoyed that would stop them from hating each other. I just didn’t knowIwas their common ground.

The idea of him thinking about me was comforting, but it only made this more real. If Sulien was that serious about me, what would he do if I was pregnant? Would he sacrificehisfuture forourfamily?

What if he didn’t want kids?

The shrill chimes of the alarm on Rori’s phone echoed through the bathroom, and she quickly silenced it.

“Do you want me to check, or do you want to do it yourself?” she asked.

My eyes started to burn, and my bottom lip quivered. I didn’t want to check; I wanted to live in blissful ignorance until either everything was okay or the baby was here.

Rori must have noticed my hesitation because she didn’t make me respond. Instead, she reached over and grabbed the stick off the counter.

Her face was completely blank as she focused on the test.

“Is it bad?” I whimpered.

“No. It’s not bad.” Rori sounded unusually tense.

“I’m not pregnant?” I said hopefully as I rubbed the tears from my eyes.

Rori shot me a tight-lipped smile. “Your baby is going to have areallycool aunt.”

My sister had to be fucking with me.

I pressed a hand to my mouth and used the other to reach for the test, every part of me begging this to be some fucked up joke. Rori passed it to me before wrapping an arm over my shoulders.

Two pink lines stared back at me. Without thinking, I shook the test as if that would change anything. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

My breaths came in shallow gasps before I gave in to my sobs. Rori shushed me as she patted my back.

“I can’t tell Mom and Dad.” I pleaded, feeling more like a child than a woman.

“I agree,” Rori said. “As soon as you’ve calmed down, I’m going to get rid of the test, okay?”

I nodded before clearing my throat and wiping my eyes. “I can’t tell Sulien either… not yet.”

I expected Rori to argue with me, to say something about me being crazy. But instead, she nodded.

“The showcase is stressful enough… But it could be a cute surprise after he gets his placement.” She suggested. “We can get a onesie that says my daddy’s a hero and wrap it like a present.”

I didn’t like that idea. If he didn’t want kids, a surprise like that would ruin his day… But, Sulien had a right to eventually know, even if I didn’t want him to. So, I agreed and pulled myself off the floor, letting Rori dispose of the only evidence of what was happening inside my uterus.

***

I was a little surprised when Rori came back from disposing of the test with ice cream and two of the face masks that came in the packet. The ones that were uncomfortably wet and never seemed to fit quite right.

She said she couldn’t erase the pregnancy test, but she could help me forget about it for a little. And she was right. The threat of a baby loomed in the back of my mind, but our make-shift spa day mixed with a little mind-numbing TV helped soothe the worry.

Rori and I were halfway through an episode of some trashy dating show when the front door opened. The sound of heavy steps filled the foyer, and I looked back, expecting to see Jack.

I was right about my brother being home, but I was a little shocked to see Sulien following him.

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