Page 78 of Twins For My Bestie's Brother

I crane my neck forward and harden my gaze on her. “You’re pregnant?”

“That’s why I’ve been dizzy. I . . . ”

“When did you find out?”

Her eyes widen slightly. “This afternoon.”

The flame of anger returns. “And you’re just now telling me?”

“When was I supposed to tell you? You were with Danforth and I—“

“Did you know when I came to check on you?”

Lily bites down on her lower lip. “Not technically. I was waiting for the test to finish.”

I run my hands through my hair and grip handfuls of it in frustration. Iknewsomething was off. I was soclose. “Fuck, Lil.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she presses.

“I’ve got to process the news before I can answer the question.” I know I’m being short with her. But it’s out of my control. My emotions. The situation. My God.

Pregnant. A baby, that’s . . . I’d lie if I said I’d never imagined it. A toddler running around with curls like Lily’s and eyes like mine. I’ve pictured the samehypotheticalbaby on Lily’s lap, an image that fills me with an inexplicable warmth every time it crosses my mind.

All those images will be realities. And I want that reality.

But this moment. The reality of it is not the one I pictured. I thought it’d be years down the line. After the tattoo parlor was open and we’d traveled the world and done all the things we could have been doing the past decade and a half we weren’t together. I thought we’d be married and trying and when the moment came, I’d be a mess of tears, engulfing her in my love and adoration, the mother ofmychild.

I can’t shake the disappointment that it isn’t how I pictured it. And the shame of not falling to my knees over the news.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to understand how it makes you feel,” Lily says.

My frustration goes off again like a bomb. “I’m surprised, Lily. I’m in shock, can’t you see that?” Why can’t I control this?

Lily covers her face in her hands and sobs. “I want to go home.”

I grip my fists in front of me and take a breath.Get it together. I step closer to her. “Come on, let’s go back to the room and talk about—”

When my hand lands on her shoulder, she jumps away from her like I’ve electrocuted her. “I want to gohome, Jackson.Now.”

I don’t know what to say.

She lifts her head in resolve. “I’m . . . I’mgoinghome.”

“Lily, listen to me—”

“No.” She backs away further. “I don’t want to listen. And I don’t want you to come after me. I’m . . . I’m done.”

The word “done” echoes in my mind like a death knell. Done?

By the time the world comes back into focus, Lily is gone, and I’m alone.

The universe has quite a sense of humor. Because once she’s gone, the joy finally hits, a high I was waiting for. Too late. Far too late.

I need to hold her. I need to tell her we’ll be okay. Us three.

In the time I try to decide if I follow my gut or her instruction, she’s long gone.

Chapter 25

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