Page 81 of Twins For My Bestie's Brother

I’m taken aback. “What?” I look down at my sweatpants. There’s a red spot in the crotch. I touch it. Blood transfers onto my fingers. “Oh, my God.”

“Yeah, you got a little on the bed, but that’s okay. I can do some laundry for you. How about that?” Kayla says, getting to her feetand holding up the comforter where there’s another blotch of blood.

Horror courses through me. “Oh, my God,no.”

“It’s okay; it’s just a period. I don’t know why you’re embarrassed. It’s just me,” she says with a wave of her hand.

That’s a lot of blood.

“Lily. Are you okay?”

I swallow. “That’s not period blood.”

My friend, my best friend in the world, stares at me, completely innocent and unaware of what I’m about to say.

“I’m pregnant, Kayla.”

Her expression shifts, jaw going slack, eyes widening.

“But if I’m bleeding, I might not . . . might not be anymore? Oh, my God.” My heartbeat is quickening with no signs of stopping. I can’t catch my breath.

Kayla rushes to me and grabs my shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, we’ll go to the hospital and—I’m sure everything is fine, okay?”

I shake my head. “That’s a lot of blood, that’s—” If I had any hesitations before about motherhood, about this baby, about any of it, they disappear in an instant. “I don’t want to lose it. I don’t—”

Kayla’s words don’t match her panicked expression, but she’s trying to be comforting. “Take some deep breaths. It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens is going to be okay.”

Not whatever happens. I want this. Onlythis. If I lose the baby, I lose Jackson.

Without realizing it, Kayla has been directing me toward the door and down the stairs. “Let’s get your coat on and get in the car, and I’ll call Jackson—‘’

I grab her hand tightly. “No, don’t.”

Kayla’s wrapping a coat around me. We’ve somehow made it to the front hall. I’m in a daze. “He doesn’t know?”

“He does, but he—I don’t think he—”

Kayla cups my face. “If this is what’s come between you two, I can guarantee whatever he did or said was because he was scared, okay? He loves you. He’ll hate himself if he isn’t here for you. Okay?”

I purse my lips tightly together to keep from sobbing aloud and nod.

“Okay. Good.”

I remain silent as she helps me get my shoes on and walks me to her car, my mind racing with the same two thoughts on repeat. What if I lose my baby? And what if Jackson doesn’t come running?

Either thing would shatter me. But both of them together?

I think I’ll die.

Chapter 26

Jackson

Idon’t know how I manage to get to the hospital without getting into an accident. One moment, I was at home, brooding as I’ve been doing the past five days, and the next I was tripping out of my car into the hospital parking lot.

I didn’t answer Kayla’s first phone call. I didn’t want her nagging me for more information that I didn’t want to give about my relationship with Lily because I had just as many questions as her. But when she called again . . . I’m her big brother. Even if the likelihood of her annoying me on a phone call is higher than an emergency, I would never be able to live with myself if I missed the emergency.

And this time it was worse.

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