Page 78 of Baby For My Ex's Brother

My phone feels heavy in my hand as I dial her number. It's probably late morning in Dublin. She could be sitting in class, her phone set to silent. But she’s the only one who knows about Liam, the only person I trust with this news.

"Come on, Nadia," I mutter under my breath, pacing in front of the drugstore. The phone keeps ringing, each tone echoing louder in my ears and amplifying the nervous flutter in my stomach.

Ring after ring, and no answer. My heart sinks with every passing second, and then...

"Hello?"

Nadia's voice is a lifeline, but it's one I'm afraid to grab. "Hi," I say, my voice barely above a whisper, and it sounds all wrong—strained and shaky.

"Shiloh? Are you okay?" Nadia's tone shifts from casual to concerned in an instant.

I open my mouth to answer, to reassure her, but the words dissolve into sobs that rack my body.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Nadia soothes, her voice a soft caress against the raw edges of my panic. "Take a deep breath for me, Shiloh. You're going to be alright."

I nod, forgetting she can't see me, and try to follow her instructions. Inhale. Exhale. Gradually, the tidal wave of emotions recedes, leaving me gasping on the shore of some fragile calm.

"Talk to me," she urges gently.

I sniffle and wipe at my eyes with the back of my hand. "Everything was just going too well," I manage to say, my voice still thick with tears.

Nadia chuckles softly, the sound warm and inviting. "What does that mean?"

It's enough to make me want to laugh too, but the fear still clings. I draw in another shaky breath, trying to find the words to explain the chaos swirling inside me.

"I'm in Martha's Vineyard with Liam. We're... we're in love." The words tumble out, and I'm clutching the phone like it's the only thing keeping me afloat.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Nadia's question is like a life preserver thrown into turbulent waters.

"Yes, it is," I admit, feeling a small smile break through. "But there's more. He wants to go public with our relationship."

"Whoa, another good thing?" she replies, her voice rising with excitement. “So… these are tears of joy, right?”

I pause, my heart pounding against my ribcage. "I also found out I got into Trinity."

"Shiloh, that's amazing!" Nadia exclaims, and I can almost see her eyes lighting up, the way they do when she's genuinely thrilled.

"It is," I agree, the smile fading as quickly as it came. "But if I go... what about Liam?"

"Hey, if you two are in love, you'll figure it out," she says confidently. "Long distance or something, right?"

"Right, but Nadia, that's not what I'm freaking out about," I interrupt, my heart hammering so hard I can almost hear it. "I... I think I might be pregnant."

There's a moment of silence on the other end, and I can picture Nadia taking off her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose like she does when something big lands in her lap.

"Okay, deep breaths, Shiloh," she finally says, her voice steady but laced with concern. She's no longer the upbeat friend from a second ago; she's the rock I need right now.

"I am breathing," I say, even though it feels like I'm sucking air through a straw. "I'm just... I'm so scared—"

"Shiloh." Her sharp yet somehow soothing voice cuts through my panic. “You're strong. Remember that whatever happens, you'll handle it. You always do."

I nod to myself, clinging to her words. It's as if they're a lifeline thrown into the stormy sea of my mind.

"Yeah, I have to," I whisper, more to myself than to her. "I just don't know how Liam will take it, or what this means for us... for everything."

"Have you taken a test yet?" Nadia's voice slices through the fog of my fear, offering a step to take, something concrete.

I shake my head before remembering she can't see me. "No, I haven't. But I have some in the car. I just need to get back to the house and take them." My voice trembles, betraying the knot of uncertainty lodged deep in my stomach.

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