Page 71 of Wrong Score

I hear her gasp and then open the stall door to see her hands flying to her mouth. “You’re pregnant!” Her voice is barely a whisper, filled with awe and joy, and somehow hearing it aloud makes it more real.

And that’s the moment it hits me too. I’m pregnant. After years of thinking I couldn’t have kids, of resigning myself to a different life… I’m pregnant. And not just with anyone’s baby—with Bex’s baby.

My hand goes to my belly, tentative, as if I’m afraid to believe it. I smile, tears slipping down my cheeks, and Jordan’s excitement echoes in the background as I sit there, basking in the incredible, unexpected wonder of this new life.

My next thought?

I need to make an appointment with my OBGYN, immediately.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rowan

My phone buzzes with Leo’s name flashing on the screen. My stomach twists, half from excitement, half from dread. I have a million things I want to tell him, but I’m not even sure where to start.

“Leo!” I answer, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Rowan, darling,” Leo’s British accent is as chipper as ever. “Just wanted to check in on you and see if you received the file I sent over?”

“Oh, uh… yeah, I got it. Looks amazing,” I say, trying to focus on his words and not the mess my life has become over the last few days.

“Good, good,” he says, and I can practically hear the smile in his voice. “How are things with the team? Are you traveling with Bex this week?”

My heart stumbles at the mention of Bex. Leo must not have talked to Bex recently. “I… um…” I fumble for words, biting down the rising knot of emotion. “Things are… complicated, Leo.”

Leo lets out a soft chuckle. “Is Bex being a twat, or is he treating you alright?”

It takes all my strength not to burst into tears right then and there. My hand tightens around my phone as I try to keep my voice steady. “Actually… I got fired, Leo.”

Silence hangs heavy for a moment, and when he speaks again, his tone is serious, soft. “Fired? Bloody hell, Rowan. That’s… I’m sorry. That’s a damn shame, and those fools don’t know what they’ve lost.”

“Thanks,” I whisper, swallowing hard. “It’s alright, though. I’ll figure something out.”

“Well, that’s one of the reasons I’m calling. I wanted to talk to you about joining us at the magazine. Officially,” Leo says, his voice warming. “What do you say?”

I open my mouth to respond, but a knock at my door interrupts. “Hold on, Leo,” I say, getting up and crossing to the door. When I pull it open, my breath catches.

There, wrapped in protective coverings and handled with extreme care by two white-gloved delivery personnel, is the painting.The painting.I had almost forgotten about it with everything else going on.

“The painting,” I breathe, wide-eyed and in awe. How could I forget? How could I forget the way Bex watched me look at it, his eyes softer than I’d ever seen them?

“What painting?” Leo’s voice comes through my phone, slightly confused.

“It’s, um… a painting I really loved from a gallery. The Effervescent Embrace. Bex bought it for me,” I tell him, still staring at the canvas like it’s a mirage.

Leo’s surprised laugh filters through. “Bex bought you a painting worth over a hundred thousand euro?”

I manage a shaky laugh. “Actually… he paid triple. The original owners only took what they paid and donated the rest to a non-profit that Bex gives to every year.”

There’s a pause, and then Leo’s voice drops to something close to awe. “What did you do to my brother?”

“Nothing,” I whisper, tears welling up in my eyes, a mix of gratitude and heartbreak. This painting… it’s proof of a side of Bex that I didn’t just imagine, proof that he cared… once, before I screwed it all up.

“Doesn’t sound like nothing, love. Sounds like my brother’s in love with you.”

A sharp breath escapes me, and I grip the phone tighter.In love?Is that even possible after everything? But before I can process that thought, one of the delivery personnel interrupts gently, “Where would you like us to set it, ma’am?”

I wave them in, pointing to a spot across from the couch where I’ll be able to see it every day. “Just… right there, thank you,” I manage, barely holding it together as they carefully unwrap the canvas and set it against the wall. The moment they step back and I see it fully revealed in my space, the tears I’ve been holding back spill over.

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