Page 51 of While We Waited

“He’s not… I mean... We’re not… What I’m trying to say is—”

Lily snatches my hand and pulls me into the house before I can figure out how to say Hudson and I aren’t together despite the baby growing in my belly.

She throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. “I’m excited. Our first grandchild.”

“Hey!” Chloe shouts. “Did you forget about Natalia?”

“Of course not,” Lily claims. “I meant our first baby grandchild.” She wags a finger at Chloe. “I’m still waiting for you to give Natalia a sibling.”

Chloe’s eyes widen to the size of saucers. “Um…”

Lucas wraps an arm around her shoulders and draws her close. “We’re not in a hurry.”

My heart fills with happiness for them. Lucas is the best man for Chloe. He knows she’s afraid to have children and he supports her instead of pushing her. It’s everything she deserves.

I glance up at Hudson from beneath my lashes. He’s everything I deserve and want, but he doesn’t want me. He wants this baby I’m carrying. Not me. There’s not a happy future for us.

“Who’s ready for some poker?” Lily asks.

“I’m ready to kick some ass,” Weston replies.

Lily slaps him upside the head. “Language.”

“Why? There aren’t any kids here.”

She points at me. “But there will be soon.”

I place a hand over my stomach. Not soon enough for me. I can’t wait to meet my baby.

Everyone rushes to the poker table in the dining room. Hudson places his hand on my lower back and leads me to the table where he pulls out a chair for me.

“Hudson, the gentleman, is in the building.”

He pushes in the chair. “I’m always in the building.”

Chloe slaps Lucas. “Why don’t you ever pull out a chair for me?”

“Probably because you’d slap me before giving me a lecture on women’s equality.”

“Women’s equality does not exclude men acting as gentlemen,” Paisley says as she sits across from me.

Maya sits next to her and gives me a thumbs-up. I roll my eyes. My romantic-obsessed friend believes this is the kick-off of the Nova and Hudson love story. She’s wrong. I wish she was right. But she’s not.

Hudson wasn’t interested in me until I got pregnant. And I can’t forget it either. Not if I want to survive Sprog’s birth with my heart intact.

Lily arrives with a tray of drinks.

“Those aren’t whisky,” Weston points out.

“We’re doing non-alcoholic drinks since Nova’s pregnant.”

“You don’t have to change things for me,” I protest.

Lily shakes her head. “Don’t you know, Nova, I’d do anything for you. Anything you need is there for the asking.”

My eyes itch and I sniff before any tears can fall. I fail and one tear escapes.

Hudson growls as he wipes the tear away. “You made Nova cry.”

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