Page 136 of Chasing Sparks

“No, he doesn’t.” How much longer is she going to subject me to this ridiculous argument?

Lucille shakes her head. “Just because he can’t say it doesn’t mean it’s not true. Besides,” she murmurs, “he told me he loves you.”

Another mirthless laugh escapes me. “Fucking figures. You get everything, don’t you? His heart, his love, his baby, hell, even his admission that he loves me. You get it all, and I get nothing.”

Lucille’s lips part, and she leans forward as if to argue, but I cut her off. “Don’t bother. Look, I appreciate you trying to keep the peace, but I’m not up for girl talk today. And we’re never going to be friends, Lucille. I don’t want to commiserate over shared dating disasters or braid each other’s hair. The best I can offer is that we coexist as cordially as possible.”

She averts her gaze, nodding. Her hands twist nervously in her lap. “I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about Ash.”

“And for the first time in a long time,” I reply, gripping the steering wheel tight, “I’m worried about me. And only me.”

I mean it, too. Ash has ruined my view of fairytales forever. From now on, I’ll align with the crusty witch hiding in the forest, far beyond the clutches of heartless men.

Fuck love.

Love is messy. Treacherous.

Mostly, love hurts, especially when someone you love with all your heart doesn’t love you with any of theirs.

So, no matter how many fuzzy kitten somersaults my heart does whenever I see Ash, it’s not love.

He was just a mistake I kept making.

An hour later, I walk back into my store and make a beeline for my office, shutting the door behind me.

I’m so over today. And this week. And this month.

I curl into a ball in the corner and bury my head in my hands, trying to rein in the emotions swirling inside me.

“Are you okay?”

“Nope,” I reply, my voice muffled. I don’t bother to look up as Mina’s footsteps echo across the room.

She crouches beside me, her concern palpable. “What’s going on? Are you sick?”

“Not at the moment, although I’ve felt flashes.”

“What?”

With a sharp exhale, I lift my head to meet her worried gaze. “I just got back from the doctor. I got tested for STDs after … Ash.”

Her expression hardens, and she stands abruptly. “What did that motherfucker give you?” she demands.

“A baby,” I mutter, dropping my head back into my hands.

“What?”

Groaning, I push my hair out of my face and sit up straighter. “I’m pregnant.”

Mina’s eyes widen, her jaw slackening. “You’re … wow. Holy … wow. Congratulations.”

“No, not congratulations,” I groan. At her confused expression, I release a heavy sigh. “It’s Ash’s baby.”

“Yeah, I figured that.”

“Did you forget he’s already got a baby mama? You know, his one true love? Well, now he’s got two. I’m the backup.”

“Stop it, that’s not true.”

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