Page 140 of Chasing Sparks

Maybe the universe thinks it’s time to tell Ash about the baby, but I’m not ready for that yet. Not now. Maybe not ever.

I just need space. Space to breathe, to think, to figure out how the hell I’m supposed to move forward when my heart feels like it’s barely holding together.

I’m so deep in thought that I don’t notice Eddie standing there until I collide with his chest.

“Hey, you okay?” He reaches out to steady me, his brow furrowing as he studies my face.

“I’m fine.” My voice is strained and quiet, and even those two words feel like an effort. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

Something in me snaps, the frayed edges of my control unraveling all at once. I spin on my heel and toss my hands up. “Let me guess—there’s mold or fungus or some rare bacteria growing in the furthest reaches of the house. Something that will cost a mint and take a million years to repair. Am I close?”

“No, it’s not about?—”

“I’ve got an idea, Eddie. Just burn the fucking place down. I’ll buy you the matches.”

The words barely leave my mouth as the tears arrive, hot and relentless. Mumbling a broken apology, I race to my office and slump into my chair. My arms drop to the surface of the desk, my head falling forward to rest against them.

Maybe if I stay here long enough, I’ll melt into the wood and disappear.

I hear the heavy thud of Eddie’s boots as he enters, but I don’t look up. Eddie’s never been good at taking a hint. Why should today be any different?

He pulls up the chair across from me, the scrape of it loud in the silence. A box of tissues lands on the desk near my elbow. “Whose ass do I need to kick?”

I swipe at my face, still not looking up. “What makes you think it’s about a man?”

He barks out a laugh. “It’s not my first rodeo, Ori. Besides, anyone who hurts my big sister is going to have to tangle with me.”

“Thanks, Eddie, I …” I trail off as his words settle over me.

My heart stutters, disbelief cutting through the haze of my emotions.

What did he just say?

I lift my head, sniffing as I wipe my eyes. “Did you just call me your sister?”

He leans back in his chair as his lips twitch into a faint smile. “I did. And I’ve got a million things to tell you about our dad.”

Chapter 20

Family Secrets

Ori

“Y

ou made coffee. Good man,” I mumble to Eddie as I pad into the kitchen. “Shit. I can’t have it, though.”

“Sure you can. It’s decaffeinated. I grabbed it at the store.”

“You’re the best.” I smile as the warm liquid hits my lips. “Tastes almost as good as the real thing.”

Eddie grins, giving me a light punch in the arm. “Only nine more months before you can return to the dark side.”

Yes, Eddie knows I’m pregnant. It came up during our hours-long talk-a-thon last night, when he disclosed he was far more than just the local handyman.

It’s funny how I never saw it before, but now that I know we’re related, I see the similarities. We have the same honey-brown eyes, the same inappropriate humor, and the same dry wit.

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