Page 11 of There Are No Words

Let’s be clear about something—I never needed to tell Veronica why I was here. She knew. I didn’t know how, but she always did. I believed in the magic of all of this and her, though, so it wasn’t hard for me to exhale and nod.

Years ago, a friend hired her for an event, and as soon as we connected it just felt right. I knew Veronica was someone I could trust. She was the real deal, no question about it.

“Come on back,” she finally said, and I followed her to the table. The lighting was dim, and she put away her tarot cards before sitting opposite of me and extending her hands onthe table, her bracelets jangling as she did. “You’re here for a reading, I presume?”

I nodded. “I’m pregnant,” I confirmed what I thought she already knew and laid my hands on the table for her to take. The store-bought test had already told me that I was pregnant, and I’d suspected that it was correct (as much as I wanted to be delusional in the car with Dom), but I needed more information. “I need to know what you know, Veronica. Please.”

She held my hands and waited, closing her eyes for a brief moment before she gasped, looked me square in the eyes, and smiled. “You will have a baby. A healthy baby for sure.”

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Oh, thank heaven. My baby was going to be healthy. “You’re sure?”

So full of confidence in her vision, Veronica laughed and nodded. Then her voice grew serious as she went on, saying, “Your journey will not be easy, but it will bring someone new into your life, which will give you insight into someone you already know.”

Brady? It had to be Brady. But he was already in my life—at least technically. Who else could come into my life?

“This is how your child will come by their name,” she said.

Interesting. Will the name come from the new person or the person I already know?

“These are things I know, so don’t worry, Allie. This is a special time, and you must embrace everything that comes your way.”

Embrace everything that comes my way?I could do that. I was a positive, optimistic person.

I smiled. “Thank you, Veronica.” I closed my eyes for a brief moment and let the serenity she offered wash over me.

This was going to be good. Everything was going to be okay.

Now I just had to find the strength to tell Brady.

Chapter Five

Brady

It felt goodto have a day off from The Black Sheep. I hadn’t had one in a long time, but Jack insisted, and I wasn’t about to fight him on it. I’d taken the morning to get a lot of boring shit done (which I wouldn’t bore you with) and now I was ready to sit down and eat the sub I’d brought home—the highlight of my day. See, that was the thing about having the day off, I didn’t need to cook or pour drinks for anyone, so I very well wasn’t going to do it for myself.

I looked down at the sub. “It’s just you and me, old friend.” I shook my head. “And I’m talking to my food.” Delicious food, but that didn’t change the fact that it made it seem like I had a few loose screws.

I opened my mouth and was just about to take a bite when—

“You’re home.”

I pulled the sub away from my mouth and turned to face Allegra.

Her hair swished to the back of her as she closed the door and locked it. She let out a heavy sigh, and her eyes were closed when her back leaned against the door.

“Bad day?” I asked. Even with her face flushed like she’d been put through the wringer, she still looked like a goddamn goddess.

Her lips were painted some shade of light pink.

She was wearing a tight shirt that left little to the imagination. Seriously, I could see her tits straining against the fabric, and my willpower to look away was. . . just about zero.

Then those damn pink lips of hers puckered as she did those breathing exercises she’d told me about before. Yeah, she’d had a bad day. Her eyes fluttered open, and I saw that they were aglow with something unfamiliar, something I’d never seen in her before. Was it nerves? No, it couldn’t be. What could she be nervous about?

“Allegra, what’s wrong?”

Plastering a smile on, she meandered over to the kitchen. “Definewrong.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle. “I didn’t know you’d be home.”

I think we established I’m home.

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