Page 26 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

I froze, my chest tightening. “It’s not like that,” I repeated, though my voice sounded less convincing this time.

Mia sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Summer, I know you’ve been through a lot. And I know you think you’re doing the right thing for Ava. But this? This feels like a disaster waiting to happen.”

“I don’t have another choice,” I said quietly.

“Maybe you do,” she said softly. “Maybe you just don’t want to see it.”

The soundof the café door opening drew my attention, and my stomach dropped when I saw Enzo walk in. He spotted me almost immediately, his brow furrowing slightly when he noticed Mia.

“Great,” I muttered under my breath.

“What?” Mia asked, following my gaze. “Oh.”

Enzo approached the table, his expression unreadable. “Hey,” he said, his tone cautious. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Hi,” I said awkwardly, avoiding Mia’s knowing smirk.

“And you must be Mia,” Enzo said, extending a hand.

Mia shook it, her smile polite but sharp. “That’s me. Summer’s oldest friend. And you’re the famous Dr. Pearson.”

“Guilty,” he said with a faint smile.

Mia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “We were just talking about you, actually.”

I shot her a warning look, but she ignored me.

“All good things, I hope,” Enzo said lightly, though his gaze flickered to me for confirmation.

“Of course,” Mia said sweetly, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Mia,” I said through gritted teeth.

“What?” she asked innocently.

Enzo glanced between us, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Am I missing something?”

“Not at all,” Mia said, standing and grabbing her bag. “But I should get going. This has been… enlightening.”

She kissed my cheek, her voice low enough for only me to hear. “Think about what I said, Summer. Don’t let this blow up in your face.”

I didn’t respond, too busy glaring at her retreating figure.

Once she was gone,Enzo sat down across from me, his expression serious. “What was that about?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly.

He raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t sound like nothing.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Mia’s just… concerned.”

“About?” he prompted.

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “About the situation. About us pretending to be something we’re not.”

Enzo leaned back in his chair, his gaze thoughtful. “She has a point. It’s not exactly a normal situation.”

“No kidding,” I muttered.

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