Page 86 of Keeping London (Flawed Heart)

Baby.

She and Loïc are going to raise a baby? What is happening here? Will someone please bring me back to reality?

I’m standing motionless on the porch. Who knows what expression my face wears, but I’m sure it’s disturbing. My chest aches, and I struggle to find air. It’s so cold, and I strive to feel the comforting spring day, but I can’t.

I don’t understand what’s going on.

I just need Loïc.

Sarah presses her lips into a line before saying, “Good-bye, London.”

Then, she closes the door on me. The lock turns, and I’m still here.

This isn’t real.

Nothing makes sense.

I gasp, the harsh breath bringing life to my lungs. I stare at the closed door a second longer before finally grasping enough sense to walk back to my car.

I don’t even remember the drive back to my house. Yet I’m now walking up to my front door.

I can’t even cry. I can’t even mourn this. Whatever this is, it isn’t my life.

This is not how things go down.

This is not how things end.

My front door opens with a whoosh.

“What are you doing out here? What’s wrong?” Paige asks. “You’ve been standing out here for at least five minutes.”

I follow Paige inside and plop down on the couch, still unable to formalize a thought. I’m in shock.

“London, you need to start talking. You’re scaring me. Did you see him?” She paces in front of me. “Did you see Loïc?”

I raise my head at the sound of his name, and I meet Paige’s concerned stare. “No.” I shake my head. “They’re raising a baby. She’s pregnant,” I stammer out.

“Who?”

“I saw Sarah. She’s pregnant. She wouldn’t let me see him. She said he didn’t want to see me.”

“Loïc and Sarah are having a baby? He cheated on you?” Paige shrieks.

“No, he wouldn’t.” My words come out slowly.

Paige snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to London. Snap out of it, love. I need to know everything.”

“That’s all really. She said I couldn’t see him. I was fighting her on it, but then she talked about them raising a baby together, and I kind of had an internal freak-out, I think.”

“How big is her belly?”

“What?”

“How big is it?” Paige urges.

“I don’t know. Big.”

“Well, the last time she saw Loïc was the first week of December when she drove up to surprise him before the guys left, remember? That was five months ago, like exactly. Does she look five months pregnant?”

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