Page 64 of Twins for the Mountain Daddies

“Lily…”

“Oh, this issoexciting. I knew it. I knew I recognized you. I mean, I’ve seen your face insomany tabloids, but I couldn’t place it at first.”

“Lily…”

Once the boxes are back in place, Lily stands up and looks me over with a grin that doesn’t seem to be fading anytime soon. “I can’t believe it’s really you! You’reTHEIvy Blake.”

No! No, no, no, no.No!

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’m suddenly aware of everyone around us, of how exposed I am. I glance around, expecting to see people staring, but no one seems to notice. Yet.

Her tone makes my skin prickle. She’s not just excited, she’shungryfor this gossip. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I mutter, my voice shaky, but she doesn't seem to be listening.

Her eyes gleam with intrigue. “It’s really you. I can’t believe it.”

“Please,” I beg, clutching the tests to my chest. “You have to promise you won’t say anything. Not to your dad. Not to anyone.”

She hesitates, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. Finally, she nods. “Okay. I promise.”

Relief washes over me, but it’s short-lived. I’m not convinced she’ll keep my secret, not with how eager she looks. I give her a hurried goodbye and rush toward the front of the store.

My heart races as I pay for the tests, fumbling with the cash, my hands so unsteady I’m surprised I don’t drop everything again.

I clutch the bag like a lifeline as I leave the store, my mind spinning with the possible fallout. If one person knows, it’s only a matter of time before everyone does. My family. The press. Holt and Wyatt. I can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t...

I stop in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing myself to slow down. It’s just one girl. One very excited, very intrigued girl. Maybe she’ll keep her word. Fuck, I hope so, because I have much bigger things to worry about right now.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. I need to focus, need to find a place where I can be alone. Where I can finally find out the truth.

The coffee shop is just down the street, and I head toward it, my legs shaky, my heart still pounding. I don’t know what I’ll do if the test is positive. I don’t know how I’ll tell Holt and Wyatt.

But I have to know.

I push past a couple of people in line, avoiding eye contact as I make my way to the back. The bathroom is small and dimly lit, but it’s private, and right now that’s all I care about. I lock the door behind me and lean against it, my breath coming in shallow, panicked bursts.

The bag crinkles in my grip, and I force myself to move, to do this before I lose my nerve. I’m shaking so hard I can barely open the boxes, the instructions a blur as I try to focus.

The first test feels like a ticking time bomb in my hand. I set it down on the edge of the sink, all but praying for a negative result. Praying that I’m just overreacting, that I can go back to Holt and Wyatt and Hank and pretend everything’s normal.

But when I look at it, the result is clear. Positive. My stomach drops, and I feel like I’m going to be sick. It’s just one test. Itcould be wrong. I tear open another box, my hope slipping away with every second that ticks by.

The second test is positive too. I’m starting to feel dizzy, the weight of reality crashing over me. I take a third test, my hands trembling so badly I almost drop it. I already know what it will say, but I have to be sure. I have to know.

Positive. Every last one of them.

I sink to the floor, my back against the door. The tests are scattered around me. I’m pregnant. Pregnant. The word echoes in my mind, over and over, until it doesn’t even feel real anymore.

What am I going to do? What are they going to say? I picture Wyatt’s easygoing smile, Holt’s confident grin. How will they react when they find out? Will they want this? Will they want me?

My thoughts are a chaotic swirl, and I can’t seem to catch my breath. I’m scared. I’m confused. I’m alone in a way I haven’t been since I came here.

I take a deep breath, then another, the panic slowly giving way to a grim determination. I don’t know how I’ll do this, but I know I have to. I know I can’t keep running.

I pick up the tests, stuffing them back into the bag with shaky hands. My future feels like a giant question mark, but there’s no avoiding it now.

I unlock the door and step back into the coffee shop, my heart still heavy, but my path clear.

Chapter 30

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