Page 11 of Make Your Play

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"When the hell were you going to tell me?"

Nova's facial expression says it all, but the disappointment in her voice might be worse.

I lift my head, looking at my friend as I sit in her living room on her couch. "I don't know. I wanted to get things figured out before I told anyone. Your brother finding out was an unexpected accident."

"Nash knows? And he didn't tell me?"

I shrug with indifference, attempting to push away the uncomfortable feelings. "I asked him not to say anything to anyone."

Nova looks like she isn’t sure how to feel and I can’t help but feel bad for keeping something like this from her. It’s more of a private matter and something that hurts my pride. For the first time in my adult life, after working my fucking ass off, in a way, it almost feels like it was all for nothing. Sure, I have my own business and my own home, but what am I going to have when I have to spend all my savings on my medical care.

“What are your options?” Nova asks me as she settles on the other side of the couch. “There has to be some kind of assistance or emergency insurance because you’re pregnant.”

“I don’t think there is,” I tell her, my voice quiet as I pick at the skin around my thumbnail. “Because I have insurance, I can’t get any assistance.”

“I can’t believe your insurance barely covers maternity costs.” She lets out a frustrated sigh, her nose scrunching as she shakes her head. “There should be a law against that or something.”

I let out the softest, most pathetic laugh as tears sting my eyes again. “Unfortunately, there isn’t.”

“Did they talk to you about what it might cost?”

“Not really. My insurance only covers a small percentage of things and there are too many variables for them to give me an accurate estimate.”

The back door opens and the sounds of voices fill the kitchen behind us as a small pair of feet comes trampling through the room. “Shit. I didn’t think they’d be home already.” Nova glances over her shoulder, a smile pulling on her lips as she sees her daughter coming into the room. Posey heads straight for Nova, climbing onto her lap before she turns to face me.

“Hey, baby,” Nova murmurs, planting her lips against her daughter’s forehead. “How was school?”

Posey goes to the local daycare, but she likes to call it “Princess School” instead. “It was good.” Posey smiles at her before she looks at me. She scoots across the couch to me, wrapping her arms around my stomach as she presses her head against the bump. “Is the baby awake?”

I smile down at my goddaughter, laughing softly. “I’m not sure, but if you talk to the baby, they might let you know if they are.”

Posey starts to talk softly to my stomach, her hands holding either side as she stares at it and then presses her cheek back to my belly. The third time she does it, I feel him move, part of his body pushing against where she is, and she lets out a shrill giggle, her face bright as she looks up at me.

Lincoln comes walking into the room, Nash following behind him. Lincoln walks over to Nova, pressing his lips to the top of her head before glancing at me. “Hey, Riley.” He looks between the two of us, his eyebrows pulling together. “Is everything okay?”

My body internally shakes and I fight the urge to break down as I plaster a fake smile to my face. “Everything is fine. I got tired earlier so Nova picked me up from the shop.” I look back at Nova. “I should probably get going soon.”

Nash stands in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he stares at me on his sister’s couch. The sleeves of his sweaterare pushed up, revealing half of the tattoos covering his right arm. “I can give you a ride.”

“Are you sure?” Nova asks him as she stands up. Posey gives my stomach the softest kiss before she climbs down from the couch. She breezes past Lincoln, grabbing his hand as she pulls him into the kitchen with her. “I can drive her.”

Nash shakes his head at her as he pushes away from the wall and steps toward me. “I got it.” He holds his hand out to me, helping me off the couch before he takes a step away to give me some space. Nova pulls me in for a hug and asks me to call her later before I let Nash usher me out of the house to his car.

He doesn’t say a word until we’re both sitting in the front seats. He turns on the car, blasting the heat while he looks over at me. “When was the last time you ate?”

My eyebrows pull together. “What?”

“Food, Riley. When did you last have it?”

My mind plays over my day and I realize it’s already dinnertime and I haven’t eaten since earlier in the day. I had an early lunch, about forty-five minutes before my episode. “I’m fine, Nash.”

“I didn’t ask if you were and clearly you’re not.” He lets out a frustrated breath as he grabs the steering wheel and begins to pull out of the driveway. “We’re going to go eat and you’re going to tell me what’s going on.”

“Nash, seriously,” I scoff, shaking my head at him. “I’m telling you, I’m fine. Everything is?—”

“Fine,” he cuts me off, rolling his eyes as he lets out a harsh breath through his nose. “Yeah, I know, Riley." He pauses at a stop sign, using his turn signal to exit his sister’s neighborhood. “Except it isn’t.”

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