Page 109 of Mended Hearts

“Kaia,” I warned, narrowing my eyes.

She threw her hands up. “Sorry! I’ll see—see—myself out.”

“Thank yooooou. And please, can we keep this between us until I know what’s going on? I don’t need everyone henning me to death.”

“Of course. Totally.” She gathered her things, sniffed again, then grinned. “For what it’s worth, I think this is great—you’re both great. Together? My god.”

“Kaia!”

“Sorry! Bye!” The door clicked shut behind her.

We both exhaled.

Ollie kissed my forehead, then drew back slightly. “Okay. So. The test is positive.”

“Tests,” I corrected. “Plural. Three, to be exact.”

“Okay,” he repeated, the tone suddenly businesslike, like I’d snuck into one of his conference rooms. Steady. Like he was bracing for impact. His hands slid down my arms to lace with mine. “Tell me what you need.”

My lip wobbled. I was so tired of crying, and yet here we were again. “I need you to know I didn’t do this on purpose.”

“Leighton,” he said, his jaw tightening.

“I swear, Ollie, I would never?—”

His lips crashed into mine, rough and possessive, and when he pulled back, his voice was firm.

“So help me, if you ever put you and Carly in the same category again, there will be hell to pay.”

“I just know what she did to you. And I don’t want you to feel trapped. I swear, I will never?—”

“Jesus Christ, Touble.”

“That’s one,” I whispered.

He chuckled against my lips, brushing his thumb over my cheek. “First of all, you’re acting like you’re in this alone.”

“I just don’t want to be another obligation.”

He kissed me again—slower this time. “Breathe, baby. Good girl.” Then he tilted my chin up, holding my gaze. “I told you last night I’m in love with you. And while part of what I love is that you’re the anti-Carly, that is not why I fell.”

“No?”

“No, baby. The only thing the two of you have in common is that apparently I have fire-breathing sperm that dissolves latex.”

A watery laugh burst from me. “Ow.”

“I believe you, Leigh.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “The idea that you’d do something like that would never have even crossed my mind.”

“I didn’t stab the condom box.”

“What?”

“That girl at the bar said she would.”

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