Page 5 of Dubious Secrets

He scratches the back of his neck, then moves to open the cabinets under the sink. “What if you’re pregnant?”

“What? No. I’m just—” I cut off when he holds up the unopened box of tampons.

Ryker sighs. “Mary had me get your specific brand three weeks ago. I don’t know much about all that, but I’m pretty sure you should have had it by now, right?”

He’s right, but damn if I’m ever gonna validate someone by admitting it, especially this man. When I don’t answer, he shifts for another box in the cabinets and holds out a pregnancy test.

“Do you have a mini-pharmacy stocked in there or what?” I force out, grabbing the box from him with disdain. I’m not fucking pregnant. There’s no way. My ex-boyfriend and I weren’t exactly careful for years and not once did I miss my period. I try to think of the last time I had it, and it was a week before I moved in here.

“Mary and I had a scare last year. She took one and it was enough to convince her to not waste the rest,” he says, scratching the back of his neck again, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation.

“Awesome. That’s cool. You almost knocked up both sisters, what a record,” I ramble as I push off the floor and tear open the test. He scowls at me, not appreciating my humor. His eyes widen when I pull down my pants and sit on the toilet, sticking the test between my legs and pushing out as much pee as I can.

Ryker scrambles to his feet. “Fuck, Stassie. You could have waited until I left.”

I roll my eyes. “I had your cum leaking out of my pussy weeks ago, and you just watched me recreate The Exorcist—extreme edition. Please, calm down.”

He shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, but he doesn’t leave the bathroom as I recap the test and set it on the counter before flushing and washing my hands.

“We have to wait a few minutes?—”

“Thanks for the explanation I didn’t ask for, but I’m aware of how tests work,” I say, not glancing at him, but I can see his scowl again in the mirror. Guilt eats at my heart so I sigh. “Sorry, I get rude when I’m nervous.”

“It’s okay. I get it.” Ryker moves a step closer, and after a second of hesitation, places his hand on my hip, squeezing gently. “I didn’t think to ask about getting you…something after that night. I should have thought about birth control.”

I swallow down as I watch the blinking dots in the small window of the test. “I didn’t think about it either. Uhm. My ex and I, we never used anything. I’ve never really…you know.”

He nods, his fingers digging into my side. “I don’t know how to ask this without sounding like an asshole, but if you are pregnant, is it….”

I raise my eyebrows. “Is it yours?”

His shoulders slump. “Yeah. Look, I’m not trying to say—I just want to know.”

Turning to face him, I cover his mouth with my hand. “I think you’re a nervous rambler, and to answer your question, yes. It’d be yours. My ex and I broke up months before I moved in here, and I haven’t been with anyone since the night we don’t acknowledge.”

Ryker wraps his fingers around my wrist, pulling it away from his mouth and revealing an amused smile. “I didn’t want to offend you. You have a sharp tongue, and I wasn’t looking to get cut.”

I can’t stop my answering grin, and I realize he’s still holding on to me, his thumb rubbing against my skin. We don’t look away from each other, our chests rising and falling in equal rhythm. My lips tingle and as if he’s feeling the same, his eyes flicker to my mouth and back up.

A beep startles us both and he lets go as I spin to grab the test, holding it up for the both of us. My heart plummets into my stomach.

“Fuck me.”

“That’s what got us in this situation,” Ryker answers drily.

Chapter 4

Ryker

After she showersand changes into something more comfy, I make her some soup while she cuddles Archibald on the couch, and then sit down next to her.

“We don’t have to make a decision tonight. We have some time to think about what you want to do, but we should get you to see a doctor just to confirm and make sure everything is okay.”

Stassie continues to stare at the painting on the wall, absentmindedly petting the cat on her lap. I grab my phone, looking up places as I wait for her to work out whatever she’s thinking. My wallpaper of Mary and me has my stomach bottoming out, guilt tearing up my insides at the fact that I not only cheated, but also knocked up her little sister. I swap to another background of Archibald and open up the browser.

“Do you want kids?” she asks after a few minutes.

I glance up at her, but she’s not looking back. “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

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