Page 5 of The Complication with the Best Man

HARPER

Palmer called me so many times last night that I ended up turning my ringer off, so I shouldn’t be surprised when there’s an incessant knock at the front door the next morning.

I’m still in bed, huddled under the covers and trying to avoid the world because nothing has felt real since I saw those two pink lines on the test. It’s all way too surreal.

When the knocking doesn’t stop, I crawl out of bed with a groan. It’s mid-morning, so Maven will already have left for work.

I peek around the curtain, and yep, it’s Palmer. After a deep sigh, I swing open the door. Tears immediately spring to my eyes seeing her expression—a mix of concern and pity. She steps forward and draws me into a tight, secure hug that breaks my last piece of restraint.

For the first time since finding out, I cry. The reality of the situation. The weight of the decision that must be made. I’ve always been careful, practiced safe sex, so I wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Palmer squeezes me so tightly I might break, but after a couple minutes, she pulls away, shutting the door behind her. “How are you?” she whispers, as if Maven could overhear.

“She’s at work.” My shoulders slump, and I walk into the living room and collapse onto the couch, pulling a blanket over me. “It’s starting to set in.”

Palmer sits in the chair beside the couch. “The father is Finn? You haven’t mentioned anyone else lately.”

Her comment stings, although she didn’t mean it to. She’s curious if I could be pregnant and not know who the father is. Yes, if I’m into a guy, I’ll definitely go to bed with him, even though I’m not interested in anything long term. But I don’t sleep with every single male with two feet, a heartbeat, and a dick either.

Regardless, I know people will wonder. Will judge me anyway.

“Yes, it’s Finn’s.” I groan and squeeze my eyes shut. “I don’t even know how this happened. I’m on birth control, and we used a condom. All three times.”

Palmer’s eyes bug out. “You did it three times in one night?”

I shrug, pushing the blanket off my shoulders. “The sex was really good. Amazing actually.” Probably the best I’ve ever had, but I’m not going to give her a play-by-play of Finn’s bedroom skills when he’s her husband’s best friend. “What did Hudson say after I left?”

She tilts her head. “He was shocked, but don’t worry, he won’t say anything. It’s not like he and Finn talk every day anyway. Probably once a month unless something’s going on.”

I nod. I wasn’t worried about either of them saying anything when I left last night. I know they would never. Adley, on the other hand…

“What about Adley?”

A mischievous smile creases her lips, and she looks just like Adley when she’s done something she’s not supposed to. “We told her it was a test you take when your tummy is bothering you to check if you’re sick. She bought it. I swear, a huge part of parenting is just lying to them about stuff or figuring out how to tell them a half-truth.”

I muster up a small smile, thankful I won’t have to worry about that.

“Do you know what you’re going to do?”

I wince at her sympathetic tone and shake my head. The idea of having a baby, fathered by someone I had a one-night stand with, is mind-blowing. But the thought of terminating the pregnancy makes me sick. I can’t even imagine the idea of adoption.

“I figured. All right, go get dressed.” She stands from the chair, hands on her hips as if I’m Adley.

I burrow down further under the blanket, and Palmer whips the blanket off of me.

I curl into the fetal position. “I don’t want to go anywhere,” I whine. “I’m just going to stay in my little bubble where I don’t have to face the world and my new reality.”

I’m taking you somewhere. It’s a surprise, she signs.

I blow out a breath on a groan. “What kind of surprise? The sugar kind? Because that’s about all my vices can be now, but watch, I’ll probably have gestational diabetes.”

It’s not food related.

I groan and kick my feet like the kid she probably just dropped off at school. “I don’t wanna.”

“Should we set up a playdate?” she asks, glaring at me.

“Playdate? That’s how I got in this position.”

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