Page 106 of Conquering Oz

Fuck!

Chapter Twenty

“Wait, give me the symptoms again?”

Elodie bundled her jacket and shouldered the door open. It was colder than she’d expected, and she hadn’t been dressed for the weather. She juggled a bottle of ginger ale and the bag with the soup. She caught her reflection in the window and resisted the urge to cringe. Her nausea had turned into full-blown vomiting last night. It came in waves, but she wasn’t running a fever.

“I told you, Madz, it’s nothing. It’s probably a stomach bug or something.” Elodie started to her car and unlocked her door.

“Throwing up and tired. That sounds like something, but not a bug, Elle.” Madalyn screeched. “Oh my God, could you be pregnant?”

Elodie snorted, shook her head, and then froze by her car door. Pregnant?No.Impossible. She’d been on birth control since she was sixteen. She shook off the idea. But Madalyn hadn’t.

“How far along do you think you could be? If it’s at least a month, our kids could be in the same grade.”

“Jesus, Madz, I’m not pregnant!” Elodie’s outburst caught the attention of a couple walking by, and she shook her head, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

“Moody, too. You need to take a test.”

Elodie drew in a breath, her frustration at an all-time high. “I’m hanging up now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She got in her car, placing the drink and food on the passenger seat next to her pocketbook. She settled back in her seat. Pregnant.As if.

Right?

She reached over, grabbed her bag, and dug inside for her datebook. She generally had a longer cycle, so it was harder to remember her last period. She opened it to the previous month. It had started on the first. As she scanned through the following month, she flipped through the pages.

“No,” she said and turned back to the previous page, counting.

She was officially late by about two weeks. Elodie cupped her mouth and darted her gaze around the street. Considering the timing, this was the last thing she needed. But she couldn’t not know either. Her gaze landed on the corner pharmacy.Do I want to know right now?

Elodie was so lost in everything that’d happened, she wasn’t sure she could handle the truth if she was indeed pregnant with Oz’s child. What would that even look like? The father of her kid was also the killer of her father? Her stomach twisted, and she rested her head back and closed her eyes, taking in deep even breaths.

She’d spent the last few days trying to contend with this situation. How could she be in love with a man who’d lied, betrayed her, and killed someone? Elodie had given a lot of thought to everything Camille had shared. She was holding onto anything that would make sense still wanting to be with him.

A few minutes later, she started her car and drove to her apartment.Without a test.She pulled into her spot and noticed a man at her door.

“Can I help you?”

He turned, holding up a bag. “Delivery for Elle Martin.”

She furrowed her brows. “I didn’t order anything.”

He glanced down at the tag on the bag. “It was placed by Madalyn Reynolds.”

What the…

Elodie walked over, taking the bag and peeking inside.

Jesus Christ, Madz!

In the small brown paper bag was a pregnancy test. She forced a smile and thanked the guy before turning and unlocking her door. She juggled her bags and pushed it open.

Elodie stilled, glancing to the end of the hallway. She was sure she’d turned off her lights before she’d left. Or maybe she hadn’t. She’d had brain fog for the last few days, so she couldn’t be sure of anything. She toed off her shoes and walked toward the kitchen area, placing the soda and bag of soup on the counter.

“What’s it like sharing a bed with the devil?”

Elodie froze at the sound of the man’s voice coming from behind her. She spun around and widened her eyes. She’d only seen him twice, but she recognized Garner. He looked disheveled with his shirt untucked from his pants and his suit wrinkled. His eyes were glassy as if he’d been drinking, and his usual slicked back hair was in disarray.

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