Page 36 of Your Second Chance
“You’re pregnant?”
Her eyes widened, and she looked down quickly, like she was trying to make herself disappear. For a second, I thought she was going to bolt. My hands twitched, ready to reach for her, to stop her from running, but then her gaze snapped back to mine. Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. She brought her hand up, holding an envelope tightly between her fingers. “And inside this... I’ll know the sex of the stupid pomegranate.”
My mouth opened, but nothing coherent came out. “Oh. Okay.”
What else could I say? My thoughts were spinning, trying to catch up.If she knows the gender... then she’s far along enough... fuck. What I said earlier about her ex. He was the dad. He had to be...
“I’m so sorry, Nova,” I sputtered. “I told you I hated him, and I didn’t mean—god, I had no idea you were?—”
“I hate him, too.” Her voice trembled as she stared down at the pavement. “He also has no idea.”
The weight of what she’d said sank in, rooting me in place. Everything about her—her guarded eyes, her hesitant stance—screamed that she was bracing herself for judgment.
And all I could feel was a fierce, inexplicable need to protect her from it. From everything.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” I said honestly.
Normally, I was a man of a lot of words, but I was stunned into silence.
“Your mom knows. I don’t know how she figured it out, but she did when I met her.” She glanced up before looking down again. “I figured you saw her hand on me, and now we’re here...”
“Are you okay? Like is everything . . .?”
“Totally fine. That’s the problem?” She scrunched her nose. “Agh. That’s fucked up to say. I don’t mean that I wish something to be wrong, but this was a wild card.” She chuckled. “I found out I was pregnant on the flight out here.”
“Shit.” I shook my head as small raindrops began to fall. “I-uh—I gotta go get my mum so she doesn’t freeze to death.” I fumbled. “I’m supposed to take her to dinner before she heads to her hotel. Dad’s coming tomorrow.”
“Cool,” Nova replied, her voice tight, shaking her head a little as if trying to snap herself out of whatever spiral she was in.
Yet neither of us moved. The rain came down harder, the drops starting to soak through my coat and plaster her sweater to her skin. Still, we stood there.
She finally broke the moment, shoving the envelope deep into her bag, her fingers trembling slightly. “I should get going then,” she said flatly.
“Wait,” I blurted, the word spilling out of me before I could stop it. “Who’s going to open the envelope with you?”
She froze, furrowing her brows as she stared at me. “Luna. I was going to meet her at the pub by our house.”
“Can Mum and I come?”
She barked out a humorless laugh. “What? No.”
“Why not?” I dramatically held my hand over my heart. “You wound me.”
She shook her head. “You don’t want to know the gender of my pomegranate.”
I took a step closer, the rain dripping steadily between us. “Of course I do.”
“No, you literally don’t.” Her smile slipped slightly. “I hate pity.”
I met her gaze, my tone softening. “I know, love. This isn’t pity. I want to know. Come on. I’ve gotta see if I’m competing with another guy for your attention.”
Nova laughed, a real, genuine laugh that lit up her face for a brief moment. “No one is competing because no one is in the competition.”
“There could be.”
“Ugh,” Nova groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. “I’m getting wet and cold. Fine. Just come. Same pub as last time.”
