Page 57 of Wicked Prince

He frowns harder, watching me with an air of suspicion. "Come to think of it, you ducked out of class last Monday, too."

"Probably just nerves."

"Hmm."

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing, just… is anything else wrong besides your stomach?"

I hesitate, not sure where he's going with this. "I mean, I get headaches once in a while, but it's probably stress, too. Not like there's any shortage of it. What, are you WebMD now?”

“It’s just interesting.”

"Okay, enough of the cryptic pondering," I say, growing irritated. "What is it?"

"Nothing. You’re just a little testy lately."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Case in point," he says, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry," I mumble. "Maybe I have been a little on edge. It's why I haven't been up for hanging out. I don't want to bring you down, too."

"Please, my optimism is incurable," he says in a wry tone. He grows serious again a moment later. "But come on, Amelia. You're too smart to tell me you haven't even considered the possibility that you're—"

"Don't," I plead, resisting the urge to cover my ears like a child.

I know what he's going to say, and I don't like it.

Mostly because he's right. Ithasoccurred to me, but every time it does, I immediately shut the thought down.

“Don’t?” he replies innocently.

"I'm not pregnant. I can't be."

"Can't, or don't want to be?" he challenges.

I scowl. "Both."

"What makes you so sure?" he presses. "Condoms aren't foolproof, and neither is birth control."

I open my mouth to respond, then promptly shut it.

"What?" he asks, narrowing his eyes in even greater suspicion. All of a sudden, his expression goes blank. "Wait, you’re not on birth control?"

"With one notable exception, it's not really something I have to worry about," I say defensively. "My cycle has always been regular, and that hasn't changed, so it's a moot point, anyway."

"You know there are women who get their periods throughout their pregnancies, right?" he asks.

I fall silent, not wanting to admit I didn't know that, and it certainly isn't a welcome addition to my repository of knowledge. "Still, that has to be rare."

"Maybe," he concedes, even though doesn't sound sure. And to tell the truth, I'm not either. "At least tell me you made him wear a condom..."

My silence evidently speaks enough, because Anthony grimaces, planting a hand in the middle of his face.

"Amelia, seriously?"

"I told you, I didn't go there thinking anything was going to happen!" I cry. "The whole point was to tell him nothing would."

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