Page 97 of Irreplaceable

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Istared at the cake again, wondering whether the filling was pink for a girl or blue for a boy. It was the same thing I’d been asking since my appointment two weeks ago.

Two. Weeks.

That was how long I’d had to wait for the gender reveal, and it had made me realize that I absolutely could not wait to find out whether I was having a boy or a girl until the baby was born. I had no idea how Alexis had done it because I was going crazy.

Enzo had been traveling for games, and I’d gone to Vancouver briefly. Now we were both back in LA, and I was excited to celebrate—both his team’s latest win and the baby.

“Oh my god, look at you,” Lauren squealed. She placed her hands on my belly before pulling me into a hug. “You popped!”

I laughed, peering down at my stomach, which was more noticeably pregnant than even a week or two before. It didn’t help that I was wearing an outfit that did nothing to hide my baby bump. The coral dress was an off-the-shoulder style with a ruffled neckline. The ruched sides were flattering but definitely didn’t camouflage the bump. “I did.”

“You look gorgeous,” Juliana said, and Alexis nodded before giving me a hug too.

“Um, speaking of gorgeous…” Lauren stared at something behind me. Her mouth fell open on a whispered “Holy Lorenzo Mancini.”

I laughed, glancing over my shoulder to where Enzo was standing with one of his teammates. Enzo’s shirtsleeves were rolled up to reveal his corded muscles, and his ink was on display.

“What are we staring at?” Hunter asked in his deep voice, startling us.

“Hey, babe.” Lauren turned to him, lifting her head for a kiss. He gave her a peck on the lips before pulling her closer into his side and whispering something in her ear. She grinned and nodded but said nothing.

Hunter excused himself to get a refill, and Enzo joined us a moment later, wrapping his arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to my temple. I smiled, my cheeks heating under my friends’ watchful gazes.

“I’d like you to meet my three best friends,” I said. “This is Juliana, Alexis, and Lauren.”

He shook each of their hands, but I had to cough to cover a laugh when he got to Lauren. She looked as if she might pee herself.

“Um, hi.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m sure you hear this all the time, but I’m a huge fan.”

Enzo chuckled. “Thank you. And maybe you can get Harper more excited about soccer. Actually—” He tapped a finger to his lips. “How would you like to attend our next home game with her? Then you could answer any questions about what’s happening on the field.”

“That would be incredible,” Lauren said, barely containing her smile. “Thank you.”

I laughed with a shake of my head then turned to Juliana. “Is it time to cut open the cake yet?”

She grinned. “If you’re ready.”

I nodded. “I’m more than ready.”

Enzo and I followed Juliana over to the table where the cake was set up. Behind us, there were pink and blue streamers, and I kept wondering what we’d find inside. Blue, I chanted. I really wanted a boy, though I wasn’t going to admit it. I’d just always imagined myself as a boy mom.

A photographer came up to take our pictures and capture the moment. Enzo and I had talked about it beforehand and decided to release some of the photos to the press to announce our pregnancy. It seemed odd—to have to publicly announce the fact that we were expecting. I still couldn’t wrap my head around this life sometimes.

I held the knife, and Enzo placed his hand over mine. For a minute, it felt more like a wedding than a gender reveal. But I was getting ahead of myself.

“Sei pronta, amore mio?” he whispered.

My insides quivered with excitement, and I held my breath as we sank the knife into layer upon layer of cake. When I pulled it out to make another cut, all I saw were blue crumbs and blue icing.

“It’s a boy!” I wasn’t sure whether I’d shouted it or someone else had because the next thing I knew, Enzo was cupping my face and kissing me.

“A boy,” Enzo sighed, his smile radiating love and joy. He kissed me again and then turned to our friends. “Thank you all for coming today. Hopefully, the next time we celebrate, it will be in our new home.”

My attention whipped to him, and I tried not to let my smile falter. “Our what?”

“Surprise, uccellina.” He turned and slipped a key from his pocket before handing it to me. “I bought us a house.”

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