Page 94 of Unsure in Love

“Do you two need a room?” Ruby asked.

Lucy let out a laugh. “Well, I’ll be damned.” As she threw her arms around me, she said, “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding that for weeks.”

“Months actually,” I corrected. “A little over four, to be exact.”

The room got quiet again. Lucy stepped back to gawk. “What? You’re further along than I am? But how…”

Nic finally picked up his jaw to ask, “You mean it didn’t happen in New York when I asked Damian to check up on you?” He scowled. “Although, apparently, he did a hell of a lot more than that.”

My face practically caught fire.

“Oh, my gosh.” April gasped. “That means it happened when you slept with your ‘Latin Lover’ after the wedding.”

“You’re not allowed to call him that,” I grumbled.

“What?” Nic gawked at me, and I gave him a sheepish look. He looked skyward and raised his palms. “You know what? I don’t want to know. It’s none of my business.”

“How on earth have you hidden a five-month belly from me?” April mused. Then she sucked her teeth and glowered. “Oh, that’s right. You avoided your entire family for that long.” She gave me a seething once over in my baggy t-shirt, which made it look like I’d put on a couple of pounds instead of carrying a pregnant belly.

“I’m sorry. Okay? I was embarrassed when I found out because it happened after a one-night stand.”

“Jesus Christ.” Nic rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I might just shoot Damian after all.”

“Nic,” I groaned. “Don’t you dare be mad at him. We both knew what we wanted. But when I ran into him in New York, we…” I sighed. “It became so much more than a fling.”

His lips twisted into a slight smile. “Like I said, none of my business.”

My relief that one of my favorite people wasn’t mad at me was short-lived. In just a few seconds, all hell would break loose. “Confession number two.”

Tessa’s head whipped back in my direction. “There’s more?”

Studying the tips of my sneakers, I nodded. “I didn’t go to New York for a tattoo convention.”

Tessa glared. “I knew it.”

“I’d been in contact with a private investigator. I went to see him and that’s how I ran into Damian. Turns out, it was his firm I’d hired to look into my case.”

Lucy planted her hands on her hips. “What case?”

I swallowed hard before meeting her gaze. “Finding Dad.”

Ruby, who was taking a sip of water, spit it out all over her screen and went on to cough profusely.

A collective gasp from Tessa and April filled the room. Lucy just stared.

Nic and Julian exchanged horrified glances—probably afraid of the chaos that might ensue. I was too, and I braced myself for it.

“I found him,” I whispered.

Lucy sucked in a breath. “You found him? And you didn't think it was worth mentioning? How could you keep this from us, Cass?”

Tessa, teary-eyed, asked, “How long have you been keeping this from us?”

It was hard to look at her, to see the pain flickering across her face, so my gaze lowered to the floor. Dad was a topic we’d avoided almost our entire lives. “I started looking for him last year. I had no luck until about two months ago, then I went to New York to meet with the PI. Afterward, I went to see Dad. He lives in New Jersey now.”

“You kept it from us for a whole freaking year?” Lucy screeched. “And you saw him, did you?” She threw her arms up. “So, what? Did you invite him to visit so we could bond and let bygones be bygones?”

“No. I just…” I chanced a look at my sisters. They were all glaring at me as if I’d committed the worst crime. I took a step back from her out of pure guilt. “I didn’t tell any of you I wanted to find him because I knew you wouldn’t like it.”

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