Page 15 of Wicked Little Secret

“First of all,” she said as she sat down, “I’m thrilled. This is a good thing.”

Her brother perched on the corner of his desk. “Who’s the father?”

Olivia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.” She wasn’t sure what compelled her to add, “He doesn’t want anything to do with us.”

“Hewhat?”

Steam practically shot out Evan’s ears as he jumped to his feet to pace his office, and she quickly realized that’d been the wrong thing to say.

“It’s fine, E. It’s better this way.”

“Livi—the fuck it is. He—”

She cut him off. “I don’t want to talk about him. Period. End of story.I’mhaving a baby, and we’re not talking about the father. Ever.”

He studied her face for a beat, and she could see his wheels turning as he sized up how serious she was about her edict. She must have looked pretty damn stern because he nodded slowly and said, “Okay. I won’t bring it up again.”

Dropping on his knee next to her, similar to how Steven had, he caressed her biceps. “I’m here for you and that little peanut. You’re not alone in this.”

Her bottom lip trembled with how much love he was directing at her.

“I know.”

He grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “I love you, little sis.”

“I love you, too.” She let out a big sigh. “I should probably get back to work.”

They walked toward his door, and he asked, “Do Mom and Dad know?”

“I don’t think I’m going to tell anyone until I make it through the first trimester.”

“My lips are sealed, then. You let me know when it’s safe to say something around them.”

Olivia stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. “I will. Thank you. I mean it.”

She could tell he wanted to say more, but he just smiled and said, “Of course. That’s what big brothers are for.”

**

“Shut the front door!” Rose exclaimed a week later when Olivia casually broke the news to her.

“It’s true—I have the test results to prove it. I’m finally cashing in the favor.”

“Ok, so spill. Did you end up going to the fertility clinic? I thought you didn’t want to do that because even with a professional discount, you thought it’d end up being hella expensive.”

Olivia took a deep breath. When it came to this baby she was turning into a liar, and it wasn’t getting easier with each lie she told. But she was so ashamed of what she’d done to get pregnant that she couldn’t even tell her best friend how it really happened. So, she fudged a little.

“I’d been seeing someone casually, and we might have forgotten to use protection one night.”

It waskind oftrue.

“Does he know?”

“Um…”

“Olivia Lacroix!” her friend gasped. “You have to tell him!”

“Why?”

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