Page 164 of Our Scorching Summer

Avery’s nose lifts from her mug of coffee, and she gives me a stare I know won’t allow me to avoid her questions. “So, Nico?”

“Hmm?” I stall for as long as possible.

“Come on, Lily. Both of you are single, traveling together all summer…That’s soyou. Sexy and fabulous.”

Is it me?

It breaks my heart to think the past week has been the opposite of reality for me.

“Look, I do actually have something I need to tell you.”

Avery’s face lights up with a spread of pink across her cheeks. “Are we going to be sisters-in-law?I knew it.”

“No, Ave—” I sputter, trying to reel in her unnecessary wave of excitement. I set down my mug. She gets carried away so quickly, my passionate flame of a best friend.

“Okay, well, I have even more exciting news on top of your amazing news,” Avery says. My heartbeat stalls in my chest. Does she already know? Did Nico tell Luca? “I’m a little early, and honestly, I probably shouldn’t say anything just yet, but I want you to be the first to know—”

“You’re pregnant?” I leap out of my seat, spilling my coffee everywhere, and wrap her in the biggest hug. My moment of sanity urges me to grab the mug out of her hand and set it on the floor before returning to our embrace.

“Eight weeks,” she whispers, squeezing me tightly. “You’re going to be Auntie Lily. Can you believe it? I still can’t.”

When she pulls away, her hazel eyes well with tears, and mine do the same.

“Oh my god, Lily, you’ve never cried in front of me.”

What is wrong with me? Is crying just one of those things that doesn’t stop once the well opens?

“I’m just so happy, Ave. You’re going to be the best mom in the world, and fuck, I’ll need to fight all the MILF-loving pervs in the city. I should brush up on my self-defense course.”

“I love you,” she professes.

I cover her face in kisses. There’s no way I can tell my best friend about Zoe Mona right now.

This is her time. Entirely and wholly.

There’ll be a much better moment to break it to her later. We have all week.

“I’m so happy for you guys.”

“I feel like such a cliche, getting pregnant on my wedding night, but the little vibrating friend you gave me, well, let’s just say you had the right idea.”

Nico tugs on my foot beneath the bed. I kick at him again.

“We didn’t leave the bed the entire trip,” Avery says.

“Look at you.” I put on my best smile, but the guilt gnawing at my mind is robbing me of this moment with the only person who’s been like true family to me. “You’re such a little slut.”

The words cause her face to redden, and we light up the room with another rumble of laughter.

“Okay, wait until I tell you about this candle wax thing Luca did.”

“Hold on, candle wax? Who are you?”

Avery’s body vibrates with excitement, and she leans close, as we do when we’re about to spill some very deep secrets. “No one told me marriage turns you into an absolute whore.”

There’s no way Avery, my Ivy League master’s program, never wore a flat shoe other than her running sneakers, neatly ironed clothes, ocean conservation executive, just saidthat.

“Trusting someone with fire while you’re naked is a privilege.” I wink at her.

---