Page 186 of Redeeming 6

My entire body was on fire, rattled further by an anxious tremor when I reached the corridor and my eyes landed on Molloy.

My feet faltered when I took in the sight of her leaning against the wall opposite our classroom door in the empty corridor, clearly waiting for me. “Joe.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’m so…” Swallowing back a sob, she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. “Sorry.”

“For what?” I didn’t recognize my own voice as I watched her watch me, feeling unsettled and on edge. “What the fuck is happening here? What are they talking about?”

“I’ve been trying to tell you,” she strangled out, as she reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I did tell you, but you for”—her voice cracked—“got.” She dragged in several shaky breaths before trying again, “I’m so sorry, Joe.” Clutching her face between her hands, she shook her head and choked out a sob. “Please don’t hate me.”

“Stop saying sorry, Molloy,” I snapped, holding a shaky hand up as I resisted the urge to fucking scream. “I don’t hate you, but you need to just…just tell me what’s going on here.”

I watched with my heart in my mouth and a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as my girlfriend pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead and strangled out the words that would forever turn my world on its axis.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Pregnant.” How I got the word out, I would never know, but I said it, and I managed to keep my tone level in the process. “You’re pregnant.”

Trembling, she kept her hand pressed to her forehead like a shield and nodded weakly.

“Pregnant.”

A pained sob escaped her. “Yes.”

“You’re pregnant.”

“Yes.”

“You’re saying you’re pregnant,” I heard myself repeat like an idiot, as my heart jackknifed in my chest. “Pregnant with a baby, pregnant.”

“Yes, Joey, I’m saying I’m pregnant with a baby,” she snapped, and then choked out another sob. “So just stop saying the word ‘pregnant.’ Jesus!”

“I’m sorry, I’m just…” I tilted my head to one side, feeling a mixture of disbelief and confusion as I waited for her to break out of character and yell, “Got you.” “Are you fucking with me?”

“I did fuck you,” she ground out, looking flustered. “Many times. That’s precisely the problem.”

“You’re not messing, are you?” I choked out, thoroughly fucking rattled as I felt myself sag against the wall at my back. “You’re seriously…” I shook my head and gaped at her. “Pregnant?”

The tears in her eyes assured me that this was no joke.

Jesus Christ.

My brow furrowed as a surge of raw, undiluted terror coursed through my veins. “How?”

She gave me a look that said How do you think?

“But you’re on the pill.”

“I know, and I’ve never skipped or missed a day, I swear,” Molloy urged, hand still shielding her face. “But it was that house party. The one those Tommen boys threw.” She shivered violently before adding, “I spent the whole night puking. And that following evening too, remember? After we ordered that Chinese when we were babysitting Sean? Remember I was sick for hours afterward? It must have messed with my birth control.”

“The Tommen party?” My heart slammed wildly against my rib cage. “Jesus Christ, Aoife . That was months ago.”

She flinched. “I know, Joe.”

Blowing out a shaky breath, I ran my hand through my hair, completely fucking reeling. “Exactly how pregnant are you?”

“Joe.”

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