Page 73 of Black Hearts
Not how any of us thought today would go, obviously.
Killian cleaned the puke. Theo stayed inside with Stella for a while, and Ed and Lincoln finished up dinner. We remained in the pool until it was time to eat, and as the others wrapped themselves in towels, I was left with soaking clothes, thanks to Juliet.
As everyone grabbed a plate and piled food on, I decided to go inside and get a change of clothes. I was heading toward the main staircase when I spotted Theo coming from his office. The look on his face said it all.
“So, it’s true,” I said, shaking my head once. “She didn’t look too happy about it.”
“No, she’s not, but from what I hear, she wasn’t very thrilled about Tori, either,” he spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s going to stay inside. The smell of cooking meat is really setting her off.” He paused, thinking it over. “Having another child in the house will be interesting, to say the least.” Based on the look on his face, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about what Juliet would be like if she was pregnant.
Not that I was thinking about it.
Not until right then, and, you know, I wasn’t even sure I liked the idea. Some people liked kids, but usually they were annoying. Tori wasn’t bad, but not all kids were like her.
“Anyway, I’m off to share the news,” Theo finished.
“I’m changing.”
“Ah, right. Good.”
We went our separate ways, and I went upstairs and dried off a bit, changed into fresh clothes. It was good to be back in my own room. Even though I’d never really felt like I belonged here, it was so fucking good to be back. My own bed, my own clothes, a place where I could retreat to when I didn’t feel like talking to anybody.
Although, I had the feeling that might change thanks to Juliet.
Once I was dressed in new, dry clothes, I returned to the gathering on the patio and grabbed some food. Everyone was split into their chosen groups, and I made my way to the wicker chairs where Juliet sat with the other guys. Even Markus sat with them, which looked a little odd given how hunched over his body was, and he didn’t look happy.
I sat on the seat beside Jaxon, overhearing what Theo was telling Markus: “Getting sick at the smell of cooking meat is not uncommon when a woman’s pregnant. She mentioned she’s had an upset stomach for a while, but she was so focused on working to get Johnathan out, that… well. She didn’t think twice about it.”
That was when I noticed Ed, Lincoln, and Killian had gone inside, probably to be with her. Tori, too.
Markus frowned. “At least it wasn’t in my office this time.”
Juliet hurried to swallow what she was chewing, asking, “She threw up in your office?” She couldn’t hide the smile that formed right then, and her smirk only made him angrier.
“I would rather not relive it,” he muttered.
Will said, “I bet you got so pissed when she did.”
“I’m going to order her a few things that might help her. Since this is her second pregnancy, I assume it will go much like the first, even if she is a little older now. A lot of women are having children in their thirties now, even their forties—” Theo must’ve sensed he was boring everyone, for he stopped himself from going on.
Jaxon wiped at his mouth, then asked, “Who wants to place a bet? I say it’s going to be another girl.”
Will shook his head. “No way. This one’s a boy.”
Looking at Theo and Markus, Jaxon shrugged and then turned to look at Juliet and me. “Well? What do you two think?”
I wanted to say that I thought this conversation was as pointless as one could be, but I supposed that was the point. Sometimes it was nice not to be on a mission, to bullshit with each other. “I don’t know,” I settled with saying. “I don’t really care either way.”
Juliet mused. “Well, Tori wants a sister, so I’m going to pick a girl.”
It went on like that for a while. Not the conversation about whether Stella was going to have a boy or a girl, but the aimless conversation in general. Everyone ate. Some got up to get seconds. As the afternoon wore into twilight, everyone else began to leave. Markus got up to see everyone off. Theo had gone inside to check on Stella. Will and Jaxon were cleaning up all the plates and the trash, which left Juliet with me.
She’d changed into clothes, wearing tight leggings and a loose shirt. Her slender frame reclined back in one of the longer chairs, her legs fully extended. Her head was turned toward me, watching me.
“What?” I huffed.
“You’re so funny.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
