Page 17 of Sizzling Desire

“Just look,” I whisper to myself. “Rip off the Band-Aid. It’s probably nothing.”

But when I finally glance down, my stomach drops.

Two pink lines.

Two.

The world tilts, the edges of my vision blurring as the truth slams into me like a freight train.

“Oh, my god.” My voice is barely above a whisper, trembling with shock. “Oh, my god.”

I grab the test, as if holding it will make the result change, make it go away. But those lines are steady, unyielding. Positive.

“No,” I mutter, shaking my head. “This can’t be right. It’s a mistake. These things aren’t foolproof.”

But the tiny box on the counter says otherwise, and deep down, I know the truth.

I sink to the floor, my back against the door, clutching the test like it’s the only thing tethering me to reality. My mind races, a whirlwind of denial, fear, and something dangerously close to hope.

Kane.

His name flashes through my mind, bringing with it a flood of emotions I’m not ready to face. The thought of telling him makes my stomach churn. How would he react? With that infuriating smirk? With anger? With indifference?

I can’t do this.

I don’twant to do this.

My hands tremble as I set the test down, my breath coming in shallow gasps. “This isn’t happening,” I whisper. “It’s not happening.”

But it is.

And now, I have a decision to make.

Tell Kane or keep the secret.

The thought of him knowing, of his life entangling with mine in a way that can’t ever be undone, makes my chest tighten. But the alternative—hiding this, carrying it alone—feels just as impossible.

I stare at the test, the weight of it pressing down on me, and I know there’s no easy way out of this.

Because whether I like it or not, my life just got a hell of a lot more complicated.

Suddenly, the phone buzzes on the counter, Kate’s name flashing across the screen like a beacon of impending doom. I stare at it for a moment, the sound grating against my already frayed nerves.

Not now. Not when the walls of my reality are crumbling, and I’m standing in the middle of the rubble with no idea how to rebuild.

The phone keeps buzzing, relentless. With a growl of frustration, I snatch it off the counter and press accept.

“Hey,” I snap, my voice sharper than I intend.

There’s a pause, just long enough for guilt to creep in. “Uh, hi?” Kate’s voice is cautious, laced with confusion. “Are you okay?”

I squeeze my eyes shut, the wordsNo, I’m not okayclawing at the back of my throat. But instead, I bite out, “I’m fine. What’s up?”

She hesitates, and I can almost hear her frowning through the phone. “Well, I was calling to check on you. You’ve seemed... off lately. And with everythinggoing on for the wedding, I just wanted to make sure you’re not drowning in stress or something.”

Stress? Oh, Kate, if only you knew.

“I’m not drowning,” I lie, gripping the edge of the counter until my knuckles turn white.

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