Page 44 of Reclaimed

“How can’t you see that this is a problem? When this relationship has run its course, I assumed we would just ‘break up’,” she makes air quotes, “and move on with our lives. Now it won’t be that simple.”

“It’s still exactly that simple. I’ll just tell them I lied. They’ll understand.”

“Then what was the point?” She spins toward me and the distress on her face is like a tether leading me into the room. “Why not just tell them the truth now?”

“You didn’t see the look on your face when Juniper spilled your secret. Half of me thought you were about to run out the door and call the entire thing off. The other half was trying to figure out how to stop you. She should have never outed you like that. Even if I’m upset you didn’t tell me yourself, she still had no right to let that slip.”

“I shouldn’t have had to tell you,” she argues, and by the tremble of her lower lip, I can tell this conversation is going nowhere.

“Yes you should have,” I say gently, holding my ground a few feet away. “But you should have been able to wait until you were ready. I’m sorry that didn’t happen. I’m not sorry for reacting how I did.”

Words gather on my tongue. Fifty things I want to say and ask that I haven’t earned the answers too. This is too new for me to demand the details I want to hear.

Besides the revelation Juniper shared about my new girlfriend, tonight couldn’t have gone better for me. I could see it on the faces of my brothers and even Mom, that bringing arounda girlfriend calmed their worries some. And not just any woman, but I got lucky enough to land one they know and respect. The payoff here will be huge, no matter how we decide to end it.

Isla crosses to the freezer and pulls out a carton of ice cream. Silverware rattles as she yanks open the drawer to the right of the fridge. A second later, a spoon clatters across the table in my direction.

She plops into a seat and tears off the lid, sinking her own spoon into the creamy concoction.

“The dad was a bartender at my old job. He was nothing special.”

I yank my gaze away from the way her pink lips wrap around the dollop of peanut butter cup ice cream and settle in an adjacent chair. Beneath the table, my long legs accidentally bump into hers. If she cares, she doesn’t show it. The heat of her calf pressed against mine gives me something else to focus on.

Something other than her licking that goddamn spoon.

“What did he do?”

She goes in for another scoop before pushing the carton in my direction. “We went out one night with a group of coworkers. A few drinks later and one thing led to another. You know how it goes.” A frown steals over her face. “Anyway, the condom must have broken or expired. I didn’t notice at the time and he didn’t say anything if he did but a few weeks later...” She circles her belly with her spoon.

Digging into the ice cream, I come away with my own scoop. Stalling until theyou know how it goescomment can fade into obscurity. No. I don’t know. I’m a thirty-two-year-old virgin. The logistics are clear, but as for experience, I have none. “I can guess by the fact you’re here and not there that he didn’t take it well.”

“He pretended to.” She pauses to chew on her bottom lip. “I called him the night I found out and gave him the news. He fedme some crap line about how he’s there for whatever I need but when I clocked into my shift at Eve’s the next day, I was fired on the spot.”

The sweet ice cream sits heavy in my gut.

Christ. He didn’t have to be thrilled about getting her pregnant after a one-night stand, but he didn’t have to lie to her either.

“That’s bullshit, baby.” The drop in my voice exposes my displeasure.

“Oh, I know.” Isla stabs her spoon into the ice cream. “But I had enough on my plate, I really didn’t want to take on club politics as well. So I left. Here I am. I haven’t heard from him, but based on texts from my old coworkers, he hasn’t asked about me since I left.”

“It sounds to me like he did you a favor. Getting clear of a guy like that before the baby is born is probably the best thing you could have done.” Not for the first time, she shows me just how strong she is. Whatever happens in the next couple weeks, I have no doubt Isla is going to come out on top.

“I definitely feel like a weight was lifted. This place has always been home.”

“How far along are you?”

“Just over fourteen weeks. I’ve hit the second trimester and I finally feel a little less tired.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means I’m about a third of the way through.”

“Ah. No morning sickness? I remember Cortney was in bad shape when she was pregnant with Ollie.”

The smile she graces me with is filled with relief. “Thankfully no. I had some nausea in the beginning, but besides an aversion to onions, I’ve been lucky.”

I go in for another bite but she knocks my spoon out of the way for her own.

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