Page 52 of Keeper

He’s playing it off in seconds, but I don’t miss the way he lightly pushes the food away like his appetite is gone as worry creases his brow.

But god, he’s so beautiful. It’s like my body knows exactly who’s responsible for giving me what I’ve always wanted, and the knee-jerk reaction to go to him has me stumbling.

I can’t. Not here.

I’m so, so sorry Dray.

“Have a seat,” Ephraim says quietly, and I don’t hesitate to head straight for Alex. It feels wrong, itiswrong, but I’ll make it up to Dray later.

As I lean in to pretend to kiss his cheek, I whisper, “Hi. Take my hand when I sit down, and remember to smile when he starts talking.”

That’s all I have time to say before it would seem awkward, so I sit and lace my fingers with the wrong man.

His fingers are tense and foreign in my grasp, making my eyes naturally drop to Draven’s longingly just as Ephraim Creed begins talking. “Our family has been blessed.” He holds out his mimosa toward us with a smile that actually meets his eyes. “Congratulations, son. You’re going to be a father, and I couldn’t be prouder. It’s a boy, I just know it.”

Draven sits up straighter from the corner of my eye, but when Alex reaches out and grabs my face, I hate that I can no longer see him.

All I see are the confused eyes of the man I’m destined to marry and hope what everyone else sees is love.

Please don’t kiss me.

“You’re pregnant?” he asks, genuinely shocked. And why wouldn’t he be? I never told him. Dray never told him. As far as Alex knows, I’ve been celibate since Christmas.

“Yes,” I say shakily. “I mean, it’s just one positive test, but yes. Yes, I’m pregnant.”

Panic shines in his brown eyes as he stares straight through me, his mind instantly going to the only woman he’s ever touched, but as usual Draven comes to his rescue.

“Congratulations, big brother. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

His voice is like smooth silk, calm and collected as always, which somehow makes it even harder for me.

“Of course he did. He simply needed to get his priorities straight,” Verna says happily. “This will be so exciting. Another baby in the house? I can’t wait!”

For what, another opportunity to drown a bastard? My stomach turns as I let go of Alex’s hands and reach for my water, internally rolling my eyes when his gaze flicks to Morella like he wants to go to her. Of course he does.

“This is what we were working toward, right, fiancé? I think being a little nervous is normal, right? Father, you were nervous... right?”

If he saysrightone more time I might toss him a right fucking hook.

Draven’s fingers find mine under the table, his grip tightening enough to ground me as Ephraim says, “No. I wasn’t nervous. I’m a man. Are you?”

I nearly laugh, but the way Alex sputters and chokes on his mimosa is borderline pathetic.

“Of course I am. I’m just a little shocked it’s real.”

He reaches under the table to try and touch my stomach like a doting husband, but his hand crashes straight into his brother’s.

Oh, fuck. I want to vanish.

Somehow they both end up touching my stomach, touching the evidence like somehow it’ll make it more real. It’s far, far too soon to feel anything but my indigestion, yet it doesn’t stop either one of them.

“Well, we’ll have to go shopping, won’t we?” Verna claps her murderous little hands together as Morella cries silently in the corner. I have to give her props — I wouldn’t notice if the light wasn’t catching her tears just right.

I get it. I can’t say that I don’t.

My soon-to-be step-mother begins gushing over the colors she used in Alexander’s nursery, and immediately starts pushing a nautical theme.

“It’s a little soon, Mother,” Alex says with a chuckle. “Let’s have our first ultrasound before we start buying things.”

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