Page 62 of My Bestie's Billionaire Brother

Jane nods, selecting a different brand. "Smart girl."

At the register, I place the boxes on the counter and dig through my clutch for my credit card, avoiding the cashier's eyes. The tests beep as they're scanned, the sound unnaturally loud in the quiet store.

"Bathroom's in the back," the cashier offers, nodding toward a sign in the rear of the store.

"Thanks," Jane answers for me, taking the small plastic bag.

The store bathroom is small and sterile, smelling faintly of industrial disinfectant. A single fluorescent bulb flickers overhead, washing out my already pale face in the spotted mirror. Jane locks the door behind us, and I'm grateful for her presence—I can't imagine doing this alone.

I take the tests into the stall, my hands shaking as I tear open the packages. The instructions are simple, but I read them twice anyway, delaying the inevitable.

"You okay in there?" Jane calls softly.

"Yeah," I answer, though my voice betrays me with a tremor.

I emerge from the stall a minute later, tests in hand, and place them carefully on a paper towel by the sink.

"Now we wait," I say.

Jane nods, leaning against the counter beside me. "Three minutes."

Neither of us speaks as the seconds tick by. I stare at my reflection, wondering if I already look different somehow. Of course I don’t, that’s totally ridiculous.

"What do you think Charlie will say?" I ask finally, needing to break the silence.

Jane considers this. "I think he'll be surprised. Scared, probably." She meets my eyes in the mirror. "But Tess, the way he looks at you...I don't think he'll run. And if he does, I’ll kill him."

"This isn't exactly what either of us signed up for."

"Few people sign up for their biggest adventures," Jane says, and somehow, in this sterile drugstore bathroom with its buzzing light and chipped tile, her words feel profound.

The test's timer beeps, a single electronic note that seems to echo off the walls. Jane and I both jump slightly, then exchange nervous smiles.

"Moment of truth," she says.

I take a deep breath and look down at the tests.

Two clear pink lines. Both of them.

Positive.

I'm pregnant. Oh. My. God.

"They’re positive," I whisper, though Jane can clearly see it herself.

She pulls me into a hug, her arms strong around me. I bury my face in her shoulder, not crying, not yet, just breathing in the familiar scent of her perfume as my world shifts on its axis.

"Okay," Jane says when she pulls back, her hands on my shoulders, eyes locked with mine. "This is our next adventure."

"I'm terrified," I admit.

"I know." She nods. "But you're also strong. And you won't be doing this alone."

I hug her again, so happy she’s my friend. “What am I going to do about Oliver? I won’t be able to ride once I get too big.”

“Oh, sweetie, we’ll figure all of that out. I’m here for you.”

I look down at the tests again, at those two pink lines that have just rewritten my future. Charlie's face flashes in my mind—his surprise at the dinner table, the way he froze when I said those words.

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