Page 36 of Mortify

The question breaks something open in me. "No," I whisper. "I'm not okay. I haven't been okay in months."

"Is it—" She stops, choosing her words carefully. "Is the father someone who's hurt you?"

I can't speak, can’t even nod my head as tears stream down my face.

"Okay." Vail pulls me into a hug, careful but firm. "Okay. We're going to figure this out. You're not alone in this."

"I don't know what to do," I sob into her shoulder.

"It’s okay," she says firmly. "There isn’t anything you need to figure out right now."

"But I do. I need to sort through this mess."

"You are," she insists. "And you will, okay?"

We sit like that for a while, her holding me while I cry out months of fear and pain and now this new terror.

When I finally pull back, she hands me tissues from her pocket.

"First things first," she says, shifting into practical mode. "You need to see a doctor. Confirm how far along you are, make sure everything's okay."

"I just need a few days to process this, okay?"

"I understand, but you need to make sure you’re doing everything right for your baby, okay?" Vail's voice is gentle but firm. "You need medical care, Everly. For both of you."

This still doesn't feel real.

"What if..." I can't finish the thought.

"What if what?"

"What if I can't do this? What if I'm too broken to be a mother?"

"Stop." Vail grips my shoulders. "You're one of the strongest women I know. You save lives every day. You can do this. And you won't be doing it alone."

"You don't understand. I just don’t know how I’m going to do this."

"I do, sweetheart," she says simply. "We’ve all been young and pregnant before, and it’s absolutely terrifying, but you have a team rallying behind you."

A knock at the door makes us both freeze.

My blood turns to ice.

What if it's Dylan?

What if he knows I blocked him? What if?—

"Everly?" a deep voice calls. "It's Regnor."

Relief floods through me so intense I almost sob.

Vail looks at me with raised eyebrows, surprised he’s here.

"He checks on me sometimes," I explain, already moving to the door.

I unlock the door, and Regnor stands there looking concerned, his dark eyes immediately scanning me for new damage.

"Wanted to check on you," he says, then notices Vail. "Didn't know you had company."

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