Page 4 of The Complication with the Best Man

I guess go big or go home.

Holy shit. Maybe I should have bought the two-pack, or two different brands. This could be wrong, right? But those pink lines aren’t fading, and the box says it’s ninety-nine percent accurate. Huh, that means it’s probably right.

I panic, unsure what to do right now. I shove the box back into my purse, unlock the door, and hurry to the kitchen.

“Nice of you to stop by,” Palmer says rather than signs.

She must have her cochlear implant on. Her hair is down, so it’s hard to tell from this angle.

I glance at Hudson and set my gaze on Palmer again, hoping she’ll see my wide eyes and realize I need to talk to her. “I almost peed my pants. I gotta talk to you.”

“Okay, want a sandwich first?” she asks, offering me a plate.

So, she doesn’t get it.

My hands fidget in front of me. That nausea floats back up my throat. I haven’t eaten since lunch. Babies need to eat, and I’d already be failing at this job if I don’t give him or her nutritious food. “Yeah, I should probably eat.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Hudson asks, but I sit at the table and ignore him, taking a bite of my sandwich.

Adley slides down from the table.

“Where are you going?” Palmer asks.

“Bathroom.”

I’m so lost in my head that it takes a moment for me to clue into what is happening.

“Oh, wait.” I fly out of my chair, realizing that I was in such a panic, I left the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter.

Adley glances over her shoulder, giving me a devilish glare, obviously seeing it as a challenge of who can get to the bathroom first. She runs, and I try to catch her, but she wins and slams the door in my face. I suddenly regret all those games of tag I’ve played with her over the years.

My palms land on the closed door, sliding down to the doorknob, but the little devil locked the door. “Adley.”

“Relax, she’ll be out in a second. Is your stomach upset or something? Did you catch whatever Jalon had last night? It’s been like one kid after the other today if you follow the cousin chat. I just sanitized everything, and I don’t want to do it again,” Palmer says.

I keep twisting the doorknob with no luck. “Adley, open up. Adley, come on. Please open the door.”

My whine sounds like it used to when Easton would lock me in the basement, thinking it was funny because I thought people were hiding in there when I was eight.

The door opens, and my stomach sinks to the floor. This time, it has nothing to do with the baby in my stomach.

Adley holds the pregnancy stick high, sauntering out of the bathroom. “What’s this?”

I snatch it out of her grasp and turn to face the two adults.

Hudson spits his water all over the table, eyes wide, while Palmer stands from the table, her mouth hanging open in shock.

My eyes glue to Hudson. “You!” I point at him. “Your friend did this to me.” Tears fill my eyes.

Finn?Palmer signs, obviously hoping Adley doesn’t pick up on what’s going on.

Palmer had pulled me aside at the wedding and asked what was going on because we were flirting, but we had to stand side by side the entire night. Surely there was going to be flirting. I didn’t go into the night thinking I’d land in his hotel room, but it was a nice surprise. His skills were an even nicer surprise.

I grunt. “It’s false, it has to be. I’m going to buy every last test they have to prove I’m right.” I walk out of the house before either of them has an opportunity to say anything.

They’ll have too many questions. Questions even I don’t know the answers to yet.

three

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