Page 35 of Trapped
“She has a point. Only an idiot would tell his pregnant wife her cake tasted bad.”
Jamie scowled. I gave him my biggest, toothiest smile.
“Emily, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have snuck a second piece,” Jamie said before giving her a peck on the cheek.
I might not know what a healthy relationship felt like, but I knew what it looked like. Two perfect examples sat beside me. Not that they didn’t argue. Like all couples, they had issues, but they worked through them.
“So what’s in it?” Jack asked, staring at the layers while practically drooling.
“The bottom is a chocolate ganache-covered brownie. The middle layer is vanilla pudding. The top layer is chocolate cakecovered in chocolate frosting.” Emily’s description made my mouth water and my ass expand.
Jamie cut and served slices of Emily’s masterpiece. Conversation paused while we all dug in; the only sounds were our happy murmurings around mouthfuls.
“Ashley.” Something about the change in Jamie’s tone made the hair on my arms stand up. “Nathan said Finn paid you a visit earlier today.” His words were casual, but his tone was not.
Because of course Casper said something.
“Yeah, it’s no big deal. He wanted to get back together. I told him to go away.”
Jamie nodded. Jack listened.
“So he didn’t grab you?” Jamie asked.
“Fucking Casper.” I wished I could drink. With each passing day, I wanted one night where I could drown my sorrows and have an unhealthy but liberating drunken crying session.
“Don’t be mad at him. He’s worried about you.”
“It’s none of his damn business,” I said more forcefully than I intended. “I’m sorry. I just wish he’d leave me alone.”
“Which one?”
“Both.” I sighed. “But mostlyFinn.” I suspected Nathan would leave me alone if I told him to.
“We can ask him to keep his distance,” Jack said.
“No, thanks. I can fight my own battles.” I would’ve kicked him in the balls if Nathan hadn’t shown up. Besides, I doubted he’d come back after Nathan embarrassed him. “Sorry for being so bitchy.”
It was bad enough my friends were now involved with the disaster that was my hookup with Nathan; I didn’t need SSI getting involved with my narcissistic ex-boyfriend too.
“You know we’re here to help, no matter what you need,” Jack said.
Jamie grabbed Em’s hand. “And you know how quickly things can escalate, so please don’t hesitate to ask for help if Finn contacts you again.”
“I won’t. Finn’s a douchebag, and a coward.”
Wanting to change the subject, I asked Em and Meg about their pregnancies. Not only would it change the subject, but I’d hear what the future might hold for me.
I noticed Jamie and Jack exchange a look. I’d changed the subject, but I could tell they weren’t convinced I wasn’t hiding something.
Stupid PIs and their ability to see through my lies and false bravado. They couldn’t guess my secret—even they weren’t that good—but they sensed I was hiding something.
Ignoring them, I focused on Meg and Em, and listened to all the ways my body would change.
If I’m carrying Douchebag’s baby.
I calculated my due date based on our last night together. At the latest, I’d be due in March.
Thinking back, it surprised me I’d even let that last night happen. I blamed the shots I’d been doing all night for the stupid decision to sleep with him when I wasn’t into him anymore.
