Page 127 of Ink Me Three Times

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I stuff the photo into my bag away from my eyeline.

Smile one more time for the tech. Say thank you like a normal person. Walk out of the clinic with my legs moving but everything else staying behind, trapped in that freezing little room with its stupid motivational posters and the smell of fake lavender.

Outside, I finally breathe. Not well, but it's something.

I reach into my bag and pull the photo back out. Look at it again. Maybe this time it’ll say something different. Maybe they miscounted.

Nope.

Still three.

My fingers tremble as I hold the picture up to the light, the angle might change the meaning. It might reveal some hidden text that says just kidding.

But it doesn’t.

It just says:Everything has changed.

A delivery truck honks. A woman walks past with a stroller. I think I might throw up or laugh or possibly both at once.

I drop onto the nearest bench and just sit there, cold air burning in and out of my lungs. My heart’s racing. It’s trying to keep up with all three of theirs.

I dig my phone out with numb fingers. Pull up my messages.

I stare at the screen.

Because now?

Now Ihaveto tell them.

Not just that I’m pregnant.

Not just that I don’t know who the father is.

But that I’m carrying three tiny humans who are going to blow all of our lives apart.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Freddie

Fucking hell,this isnotwhat I need first thing in the morning.

Trina:Can we talk, just us?

I stare at the screen like it might morph into something else if I glare hard enough. It doesn’t.

Part of me wants to ignore it, block the number, and pretend I never saw it. But the rest, the part that’s been knotted up with fear since I saw her at the con, knows better.

She’s not going away.

And as much as I hate the thought of sitting across from her again, I owe it to Penny to hear her out. If there’s even a chance this becomes a custody issue, I need to know what I’m up against.

So I reply.

Freddie:Where?

Thank God Timothy is on his way to take care of Penny. There’sno wayI’d bring her along to this.

Trina:Our spot.

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