Page 144 of Unspoken Hearts
JumpingoutofReid’scar—which he kindly let me borrow—I wipe my sweaty hands on my shorts. Grabbing my phone and keys from the console, I rush up to Laynie’s door to tell her the news.
Her little car sits in the driveway. She didn’t tell me she was going out. I’m hoping she’s not in the shower or I’ll have to break in with my spare key.
Technically it’s not breaking in, but you know…
Skipping through the garden, I knock on the front door, vibrating with happiness like my veins are full of efficient water, bubbling with pure joy.
My grin drops the moment the door swings open, and my heart skips a beat at Laynie’s tear streaked cheeks. Her face is blotchy and her shoulders slumped inward.
Without a second to think, I immediately pull her into my arms, holding her tight against me. “What happened?”
Her head buries in my shoulder, crying against me as I hold her in the doorway of her childhood home. It smells like it always does—vanilla and biscuits—but it also feels colder than usual.
I can barely contain my own breathing, thick blood pumping through me, fingers numbing with concern. “L, what’s wrong? Please?” I squeeze out, my chest tightening at how loud her cries are.
Her sobs worsen.
I guide her backwards, closing the door with a kick of my foot. Standing in the chilled hallway, her arms visibly shake, and I feel an uncomfortable lump in my throat forming.
What’s going on?
“L?”
She chokes on a breath, fresh tears streaming down her eyes. Her body shakes like a leaf in a thunder storm when she blurts out, “I did something stupid.”
A fresh wave of tears explodes from her.
Embracing her tighter, I give her a few minutes to cry, to fall apart on me, wondering what she’s done to make her this upset.
My hand strokes her blonde hair. “What was the stupid thing?”
Laynie moves backwards, wiping her face before taking a hold of my hand and pulling me towards her bathroom. A sharp spike of adrenaline courses through me as I walk in. The lights are on and it’s cluttered with her skincare, makeup and perfumes that I can’t see much among her things.
“Laynie?” I ask cautiously, my saliva becoming thick like tar.
She sobs into her palm, shaking her head quietly. My heart sinks, cracking a fraction at how distressed she is.
“I didn’t mean to do it. It was a mistake. A stupid mistake, and I shouldn’t have done it,” Laynie chokes out.
I frown. My mind reels with all the possibilities of what she’s done.
“What? What mistake?” I ask, fear prickling the hairs on my arms.
She sniffs loudly, holding onto the edge of the cold basin, head falling between her shoulders. I rub her back gently in circles, my stomach twisting, completely forgetting the whole reason why I came over.
Sucking in a breath, Laynie coughs out, “I didn’t tell you, because I thought it was bad, but now…” A whimper sounds in the back of her throat.
“What, Laynie? It can’t be that bad.” My voice remains as calm as I can manage, despite shaking now as well, the room feeling insanely cold.
The swirling in my gut continues, and my eyes flicker onto the white stick sitting with her makeup. My heart jumps into my throat, beating so harshly that I can’t hear anything but the sound of my own pulse.
I stare down at the two pink lines. “Laynie…”
She cries harder, thick and throatily.
I freeze up, unable to take my eyes off the test. “You—”
“Yes!” she yells, the word echoing off the tiled walls. I flinch. “I’m pregnant!"
