What Nick had said was like being dunked with ice water and then shoved into a walk-in freezer. It wasn’t so much that he wanted to be friends with me, and I was assuming the kind of friend that didn’t have sex, but it sounded like he’d never been friends with a girl before.
And that didn’t make sense.
There was Roxy, and there had to be other girls he’d been close to that he hadn’t banged. Had to be. Wasn’t there? Then again, Roxy had said something about Nick not having a lot of friends. And there was the whole weird Calla thing.
“You aren’t friends with girls?” I asked, speaking slowly.
“No. Not really.” He paused as he scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “With the exception of Roxy, but I don’t think we’re really friends.”
“She thinks you are.”
His brows lifted, as if he were surprised. “Huh.”
I couldn’t believe this. “What about Calla? She works at the bar when she’s here, right?”
Nick choked out a laugh. “We’re not friends.”
He said that in a way that caused a tiny amount of suspicion to bloom. “Did you two—”
“No. Calla and I didn’t hook up. Jax would toss my ass off a cliff if that was the case. He had it bad for her long before she walked through the bar’s doors,” he said, sighing. “We just aren’t close.”
“Okay.” I leaned against the counter, letting the Calla subject drop. For now. “But you’re twenty-six years old. How in the world have you made it this long without having girl-slash-friends? I don’t get it.”
He cast his gaze toward the living room, a muscle flicking along his jaw. “I did in high school and stuff. I don’t know.” He raised a shoulder. “I just haven’t in years.”
The conversation we had before, where he hinted that he’d been seriously involved with someone and it ended badly, resurfaced. I didn’t need to be a psychologist to figure the fallout from that relationship had affected all his relationships with women.
Nick had the kind of baggage airlines charged extra for.
Which was another reason for me to get my libido under control when it came to him.
“You feeling up to visiting Reece?” he asked, changing the subject.
Knowing what I did, I should’ve said no, but he’d made me chicken soup from scratch. How could I? “I think so.”
A wide smile transformed his face from striking to breathtaking. “Great. You ready to head up? All you need is shoes.”
I glanced down at myself with a frown. “Maybe I should change.”
“Not necessary.” He turned away, picking up the container and carrying it to the fridge. “You look beautiful as you are.”
I stared at his back for what felt like ten minutes and then shook my head. Stepping around him, I walked to my bedroom and grabbed a pair of flats. Back in the living room, I swiped my keys. “Ready.”
Nick grinned as he swaggered past me, opening the door. “Ladies first.”
Reece lived a couple of floors up, and as we neared his door, laughter could be heard. Nick knocked, and it wasn’t the young cop who answered, but an older, more rugged version of Reece. Brown hair cut close to the skull and a heavy stubble across his jaw, his blue eyes as bright as the ocean.
“Hey, bud.” The guy shook Nick’s hand as he stepped aside and reached back, picking up a bottle he’d placed on a shelf. He gave me the once-over. “And who’s this?”
“Stephanie,” Nick said, placing his hand on my lower back, ushering me in. “She lives downstairs. New to town. This is Colton, by the way, Reece’s older brother.”
Ah, that made sense. “Nice to meet you.”
Colton smiled as he passed a quizzical gaze at Nick. “It’s good to meet you. Come on in. They’re about to get started.”
I followed Colton into an apartment that was larger than mine. Sparse and tidy, Reece kept good house. Several people were in his living room. I recognized Reece right off the bat. He was standing by the window, a beer in his hand, but not the guy who sat on the couch. Based on his buzz cut, I was going to take a wild guess and say he was a cop. There was a woman sitting on the arm on the other side of the couch. Her dark hair brushed her shoulders as she glanced up and smiled.
Reece looked over and did a double take, quickly hiding his surprise with a slow smile. “Hey guys.” Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Glad you all could make it.”
I smiled, giving the small group a little wave. “Hi.”
Colton eased past us, dropping onto the couch beside the woman. “I guess I’ll do the introductions since Reece is an asshole. This is my girlfriend, Abby,” he said, introducing us. “And this other guy over here is Brad.”
His brother snorted. “Yeah, I am terrible at that shit.”
Brad glanced up and nodded slightly, and curiosity crawled across Abby’s pretty face. “I’m Steph,” I said. “Nice to meet you all.”
Reece glanced at Nick, raising his brow as Brad leaned forward, picking something small and black off the coffee table. The TV screen shifted, revealing they were playing a game.
“Game night,” Brad explained, waving a controller. “It’s an epic Mario Kart death match. We go in rounds—partners. I’m stuck with that loser.” He nodded at Reece.
Reece raised his middle finger.
“Do you play?” Nick asked, turning around.
I nodded. “Not in a while. I kind of suck.”
“That’s okay.” He grabbed two chairs from the kitchen and brought them into the living room, placing them near the couch. “I’m the best Mario Kart player in the world.”
“You think he’s exaggerating?” Colton laughed, shaking his head. “He’s not. It’s like he was born playing this game.”
“It’s because I have a lot of time on my hands,” Nick replied as I sat on the chair closest to Abby. “That’s why.”
Reece snickered as he walked around the coffee table. “That’s such bullshit and you know it.”
My little ears perked up at that comment, but Nick didn’t respond as he sat beside me. So if Nick said he had lots of time on his hands, but Reece called bs on that, what was Nick doing that he didn’t want to talk about? I told myself that even if we were becoming friends, it wasn’t any of my business, especially right now, but dammit, I wanted to know.
“Do you want anything to drink?” Reece offered, heading for the kitchen. “I have beer and soft drinks. And Roxy has half my fridge loaded with sweet tea.”
“I’m fine,” I called, shoving my oddly icy hands between my knees. “Thanks.”
Reece and Brad started off first, playing against Colton and Abby. Each player was racing against one another, and if either team member won, it counted for the team. Brad won the first round, and he was legit taking score. Abby handed over the controller, and of course I chose the princess as my character, and of course I could barely keep the damn thing on track. I sucked, but it was funny and the sides of my stomach ached from laughing so much.
After a few rounds the death match paused so the guys could get refills. I noticed Nick wasn’t drinking, and I wondered if he didn’t drink that much at all. The night at my place, he hadn’t even finished half the bottle.
I chatted with Abby, quickly discovering that she was a sweetheart and that she and Colton had only recently starting seeing each other.
“Are you and Nick together?” she asked, keeping her voice low. The guys were in the kitchen, but that wasn’t very far away.
“No. We’re just friends.”
“Oh.” Her brow wrinkled. “I thought you guys were. I don’t know him well, but ever since Colton and I started dating, I’ve never seen him with someone.”
That didn’t surprise me. I started to respond, but the guys returned, and Nick sat a glass of water for me down on the coffee table, next to a bowl of chips Reece had planted. I hadn’t asked for it, but it was a courtesy and sweet gesture that Abby noticed with eyes like a hawk.
I stayed longer than I thought I would, sucking utterly at Mario Kart, but I was enjoying my time with everyone. The only reason I left a little after ten was because I had work in the morning, unlike the rest of them, who had unorthodox schedules. When I rose and said good-bye, Nick tossed his controller to Colton and followed me out.
“You didn’t have to leave,” I told him as he closed Reece’s door behind us.
“I know.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as we started walking down the hall. “I’m being a good friend and walking you home.”
I laughed as I glanced up at him. “I live here.”
“Such a long walk, though. And cold.” He shuddered. “Damn, it’s cold out here.”
He was not lying. A skin-chilling wind whipped through the hallway. My arms were wrapped around my chest as we headed down to the first floor. We stopped at my door, and I dug my keys out of the pocket of my jeans.
“Thanks again for the chicken soup.” I turned to him, smiling. “I had fun tonight.”
Nick cocked his head to the side. “So did I. Reece usually does this every other week. You know you’re more than welcome to join in.”
Reece had said as much as I left, and I would definitely love to do it again, especially if Roxy was there. I imagined playing Mario with her would virtually be like playing against myself. “You’re heading back up?”
“Yeah. Just for a little while. Then I’m going to head on home.”
“How far do you live from here?” I asked, unsure if I had asked that question before.
“Not that far. About fifteen minutes. I live just on the other side of Plymouth.” Nick’s brows knitted and his mouth opened, like he was about to speak, but he appeared to change his mind. “Well, I hope you keep feeling better.”
“Me, too.” I studied him from under my lashes. “Have a nice night.”
Nick’s gaze flickered over my head, toward my door, and then he stepped back. “Don’t be a stranger, Stephanie.”
“Ditto,” I whispered.
A small grin appeared and then he pivoted around. I watched until he hit the stairwell and disappeared. I went into my apartment, closed the door and then got ready for bed. It was still early, and while I was tired enough to call it night, I lay in bed for too long, trying to figure Nick out.
The boy had baggage and questionable dating ethics, but he was sweet and kind enough to make homemade chicken soup? He still wanted me and yet he was denying the attraction in order to be friends with me? Why? Why, when he hadn’t done so before with any other girl? It wasn’t because I was a special snowflake. There had to be a reason. Something.
Figuring him out was impossible.
Nick was like a jigsaw puzzle where the most intricate pieces had been misplaced, and deep down I knew that no matter how many times I would shake the puzzle up and start over, those pieces would always be missing and I would never have the complete picture.
The nausea came and went the rest of the week, striking at the oddest moments, sometimes in the morning, other times in the afternoon, and Thursday night right before bed. Friday, I grabbed lunch at a dinner down the street from work, and the smell of grease nearly took my legs out from underneath me. My stomach had never been this sensitive before, and normally I loved the smell of all things greasy.
I was no longer convinced that I was coming down with a virus or something, and when I chatted with my mom Friday evening, I almost brought it up, but I didn’t want to worry her. Besides, I’d made an appointment with a general practitioner who had an opening in two weeks at a nearby clinic. I didn’t think anything was seriously wrong, but the nausea and fatigue were starting to freak me out. I’d never had any health problems before, and I could count on my hand how many times I’d actually had a cold.
Sunday morning I was feeling fine. A little tired, but my stomach was grumbling happily as I puttered around the apartment. My butt needed to run since I’d missed the last couple of days, but it looked like it was going to rain and . . . and yeah, I wasn’t feeling the whole physical exercise thing. Instead, I took a long and drawn out shower and then pulled on a pair of jeans. I yanked my hair up in a quick knot, bypassed the makeup except for a quick sweep of lipstick and mascara. Looping a pale blue scarf around my neck, I headed out.
Tomorrow I would run, like, a million miles.
I left my apartment to meet up with Roxy for breakfast. Katie was out of town this weekend, which was disappointing. She could turn a Sunday breakfast at IHOP into an adventure. The parking lot was full, forcing me to park near the back. Thick clouds blocked the sun, and chilly fall rain was ready to pour down. Before I got out of my car, I checked my phone. No missed calls or messages. I wasn’t even sure why I was checking.
Definitely not for any missed calls or texts from Nick.
Nope. Definitely not.
I dashed across the parking lot, slowing to a more sedate pace when I reached the sidewalk instead of plowing into a group of elderly women.
Cute stickers of ghosts had been applied to the glass doors, reminding me that I needed to get a pumpkin and start to stock up on candy, though I had no idea if kids trick or treated near the condo or not.
I hoped so.
Halloween turned me into such a goober.
Once inside, I rounded the hostess desk and scanned the packed restaurant. My mouth dropped open when I saw Roxy in a wide, half-moon-shaped booth toward the back.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, stiffening.
Roxy was not alone, like I expected.
Three girls sat with her—blond-haired Calla, the widely smiling Teresa, and redheaded Avery. It was like a freaking rainbow over there. My feet wouldn’t move as the air punched out of my lungs. They hadn’t seen me yet. I could just turn right around and—
Teresa looked up and started waving enthusiastically. All the girls looked.
Dammit.
Okay. I was not a flight girl when fight-or-flight kicked in. I wasn’t going to start now. I did nothing wrong, and if these girls had a problem with me, then, well . . . it would just suck. I couldn’t change it. I wouldn’t change it.
Drawing in a deep breath, I forced my feet to move. Roxy stood, a smile fixed on her face but her eyes pleading. “Glad you made it.” She gestured for me to take her seat next to Teresa. “Everybody was in town and—”
“And we wanted to see you,” Teresa cut in as I sat beside her. Her eyes were as bright and as blue as her older brother’s—Cam. “We really didn’t get to chat a lot last time.”
“Yeah.” I struggled with what to say as I placed my purse between us. Roxy sat back down, and as I glanced around, my gaze met Avery’s. She gave me a tentative smile.
Okay. So this was weird. I had something really intimately in common with the girl sitting across from me and another sitting next to me. Really kind of awkward, really kind of—
Pulling the brakes on my stupid train of thoughts, I focused on a normal greeting. “It’s nice to see all of you. How long are you guys up here for?”
“We have Monday and Tuesday off. Fall break,” Calla answered, and I was momentarily surprised by the fact I’d already forgotten about fall break. “So I’m here until Tuesday night.”
“Which means Jax will be in a giving mood.” Roxy grinned.
Calla’s cheeks brightened to a pretty pink. It was only then that I noticed the scar on her cheek. When she had been at Shepherd, she wore heavy makeup to conceal it. It didn’t look like she was wearing any today.
“I think we’re heading back Tuesday night, too.” Teresa fiddled with the edge of her menu. “Cam wants to head up to New York City tomorrow.”
“I’ve never been.” Avery picked at her menu. Sitting straight across from me, she looked much smaller than I remembered. “So, I’m very excited to see it.”
“I’ve only been once. It was fun,” I said, resting my hands on my lap. “But a little overwhelming.”
Teresa leaned back against the cushion. “The first time there, I ended up having an anxiety attack later that night when I started thinking about all the buildings.”
“Really?” Avery’s eyes widened.
“The buildings can give you a crowded feel.” Teresa shuddered. “Especially when you’re not used to it, and it couldn’t have just been me being weird, so you’ll be fine.”
“You better be fine,” warned Calla, grinning. “I’m surprised Cam didn’t escort you here himself.”
Avery’s cheeks flushed red as her hair as the waitress appeared, taking our drink orders along with the food.
“Why would Cam escort you here?” The skin between Roxy’s brows knitted. “He sounds like Reece.”
Calla’s shoulders straightened as excitement splashed across her face. “You don’t know?”
“Oh!” Teresa squealed, causing me to jump a little. She clapped her hands. “I love this part.”
Confusion marked Roxy’s face, and I was glad I wasn’t the only person who had no idea what was going on. “No. I don’t,” she said. “What’s going on? It’s not the wedding, right? We all know about the wedding.”
“I knew you guys were engaged, but I didn’t get a chance to say congrats for that,” I chimed in. “When’s the big day?”
Avery’s eyes brightened. “We were going to do a spring wedding, but we’re pushing for the middle of the summer now. We decided to change the date.”
“Why?” Roxy asked, her brows knitting together.
Our drinks arrived, and Avery took a long gulp of her water before she spoke. “I’m . . . I’m kind of pregnant.”
My eyes widened. Oh my God, Avery was— Wait, kind of pregnant?
“You’re pregnant?” Roxy’s voice was pitched high.
Teresa giggled as she bounced next to me like a rubber ball. “And she’s not kind of pregnant. She’s almost four months pregnant.”
“Congrats!” I smiled, shocked, but genuinely happy for them. Whenever Cam and Avery were around each other, it was so obvious how much in love they were. Hell, even before they were together. I remembered the night I was at his apartment for the UFC fight he’d ordered. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her, and I hadn’t been surprised when he left his own place when she’d made an exit.
“Oh my God! Congratulations!” Roxy’s glasses slipped down her nose. “Wait. At Jax’s cookout, when you said you had the flu? You were pregnant then!”
Avery nodded as happiness filled her gaze. “We weren’t sure then. Well, the over-the-counter test said yes, but I was waiting for the official doctor’s words, because who knows? Maybe the results were positive due to user error.”
“How does one take a pregnancy test wrong?” Teresa laughed, her eyes glittering.
“Don’t you just pee on a stick?” Calla looked at Avery. “It seems pretty simple.”
“It’s easy, but when you’re not expecting to get pregnant, you take like a hundred tests, and still don’t believe the results.” Avery bit down on her lip as she ran her finger along the rim of her cup, her engagement ring twinkling under the lights. “And you still kind of don’t believe the doctor, but then it’s hard to not believe. The being tired on and off—the puking and being grossed out by smells that didn’t bother you—oh, and your boobs . . .” She made a face. “They hurt. Everything starts to make sense. . . .”
“The tortoises are going to be so jealous.” Teresa giggled as she pressed her hands together under her chin. They were talking about Raphael and Michelangelo, Cam and Avery’s pet tortoises. They were the only people I knew in real life who had pet tortoises. “They’re not going to be your babies any longer.” Her smile spread. “Maybe I can babysit them more often.”
“I’m pretty sure Ollie will come up with some kind of weird playpen where the baby and tortoises can roam together but not touch one another,” Avery said, and I laughed, because if anyone could come up with something like that, it would be Ollie, the slacker genius.
Avery continued on, but my mind danced away from what she was saying. She and Cam were having a baby. Wow. I had no idea what she must be feeling, still being in college and all, but I knew they’d make it work. Going through morning sickness and all of that while in school had to . . .
Then it occurred to me, hitting me with the force of a racing truck full of pregnancy tests.
As I stared at Avery’s freckled face, my smile faded inch by inch. My stomach dipped and twisted. Ice slammed into my chest. The faces of the girls blurred out. My mind left the table.
Teresa frowned as she leaned forward. “Are you okay, Steph?”
My heart started to pound and blood rushed my head as I started to mentally backtrack over the past days and weeks. If my calculations were correct, I was missing something very important, like life and death kind of important.
Oh my God . . .
“Steph.” Calla reached over, placing her hand on mine. “You all right?”
I blinked, sucking in air as the faces of the girls came back into view. “Yeah. Yes. I’m totally okay.”
“Are you sure?” Concern settled into Roxy’s features. “You look really pale.”
Avery tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. “Maybe you’re coming down with something?”
Beside her, Teresa nodded. “There’s a really bad virus going around. Half of the school seems to have it. I hope that’s not it.”
“Probably just a little bug.” Roxy leaned back, looking like she wanted to pull the collar of her shirt over her mouth and nose.
“I think it might be,” I said hoarsely, but those words felt like a lie, a really big one, because the mental calculations I’d just done in a rush meant something completely different than coming down with a bug or a virus.
The girls started chatting again, their voices an excited hum as the food arrived, but I didn’t hear what they were saying. As I glanced up, my eyes met Avery’s and my stomach twisted once more. I quickly dropped my gaze to my untouched plate of food and started counting again. I counted four more times, and each time I came up with the same thing.
My period was two and a half weeks late.