The cab pulled up outside Em’s flat, and Tally jumped out, feeling excitement because her baby had kicked for the first time and sadness at the way she’d dealt with Rupe. He’d always been like a brother to her, and she shouldn’t have treated him with that level of contempt. But shock at seeing him across the street, mixed with fear that he’d figure out she was pregnant and go running to Cash, had made her behave pretty badly.

She unbuckled her shoes and wandered into the kitchen, hoping to see Em, but the flat was empty. Desperate to share her news with someone, she dug her phone out of her bag with the intention of calling Pete. Spotting five missed calls and two texts from him, plus a whole bunch of WhatsApp messages from Danny, she cursed. She should have called after she’d torn out of the office. Wow, I’m on a streak. First treating Rupe like a leper, and now this…

She clicked on recent calls and returned one of Pete’s, her heart plummeting when she heard the concern in his voice.

“Are you okay, honey?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry for running out on you. It was a bit of a shock.”

“Where are you now?”

“At home. I know I should come back to the office, but––”

“Don’t be silly. You need to take care of yourself. Stress isn’t good for someone in your condition.”

Tally grinned. “Speaking of which, the baby just kicked for the first time.”

Pete took a sharp intake of breath. “It did?”

“Yep. Weirdest feeling ever.”

“But pretty wonderful, I bet.”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice catching in her throat. “Pretty wonderful.”

“I wish you weren’t doing this by yourself.”

“I’m not by myself. I’ve got you, Em, and Danny.”

“Have you thought any more about telling Cash?”

“I bumped into Rupe today,” Tally said, ignoring his comment. “Right after the baby kicked.”

“Did he notice?”

“I don’t think so. I took off too quickly for him to get a good look.”

Pete sighed. “Tally…”

“I know. I hear you, and I will. Just not yet.”

“Okay, but don’t leave it too long.”

The front door slammed, and a smile spread across Tally’s face. “Em’s home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Only if you’re feeling better,” she heard Pete say as she hung up.

“Em, in here,” she said, almost bursting to share her news.

“You okay, Tal?” Em said as she appeared in the doorway. “I got a weird message from you on voicemail, but it cut off halfway through.”

“Yeah, I saw Rupe, and it distracted me, but never mind that.” She grabbed Em’s hand. “Sit down.”

Em frowned. “You saw Rupe? Are you okay?”

“The baby kicked.”

Em squealed. “Oh my God. Is it kicking now?” She pressed the palm of her hand across Tally’s belly, her beaming smile falling away when nothing happened. “Maybe it doesn’t like me.”

Tally removed her hand. “It doesn’t work on command, you know.”

Em chuckled. “Good point.” Her head tilted to one side. “How come you saw Rupe?”

“I had a bit of upset at work and was getting some fresh air when I felt this weird flutter in my stomach. I was on the phone to you when Rupe saw me, and that’s why I never finished the message.”

“What was the upset at work?” Em said, homing straight in on the key point.

Tally pulled up the Daily Mail showbiz app, which had the photos of Cash, and passed her phone to Em. “Guess it was only a matter of time.”

Em narrowed her eyes as she scanned the pictures. When she lifted her head, her face held a mixture of sorrow and outrage. “I’m sorry, babes.”

Tally shrugged. “Yeah.”

A moment of silence followed before Em threw her hands in the air. “I knew there was something I needed to talk to you about.”

“What?”

“I need a favour.”

Tally groaned. “Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like this?”

“Don’t be like that. It’ll be fun.”

Tally rolled her eyes. “Now I’m definitely suspicious.”

“David’s brother is over from Canada.”

“That’s nice for him.”

“Yeah,” Em said. “David and Paul haven’t seen each other for two years, so naturally, they want to spend as much time together as possible.”

“Right. And…?” Tally already disliked the direction this conversation was taking.

Em grimaced. “I was hoping you’d come out to dinner with us. You know, so Paul doesn’t feel like a spare part.”

Tally blew out a breath. Even a fake date felt like a betrayal of her feelings for Cash “Do I have to?”

“No,” Em said. “But you would be doing me a huge favour.”

“I don’t even know the guy. I barely know David.”

“He’s really nice. Honestly. And there’s no worries about him coming on to you. He’s got a girlfriend in Canada.”

Tally glanced down at her ever-growing stomach. “I don’t think I need distant girlfriends to fend off men. I have a built-in repellent.”

Em snorted. “You could have a brood in there, and you’d still have to fight most guys off, but Paul’s smitten, so you’ve no worries on that score. Come on, Tal, do it for me. I don’t want Paul to have to play gooseberry, but equally, I don’t want to give up seeing David for the next week.”

Tally sighed and then grinned. “Look at you, Miss Infatuated. Who’d have thought?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Em mumbled as her skin was tinged with pink.

“Okay. For you, I’ll do it.”

Em threw her arms around Tally. “I owe you.”

“Yeah,” Tally said. “And I’ll be collecting.”