Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. How could this be my father? A thief? Betraying Santiago? I’m mad at my father for betraying the cartel! What has my life come to? How can the greatest man I’ve ever known also be someone that I can’t understand and can’t forgive? I can’t––I squeeze my eyes shut. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.

No matter how hard I try, it’s the only thing I can think about. My father. My store. Did my mom know what my dad was involved in? Every privilege I was granted as a child was dirty money. My store was opened with dirty money.

My store.

Walking out of the door today for the last time was like having my heart stomped on with a stiletto. I need to call Camille and the other girls. Every heartbreaking, tortuous thought that crosses my mind is followed by something that I need to do. My to-do list keeps growing and growing. My arms wrap around a pillow, squeezing it tightly as I breathe deeply trying to calm myself before I hyperventilate.

Nausea rolls in my stomach—I’m sick from the anxiety. How am I going to accomplish closing down the store in three days? I need to call the girls tonight, letting them go. Fuck. I’ll need to figure out some severance package for them. None are full-time, so it’s technically not required, but I refuse to let them leave with this short of notice without something.

Thoughts rush through my head at a mile a minute. My healed heart is cracking with every thought. The tears haven’t stopped pouring down my face. My eyes already feel raw from where I was rubbing them, trying to force the tears to stop. I pick up my phone to start figuring out a severance package for each girl when it rings in my hand.

Savannah.

“Hello?” I answer, trying to sound normal and not on the verge of a complete mental breakdown. I can’t bring this shit to her doorstep. I severely underestimated Rafael. He’s systematically taking everything from me. My home. My store. My hero. My heart cracks as I think the last part. I swallow the sob before it can make its way out.

“I’m surprised you haven’t called me,” Savannah says.

I’m silent for a moment; she can’t have heard already. “How did you find out?”

“Wait. What are you talking about? Find out what?”

“About my store?” I say, unable to voice the part about my dad.

“What happened with your store?”

I release the sob. “I’m being evicted. Harper Avenue is officially closed. Everything needs to be out in three days.”

“Oh, my god, Harp. I’m so sorry. What can I do?”

“Nothing,” I say, still crying. “Roman and I are handling it. Thanks, though.”

“No wonder you didn’t call,” she says.

“Was I supposed to call?” I ask.

“Girl, you always call me when we start our periods and we have a movie night with chocolate. I’ve been waiting for you to binge chocolate with.”

“I haven’t started,” I say slowly, counting the days in my head since my last period.

“Really? You always start the day before me. That’s weird.”

“Oh, my god,” I breathe.

Savannah’s silent for a moment, the tension hanging thick through the phone line.

“No,” she whispers.

“I don’t know,” I panic.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I can’t be pregnant. Roman and I started officially dating yesterday. It hasn’t even been twelve hours. Yes, we’ve been having sex for almost two months, but this is too much. What am I going to do if I am? What will Roman think? I know what we talked about yesterday, but nothing concrete has been decided.

And, now I’m a girl with all these problems. I wouldn’t blame him for running to the hills of Tennessee. Waiting for Savannah during the next twenty minutes feels like waiting a lifetime. I meet her at the front door before she has a chance to enter. She doesn’t greet me, just grabs my hand and yanks me into the bathroom, handing me a bottle of water and a pregnancy test.

“I bought several just to make sure,” Savannah says, biting her nail. “This is supposed to be the best one, though.”

I start laughing hysterically.

“What’s so funny?” Savannah asks, watching me like I’m a maniac. I can’t control the laughter or get any words out. This situation is just too crazy. Roman. Rafael. My store. My dad. Everything. And, now I’m taking a pregnancy test. I’m fucking homeless with no business and no job prospects and I’m taking a pregnancy test. My laughter turns to sobs as I fall to the bathroom floor.

“Oh, sweetie,” Savannah says, dropping next to me and wrapping her slender arms around me. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“No, it’s not,” I insist. “I can’t even tell you everything.”

“Yes, you can. You can tell me anything.”

I shake my head, still sobbing. “No, it’s too dangerous. Please. I’ll tell you soon but I can’t today.”

“I don’t agree with that. You knew my dangerous situation. I’m tough enough to know yours.”

“It’s not that,” I plead with her to understand. “I swear I’ll tell you soon.”

She huffs. “Fine.”

“But, Sav, I’m homeless. I don’t have a job. The baby daddy lives in a different state.” I start sobbing again.

She wraps her arms around me, waiting for me to calm down. “We need to know, either way. Take the test, Harp. We’ll figure out everything else later. One thing at a time. One thing that we can control.”

I nod, rising to my feet and wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. Savannah stands, too, handing me the pregnancy test. I take a deep breath and step into the bathroom, possibly about to change my life even more than it already has.

The twenty minutes I was waiting for Savannah seem like a beach vacation compared to waiting for three minutes for the display to flash with pregnant or not pregnant. When the timer goes off, Savannah looks at me. “Ready?”

I nod, reaching for the test.

Pregnant.

I’m fucking pregnant.

I sink to floor again, crying. My tears are a mixture of pain, sorrow, and happiness. I’m already in love with the baby inside of me, but I’m already failing. I have nothing to offer this baby.

“Are you going to tell him?” Savannah asks quietly.

“Yeah,” I say. “We’re dating or whatever. He told me loves me and I told him the same.”

Savannah squeals, wrapping me in a tight hug. “With every shitty thing happening, you can at least be happy that the love of your life came back for you.”

“You’re so sappy since you got married.”

“It comes with the territory,” she shrugs, smiling.

“I’ll be here as we figure out everything else, okay? You’ll always have Liam and me, for anything you need.”

“I know.”

“I’ll even give you a job if you need it. I know you’ll be fine. You always land on your feet, even in the highest, most gorgeous stilettos.”

I lean my head against her shoulder, sucking up every ounce of love and support radiating off of her.

“What do you think he’ll say?” Savannah asks.

“I don’t know. He’s always wanted a big family, but it’s probably too soon. I’m not exactly a catch right now. I’m just bringing trouble into his life. And he lives in Tennessee.”

“I bet he would move here for you. You’re not allowed to leave, so he’ll have to come here.”

“He said he would but we’ve been together for like twelve hours.”

“Harper, don’t kid yourself. You’ve been together a lot longer than that, even when you were apart you belonged to each other. Liam and I made a bet at our wedding. We made a bet to see how long it would take for you to admit your feelings. That man would have married you that night.”

Warmth and hope fill my chest. “How should I tell him?” I ask.

“With all the drama happening, you should do it in a really fun, exciting way. Make it special.”

“That does sound fun,” I say.

“Can I tell you something else?” Savannah asks, scrunching her nose and biting her lip nervously.

“I’m really happy you’re pregnant. Liam and I are trying, so hopefully I won’t be too far behind you.”

A fresh wave of tears spring to my eyes, but this wave is complete joy. Savannah and I both look toward the door when we hear movement out in the hallway. “Kiernan and James are here, they’re probably leaving. Let’s go say goodbye.”

Savannah pops up and helps me to my feet. All three men turn to look at us as we walk out of the bathroom.

“Hey, Sugar. You doing okay?”

“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.

“That is not what we planned,” Savannah says behind me.