Chapter 27

Elsa

I don’t really need to buy this overpriced packet and pee-on-some-stick to know what’s going on with me right now.

The writing is on the fucking wall. If there’s one thing I know well, it’s my own body. I know it better than anyone else in the world.

My body ticks like clockwork.

For a while now, I’ve ignored the symptoms.

There’s been my sense of smell. Suddenly, I’ve been able to pick up the scent of coffee five blocks away.

I’m a New Yorker, but even for us, that’s pushing it.

The vomiting this morning was icing on the dipshit cake, really.

I mean, how stupid can I I get? Why didn’t I make Tanner wear a condom?

Why didn’t I look after birth control?

I’m Elsa fucking Blakely. I should have had my shit together.

Instead, I let Tanner Sharpe and his magic cock send my shit spiraling out of control.

I grab the damn test and turn towards the cashier.

“Elsa Blakely,” an all too familiar voice croons behind me. “Come here often?

Out of all the corner shops in NYC, of course, I picked the one that Lis Langley frequents.

Life sucks sometimes.

“I’m busy, Lis,” I tell her. “Some other time.”

“Looks like you’re still deciding. Mind if I ask you a few questions?”

A few questions my ass.

Lis doesn’t know how to only ask a few questions. If you agree to an interview with her, you’re there for the long haul.

The wave of nausea seems to be returning. It’s hard to say if it’s the morning sickness or how much I don’t want to fucking deal with this reporter at this point.

It strikes me that I could puke on her just to get her to leave.

But then…she might put two and two together and figure out my predicament.

Christ. Who am I kidding?

I’m standing here with a pregnancy test in hand. She knows already.

There’s no need for me to be standing in front of the pregnancy test kits if I’m not thinking about buying one. And if I’m thinking about buying a test kit, I must be thinking I’m pregnant. Lis can be obnoxious, but she’s not dumb.

“Tell me, Elsa,” Lisa taps her red pen onto her notebook. “What do you know of Tanner’s family?”

The question makes me narrow my eyes. Where’s she going with this?

“I mean, you know…what do you know about his mother, father?” Lisa raises one eyebrow into a perfect arch while the other one stays dead straight. “Story is that he’s from the wrong side of the tracks…but you know how stories go, right?”

“You’re the spin master, Lis. People like Tanner and I are just characters in your wicked little web.”

“Maybe so. Looks like you’re about to enter a new chapter, huh. Is it his?”

“Bold question, Langley.”

“I’m a bold reporter. What about Tanner and his rise in the company Crooked Halo? He was pretty young at the time, right? Something more to his rise to career fame than meets the eye? Did he sleep his way to the top?”

“I wonder the same thing about you all the time.”

“What about his mother? Do you know anything about her? Single woman, maybe threw herself at different men, and then when Tanner was born…”

It’s getting more and more tempting to just push her into a shelf of maxi pads and leave her to concoct whatever story she wants to.

Deep down, I know that’s not the best way to handle this situation. I need to keep a clear head and come up with a strategy.

“You ask a lot of questions, Lis.”

“You don’t answer many, though. What gives, Elsa? You’re usually better at the back and forth than this. Pregnancy brain?”

“You’re asking questions I don’t have answers to.”

“Why don’t you let me fill you in then?”

It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow. “The last time someone said that to me, I ended up needing a pregnancy test.”

“Funny.”

I shrug. “Why would you tell me anything?”

Lis’s perfect red lips break into a big smile.

“Call it professional respect, a sisterhood of successful women. You know I’ve been looking around a little.”

“More like snooping.”

“All’s fair in the game of journalism. Anyway, I’ve looked into Tanner’s past and found out that, believe it or not…Jackson Halo…he’s Tanner’s father. I got an interview with his mother and everything, and she confirmed. I’m sure you can connect the rest of the dots yourself, sweetheart.”

I swallow, but suddenly, my mouth has gone dry.

“That doesn’t mean anything, Lis.”

That’s a lie.

“Look, I just I thought you should know first, particularly bearing in mind your current situation. But soon, the entire world will know.”

And Tanner might go down as a result.

God. A year ago, I wouldn’t have given a shit.

A year ago, I would have let him take the knocks in his stocks and deal.

But now, we’re in this together.

And I can’t let him go down for this.

“Okay,” I say, “how about I offer you a deal?”

There goes that single eyebrow thing again.

“What kind of deal?”

“You don’t publish anything about anyone for the next twenty-four hours,”

“Why would I do that?”

I roll my eyes. Why do people interrupt before the full deal is put on the table?

“And in return, I give you my baby exclusive.”

“You’re pretty sure it’s a positive for someone who hasn’t taken the test yet.”

“What can I say, Lis? A woman knows. You’ll have exclusive rights and be the first to find out everything directly from me.” I take a deep breath. “Do we have a deal?”

Lis nods.

“We have a deal.”

This day is getting shittier by the minute. If I wasn’t currently carrying Tanner Sharpe’s baby, I’d go have a drink.

Instead, I need to make a phone call.

It takes less than two rings before he picks up.

“We need to talk,” I say.

“Agreed,” Tanner replies.

The tone of his voice on the other end of the line sounds just as serious as mine.