Before I pressed the elevator button to ascend to Levi's penthouse, I sent a quick message to Zach, letting him know that I had arrived. And I was glad I'd done so. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, the thick tension in the air nearly choked me.

My voice caught in my throat. I couldn't fathom why Nica had rushed me to come back, but whatever the reason, it wasn't good. The tapping of heels approaching me added to overwhelming nervous energy. Nica had never stomped her feet when she walked. She glided. Not this time. This time, her footfalls sounded like an elephant wearing her stilettos. When she reached me, the words "in deep shit" echoed in my head.

In Nica's right hand was the box for the pregnancy test I had used earlier in the day. The box had gone missing once I'd returned from working at her office. How did she find it? I'd been with her the entire time at her company. Had she snooped into my room while I was out with Zach? She lifted it to my eye level.

"Care to explain this, Maggie?" She didn't yell it out. Nica spoke so calmly that it terrified me more than if she had shouted the words. I tried to read the expression on her face. Was it just anger I saw? Could there be fear there as well? But there was a definite form of disappointment swimming in her eyes.

Like a trout out of water, I opened and closed my mouth, uncertain of what to say first. Nica advanced toward me, and I stepped back until my back hit a wall. For someone who was a head shorter than me, she could be very intimidating.

"Tell me what you're doing with a pregnancy test, Maggie. Tell me it isn't what I think it is." Nica shook the box between us. I tangled my fingers together and looked down at them. "Where's the test? Are you pregnant? You've been partying all this time and you... and this..."

"Nica, I..." I began but again, the rest of the words were trapped in my throat.

"Maggie, are you pregnant? Is it June's? Does that a-hole know?" She kept coming at me, tapping that box on her palm.

"Veronica." Levi's voice came out of nowhere, soft and low, but it had a timbre of warning. I lifted my head a smidgen and was surprised to see how close he was to us. "Why don't you have a seat, Maggie, and let me have a quick chat with your sister?"

"Levi, I..." Nica began to protest, but Levi tilted his head to the side and sent her a pleading look. She huffed and turned around to face her husband.

I chose that time to escape and let the air back into my lungs, holding my purse tightly with shaking hands. Inside it was the damned test. I could dig for it and leave it on the coffee table in front of me, let it speak for itself. But I didn't. For once, I had to fight for me. Even if it was with my own sister, who had been nothing but supportive and understanding... and strict.

For years, I had let our mother lead me this way and that. For years, I had to stay under the shadows of my incredibly intelligent and successful half-sister. When I wasn't doing either one, June had taken over the reigns of my life. And what had he done to me after that? He'd left me for my best friend.

When I'd left Fresno, I had wanted an escape from my mother's scrutiny, from her hold, from the town's expectations and disapproving looks. I'd sought out freedom coming to my sister's home, but instead, I had ended up in another sort of prison.

Nica and Levi's hushed voices were behind me. I tried to listen in but couldn't. My mind was full of my own noisy thoughts. Once it was over, she joined me on the sofa that faced the San Francisco night heavy with fog.

I didn't want to be in a fog.

I wanted clarity.

I hadn't expected constant sunshine and cloudless blue skies, but I deserved a bit of brightness in my life. Zach had been that. He'd given me something to look forward to. He'd made me feel special, wanted, desired. But he'd also respected my decisions. He had stopped when I had said no and hadn't questioned it. It was liberating to know I could do that and he still wanted me.

June hadn't exactly pushed himself on me, but he'd made me feel guilty for denying him sex. All those years we'd been together, he'd asked and asked, but I'd maintained I would only do it once we were married...or close to it. And it was the only thing I could control.

Call me traditional. Call me a prude. I was terrified when he had gotten my innocence, he wouldn't look at me the same way anymore.

It was just another perk of living with a mother who'd changed boyfriends as many times as she changed her underwear. Whenever she met a new man, she would be on cloud nine. Nothing could go wrong. They'd have a blissful few weeks, sometimes months. Then she would begin complaining that every man only wanted one thing until that man was out of our lives. How many times had she told me to hold onto that one precious thing? My V-card, she called it. But I'd decided to finally give in one night with June, stupidly thinking that it would be his first time too since I'd been his only girlfriend. Little did I know he'd been giving it to that tramp. Yes, I'd made that decision, but only because I had let others influence me. That had to end.

"Maggie," Nica began quietly.

I raised a palm up to her, and squeezed the bridge of my nose before I opened my eyes to look at her. "Nica, you might not like what I'm about to say," I said, surprised at how steady my voice was. "But I need you to listen."

There was shock in her eyes, and then it molded into calm, and even with a hint of a smile. She placed her hands on her lap, and listened.

"I'll be twenty in a few days. I'm an adult. But you and I know I'd had to learn to grow up years ago. We do have the same mother," I reminded her. "I'm not pregnant. I thought I was—" There was no need for her to know I'd had sex only one time. "—but I'm not. And I'm not partying. Zach and I just hang out, watch movies... you know, like when we were kids." There was also no need for her to know he and I had done a bit more than just hanging out.

I covered her hands with mine. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. I wasn't entirely sure what I had to do especially when there was nothing..." To stop a sob from coming out, I bit the inside of my cheek. This was supposed to be my way of proving to Nica I was a grown woman, capable of making my own decisions, living my own damn life, and being responsible for any actions I would make.

Nica was a hugger, just like Mom. She gripped my hands and squeezed the breath out of me. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"You didn't," I managed to eek out, waiting for her embrace to loosen.

"I crossed the line. You're right. You're a responsible person. I just wish you would let me help you out." Finally, she let me go. I quietly sucked in a breath. "And so you know, I didn't sneak into your room. Our housekeeper cleaned your bathroom and found it on the floor. Gemma felt she had to tell me. She knows you're younger but not how old you are. Can we start again?"

I replied with a half shrug, realized that it wasn't enough, and added a nod of my head. As Nica's natural reaction, she pulled me again in a tight hug.

* * *

As much as I would have loved to talk to Nica more about my future plans, all I had been able to do was go through life day by day. I'd let her speak and give me advice or suggestions which she had hoped would guide me to making the right decisions. She was a planner, in a lot of ways. The only thing that had been a real surprise for her was Aimee. My little niece was a wonderful gift to both her parents.

My stomach grumbled as I removed my bra before getting into bed. I caught my reflection in the mirror on top of a dresser. My belly seemed flatter than ever, even under a loose sleep shirt. How long had it been since I'd imagined that something was growing inside it? Nica had told me what I'd thought were symptoms of pregnancy could have been due to the stress. I would have made a great parent, particularly because I'd have her as an exemplary example of what a wonderful mother should be. And despite my mother’s misgivings, she’d been a great, strong-minded mom.

I slipped under the blankets. When I reached to turn off the lamp, my phone lit up. My pulse raced, thinking Zach was calling me to say goodnight. I smiled as I picked it up. I was only slightly astonished to see May's phone number on the screen. I hadn't spoken to her since I left Fresno.

"Hello," I greeted, pushing my head deep into the fluffy pillows.

"Oh, hallelujah you answered! I thought I'd have to leave a message. Where have you been? Your Mom said you're with your sister?"

"Yeah, sorry I didn't know how to tell you."

"You should be sorry. But, I forgive you because you wouldn't have been able to reach me anyway. My Mom confiscated my phone when she saw me talking to Lily. She accused me of being unsupportive of June and his bitch."

It seemed that nothing had changed over there. "I'm in San Francisco with Nica and Levi. I'm staying here for a bit."

"I'm so jealous!" May produced a whine. "I'm stuck here putting up with the bullshit. Maggie, you wouldn’t believe it, but shit just hit the fan."

With a hand on my mouth, I suppressed a groan. I'd come home to meet drama, which had been resolved. I couldn't face another before the end of the night. I had no idea where May was. Chances were she had to take their dog out again so she could sneak a phone call with me. I might not like what I was about to hear, but it wouldn't stop her from revealing everything to me. "Something miraculous happened? Did Delaney's boobs start sagging?"

May let out a guffaw. "It's so good to hear you have your humor back. Maybe San Francisco is the solution for you, after all. However, that is incorrect. I think they've grown much bigger. She displays them everywhere she goes. She's like those cartoon peacocks... no, she looks more like a constipated penguin. She definitely has the waddle down pat." We shared a little snicker before she continued. "There is trouble in paradise, Maggie. June and Delaney have been fighting...a lot."

I sat up, and leaned my back on the headboard. "They are?" What kind of news was this? Should I be happy? Should I be sad? What was I supposed to feel? Should I even care?

"Yup." I could imagine May with a proud smile and nodding her head. "Like all the time. Mostly when they think no one is around. Today it had something to do with their baby's name. June didn't like what Delaney picked, by the sound of it, but she insisted."

I had to ask. "What name did she pick?"

"Kathy. With a 'k.' She repeated over and over that it had to start with a 'k' and not a 'c.' What's up with that? To be honest, I thought she would have picked something else like Rihanna or Bella..."

May kept on talking, but I'd lost interest as soon as I heard the name. Kathy. It wasn't hers. It was another thing that she wished to steal from me. That was my future daughter's name. I'd mentioned it to June several times. But I'd never told her. Was this something they'd talked about while they were cheating behind my back? Kathy was a heroine of my favorite books, "Never Let Me Go." I'd read the masterpiece years ago. Nica had purchased the book and had left it at home when she'd left for school. The dog-eared hardcover still sat on a shelf in my bedroom. Delaney had never touched a book in her life, even for book reports. June had seen me read it, and I had even read passages to him before. He'd known about the book. He'd known about the name. He'd told Delaney, and of course, she had to have it. The name meant nothing to her, just like our years of friendship.

I couldn't breathe. The tension rose and blurred my vision. My fingers and toes numbed. When would their betrayal end? I dropped my phone on the bedding, and once again, caught my own reflection in the mirror. I wanted freedom from this. I wanted to forget the hurt. I had to feel something else other than the pain they'd constantly inflicted on me, even though I was miles away. And I knew where I could get that solace. That peace.

* * *

After I gathered my bearings, I punched the address on the GPS on the dashboard panel of the car Nica had given me permission to use. I assumed, since I still had the keys, I was still allowed to use it whenever. I'd gotten lost a couple of times on my way, but the GPS led me where I wanted to be.

Three knocks was all it took for Zach to open the door. He rubbed sleep from his eyes. There he stood in front of me just like the way I'd left him earlier, in his sweatpants and nothing else. His hair spiked in different directions. He'd chosen to stay in, for which I was thankful for, rather than catch up with his friends.

"Maggie?" His voice was gravelly. Like a magnet, it pulled me toward him.

I kissed him.

I shoved my fingers through his wayward hair, and pressed my body against the planes of his torso. I didn't want a breadth between us. To achieve the height I needed, I stood on my tiptoes. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and continued to push and pull at his hair. With a slip of my tongue, I coaxed his into my mouth. I devoured him.

Zach responded.

He met my every push, and groaned at every pull. His hands roamed all over me, producing foreign sounds from my mouth and sensations from my body, some new and unfamiliar, and some old but different. His hips met mine, pressing his hard-on where I needed it most. It created frisson which shot through from the very ends of my hair to the epicenter of my desire. He kissed with a passion I hadn't known existed. It tingled down to the tips of my toes, rendering my legs weak and useless. I sagged against him.

When we finally came up for breath, my name came out in a hush between his lips, "Maggie." He searched my eyes...for answers? For permission?

"Zach, please. I need to feel..." I couldn't finish. I couldn't admit this was all I could think of to replace the pain. Zach was here, with me. I could touch him. I could feel him. I could taste him.

Would he betray me the way June had? I didn't know. Would he steal my heart and leave it crushed in pieces? I wasn't sure. But he was here now. And he could make me forget.

With a brush through his hair, I urged him to meet my lips again. There was a second of hesitation.

"Please," I begged, with my eyes closed, my forehead touching his and the heat of his breath fired up the burn in me.

It was all the answer he needed. In one swoop, Zach picked me up and carried me with ease. I kept my eyes closed, lulled by the sway of his swagger. It wasn't until my head hit the pillow and my body touched the cool sheets that I'd opened my eyes to a dim bedroom. He didn't waste a minute. Zach let his lips wander over every inch of my exposed skin. He blew a breath over the side of my waist as he tugged my pajama pants off. His fingers skimmed along the elastic of my panties. And when he pressed his open mouth on my center, lightning spread through my veins. I shattered.

His hands made their way up my trembling stomach and underneath my shirt. I hadn't bothered wearing my bra, and the roughness of his fingertips met with the sensitive parts of my breasts. He kneaded and cupped me. And with very little strength, ripped my shirt to expose me to him.

I needed this, I reminded myself.

My heart drummed under my heaving chest. I arched my back to meet his lips, letting him taste me more. I released the grip I had on the sheets and held tightly onto his back. I splayed my fingers over the hardness of his lower back and spread them down to his buttocks. I squeezed, and he pressed himself to me. What I imagined to be courage caused me to play with the band of his sweatpants. And then I slipped my hands under, feeling nothing but heated skin. I left one hand on his right cheek, and trailed the other to the front.

Zach raised his head and hissed. "Maggie," he said over and over while I worked him under the soft cotton pants. He was harder than I expected, and much bigger than... No, I refused to think of him.

I wanted this. "Make me forget, Zach." My words were barely whispers, and they fought with his loud pants.

Zach shook his head. "I need... I have to get..." He stilled my hand with his, and under the dim light, I could see the fervor in his eyes. "I need to get protection, Maggie." He squeezed his eyes shut before slowly pulling my hands out of his pants and pressing my arms against my hips. "I'll be back."

Zach kissed my right shoulder, my neck, and my lips before he stood and left the bedroom.

I panted in the dark.

I needed this.

I wanted this.

Zach would make me forget.

I could hear him outside the bedroom, opening and closing doors and drawers and swearing. He was looking for protection. Something I hadn't thought of using when I was with June. Something June hadn't thought of when we'd been together that one night. Had he ever used protection with Delaney? Had she used it with the other guys she'd been with?

"Oh God," I choked out. What if he hadn't? What if she hadn't? What if there were other things I needed to worry about than forgetting their betrayal? Or stealing my baby name?

I turned my body to one side, curled in a fetal position and shivered. And all the built-up emotions came pouring out of me. I couldn't stop the tears from coming. I couldn't stop the sobs from ringing out in the dark room.