I didn't know what to do, so I did the same thing I'd done a couple of days earlier and shut down my laptop.

I couldn’t believe I didn’t double check to make sure I had really muted my conversation with Lexi. And why did I have to be lazy and put my mom on speaker instead of holding the phone up to my ear?

Now the very thing I'd tried to prevent over the past weeks was happening. Lexi knew I was pregnant.

And if Lexi knew, then it was only so much more likely that Easton would soon find out, too.

I paced around my basement, trying to figure out what I was going to do.

How was I supposed to trick my friend into thinking I wasn't really pregnant when she'd blatantly heard my mom say we were going to buy maternity clothes for me?

What other reason would I need maternity clothes for?

Lexi wouldn't believe me if I told her I was just getting fat and needed extra wiggle room in my clothes these days.

Ugh.

Ding-dong.

I paused. Who was at my door? The only people who usually came to my house were Lexi or the UPS guy. Did we have packages coming?

I tiptoed down the hall and to the front door. When I checked the peephole, I had to look down to see who was standing on the other side.

Lexi.

She'd run here in her pajamas.

Why was she here? Did she realize that I was home?

I leaned my back against the door, my breath coming in short bursts as I tried to figure out what to do.

I wasn't ready for this. I hadn't thought up a good-enough excuse yet.

Could I tell her I was maternity-clothes shopping for my cousin who was about the same size as me, and who was too embarrassed to buy them herself because people would know she was pregnant?

That probably wouldn't work.

So I did the next best thing: I turned the deadbolt to lock Lexi out.

Then I ran to the other doors in the house and locked them too just to be safe. Once done, I dashed back into the kitchen and sunk low by the cupboards to where I wouldn't be spotted.

But Lexi must have caught on to what I was doing, because a minute later, she was standing at the back door, looking in through the square of glass.

"I know you're in there, Juliette," her voice muffled through the door. "I saw you run past the living room window a second ago."

I sat as still as I could, only listening to the sound of my labored breathing.

"Open up, Juliette. Or I'm going to call the cops and tell them I saw someone sneaking around your house when you're supposed to be in Buffalo and your mom is at work."

My shoulders sagged. I was caught.

"I know you're probably worried, but just let me talk to you."

I rubbed my eyes. How was I supposed to even begin a conversation like this?

Hey, you know how you have those purity rings in your family? Well, it would probably burn off my finger if I tried to wear one.

No. That made me sound like I slept around like crazy. It had just been the one time.

So you’ve probably noticed how fat I'm getting. Surprise, you're going to be an aunt again!

That wouldn't work, either.

She wouldn't really call the police, would she?

The glass in the door rattled when she knocked on it.

"You can't hide in there forever, Juliette. I know where you guys keep your secret key."

I blew out a long breath and pulled myself up to a standing position.

I guess this was happening.

So I walked back into the dining area, unlocked the door, and let my friend in.

My lips trembled and tears pricked at the back of my eyes as Lexi took in my appearance, her eyes pausing on my stomach. And then I looked down because I couldn't watch her reaction. I had never felt so exposed in my life.

"Oh, Juliette," Lexi said, her voice filled with pity. And that was all it took for me to completely break down. I'd cried a lot over the past few months, but this was the first time I had someone besides my mom's initial reaction to compound my feelings. If Lexi thought things were bad, they really must be.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea." Lexi pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back. I clung to her, needing someone strong to hold on to.

She held me for the next minute until I was able to calm myself. Once I had gotten my sobbing under control, I wiped my eyes and gave her what I was sure looked like a watery smile.

"You'd think after seeing what Maddie went through, I would've known better," I said.

That Easton would have known better, too.

"When did this happen? How?"

I sighed. "I think you know how it happened."

She shook her head. "You weren't dating anyone when you left. When did it happen?"

At your family's end of summer camp-out in your brother's tent.

But I couldn't say that because I had to protect Easton.

"In Paris." Guilt stabbed at my chest like a knife. "It happened when I first got there."

Lexi was silent, like I'd completely stunned her. I’d always had a boyfriend, but as far as she knew, I'd never wanted to take things this far.

And I hadn't. Until that last night when I'd thought about leaving for Paris in a few days and how I didn't want Easton to forget about me while I was gone.

Well, that night had definitely been memorable.

When she was quiet for too long, I launched into the story I'd rehearsed in my head a million times. "I went to a party one night with some girls I met there. I was feeling lonely being in a new country, and this really hot guy came up and was sweet. And then we..." I let my words trail off.

I knew my story made me look bad, like I hadn't cared about the thing that should have been saved for marriage, according to Lexi's family. But I had to tell her a lie so she wouldn't find out how it really happened.

She swallowed, her eyes wide. "Does the guy know?"

I shook my head. "I didn't get his number or anything. Everything happened so fast."

"How long have you known?" I was grateful she wasn't saying anything about how slutty I sounded. Her sister may have gotten pregnant in high school, but at least it was with a guy she'd been dating for years.

"I found out in October."

"Have you been to a doctor yet? Do you know what you’re having?"

"I went to the doctor when I first got home, and I have an ultrasound to find out if it's a boy or a girl tomorrow."

She was quiet for a minute. "Are you thinking of keeping it?"

"No."

She nodded, calmly taking everything in. Would she judge me for not wanting to keep the baby when her sister had?

"As you've probably guessed by now, my plan is to go live with my grandma, have the baby, place it up for adoption, and then come back and resume regular life."

"When do you go?"

"In a few days. My grandma is still on her cruise."

"So you’ve been hiding in your home ever since Christmas?" There was sympathy in her eyes.

My throat thickened with emotion as I thought over everything I'd done to keep my secret. "I popped out on Christmas morning. My mom and I thought it was best to lie low, so no one would find out. It's an election year, and a story about the mayor’s daughter going to help her ailing grandma sounds a lot better than an out-of-control teen sleeping around in Paris."

"But we know you're not like that."

I cocked an eyebrow and pointed to my belly. "Most people will see this and make up whatever story they want to believe."

"I'm so sorry," she said.

I pressed my lips together and shrugged. "It's just a consequence for my actions, I guess."

"But a pretty difficult one."

That it was.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just..." I lifted a shoulder. "I didn't exactly know how."

She nodded. "It's okay. I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell me. I wish I could've been there for you sooner. No wonder you didn't want to go snowboarding."

I laughed, even though the conversation we were having was far from lighthearted. "I totally faked my headache."

"Do you think it would help to talk to Maddie? I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you since she went through this a couple of years ago."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "I don't want anyone to know. Promise me you won't tell anyone. Not Maddie. Not Easton." Especially not Easton. "Not Noah. I just want to get out of Ridgewater for the next five months, and then come back and start over like it never happened."

Lexi looked worried, like she wasn't sure this was the best idea. But she nodded.

"I can keep a secret."

I gave her a hug. "Thank you."