The others dive into their food, throwing out tidbits about their lives. Mia’s plans for an engagement party after her long-term boyfriend, Edward, popped the question over a candlelight dinner at Denver’s finest restaurant.
“Do not even ask me when the wedding is going to be. I’ve barely got my head around wearing this rock on my finger and planning a party.” She laughs, showing off a huge Tiffany ring.
I pick at my salad and fries, nothing tasting right. It’s so unlike me. Breakups in the past have left me binge eating carbs and sugary treats. The thought itches at the back of my brain alongside a vague sense that I’ve forgotten something important. That something is off.
Harper turns to Flic. “Have you heard any gossip at the bar about the new Stormhawks owner?”
Flic shrugs. “Not much. It’s a private buyer, someone from New York who apparently doesn’t know a damn thing about football.”
We all groan.
“If he ever sets foot in The Hay Barn,” Flic mutters darkly, “I’m pinning his ass to the wall of shame.”
The conversation veers into bar gossip and landlord woes. Flic mentions she has to get back soon—they’re short-staffed and her rent’s gone up again so she can’t afford to hire anyone new. She scoots out of the booth, and we all hug her goodbye. She promises to update us if she hears anything.
Only after she’s gone do I feel Izzy watching me. “You OK, Serena? You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine. Just tired. It’s like I can’t get enough sleep but it’s all I want to do. I’ll get over it. And today has really helped.” I paste on a smile that feels brittle.
Izzy raises a brow, her smile widening. “You’re not pregnant, are you? I felt like I’d had the life sucked out of me in my first trimester. I swear I couldn’t even walk up the stairs without needing a nap.”
Harper laughs. “You better not be, Serena. Jake’s getting baby fever. I swear, that man can’t pass a stroller without cooing like a grandma.”
We all laugh.
“Don’t worry. I’m just pathetically heartbroken.” Except, even as I say the words, it’s like the world is shifting beneath my feet, and my laughter dies in my throat.
I haven’t seen Chase in six weeks. Not since we had the best sex of my life. Since then, I’ve felt sad, then tired. Then nauseous. Not wanting to drink my iced coffees or any of my usual treats.
It’s like?—
I can’t be?—
It hits me. The feeling I’ve forgotten something rears to the front of my mind.
Izzy’s voice echoes in my mind.You’re not pregnant, are you?
No.
No way.
Except…
Shit.
THIRTY-ONE
SERENA
The tiles in the bathroom are cold, pushing through my clothes as I sit on the floor beside Liv and we wait for the timer on my phone to buzz. Liv ditched her shopping trip the second I called her, my voice shaking as I’d shared my fears. I wanted her to laugh and say I was being ridiculous. Instead, she told me she was on her way back and was stopping by a drug store for a test.
Three minutes.
I wrap my arms around my legs as though I’m holding myself together while everything inside me threatens to come apart. The box is by the sink. The contents beside it. Face down. I won’t look. Not yet. Not until the timer goes off.
Three minutes has never felt so long.
“It’s going to be fine,” Liv says, a comforting hand on my arm.