"You don't know that either."
"I know Rush, and I know he's not the kind of man who runs when things get hard."
I want to believe her but the fear is overwhelming.
"I need time to process this before I tell him," I say.
"Okay. Take the time you need."
"You can't tell anyone."
"I won't, I promise."
We go back to her living room and I sit on her couch feeling numb. Pregnant. I'm pregnant with Rush's baby and I have no idea how he's going to react.
We're walking through town later that afternoon when we run into Ciara. She's coming out of a coffee shop and she smiles when she sees us.
"Hey," she says. "What are you two up to?"
"Just running errands," Gráinne says.
"Fun. I was just grabbing coffee. Do you guys want to join?"
"We can't," I say quickly. "We have to get back."
"Oh, okay. Another time then."
She walks away and I think we're clear.
But then Gráinne says quietly, "You should tell Rush soon, before you start showing."
I glance back. Ciara's stopped about twenty feet away. She's on her phone but her head turns slightly. Like she heard.
"Did she hear that?" I whisper.
"I don't think so. She's too far away."
But I saw the way she glanced over, the way her expression shifted for just a second.
"Gráinne, I think she heard."
"You're overthinking it."
"Am I? Because she just looked right at us."
"Everly, there's no way she heard me. And even if she did, she doesn't know what we're talking about."
I want to believe her, but unease settles in my chest. Ciara's been quieter lately, less obvious with her moves, but she's still watching, still waiting for an opening, and if she knows I'm pregnant before Rush does, that's a weapon she'll use.
That evening at the clubhouse, I'm already on edge. I haven't told Rush yet. I'm trying to find the right moment but every time I think about saying the words, I panic. I'm in the hallway near the bathrooms when Ciara appears.
"Hey Everly," she says with a smile. "Can we talk for a second?"
"I'm kind of busy."
"It'll just take a minute, I promise."
She leads me outside to the smoking area even though neither of us smoke.