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"I mean, look at you," Lyla sputtered, waving a hand. "What the hell does he see in someone like you? Your ridiculous hair for starters. And a nose piercing? Really? It's so tacky. Not to mention you dress like a fashion victim from the early 2000s. Why he chose you when he could have someone like me, I'll never know."
Holly rolled her eyes. "I feel like I'm back in seventh grade. Are you really taking things down to basement level? Is that where we are? Fine. Then you should know that Eli doesn't even like you, Lyla. He thinks you're ridiculous. You're not even remotely on his radar as someone to bang, let alone someone to date."
Lyla's face turned purple with rage, and then she glanced down at the box, all traces of anger vanishing.
"He doesn't even know about this." Lyla gestured to the pregnancy test. "He has no idea you might be knocked up, does he?"
Despite doing her best not to react, her long-perfected poker face failed her. The smirk on Lyla's face said it all.
"I'll just text him and ask," Lyla said, pulling out her phone. "Then we can clear everything up."
"Just stop," Holly snapped, pushing Lyla's phone away from her face. "If you want this feature for your precious blog, you'll keep your fucking mouth shut."
"You're in no position to threaten me, bitch," Lyla narrowed her gaze and brushed a lock of blonde hair away from her face. "Not one bit. You best remember that."
"He doesn't need this right now. He's trying to win a Cup, and the whole team is dealing with Fally's injury. If you give a shit about him or the Kingsnakes, you'll back off. Besides, there's a reason it's called a test. I don't know if I'm pregnant."
Lyla flicked her sunglasses back down, peering at her over the rims. "I won't say anything to him—for now—but you owe me one. And believe me when I say that Iwillcollect. I just have to figure out what I want from you in return."
She turned on her heel and walked out of the store, leaving Holly staring after her.
Holly sank down in the chair of the blood pressure test machine, her heart pounding wildly. Fuck, like she needed this bullshit with Lyla on top of everything else she was dealing with.
As much as she hated the woman, she knew Lyla would keep her big trap shut while she decided what it was that she wanted.
And whatever that was, it definitely wouldn't be good.
* * *
"Are you sure you have everything you need?" Penn asked.
Holly tossed her carry-on bag into the backseat of Penn's car. "Curly Cue, it's seven in the morning. As long as you stopped to get coffee, that's all I need."
Penn snorted as Holly climbed into the front seat. "Your coffee is in the holder. The pet sitter is with Miss right now?"
"Yep. She got here twenty minutes ago." She took a sip of her coffee. "Why the hell did we book a flight at the break of dawn?"
"This is hardly the break of dawn," Penn said dryly. "We needed to leave early just in case there were delays. We don't want to miss the game."
"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, closing her eyes. Maybe coffee was a bad idea. She'd had some killer indigestion lately, and her stomach was already bugging her. Plus, was caffeine okay if you were pregnant?
Ugh. She didn't want to think about it.
"Drive on, bestie. I'm going to rest my eyes. I'm wiped."
Penn patted her leg. "Relax for now. It's going to be a long day."
* * *
After a five-hour plane ride with a toddler kicking her seat for half the flight—and screaming at the top of his lungs for the other half—they finally arrived in Tampa.
"I need a nap," Holly groaned, collapsing on one of the double beds. "That kid kept me awake the entire flight."
"You and everyone else," Penn told her, wheeling her suitcase into the room. "Jeez, what a set of lungs on that boy. I felt so bad for the mom. She tried everything to get him to listen."
"I felt bad for her too, but everyone else wasn't getting kicked in the back like me. I'm going to have bruises."
"Exaggerate much?" Penn teased, glancing down at her phone. "I'm going to meet West for a few minutes in the lobby of his hotel. It's right across the street. Do you want to come?"
