Page 149 of Ruin

His eyes go down to my stomach. Then, back to my face. “You’re pregnant?” he whispers.

“Uh-huh.” I nod, nervously chewing my lip.

“With a baby?”

“I hope so because I’m not so keen on the idea of birthing an elephant.”

“Hysterical.”

“I know.”

“You’re really pregnant, Dove?”

“I’m really pregnant, Zeus.”

His eyes are fixed on me, but I don’t know what he’s thinking or if he’s happy, so I feel the need to tell him, “I was taking the pill. I didn’t miss one. Same as when I got pregnant with Gigi. I don’t know how it happened. How it keeps happening.”

“I don’t care how it happened. Just that it did.”

“You’re happy about this?”

“Dove, I’m fucking ecstatic.”

He takes my face in his hands, and he kisses me.

“We’re having a baby,” he murmurs, his forehead pressed to mine.

“We’re having a baby,” I echo in confirmation.

“And I have super sperm.”

Laughter bubbles up my throat and out of me, relief and happiness filling my chest.

I tip my head back. Staring into his eyes, I give him a look. “Super sperm?”

“I impregnated you twice while you were on the pill. I’m a god.”

“Oh Jesus,” I complain.

“Nope. Zeus, the God of Thunder, with sperm like lightning.”

He grins boyishly, and laughter bursts out of me.

Zeus chuckles, and the sound comes from deep within his chest.

“I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?” I pseudo-groan, rolling my eyes.

“Nope.” He grins and slides his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer, his nose pressed to mine. “Not while I’m around. And I plan on being around for a fuck of a long time, Dove.”

Now that, I really like the sound of.

“Come on, Mommy! It’s time!”

I walk—sorry, waddle over to where Gigi is with her dad and her aunt and uncles, who were tasked with handing out the Chinese lanterns and a lighter to all the adults present at Gigi’s fifth birthday party. This includes the parents of her friends from pre-K, Aunt Elle—or Mom, as I call her nowadays—and surprisingly, Zeus’s dad, Brett, who has been sober for three months after entering a rehab program after Zeus told him that I was pregnant. I don’t know why me being pregnant kick-started his attempt to get sober, but I’m glad it has, and I pray for Zeus and the rest of his siblings that it sticks this time.

Zeus and I agreed that, as Brett is genuinely trying, he could finally meet Gigi, which he did for the first time a month ago. To say he’s completely smitten with her is putting it mildly. She has Grandpa Brett wrapped around one of her fingers. The other is reserved for Zeus. And Ares, Lo, and Missy.

Also, here at the party is Kaden Scott. He recently moved here to a new facility. He’s living in his own place and going in for outpatient treatment.