Page 12 of Shattered Hearts

The corner of my mouth twitches before the sinking feeling overwhelms me once again. I lean back in my wooden chair. My arms cross over my chest, tightening against the uneasy feeling growing in my stomach.

“What are you going to do while you’re here? Which isn’t necessary, by the way. I’m fine on my own.” My voice hardens, as it usually does in situations like this. “It’s not like I haven’t been taking care of myself for the past decade…”

My cousin waves a hand between us, silencing me. “Of course I was going to come. You weren’t in a good place when you called me last night.” She swallows a spoonful of fruit before continuing, “And I spoke with my dance studio. I can teach online classes for them until I find something more permanent.” I don’t miss the slight wariness in her tone.

My eyebrow quirks. “You want to stay here in Ashwood Creek?”

Sadie shrugs, so gracefully, like she moves with the breeze. “I’m not sure yet,” she admits honestly. “But I will as long as you need me around. A baby is a huge responsibility—”

“I know,” I breathe softly.

“—and with your parents away on their holiday, who else is meant to help you?”

Eyes closing again, I think about Grayson watching over me a few weeks ago when I was sick with what I told everyone was food poisoning, but I was already five weeks late at that point. The look in Grayson’s eyes was something curious, almost as if he could see through the lie and knew that it wasn’t just a stomach flu like I said. I, of course, didn’t tell him that I was late and there was a very high chance that I was pregnant. The shame that weighed down my shoulders as I kept that secret inside…

As it turns out, I wasn’t just overreacting, and those tests confirmed my suspicions—as well as my period tracker.

But Grayson was there. He’s always right there when I need him, and he would be here in a heartbeat if he knew what was going on, but there’s a lot stopping me from sending that simple message. I’m not ready for my whole world to implode, and that’s what it would feel like, because for so long now, Grayson has been my world—even if he’s unaware of the fact. I’d move plans around to see him if he was free, I always made sure to go to Honey Haven for Sunday night dinner, and I even drove forty minutes out of my way to help him when his ute broke down and nobody else was picking up their phone.

That’s how it’s always been. We need each other, like we are each other’s source of energy, even if we’re only friends. I’d rather Grayson remain my friend than nothing at all.

I don’t think I could survive without my lifeline.

My jaw ticks as I focus on my cousin, who patiently smiles at me. “I will stay here until the baby arrives, or Scott. If you do tell him, that is, which I think you should.” I groan inwardly, and she continues yapping like the excitable puppy she is, “Because he can help you. This baby is going to change your whole life—”

“I know that!” I snap, smacking my palms on the table. Sadie flinches. Her metal spoon clatters against the floor as I rub my temples soothingly, wishing the pain of this headache away. I can feel my nerves vibrating through me like tiny beads of effervescent water as my cousin watches me with her rounded chestnut eyes, framed in golden lashes coated in brown mascara.

“I know it’s a lot. I know that this baby will change everything,” I squeeze out as I suck in a ragged breath, alleviating a small amount of pressure weighing down my chest like a stone. I sob out, “And I’m terrified, Didi. This is not how I pictured myself being pregnant for the first time.”

My cousin is up a second later, rushing to throw her arms around me tightly. Her pretty, floral perfume tickles my nose as I’m wrapped up in her embrace, my pulse flooding my ears as more tears slip down my cheeks.

Seriously, how do I have more tears left to cry?

“It’ll be all right,” Sadie murmurs into my ear, but it feels like a broken promise.

I whimper, wanting to believe her so badly, but a part of me feels like this is the end of everything. That this is where my life takes a sudden swerve and veers off the highway that I’ve been steadily driving down for as long as I can remember.

The plan was to finish school, study business, and open an award-winning cafe. Then finally marry the man of my dreams and have the family of mischievous kids I’ve dreamt of forever.

When did everything go so wrong?

Oh, right, when I drank too much and took up Scott’s seemingly great opportunity that has now thrown the biggest spanner in the works.

Why did you have to fall for his smooth words, Laynie?

“I will be here for you. And Scott, once you tell him, I know he will help as well,” Sadie adds.

Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I shake my head at the overwhelming thoughts of both Scott and Grayson. Grayson, the man I’ve loved since high school. Then Scott, the man I hooked up with when I was vulnerable, upset, and a little too inebriated. I don’t even know anything about Scott, besides that he’s friends with Sadie and works in something that punches numbers. Sounds instantly boring to me, and no doubt the rest of him is as dry as my mouth feels right now.

I wipe my cheeks and announce in a grumbled tone, “I need to shower.” My chair scraps across the floor as I stand slowly.

Sadie eyes off my barely touched breakfast before nodding. “It might help. I can clean up for you.”

Turning to get some more peace to drown in my overwhelming thoughts, my phone dings again, breaking the silence. Toes scrunching tightly, I snatch it off the table to see another text from him.

BLONDIE: Can I bring you something to help? I can drop by on my way through town.

BLONDIE: I know you can’t resist some of Honey Haven’s fresh berries. I have a basket for you.