Page 67 of Fall Love

“And congratulations to you,” Lisa says, turning back toward me. “Looks like Tate finally got what he wanted.”

Tate closes his eyes. Jake tugs Lisa closer to him, in a move that might suggest he wants her to behave.

“Me, of course.” I joke, though it feels brittle on my tongue.

Lisa smiles, not wickedly, but not exactly sincere either. “A baby. I didn’t want children.”

The information hangs in the air between all of us, and I’m slow to put two and two together before I calculate that Lisa is the woman Tate was almost engaged to, and the someone she fell in love with was his brother, Jake.

While my heart breaks for Tate, my own is suddenly in my belly, being kicked around by my future soccer player.

The baby Tate wanted with another woman.

“If you’ll—” I point toward my left with my thumb like there’s something pressing over there that I need to see. “I’ve got—” I wave around my belly next, then whisper like it’s a dirty word, “Bathroom.”

On that note, my sister takes the hint, expressing a quick nice meeting you when she hadn’t been introduced to anyone, and spins me away from the group.

“Holy shit. Did I interpret that correctly?”

“If you interpreted that Tate was practically engaged to that woman before she was engaged to his brother, then yes.”

We only make it a few feet before Lumi stops me, turning me to face her. “Are you okay?”

I don’t know. My heart is racing, and my stomach clenches, and I can’t tell if it’s the baby or just a reaction to that willowy, thin, slip of perfection being his former lover. His former fiancée.

“Neve.”

I spin to find Tate catching up to us, his hand swiping through his hair.

“I—” I don’t even know what to say to him. Instead, I storm away, like I have a destination when I don’t.

I only make it three feet before Tate has my elbow, gently turning me to face him.

“That was the woman you used to love,” I blurt.

“I never said I loved her.”

“You were engaged to her. I think it’s implied.” I stare at him, blinking rapidly.

He sighs. “I was almost engaged to her because I thought I loved her, but she loved him.”

“And she didn’t want kids.” I didn’t want a kid either, but here I am. And here he is. And what does this say about me? Or us?

“Tate,” someone calls out. “Axe-throwing. Up next.”

“Go.” I wave in the direction of whoever called him.

“We need to talk.”

I don’t want to talk. “Then I’ll go. I could throw something right now.”

Because he is way too calm. Calm, for introducing me to his former lover. Calm, for her being engaged now to his brother. Calm, for her not wanting a child.

I brush past Tate, but he catches me again, wrapping one arm around my upper chest and the other beneath my belly. He dips his face into my neck.

“Neve,” he groans.

“How are you so calm about what they did to you?”