Page 88 of You + Me – Against the World

“Are you sure?”

I nod, forcing myself to smile.

“Keith told me I can see my brother in a month. He’s going to organize it for early February…”

I smile at him, for real this time.

“Will you come with me, Alma?”

“I’d follow you anywhere, Arcadi.”

He gazes at me and lets out a soft laugh, which takes flight and flutters all around me.

“But for now, I can’t take one wrong step,” he sighs. “And I shouldn’t see much of Felix. Those are Keith’s conditions.”

“Okay, but you’re still going to introduce Felix to an interesting girl who knows a bunch of things so he doesn’t feel lonely. Right now. Deal?” I say, holding my hand up in the air.

Instead of high-fiving it, Vadim entwines his fingers with mine and gives me his irresistible smirk.

“Your turn.”

I chicken out.

This news is going to ruin everything.

“It’s nothing; it can wait.” My heart starts racing and I struggle to get my words out. “I’m happy for you and your brother. You’ve been waiting for this for so long—”

“Don’t chicken out, Lancaster. I know you inside and out.”

His deep voice cuts through the air. He has sensed that I’m nervous.

“You’re not going to like it…”

“You can tell me anything, Alma.”

I’m already fighting back tears.

“I think I’m pregnant.”

I look away so as not to read the horror, the disappointment in his eyes.

“You… you think, or you’re sure?” His voice is hoarse.

He runs a hand through his hair. He’s trying to stop himself from panicking… without much success.

“I took a pregnancy test.”

“What? But when? Without telling me?”

“A week or two ago. Somewhere in between… I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember? Fuck, Alma!”

A tear traces a path down my cheek.

“There were the holidays, my grandparents were here, I had my whole family on my back, and you… You spend your days here! We haven’t seen each other much, and I—”

“Alma, this should have come before everything else!”