Page 142 of Taking Sides

EPILOGUE

Conrad’s smile widens when I walk out into the living room in my pink dress. He’s in a matching pink dress shirt and tan pants.

“Aww, look at my girls.” He comes over to me, hands finding the swell of my stomach. “You look stunning.”

“You know? I feel it.” Aside from some nausea early on, this pregnancy has been a dream. We still have a long way to go, but I’m feeling great. I never gave much thought to what it’d be like to have a little person growing inside me, but it’s pretty miraculous. The fact I get to do it with my best friend and the hottest man alive? Pink icing on the little cakes for today’s baby shower.

His lips brush over mine, and I sink into him. Conrad has been amazing through it all. I can’t believe I ever thought he might not be excited. He’s basically been grinning ear to ear for the past few months.

The doorbell rings, and we break apart.

“I guess it’s time,” he says. “Where do you want me?”

I chuckle, grinning back at him. “I’ll get the door. You hide a couple of those little cakes for me for later.”

His smile pulls higher on one side.

“I’m serious,” I say as I prepare to meet our first guests. His mom is throwing us another shower this summer in Washington, but insisted on sending the most adorable, delicious-looking individual-sized cakes.

It’s Sloane on the other side. She’s holding a large, square-shaped present, wrapped in white and pink polka dots that’s so big, she has to look around it to smile at me.

“You made it!” I say excitedly. “You’re the first to arrive. Come in.” I step back to let her inside.

She doesn’t budge. Instead, she leans forward and peers into the house. The movement has her light brown hair falling forward over her shoulder and partially into her face.

“Is Conrad here?” she whispers.

“Yeah.” A small laugh escapes my lips. “He lives here now, remember?”

Her expression is serious, and alarm bells go off in my head.

“What’s wrong?”

She motions for me to come outside. I do and shut the door behind me.

“I can’t stay, but I wanted to drop this off and tell you how happy I am.”

“Why not?” I ask, hesitantly, taking the present from her.

“His teammates are coming today, right?”

“Yeah.” I’m still not following. “The guys are all really nice, I promise.”

I get that they can be intimidating, but I’ve never seen them be mean to anyone. And they certainly wouldn’t be rude at my baby shower, to Sloane of all people.

“It isn’t that,” she assures me. “Well, it is, but not how you think.”

She inhales, the movement making her chest lift and fall. She takes another glimpse past me to the house, then meets my gaze. Her voice drops even quieter. “I kind of, sort of, know Danny.”

“You know Danny Marlowe?” I ask, surprise pulling my brows higher. “Really? How come you never said anything before?”

I’m smiling now because this isn’t the tragedy she had me prepared for based on her secrecy. Everyone likes Danny. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him.

Her nod is slow, and she does not match my excitement. By her expression I’d say she might be the exception to my “everyone likes him” statement.

“Did you two date or something?” I ask. I really hope he didn’t use his charms on her and break her heart. I’d really hate to have to knee anyone in the balls today.

“No.” Her blue eyes widen comically large. “He probably doesn’t even remember me. We weren’t friends or anything.”