Page 161 of Twins for Three Bad Boys

She shakes her head.

“Okay. School stuff?”

Another shake.

“Did somebody die?” I ask softly.

Her mouth trembles. “No.”

“Are you in trouble?”

“No.”

“Are you hurt?”

She hesitates.

And that hesitation hits different.

My chest tightens.

“June.”

She drops her gaze to the river.

“I went to the doctor,” she says finally.

“I see.”

“Recently I’ve been… quite sick, in the mornings,” she continues. “It’s not been much fun.”

“And?” I hate how nervous this is making me feel.

“They ran tests.”

Silence stretches.

She’s shaking now, fine tremors under her skin.

“What did they find?” I ask.

Her breath starts coming too fast.

“Hey,” I murmur. “Slow down. You’re okay. Whatever it is, we’re just gonna look at it. It’s not gonna bite.”

Her hands curl into fists at her sides.

“I can’t,” she whispers.

“You can,” I say softly. “You already are.”

Tears spill before she seems to notice.

“It changes everything,” she chokes.

“Does it change everything bad,” I ask carefully, “or everything scary?”

She lets out a shaky, broken laugh.