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For five years he’d kept some enormous secrets from her. That knowledge stung. But now she had a secret of her own. Given what she now knew about Nic, what was her best course of action?
Despite her exhaustion after being awake for twenty-four hours, she paced, the sound of her sandals slapping against the stone of the terrace breaking the tranquil silence. Seeing Nic, kissing him and finding out that he was not the hardworking scientist she’d always known but a prince of some country she’d only heard of in passing, had her thoughts in a frenetic whirl.
And then there was the big question of the day. The one she’d been avoiding for the past hour. Was she going to tell Nic about her pregnancy?
In the wake of all she’d learned, was it fair to tell him he was going to be a father? He couldn’t marry her even if he’d wanted to. Nor would they be living on the same continent. Being the prince of a small European country meant he would be under the keenest scrutiny. Would he even want to acknowledge an illegitimate child? Yet was it fair to deny him the opportunity to make that decision?
Her best friend, Theresa, would help her answer some of these questions. She was the most sensible and grounded person in Brooke’s life. Brooke went down to the guesthouse, retrieved her phone from the bed where she’d left it and dialed Theresa’s number.
“Well, it’s about time you called me back,” Theresa started, sounding more like Brooke’s mother than her best friend. “I’ve left you, like, four messages.”
Brooke tried to shrug away the tension in her shoulders, but that was hard when she was braced against an onslaught of lecturing. “Five, actually. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner—”
“You know I’m just worried about you. The last time we talked, you were going to get your brother to tell you where Nic had gone.”
“I did that.”
“So where is he?”
“About two miles down the road from the most gorgeous Greek town you’ve ever seen.”
“And you know this Greek town is so gorgeous because...?” Theresa’s voice held a hint of alarm.
“I’ve seen it.”
“Brooke, no.”
“Yep.”
A long pause followed. Brooke almost wished she was there to watch her best friend’s expression fluctuate from annoyed to incredulous and back again.
“What about the Berkeley interview?”
“It’s in three days.”
“Are you going to make it back in time?”
In truth she wasn’t sure she wanted to. The idea of raising a baby by herself scared her. She wanted to be close to family and that meant living in LA. “That’s my intention.”
“What was Nic’s reaction when you showed up?”
“He was pretty surprised to see me.”
“And when you told him about the baby?”
Panic and longing surged through her in confusing, conflicting waves. Twenty-four hours earlier, coming to find him had felt necessary instead of reckless or impulsive. And in hindsight, it had been foolishly optimistic. She’d been convinced Nic would return to California with her once he knew he was going to be a father.
“I haven’t yet.”
“What are you waiting for?”
Brooke fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Things got a little complicated after I got here.”
“Did you sleep with him again?”
“No.” She paused to smile. “Not yet.”
“Brooke, you are my best friend and I want nothing but the best for you,” Theresa began in overly patient tones. “But you need to realize if he wanted to be with you he would.”
“It’s not as simple as that.” Or was it? Hadn’t Nic chosen duty to his country over her? Once again Brooke pictured Nic in formal attire, standing between two other men who looked just like him. Beside them were two thrones where an older couple wearing crowns sat in regal splendor. “But he cares about me. It’s just that he’s in a complicated situation. And I couldn’t tell him over the phone that I’m pregnant.”
“Okay. I’ll give you that.” Theresa was making an effort to be positive and supportive, but clearly she didn’t believe that Brooke’s actions were wise. “But you chased him all the way to Greece. And now you haven’t told him. So what’s wrong?”
“What makes you think anything is wrong?”
“Gee, I don’t know. We’ve been best friends since third grade. I think I can tell when something’s bothering you. What’s going on?” Theresa’s voice softened. “Is he doing okay?”
As long as the two girls had known each other, Theresa never understood Brooke’s restless longing for the drama of romance. The thrill of flirting. The heart-pounding excitement of falling in love. Married to a man she’d dated since college, Theresa was completely and happily settled. Safe with a reliable husband. And although Theresa would never say it out loud, Brooke always felt as if her friend judged her because she wanted more.
