AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“With your vomit breath, you’re just going to have to take my word for it.”
I elbowed him in the ribs. “Rude.”
“Ready to run again yet?” He started off a slow, backward jog.
I shook my head, but I did pick up the pace. Because that competitive part of me was damn hard to switch off, even when it did end with me gagging.
The house was still quiet when we got home, everyone asleep. Kian went to the downstairs bathroom for a shower, and I collected my clothes from my closet. I slipped into the upstairs bathroom and showered, running soap all over my body.
Including the tiny swell of my belly.
My heartrate picked up and hadn’t slowed by the time I turned the water off. I dried off, then wrapped myself in the thick, warm towel, tucking it in beneath my arms.
I stared at myself in the mirror. “Just fucking do it, Rebel. Quit being a chicken. Rip the damn Band-Aid off and do the test.”
I knelt on the tiled floor and rummaged through the under-sink cupboard, searching for the pregnancy test I’d stashed there after the first morning puke I’d had while running with Kian.
It was definitely possible that I was just pushing myself to the limit with all the exercising. That was what Kian kept telling me. It was completely normal when you were training. It was a sign of how hard I was working.
He’d almost sounded proud of me.
Which would have been really sweet if I had actually been trying as hard as I could.
I was getting better, no doubt. And I did like to win.
But I was also inherently unathletic. My gut instinct was that I wasn’t actually running so hard I should be puking at the end.
“So pee on the fucking test already,” I muttered.
My stomach twisted in a knot again, but I managed to keep the nausea at bay long enough to do what needed to be done.
I dropped the test on the counter and backed away from it like it was a ticking time bomb.
“It’ll be negative,” I whispered to myself, wringing my hands. “I’m the cool aunty. I’d be a terrible mom. That’s definitely not in my future. There’ll only be one line, and then I’ll tell the guys about this, and we’ll all laugh because won’t that be fucking hilarious?”
I didn’t know why it seemed anything but funny.
It actually seemed really fucking sad.
I looked at the test.
Then threw it in the bin.
38
REBEL
“These baby stores have changed so much since I was last inside one.” Riva poked at a swinging baby chair, sending it rocking back and forth.
“Aren’t they hideous?” Bliss asked. “The prices are absolutely insane. Completely taking advantage of women who are probably about to go on maternity leave and need every cent.” She pulled out a tiny blue onesie with a puppy dog on it. “I totally need this thirty-dollar, handkerchief-sized piece of clothing though.” She held it over her bump and gave it that lovestruck look she always got whenever she talked about the baby or one of her guys.
I smiled at my best friend who was so hopelessly in love. Once upon a time I might have given her a hard time for being such a sap, but I got it now.
I kinda wanted to make that face at Fang every time he held the door open for me, or at Vaughn when he made sure I’d eaten, or at Kian when he went running and left me sleeping soundly in my bed.
I pulled out a matching pink one and eyed it. “Do you think this will fit Hayley Jade?”
Bliss eyed it critically. “Seems about right. But babies grow so fast. Maybe go one bigger…”
