Chapter 25
“H ow’s married life been treating you?”
Sitting in my parents' kitchen with a cup of tea, while Mum bustles about making breakfast before Dad and Logan come down, is more than I ever dared hope for when I got married. I had imagined maybe phone calls or the occasional holiday visit, with my family staying in a nearby hotel. But being here, under the same roof as my childhood home, feels incredibly bittersweet.
The fact that Logan suggested we stay with my parents makes me fall for him even more.
"It's been good, honestly. Logan has been nothing short of a perfect gentleman, and the girls there aren't half bad. It's different, for sure, but I'm growing to like it," I tell Mum, who turns to looks at me with a smile.
"I'm glad, Abbie girl. All your father and I have ever wanted was for you to be happy and safe, and it sounds like Logan has that under control. But the second that changes, you call me, okay? I don't care what kind of politics are involved—if you're anything short of happy, I will get you out of there and back home myself." My mum has never been one to blindly follow anyone, not even her husband.
"I promise, Mum. Having the wedding so close to mine really helped, and taking Cole with me has been a lifesaver when Logan's tied up with business," I say, appreciating how much smoother the transition has been because of these factors.
Humming in approval, Mum serves up a full English breakfast just as our men join us with sleep-rumbled greetings and help themselves to coffee. Breakfast passes with stilted conversation, filled out with Mum and my efforts at small talk.
Afterward, we head over to Cora and Owen's house to help with last-minute wedding prep. Before I can even get out of the car, Lily pulls open my door with a frantic look, grabbing my hand and dragging me behind her.
"Wow, what's the rush? Is something wrong with the dress? The flowers?" I ask as she hustles me through the house to the kitchen, where she slams the door shut and leans against it heavily, her eyes wild.
"It's not about the wedding; everything's perfect with that…it's," she cuts herself off with a sob. Panic floods me, and I quickly cross the room to wrap her in a hug, soothing her as best I can.
"What's wrong, babe? Do I need to get Logan to kick Matt's ass, or is it something else?" Her gasp tells me I've hit close to home before she manages to compose herself.
"How... never mind... I think I'm pregnant." Her confession hits me like a ton of bricks, not least because if my suspicions are correct and the potential baby is Matt’s, the repercussions could be devastating. They're only step-siblings, but Matt has been marked to marry Don Salvatore's niece when she comes of age.
I’m going to stab that selfish fucker with my six-inch Louboutin’s right through his eye.
"Have you taken a test, or are you just late?" I ask, knowing all too well the stakes involved. Lily's wild college days and her desire to escape were always more than just youthful rebellion—they were acts of desperation. I can’t say I blame her. It’s bound to be like a knife to her heart knowing the man she wants can never be hers.
"I'm like two weeks late...and I've never been so much as a day late. I can't be seen getting a test. They'll crucify me, Abbie." Hazel eyes full of terror and pain meet mine as she starts pacing the kitchen. "I haven’t even told Cora because, as much as I love and trust her, she’s the heir to this damn thing. I can't risk her placing that above keeping this secret, plus I don't want to stress her out days before her wedding. If I make a doctor's appointment, Mum will know, and I sure as fuck can't tell her. I don’t know what to do."
"Hey, look at me," I say, stopping her mid-pace with my hands on her shoulders. "Breathe in for five, good. Hold it. Now out for five." I guide her through a few calming breaths. "Here’s what we’re going to do: I’m going to get Logan to buy a bunch of tests. He won’t breathe a word of it, I promise you. And then I’m going to hold your hand every step of the way while we figure out what we’re dealing with, okay?"
At her hesitant nod, I shoot Logan a text.
Sitting on the floor of Cora’s downstairs bathroom with Lily, we wait out the longest five minutes imaginable. Both of us are steadily ignoring our phones, which are blowing up with texts from the bride-to-be. Lily picks at her nails, and I try to coax her into opening up.
I'm a girl's girl through and through. As much as keeping secrets from Cora feels wrong on so many levels, I'll respect Lily's wishes not to involve her. Yet, part of me wants to shake some sense into her.
"There's nothing really to say." She shrugs, looking up at me with eyes full of vulnerability that make me want to simultaneously castrate Matt and wrap Lily in a comforting hug. How has he let things get this messy?
"Well yeah, but how did this happen? Last time I was here, he was pretending you didn't exist, and you were running as far as you could."
"It's complicated and so fucking messy. I don’t know how we get out of this cycle of fucking and then acting like strangers," she confesses, looking on the verge of tears again.
"You know in under three years he’ll be married, right?" I don't want to hurt her by bringing up the inevitable, but someone has to.
"I know." Her broken whisper and the tears clinging to her lashes break my heart. I reach over to give her knee a squeeze, letting the silence hang between us as we wait for the timer to signal the end of our suspense. When it finally goes off, she doesn’t move, so with a deep breath, I reach between us to flip over the pregnancy tests.
The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop as we take in the six little glowing 'not pregnant' results. Relief floods through me, but it's short-lived as Lily falls into my arms with a sob. I wrap her in a tight hug, holding her as close as I can. Maybe, just maybe, if I hold her tight enough, the heartbreak that is Matt O'Malley will stop haunting her.
Or maybe I'm going to need to talk some sense into that fucker before he does something that can't be undone.