“Not this time, Jess,” I said. It was my best effort at a dodge, but she just smiled wide.
Dammit. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get out of it that easily.
“That tells me you have something to hide, and I’m right. You have to tell me.” She poked me with her straw before she pulled it out of the paper and plunked it into her milkshake.
Just looking at that thing made me green. I scooted away from it and tried looking out the window, focusing on a fixed point. I really didn’t want to vomit at Cherry’s. I was pretty sure she’d charge extra for that.
“Are you sure you just want a cup of tea,” she asked as she looked at me. “This turtle milkshake is really damn good. Cherry outdid herself on this one.” She waved it in front of me, teasing me on purpose.
She had to know something was up.
Cherry’s Diner was the best place in town for anything from sandwiches to chicken and biscuits to milkshakes. It was one of the only places that I’d meet Jess. The smell anywhere else turned my stomach up in knots right now. I couldn’t even walk by Maggie’s this morning. Hash browns and sausage made me throw up in the trashcan outside of it. That wasn’t fair to her customers.
“No. I’m good,” I said as I sipped the mint tea. It was the only thing keeping the nausea at bay. It was okay most of the time, but for whatever reason if it was before two in the afternoon, anything remotely food like made me sick.
She eyed me suspiciously. “You’re pregnant aren’t you?” It was more of an accusation than it was a question.
“How the hell did you know?” I asked. It was impossible. I hadn’t told anyone. Not a soul knew the truth. But she picked it up right out of thin air.
“I can tell by the color of you. You look like you are about to be sick. And you‘ve been that way every time I’ve seen you the past three days.”
I sighed. That was my big secret, and it was so obvious even she knew.
“Plus, in case you didn’t know, I’m a super sleuth.” She winked at me. “Have you told him?”
“Who?” I asked. I was playing dumb, and it wasn’t working. She just raised her eyebrow and looked at me. Dammit.
“Him. Wyatt. Does he know yet?” she asked.
“No, and it’s going to stay that way, do you understand? I’m not ready to tell anyone yet. Not him, not my mother. I haven’t even gone in for the first appointment. You aren’t going to tell anyone.”
“I won’t. My lips are sealed unlike yours. You were always bad at keeping secrets.”
I glared at her. But a part of me knew she was right. How in the world was I going to keep it from Wyatt? I was already struggling.
And when he told me that he pictured kids in the yard, I just knew it I was going to have a problem. Wyatt Graves was still not the kind of man I wanted to trust.
It had been years, but I still saw that betrayal, that kiss that haunted me. I was giving him a second chance, and hell, I forgot about it every time we were together, but when we were apart I couldn’t help but see it all over again.
No, I wouldn’t tell him about this. Not now. Not yet.
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. But I get to be an honorary aunt. You hear me?” she asked.
“That sounds more than fair,” I grinned. Besides, I was going to need all the help in the world to raise this baby.
“When is your first appointment?” she asked.
“I went in and got a confirmation, but I have a first-trimester appointment scheduled for two weeks. Will you go with me?” I asked. I was hesitant, but I kept telling myself that it wasn’t real. It wasn’t actually happening. I made a promise to myself that the moment I saw that little baby inside of me I would admit it was real.
Then I would tell Wyatt. Two weeks. I could wait two weeks. It wasn’t that long.
“Here comes the devil,” Jess said as she pointed to the door.
He was too. A devil in a tight pair of jeans with a killer smile. And I was his victim.
If I had known it was going to be this fun, I would’ve signed up for hell a whole lot sooner.
“Hey handsome, she’s over here!” Jess said as she waved to him.
“Jess!” I hissed. I’d just told her I was pregnant, and she was calling the father of my child right over like it was no big deal.
I had no idea how I was going to hide this. I was already starting to feel guilty.
“Well, who’d you think told him to come find us?” She grinned. “I’m still paying you back for all those years.”
I glared at her. Talk about betrayal.
“I can’t stay too much longer,” I said as I looked over at the clock on the wall. Since I’d moved into the apartment, I hadn’t had much time to get out to the house.