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“I get it,” Tinsley said. “I really do. You work so hard to make things work and keep things secret, and then there’s just a monkey wrench that makes it all the harder to maintain.”

Alex shook her head. “Not... exactly.”

“Don’t worry about Ryan,” Tinsley went on, but in her rush to reassure Alex, I could tell that the redheaded woman was missing something. We all were. “We’re used to the media circus, and we’ve been talking about coming out about our relationship, anyway.”

That was news to all of us. Jake looked at her. “Really?”

Tinsley smiled in that serene way that only pregnant women could really manage. “We’ve been discussing it,” she said, and Ryan nodded in agreement. “It’s going to be hard for the kids to understand that they need to keep things a secret.” Her hands cupped her growing bump. It hadn’t been that long since we saw them, but she’d already rounded out more. It was becoming on her. She practically radiated happiness.

“That could end your career,” Jake pointed out.

“That’s why we’re discussing it first,” Ryan said. “I just didn’t want you to think that if we decided to tell the world, it would be your fault.”

“The media has always been nosy,” Tinsley said. “There’s a good chance that it would get around anyway. We’re just considering all of our options.”

They made it all seem so practical to just... be open.But they’re similar in age, I thought. There wouldn’t be questions of motive or accusations of being a sugar baby if Ryan’s family dynamics came to light.

“We’re here to support you,” Ryan said, putting his hand on his dad’s shoulder. “And to remind you that naked endeavors are better left behind closed doors.”

“Ryan,” Tinsley scolded. “Not the time.”

He smirked. It was identical to the one I had seen on Jake’s face more times than I could count. “Yes, dear,” he said. “What’s the next move? I’ll make any statement that you want, or Tinsley could draft something for social media.”

They started planning for what would come next, and my eyes slid to Alex. She was hovering with a far-off look on her face. “Alex,” I said, stepping over to her. “What’s going on, sweetheart?” I put my arm around her, and she flinched at my touch. “Everything’s going to be okay, you know?”

She shook her head. “It’s not,” she said. “Everything is ruined.”

Ruined was a strong word. “It’s just a bump in the road. Tinsley can PR our way out of it, okay? We’ll figure it out—”

“I’m pregnant.”

The room went silent. All eyes turned to Alex. “What?” Zach asked. “What did you just say?”

Alex took a shuddery breath. “I’m pregnant.” I wracked my brain for something to say. There had to be something that I could say to reassure her, to comfort her, but I physically couldn’t push the words from my throat. Neither could Zach or Jake, it seemed. Alex became more and more rigid beneath my arm. Finally, she pushed away from me. “I need to go,” she said. “I just need to...” She crossed the room and was gone before any of us could move.

A baby. Alex was going to have ababy.

The office door slammed behind her, and it made us all jump. “What are you doing?” Tinsley snapped us out of our stupor. “Go after her! Sheneedsyou!”

“She might need space,” Zach said gently.

“Fuck space,” Tinsley barked at him. “That girl just told you that she’s going to have a baby in the middle of an already stressful situation. Her nudes are online. She needs reassurance. she needs you.” She gave us each an unkind look. “Unless you can’t handle it, then just stay away. Don’t go after her unless you’re really certain of what you want.”

If wedidn’tgo after her, we would lose her. Of that, I was absolutely certain. Zach put a hand on my shoulder, and we looked at Jake, who nodded. “Let’s go.”

24

ALEX

“We’re so sorry,” Thomas said, practically smothering me against his chest. “I am so sorry.”

I stood still in his arms. Over his shoulder, I could see Zach and Jake hovering on my sidewalk. “Do you want to come in?” I asked, feeling numb. Thomas let go of me, and I moved back so that they could come inside. “Can I get you something to drink?”

The question was weird and formal, and I knew it, but I didn’t know how to act. There was a lot going on, obviously, in our lives already. I should have never just dropped the pregnancy bomb on them. They weren’t ready to hear it... hell, I wasn’t ready to know about it.

“Alex,” Zach said, “sweetheart, can we all sit down?”

I nodded, and we sat around my small dining room table. “Is this the part where you break up with me?” I asked when the silence stretched on for too long.


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