“Thanks, Dad.”
The conversation drifted to lighter subjects, like my new place and my new town and everything else about the new life I was about to start. There was one little detail though that I was ignoring, one that I knew we were drawing closer to by the second.
The pizza arrived, two massive pies, one supreme and one extra cheese with extra pepperoni—my favorite.
I lifted one huge slice of pepperoni off the tray, steam rising from it, goopy, melty cheese dripping off the side. I didn’t even wait long enough for it to cool before diving in, slicing off the end and popping it into my mouth.
“These are huge,” Mom said, lifting up her slice at the end and giving it a once over. “You really think we needed two, Georgie?”
“Oh yeah,” I said, taking a bite of my slice, already halfway through. “Trust me, you’re going to want some tomorrow.”
I was voracious. I finished my first slice, using the massive, fluffy crust to soak up the orange pools of delicious grease. Once that was done, I wasted no time going back in for another slice, this time of the supreme.
“God, this is so freaking good.” I took one big bite, bringing what had to be a third of the slice into my mouth. The explosion of flavors, meat, cheese, veggies, the sauce, the crust, was heaven.
That slice didn’t last too much longer, and when it was totally gone, I went in for another. With the third slice, I started by ripping off the crust, dunking the end into a little pool of honey.
It wassogood—dessert and dinner all in one. I finished that off, then started on the fourth slice.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into me,” I said, not taking my eyes off the pie. “Guess graduation works up a hell of an appetite, huh?”
Bit by bit, I took down the fourth slice. I was starting to get full, but I figured a half of another couldn’t hurt.
When I reached for the slice, however, I noticed something.
Mom and Dad and Haley were staring at me with stunned expressions on their faces.
“Uh, kiddo?” Dad asked. “You training for one of those iron man things or something?”
I looked around, noticing that the rest of my group was about halfway through theirfirstslices.
“What’s the expression?” Mom asked. “A hollow leg?”
I glanced back down at the pizza slice I’d just finished destroying. I couldn’t believe how much I’d eaten, and how quickly.
I’d imagined how I was going to break the news to everyone. I’d practiced a little speech, pictured how I was going to slip it into the conversation. I hadn't, however, imagined that it would happen with four slices of pizza grease all over my mouth.
I slowly swallowed, then wiped my hands.
“Uh, everyone, kinda-sorta got some news for you all.”
I took a deep breath.
“I’m… pregnant.”
Chapter 10
Alex
I’d never been one to carry around a gun.
Then again, I’d never been one to turn my people over to the police.
I picked up the Glock, giving it a once over before checking the clip and flicking on the safety. Getting a carry permit in New York was no small thing—I’d had to call in some serious favors to not only get the application put through, but fast-tracked. Didn’t hurt matters that I’d made some new connections with the NYPD after blowing the whistle on Nico and the rest of the scumbags at Agrios.
Standing in front of the window of my apartment, I looked down onto the city. Nighttime was quickly coming alive, and I tucked the gun into the holster under my coat as I turned toward the door. I had more or less holed myself up in my home over the last five weeks since I’d turned in Nico and his goons. Things had been quieter than I would’ve expected after betraying Nico.
Part of me had begun to wonder if he’d found out it’d been me. I hadn’t heard a peep from him since that night, not even to ask me to come back and do the horrible work of fixing that kid up so he could torture him a little more. Maybe he’d respected my wishes and given me some space.