“Dahlia’s pregnant.”
And what the fuck had I just heard?
“Story?”
“Sorry, I thought you said my twin was pregnant.”
“I did say that.”
“And it’s yours?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Story.” Johnny’s voice was stiff. “That’s beneath you, don’t you think?”
No, I don’t think actually, but…whatever. “Sorry,” I said finally, “and congratulations.” This…completely changed things, and I could practically see all of my plans for righteous vengeance crumbling into ashes.
Dahlia on any ordinary day was already a dangerous enemy to make, but Dahlia made crazier by pregnancy hormones?
The devil only knew what kind of trouble she’d cook up if I went on as planned and rubbed my good fortune in her face. The less she knew about my own situation, the better, and so I took care to make only all the right noises as Johnny, after being assured that I was going to be a very nice and welcoming aunt to his future kid, happily proceeded to share with me the latest of their #roadtopreggers journey.
“I’m not kidding, Story. We’re really using that hashtag in every post. It’s kinda cute, don’t you think?”
“Totally.” Not.
Over half an hour had passed by the time I was able to get off the phone, Johnny having been called away by Dahlia, whose voice had been extra loud in the background as she invited him to join her in the shower. She probably thought I’d be hurt and jealous as hell…and it was also probably better to let her think that. Dahlia resting on her laurels was always less trouble than Dahlia seeking to redress imaginary slights.
The thought of Dahlia and Johnny having a baby still lingered in my mind, and I found myself tucking my knees up under my chin as I tried to sort out my feelings about it.
Did I feel hurt? No.
Did I feel jealous? No.
I felt nothing at all, and that, I realized, was what bothered me the most. Johnny used to be the only guy I had allowed myself to sort-of fantasize enjoying a happy-ever-after with, and that had gone on for years. But the moment the sheikh entered the picture, it was as if Johnny had never existed. And surely that meant…
The sound of the door unlocking had me quickly looking over my shoulder, and my stomach did a nervous little flip when I saw Raj stride in, a taut look of worry etched over his devastatingly handsome face.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded right away. “What’s the emergency?”
I opened my mouth…
Tell him, Story.
Tell him!
But in the end, I heard myself say, “Dahlia’s pregnant.”
He shot me an odd look, as if waiting for the punchline to drop, but when I could only smile at him weakly, he finally responded with a shrug, saying lazily, “Do you think I can get the law firm to switch you two up? I obviously ended up with the less efficient twin—-”
“Asshole.” I grabbed one of the throw pillows and aimed for his face, but he was too fast for me – as always – and I ended up straddling his lap and my wrists captured behind my back. I was about to start swearing and thrashing so he’d be forced to let me go when his unsmiling gaze suddenly captured mine—-
Oh.
“It isn’t like you,” he said quietly, “to send a text like that for no reason.”
God.
The way he talked, you’d think he had known me forever.
It was almost laughable, and I might even have laughed out loud if only…I didn’t feel the same way about him.
“What was the emergency—-mph,” the sheikh grunted in surprise when I suddenly fell forward, and a moment later his arms went around my body, and I was able to curl my own around his neck.
I waited for him to ask me again, but he didn’t. All he did was tighten his arms around me and kiss the top of my head, and it was exactly what I needed.
Because…
Like I said, this guy knew me.
He knew me in ways that couldn’t be quantified by time.
Knew me in ways that defied reason.
He knew me because…
“I love you,” I whispered.
Verification of Pregnancy Test
This is to officially confirm that the pregnancy test taken by Ms. Story Teller in our clinic has registered a negative result. Please feel free to contact us for any inquiries or concerns.
Chapter Fifteen
I wish I could say the sheikh had returned the words and told me ‘I love you, too’ after that.
But nope.
Like things could ever be that simple with this piece of sheikh, and honestly? I wasn’t sure if I’d have fallen for him if things were that easy. A snarky traumatized bitch like me would have been the worst thing to happen to any of the Average Joes of this world, and thinking about it now, that was probably why I had never let myself succumb to the temptation of hooking up with Johnny.