Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“The show is on the twentieth, so we have some work to do. It’ll be a busy week.”
My eyes snapped open when I heard the date.
It was already the twentieth?
That meant I was thirteen days late.
Thirteen.
Shit.
My heart slammed in my chest, and sweat formed at my temples. Anxiety kicked in as the fear crushed my lungs. When my period was late at first, I just brushed it off. But two weeks was way too long.
That could only mean one thing.
The hormone shot was ninety-nine percent effective.
So how did this happen?
I’d only been living with Conway for three weeks. He managed to get me pregnant that fast, even on birth control? We were making love several times a day, but that wasn’t unusual for us.
Fuck.
We sat across from each other at dinner, eating salmon steaks with broccoli and carrots. I was back to my model diet, only eating high protein with no carbs. Dante uncorked a bottle of wine, but I didn’t have a glass—blaming it on the calories and sugar.
I had to get a pregnancy test. That was the only way to confirm the truth.
But how would I get one?
Conway didn’t like it when I went anywhere alone, and now that I was with him all the time, there was no way for me to sneak off.
I only had one option.
Conway watched me from across the table. “Everything alright, Muse?”
“Yeah…just tired.” I pushed the carrots around then took a bite of the broccoli. I had been hungry all afternoon, but the second I suspected I was pregnant, I completely lost my appetite.
What if I was pregnant? What would Conway think?
Would he be angry? He said marriage and kids were on the table, but he wasn’t ready to make that kind of commitment. If I were pregnant, it would completely change the relationship. He might not even want me in the show anymore.
So I had to find my answer. And if it was what I feared, I had to come clean about it.
Conway took a bite of his fish, still watching me. “You seem distracted.”
“I’m just thinking about those heels I’ll have to wear. It’s been a while since I hit the runway like that. When I did photos with Andrew, I was almost always barefoot.”
Conway drank his wine, his veined forearms looking muscular in his t-shirt. “You’ll be fine, Muse. You’re the best model I’ve ever seen—you’re a natural.”
I forced a smile, still feeling the acid that built up in my stomach. “Thanks…”
We finished dinner, and before Conway downed the rest of his wine, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “It’s Carter. I’ve got to take this.” He stepped out of the room and pressed his phone to his ear. “What’s up?”
The second he was gone, my smile turned into a frown and I slouched at the table. My anxiety rocked my chest at full force. I only had a few minutes before he returned, and then I would have to pretend everything was normal.
When nothing was normal.
I needed a pregnancy test, so I’d have to come clean about it if I wanted to get one. But I didn’t want to bother Conway with this unless I absolutely had to. If the test was positive, I would have to decide what to do then.
But if it was negative, there was no point in turning his world upside down.
Dante walked inside, his black apron still secured around his waist. “Are you two finished?”
“Yes…” My chin was propped on my knuckles, and I was hardly aware that he was there.
“Everything alright, Sapphire?” Dante had never inquired about my personal well-being before, but ever since I’d returned to the villa, he treated me with the same respect and care as Conway.
“Uh…” I wasn’t going to dump my problems on the chef, but then an idea came to mind. “There’s something I need you to do for me…and you can’t tell Conway.”
He stiffened at the comment, clearly uncomfortable by the suggestion. “You know I’m loyal to Mr. Barsetti. I don’t get paid to keep secrets from him.”
“It’s not really a secret. I just need something, and I can’t ask him to get it for me.”
Dante stacked the dishes in his hands. “What is it?”
“A pregnancy test…”
He took a deep breath, his expression narrowing. “I see…”
“If I’m not pregnant, I don’t want to worry him. But if I am…” I never finished the sentence because I wasn’t sure what I was going to say anyway. The stress was making my chest crack right down the middle. Everything ached. The only reason I didn’t want to be pregnant was because I didn’t want Conway to be disappointed. I wanted him to want our baby…not be upset about it.
“I understand, Sapphire. I’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll get it after I do the dishes and collect your laundry. I’ll leave it in the cabinet where the coffee mugs are in the kitchen. You can grab it when you’re ready.” He stacked the rest of the plates in his arms and walked out.