Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“This”Jade nods to the test in her hand“might speed up the process.”
The buzzer sounds and Piper looks at Ramsey and Jade. “I’ll go,” Ramsey says. Taking a deep breath, she turns her test over. “Negative.” She gives a sad smile and looks at Jade.
“My hands are shaking,” she says as she turns her test. “Negative.”
“Oh, shit,” Palmer mutters.
I look at Alyssa, and she looks at me. “Mine is negative,” she assures us. She flips it over, and sure enough, it’s negative.
“Mine is too. Must be a faulty test.” I flip mine over, and my heart stops. I stare down at the word positive. It’s mocking me. “No. This can’t be right,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “I need another test.” I look up to find all eyes on me, but mine is locked on Piper. “I need water and another test,” I tell her.
“I have two more.” She holds up the boxes.
“I’ll grab some water.” Palmer races out of the room.
“Breathe, Kennedy,” Alyssa says, reaching out to hold my hand. “Declan is crazy about you. He’s going to be happy about this.”
“No. It’s— It can’t be his. We—” My voice cracks as I struggle to breathe. I faintly hear Palmer coming back into the room. Suddenly there are five sets of arms surrounding me. Holding me together. I take a few minutes to calm myself down so I can tell them. “Declan and I— Our first time was Saturday night. No way this could be positive from him.” I should feel bad about spilling the beans about our intimacy to them, but right now, I can’t seem to find it in me to care.
“Have you been cheating on him?” Ramsey’s voice is hard.
“No. No. No. I would never.” My voice cracks, and the tears coat my cheeks as I tell them about the night that Lyle brought the divorce decree. “We didn’t use protection. I couldn’t get pregnant. And we thought we were okay.” I look up to find all of them watching me closely. “Declan’s going to hate me. I love him so much, and he’s going to hate me. He asked me to stay. He’s going to take it back.” My tears come harder.
I don’t know how much time passes when I finally gather my composure. “I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I never meant to hurt him. I-I didn’t know, but I can’t be mad that I’m going to have a baby. I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and I never thought it would happen for me.”
“You have every right to be happy.” This is from Ramsey, the anger in her voice replaced with care. “This is your baby to love. Just do me a favor, tell him. Tell Declan. Be honest with him. Let the card falls where they may. Don’t run back to Florida with him never knowing the reason you won’t stay.”
“What makes you think I would have stayed?”
“How upset you were,” Piper adds. “You were devastated that he asked you to stay and will take it back.”
“He loves you,” Alyssa tells me. “I’ve spent the most time with the two of you, and it’s clear as a bright blue sky. I agree with Ramsey. Tell him. Give him a chance to choose.”
“I can’t leave Florida and take my child away from his or her father.”
“One day at a time, Kennedy,” Palmer says. “Tell Declan, and call your ex. See how it plays out.”
“I can’t bear to see him look at me with hatred.”
“He won’t,” all five of them reply at once.
“My uncle Raymond has all of these little snippets of wisdom that he likes to dole out.” Ramsey smiles. “The one he says the most is to work hard and love harder. It’s easy to see that you love him. You might have to love him a little harder at first, but it will all work out like it’s supposed to.”
“I didn’t expect to come to Willow River and find all of you, but I am forever grateful for your friendship.”
“Group hug!” Piper calls out. They tackle me, and it’s through them and their encouraging words that I know what I have to do. I have to tell Lyle and then sit down with Declan and have that talk he’s been wanting to have. Only I have a plot twist he wasn’t expecting.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
Declan
I didn’t talk to Kennedy last night before bed like I’m used to. I sent her a text this morning that also went unanswered. I texted Palmer, and she said that she talked to her after she got home last night, and she’s spoken to her today. That means she’s avoiding me. I know that she’s been avoiding me, but this conversation is one we can’t ignore. I won’t let her leave me without a fight. I know asking her to stay is a big ask, but it’s not just me that she’d be staying for. She has her friends, my family, her grandma, as well as Blakely and me.