Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“Morning, Zoe,” Evan says quietly and walks right to Zara’s side of the bed. He gets down on his knees and kisses her softly and then rubs her stomach.
“You’re home,” Zara says to him and then I feel the bed move. I get up and go to the bathroom and then when I come back out, they are both in the bed.
“This is really getting out of hand,” I tell him, and he just laughs and hugs her closer. “I’m going to make coffee,” I say and ignore the ping in my heart. Knowing that Viktor is at his place with a swollen hand, I wonder if he’s found someone. I wonder if he has someone now who is there for him. Maybe he has met someone who is also like him, and they have more in common than we did.
I start my coffee, and the day is a blur after Zara and Evan wake up and leave. I have my own routine now, or at least, I say I do.
If I’m not at work, I try to hit up the gym and meet with Vivienne a couple of times but for the most part. I just stay home and try to binge a new series on Netflix.
Vivienne: Are you becoming a nun?
Vivienne: Why are you leaving me all alone with married people and all the sex they are having while I’m here thirsty?
Vivienne: Come back to us. It’s not the same.
I answer all of her texts with my standard I’m exhausted and so busy at work. We all just communicate via text until it’s time for me to attend another hockey game.
I don’t want to go, and I tell everyone who is going to listen to me that I don’t want to go, but Justin is finally in town to play against New York, so it’s not an option. “Sorry, honey, you have no choice. Your father is already starting to suspect something, and it’s just a matter of time until Matthew breaks.”
“There is nothing to suspect, Mom,” I tell her. “I’m busy.”
“He hasn’t seen you since the baby shower a month ago. You can’t push it off.” Okay, fine, it’s been a month, but I have been busy. I’ve closed on over thirty-three houses. If I continue at this rate, I’ll be the best-selling real estate agent in our firm.
“Fine,” I huff. “I’ll come tonight, but, Mom …”
“I know, honey,” she says softly. “And the minute you want to escape, you can, but just let him see you.”
I roll my eyes, not wanting to go, not wanting to sit there and know he’s in the building so close to me and not be able to talk to him. I’m even getting annoyed with myself. I look for him when I go out, hoping to randomly bump into him. I watch every single freaking game just to get a glimpse of him and see that he’s doing okay.
After the game in LA, he was injured for two days, and I found out from Zara that it was for his hand. I’m lucky that most of the home games have been during the week, so I have that excuse, but I can’t do it tonight. Standing in front of the mirror, I look at myself. I’m wearing my blue jeans with holes in the knees and a white T-shirt tucked into the front and going long in the back. A brown leather jacket completes the outfit with matching booties. Zara sends me a text that she’s outside, so I grab my purse and walk downstairs, turning off the lights and locking the door. The snow falls just a touch now, and when I get in the car, I look over at her, and she smiles just a touch tight.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her, and the car starts to go.
“I’ve been having cramps,” she says, and my eyes open. “But it’s nothing strong.”
“Since when?” I ask her, now starting to panic. “We should just go to the hospital.”
“No, no,” she says. “See, it’s gone.”
“What does it feel like?” I ask her, grabbing my phone to check Google.
“It’s like the first couple of days when you get your period. Kind of like a little bit of cramps,” she says, and I google that.
“I still have another week and a half to go,” she says, and I look at her. “You can’t tell anyone.”
“Are you crazy?” I tell her. We get to the arena, and she grabs my arms.
“Promise,” she says, and I glare at her.
“I swear, Zara, the minute that I think it’s not okay, I’m telling at least Allison. She should know what to do, and if she doesn’t, Karrie will. She has like a litter of children.” I try to make a joke, and usually, Zara laughs at that one. This time, she just smiles.