Page 134 of Enforcer

She grins. “It happens that way. You get so sucked into living life you skip right past it, and then before you know it, you’re screaming as a baby rips its way out of your body. I didn’t realize that I was pregnant either.”

My breathing intensifies.

Of course, I knew this was a possibility. But I didn’t think it would happen so soon.

I stopped my birth control three months ago to get onto something different, but I wanted to get my system back to normal before I did so.

“Brynne, I only had one period since I stopped birth control.”

My brain works out how long that was ago.

She smiles. “Well, it seems you’ll need to see the doctor, hm? I’ll get you in with mine this week. She’ll move things around for me, don’t worry. Do you have any tests?”

I shake my head.

“Well, come over after dinner tonight?”

I spy Dante through the glass window in front of us, hands in his pockets, head thrown back in laughter with Slate and Lorenzo.

“I think I should do it with Dante.”

She squeezes my hand, which is over Nico’s bottom. “I think that would be nice. You’re going to text me to tell me the results, though, right?”

I chuckle softly, brushing Nico’s hair as he sweats against me. “Of course I will, B.”

She exhales and sits straight, leaning her head against the wall. “Fuck, it is nice in here, isn’t it?”

I close my eyes. “Yeah, it is.”

“Lyss?” Brynne says.

“Mm?”

“Are you afraid?”

I open my eyes and look at Dante, who’s staring right back at me with a smile. “No. I’m not.”

Later that night,after the dinner for Nico’s christening, I’m in the bathroom, alone, hovering over aClear Blueand twoFirst Responsepregnancy tests I’ve peed on and lined up. I decided to do the tests alone because I wanted them to be positive.

I want to deal with my disappointment alone first if I'm not pregnant. It might be selfish, but I also know how I react to things and know I’ll need the moment.

“Alyssa?” Dante calls, a knock following his words.

I panic and swipe all the tests into my arms, hiding them against my body as he walks in.

I turn around, standing awkwardly so he doesn’t see the tests in my arms.

He arches a brow before laughing. “What the hell are you doing? Why do you look like you’ve been up to no good?”

“I—” I swallow as a test wiggles free from the bottom of the pile and hits the floor.

Dante bends to reach it for me and then stands straight as he reads the result.

Fuck. It’s theClear Blue.

Brynne told me to get those because they give an estimation of gestation, not only the positive or negative.

“Alyssa,” he breathes, eyes pinned to the test, and I rush to his side, forgetting all about my moment and how I wanted it to happen.