Page 111 of Sinful Betrayal

Inevermiss a period.

This cannot be happening. I know the pill is only ninety-nine percent safe, but surely…

Well, this is just fantastic.

My father may have gotten what he wanted after all.

25

NINA

There’s onlyone way to know for sure whether what I fear is true, but I can’t exactly walk into a drugstore to buy a pregnancy test when Yakov won’t leave my side. I can’t risk this getting back to Anton.

At least, not until I know for sure what the situation is.

Me:I need a favor… A big one.

Emma:Hit me

Me:I think I might be pregnant…

The three dots appear,telling me Emma’s typing, but then they disappear.

I stare at my phone shaking in my hands as I wait for her to reply.

Part of me wonders whether I would have been better off just coming clean to Anton about my concern first, but a baby complicates things, a lot.

Especially when my father has such horrific plans surrounding any potential Koslov offspring I might bear.

Thankfully, Emma replies before I can sink too far into the what-ifs.Say no more, I’ve got you!

I getto school over an hour before my class actually starts, but Emma is already there, bouncing up and down on her feet as she clutches her bag to her chest like it’s evidence in a murder trial.

I think of the pregnancy test, and my heart starts to pound.

Her eyes immediately flick to Yakov, and she grimaces.

“You’re being obvious,” I mouth as we approach, and she nods, quickly moving her bag to her shoulder.

“Come to the bathroom with me?” Her voice gets a little high-pitched.

I don’t have a chance to reply.

Emma just links her arm through mine and all but drags me toward the bathroom. “We might be a while, Yakov, got girl talk to discuss away from prying ears.”

Yakov grunts and moves to stand outside the door to wait for us.

Emma doesn’t let me go until we’re safely on the other side of the bathroom by the hand dryers.

“Want to tell me what the hell is going on?” she half whispers, half hisses as she sets her bag down on the counter and pulls out a CVS bag.

“Think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on,” I mumble as I take the bag. “Did you buy the whole stock of tests?”

There are numerous boxes inside.

“I thought it’s better to have a few backups, just in case.” Emma brushes her curls out of her face. “Now, what do you need here? Moral support? Lecture on safe sex?”

My lower lip starts to tremble as I set the bag back down and take a breath.