Page 87 of Irreplaceable
CHAPTERTWENTY
Iwas the first to arrive at the restaurant for lunch with the girls, and I glanced at my phone and frowned. The past few days, my social media profiles had blown up. I’d seen a ton of new followers, likes, and positive comments congratulating me on my relationship with Enzo. As well as some negative comments—remarks about me or my appearance. People questioning why we were together. Or, worst of all, threatening me.
I was trying not to let it get to me, but it had undermined my sense of safety, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it. For now, I’d made my accounts private, and I tried to downplay the effect it had on me.
I was so absorbed in my task that I didn’t hear Lauren enter until she’d placed her hand on my shoulder. I startled.
She frowned. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah. I’m good.” I slipped my phone into my purse and tried to push the negative thoughts from my mind.
Juliana and Alexis joined us, and I was grateful we were in a relatively private space in the restaurant.
“Why do you look stressed?” Juliana asked, taking the seat next to me. We opened our menus.
I didn’t want to concern my friends, so I said, “There’s just a lot going on. If I thought my life was crazy before, it’s nothing compared to dating Enzo.” I closed my menu.
“So you guys are dating now, huh?” Juliana grinned. “I thought that was just a rumor in the tabloids.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” I waved her comment away, though I knew she was teasing. I’d talked to her after the weekend at my parents’, and she knew everything that had happened since.
“So, when are we going to meet Enzo?” Lauren asked.
Despite her attempt to play it cool, I could see right through her. But if anything, I was amused. She didn’t typically get starry-eyed over celebrities, and she was always so unflappable. It made me want to introduce her to Enzo just to see how she’d react.
“I already have,” Alexis said then froze, glass of water in midair. Her eyes widened as if she’d realized she’d said something she shouldn’t have.
“You what?” Lauren asked at the same time I said, “When?”
“He asked me to help him hunt for a house.”
Interesting. He hadn’t mentioned that, though he had asked for her contact info. But that had been weeks ago. The waiter came to take our order, and then conversation resumed.
“Damn.” Lauren shook her head. “I’m so jealous.”
“Harrison will be too,” Juliana said, though I didn’t get the feeling she was joking. It was amusing to me—the way my friends fawned over my boyfriend.
Boyfriend? Baby daddy?Who the hell knew.
People had nicknamed me his “Americano,” a popular Italian coffee. I didn’t mind that so much, but the negative comments were difficult to ignore. They felt like personal attacks, especially the ones that criticized my body.
I was confident in my own skin, but I imagined even the strongest person would struggle with such hurtful and personal comments. I was both too skinny and too fat. Some people assumed I suffered from disordered eating. Others asked when I was going to get a boob job since mine were so small.
I was already dreading what they’d have to say about the pregnancy. But more than that, it was frustrating to keep such a big secret under wraps. I was finally going to be a mom, but I had to be careful who I told because we needed to time our announcement. Announcement?
“Can we talk about the gender reveal?” Juliana asked, and I was grateful for the distraction, even if I knew she wouldn’t like my answer.
“I don’t know,” I hedged. “I’m just so busy lately.” And I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of the whole idea.
“So busy fucking like rabbits,” Lauren interrupted.
“No.” Though I couldn’t help but smile at the reminder of last night.
“Yes! Yes, you are.” She pointed at me. “You’ve got that good-sex glow.”
“It’s called a pregnancy glow,” I said, but my cheeks heated. “But yeah, the sex is freaking fantastic.”
“You should have a gender reveal,” Alexis said. “I mean, if you want to. I just—” She sighed. “I know how excited you are about being a mom, and you should celebrate this pregnancy.”