“Summer, honey, are you in there?”

“Yeah.” I wrapped a towel around myself and then opened the door. “What is it?”

“God, this is embarrassing.” She chewed her lower lip. “Do you have any tampons?”

I reached into the cupboard under the sink, ripped the new box open and handed her a few. “No offense, Mom, but aren’t you a little old?”

She rolled her eyes. “I should be, but Mother Nature sure has a funny sense of humor.” She patted me on the shoulder. “Thanks for rescuing me, honey.”

“Anytime.”

Mom left the bathroom, and I continued drying my hair. I spotted the box of tampons and tossed them into the cupboard. Then it hit me. I’d missed my period. I had it just before school let out. I’d been here for a month already. A whole month of uninterrupted sex with Hunter. I gripped the counter and sat on the lid of the toilet. We’d used protection a couple times, but not every time. I wasn’t on the pill. I stopped taking it when I caught Mitch cheating. Sex was the last thing on my mind. Until Hunter.

I covered my face in my hands. What was I going to say? How could I tell him? I couldn’t do it today, his entire family was coming. I didn’t even know if I was pregnant for sure. I hurried into my room and pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a loose-fitting sweatshirt. It was stupid. If I was pregnant, there was no way in hell anyone could tell already, but it didn’t matter. The paranoia had already set in.

I was halfway down the stairs when I ran into Hunter.

“Hey, beautiful.” He tucked a strand of my damp hair behind my ear. He noticed the keys in my hand. “Where are you going? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I couldn’t let him come with me.

“I’m running to the pharmacy. I’ll be gone ten minutes.” I scanned the area for any onlookers and then kissed him.

“Want me to come with you?”

“No, that’s okay.” I started down the stairs, but Hunter followed me.

“Are you okay, Summer?”

“Yeah. I will be. I just have a bit of a sick stomach today.”

“I told you I could un-invite Mitch.”

I took Hunter’s hand. I could almost picture his hands wrapped around my big swollen belly. In my mind, he’d kiss my stomach and talk to the baby. He’d tell it all kinds of awful things you’re not supposed to tell babies, but it’d be sweet anyway, because it was him. My heart felt as if it were going to tear in half.

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’m just going to get some antacid and Tylenol.”

I scurried away before he broke me. I could never keep anything from Hunter for long. I worried that if I stood there for one more minute, I’d fling myself into his arms and tell him everything.

I drove to a pharmacy on the other side of town. It was near one of the hotels Hunter and I frequented. I grabbed two pregnancy tests and then marched them up to the counter. I didn’t bother to buy ten other things I didn’t need in hopes that the cashier wouldn’t notice the pregnancy tests. I was in college. I could do this one thing without help, without faltering. If I couldn’t, I was doomed.

Back home, I crept in and ran to my room. I entered the adjoining en-suite, locked the door and pulled the boxes out of my purse. I read the directions five times. Not because I didn’t know how to use one. They were pretty straight forward. Remove cap, pee on stick. Wait. I was afraid. I was afraid of being pregnant and having to tell everyone that my stepbrother was the father. I was afraid Hunter wouldn’t want to help me raise the baby, that he’d hate me and think I’d tried to trap him. Most of all, I was afraid that I wasn’t pregnant. Once the possibility entered my mind, I knew I wanted it.

I took the test. I waited the two minutes. A breath shuddered out of me as I prepared to turn around and look at the little stick on the counter.

“Summer, are you in there?” It was Hunter this time. No doubt he was looking for a bit of fun before the festivities started.

“Yeah. I’m almost done, though.”

“I have something for you. Open the door.”

I bit my lip. “Um. I’ll just be a second, okay?”

I opened my purse and dropped the test inside, sight unseen. I couldn’t look at the results, then look Hunter in the eye and pretend everything was fine. I shoved the other unused test under the sink before I unlocked the door.

Hunter walked in, crushed his lips against mine and smiled. “I got you something.”

“What is it?”

Hunter led me out to my room where a brand new party dress waited for me. It was a silver V-neck that looked as if it’d fall just above the knee. The spaghetti straps shimmered like diamonds. “Hunter, it’s gorgeous.”

Hunter slid his hand up my back and growled into my ear. “Try it on.”

I was about to when he bumped my purse and my mission came flooding back to me. “You’ll have to wait for the party, just like everyone else.”

“No sneak preview?”

I gripped the handle of my purse. “No. Now get out of here so I can change.” I shoved him toward the door. “You need to get dressed too.”

“Yes, boss,” he teased.

Finally, I was alone. I sat on the bed and tore my purse open.

My life was about to become a million times more complicated.

I was pregnant.

Chapter Eleven

I wished I’d bought some antacids while I was at the pharmacy. I didn’t need to take the second test. I slid my dress on, did my hair in a loose bun at the nape of my neck and went downstairs. Some of the guests had already arrived so I shook hands, smiled and made pleasant small talk.

Hunter had a huge family, but in amongst the strangers there was a face I didn’t want to see. Mitch’s. He found me just as I found the refreshment table. I helped myself to a sparkling water and pretended I didn’t see him. I hoped that if I ignored him, he’d take the hint and leave me alone. Of course I could never be that lucky.

I scanned the room, searching for Hunter as Mitch came up behind me. “Summer, you look wonderful.”

“Thanks,” I clipped as I caught sight of Hunter across the room. Before I took a step, I found myself face-to-face with Mitch.

“Summer, please.” He grabbed for my hand, but I pulled it away.

“I don’t want to talk to you, Mitch. We’re done. It’s over.”

He leaned in. His face was pinched in pain. “Summer, please. Can’t we just talk somewhere? I’m sure we can work it out.”

I’d had enough of his begging. “No, Mitch.”

“Tell me why. Why can’t you talk to me?”

“Because there’s nothing to say.”

He reached for my hand again. This time he captured it in his. “Then just listen. That’s all you have to do.”

“Don’t you understand the word no when you hear it?” I asked as I pulled my hand away.

“Summer, I love you. I need you. We have to work it out.”

These were all words I’d heard before. That was all they were. Words. They’d never be true. They’d never be real, but for some reason he thought he believed them. Maybe he did sometimes, but I didn’t. Not anymore. I spotted Hunter across the room and smiled.

“Mitch, there’s nothing to talk about.”

“Just five minutes, please.”

The words tumbled out before I could stop them. Maybe I thought it would stop his relentless pursuit of me. Maybe I wanted to hurt him as he’d hurt me. Maybe I just wanted to tell someone and the first two reasons justified my actions.

“Mitch, I’m pregnant.”

His eyes widened and his arms went limp at his sides. “Summer, are you sure?”

“Yes.” I held up my hand as he took a step toward me. “It’s not yours, Mitch.”

His face fell, and for a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. “I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true.”

Mitch took a step back. “Who’s the father then?”

“That’s not your business. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave me alone.”