Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 123922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
I took the pamphlets she held out to me—which had a sticker with my name, address and patient number on it—and thanked her.
“My pleasure. Congratulations.”
I smiled for the umpteenth time and thanked her.
Ten minutes later I found myself back in my car. Keela and I didn’t speak when we got inside. We were silent for a few minutes until I said what I was thinking.
“I’m keepin’ her.”
Keela smiled. “Her?”
I shrugged. “I dunno, feels right sayin’ her.”
Keela reached over and gave my hand a squeeze. “Our family just got bigger.”
My eyes welled up. “I’m really havin’ a baby! I’m goin’ to be a mammy!”
“Oh, my God!”
I burst into laughter and began crying at the same time. I reached over and hugged Keela as tightly as I could. This was huge for me. Huge. I was having a baby. A real baby.
Holy fuck.
The entire journey home we talked about the baby, my being pregnant and how everyone would react. It was only when we walked into Branna’s house that we shut our mouths.
“Where have you two been?” Alec asked us as we walked into the kitchen.
Keela and I shared a look then looked around the room and found Alec, Ryder, Nico, Branna, and Bronagh staring at us. It was very late, past eleven pm, and it was weird that they were all sitting around the table together.
What was going on here?
“The garage to get sweets and petrol for me car,” I replied.
Alec cocked an eyebrow. “For three and a half hours?”
Were we gone that long?
“We went on a drive after it... Havin’ some best friend time... you know?”
Alec didn’t believe me when I spoke. I could tell by the frown that he gave me.
“What’s goin’ on here?” Keela asked as she sat down next to Alec.
I chose to remain standing.
“We’re bein’ questioned,” Bronagh said, rolling her eyes.
“Questioned?” I asked. “About what?”
Bronagh sighed, “Dominic wants to know—”
“I want to know which fucking one of you is pregnant!”
Oh... Crap.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, pretending I didn’t hear Nico’s question.
He glared at me, his eyes burning holes into me. “I said, which one of you is pregnant? No bullshit, each of you better answer the question.”
Bronagh held up her hands. “You know it’s not me. You made me drink two litres of water then piss on ten bloody tests.”
I snorted, but then quickly covered my face when Nico snapped his head in my direction and gave me a warning look.
When he was sure I wasn’t going to make another sound¸ he refocused and said, “Bronagh’s right—she’s not pregnant. Alannah isn’t here because she swore it wasn’t her so Branna, Keela, and Aideen that leaves you three.”
Branna sighed. “It’s not me either. Ryder knows this.”
Nico looked at Ryder who nodded his head in confirmation.
“Okay, the sisters are off the list, which leaves you two.”
Keela and myself.
Fuck.
“This is stupid,” I mumbled.
“Why is it stupid?” Bronagh asked.
I shrugged. “I feel like whoever says they’re pregnant is goin’ to be interrogated or somethin’.”
Bronagh frowned. “That won’t happen.”
I nodded at Nico. “Tell that to Drill Bit Taylor then.”
Bronagh looked at Nico. “You do need to back off; you’re comin’ on a little too strong.”
“Me?” Nico snapped. “I’m trying to find out who is pregnant. I wanna know if I’m going to be an uncle or not. So come on Keela, is it you?”
Oh, damn.
“Bronagh’s right, you know,” Branna intervened. “It’s not up to you to find out who is pregnant. She’ll tell us when she is ready. Your pressure won’t help matters.”
“Ah-ha!” Alec suddenly shouted. “At least we know it’s a she.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his stupid but brilliant sense of humour.
“Please Bran, you’re just saying that because you know it’s not your sister. If Bee didn’t take a test yet, you’d demand she find out just so you’d know,” Ryder quipped ignoring Alec’s joke completely.
Branna turned her head and locked her gaze onto her fiancé. “Not if she wasn’t comfortable with doin’ it of her own accord.”
“Yeah, right,” Ryder snorted.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Branna snapped.
“Why are you shouting at him?” Nico demanded of Branna. “He’s right.”
“Are you serious?” Bronagh screeched. “He is wrong!”
The four of them engaged in a battle of words then and it hurt my head. Each person tried to shout louder than the person they were talking to and it grated on my already shot nerves.
“Please, just stop.”
Everyone ignored me apart from Alec and Keela who shot me a sympathetic look. I shook my head and looked back to the four screeching cats who were all but tearing at one another’s throats. It made me feel sick that they were fighting over me without knowing it.
I wanted to make it right.
“It’s me,” I sighed.
Keela looked at me with wide eyes, but she was the only one. I knew what she was thinking from her alarmed look too. She was mentally telling me to shut up because Kane needed to know first, but drastic times called for drastic measures.
“It’s me,” I said a little louder, attracting Alec’s attention, but none of his brothers.
Bloody hell.
“It’s me!” I screamed. “I’m the one who is pregnant. Me!”
The silence that flooded the room was even louder than the shouting that filled it only seconds ago. All eyes were trained on me and a few mouths were agape.
Great.
“You’re pregnant?” Bronagh asked, her eyes wide.
I nodded my head, but said nothing. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole at that moment.
“Really?” she asked as she slumped back into the kitchen chair she was sat on.
Again, I nodded my head.
“For who?” Branna asked, her face a picture of shock.
I lifted my hand to my neck and rubbed it. “Well, you see, that part... it’s a little complicated.”
Alec raised an eyebrow at me. “Why? Do you not know who he is?”
I felt my jaw drop open.
“Yes, I know who he is!” I angrily snapped. “I’m not a slut who opens her legs for every Tom, Dick, or Harry she meets, Alec!”
Keela shot daggers at Alec, who winced and gnawed on his lower lip. “My bad, Ado. I didn’t mean it like that.”