Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Ellie POV
“Ellie?” Lance called as he knocked on my bedroom door. “Are you still alive in there? Have you grown roots? Should I call the gardener p>
I was sitting on my bed, where I’d been all morning, unable to control the tears spilling down my face.
There wasn’t any particular reason for the crying-no event that had triggered it. I just couldn’t stop. It kept happening lately. I knew it was the pregnancy hormones, but that didn’t make it any easier.
What made it worse was that I was trying to keep my pregnancy a secret. If anyone saw me behaving like this outside my bedroom, they’d probably think I’d lost my mind-or worse, have me committed. So I stayed in my room as much as I could.
As much as I knew Lance meant well, the fact that he kept trying to drag me out of my room was driving me crazy. He had no idea what was really going on, of course. He was just trying to be a good friend. But God, I really needed him to leave me alone right now.
“Very funny,” I called out, trying my best to keep my voice steady. “I’m not in the mood p>
“You sound stuffy,” Lance replied. “What’s going on? Come on, open the door and talk to me p>
“Quit being so damn nosy,” I snapped. But Lance just brushed off my tone.
“I’ll stop being nosy when you stop being mysterious p>
“You’re infuriating, you know that?” I muttered. Even I could tell how tired I sounded. “You’re kind of starting to freak me out,” Lance said. “Come on-open the door. You haven’t eaten all day. You’re going to make yourself sick p>
“What are you, my babysitter?” I grumbled, but I opened the door anyway.
“No, but you seem like you could use one.” His tone stayed light, but I saw the shift in his eyes as he took in my appearance. “Why are you hiding like a moody vampire? Afraid the sun will burn you up p>
“I just don’t want to deal with your brother today,” I replied dismissively.
“See, normally I’d accept that as a reasonable response. But this is the third time this week you’ve done this. Don’t bullshit me-something’s going on p>
“Do we have to talk about this in the hallway?” I asked, turning back into the room. Lance followed me in and
shut the door.
“You’re being all serious and freaking me out,” he muttered.
I watched his eyes move around the bedroom. It was dark, the curtains drawn, and the lights off. There was a box of tissues and an empty water bottle on the nightstand, but nothing else. He frowned and looked at me expectantly.
“I don’t have the energy to mess around right now,” I sighed. “I’m exhausted p>
“You’re exhausted all the time lately. And you’ve obviously been crying again. Are you sick? Ellie, you’ve got to give me a straight answer. I’m genuinely getting worried.” His voice was gentle.
“I appreciate that you’re concerned about me.” I sank down on the bed, feeling heavier by the second. “You’re a
Chapter 76
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really great friend, Lance, you really are. But this isn’t something I can talk about with you p>
“Do you want me to call Rae? You really seem like you need to talk to someone p>
Even just the mention of Rae made my tears well up again. I sniffled pathetically, trying to hold them back. Lance moved toward me instinctively, reaching out to comfort me before hesitating.
“Ellie, what the hell is happening?” The concern in his voice was raw.
“I can’t-” I shook my head.
“It can’t be that bad. Let me help you.” He finally took my hands in his own.
I looked at him through blurry vision, but I could still see how earnest he was. And
maybe it was the hormones, maybe it was just the exhaustion, but the words came tumbling out.
“I’m pregnant p>
“You’re pregnant?” he said in disbelief. “With Nolan’s baby p>
“Twins,” I said, my voice breaking on the word.
Lance let out a surprised huff and sank down to his knees in front of the bed. “No wonder you’re so miserable p>
I laughed breathlessly. “You have no idea. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t tell him. If he finds out, he’s never going to let me leave, Lance. I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life p>
“Hey, no-it’s going to be okay.” He slipped up onto the bed next to me and wrapped his arms around me. I let my head fall against his shoulder as the tears ran down my face. “I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen p>
“I can’t let you get involved in this p>
“You already told me. That means I’m involved. So let me help. We’re friends, right? And nobody knows better than me the situation you’re stuck in with my bastard brother. I’m not going to let you be a prisoner here for life p>
“You can’t tell anyone about this. I can’t trust anyone. I p>
“I’m not going to say a word,” Lance assured me, rubbing my arm comfortingly. “But you don’t need to carry this all alone, either. I’m going to help you any way I can- even if it just means giving you a hug and reminding you you’re not crazy for being scared. I can only imagine how terrifying this is for you p>
“It’s scary enough being pregnant, but having to hide it from everyone has been impossible. I didn’t think it would be this hard, but between the morning sickness and the mood swings and everything else—I must look like a crazy person. And besides that, I know Nolan already suspects. The way he looks at me sometimes, and the way he’s been snooping around my room p>
“He’s been snooping around your room? God, he’s such a creep,” Lance said, frustrated.
“I mean, I honestly can’t even blame him. With the way everything’s been going and the way I’ve been acting, I’m sure it seems suspicious,” I replied softly.
“Still doesn’t give him the right to snoop,” Lance muttered. “Look, whatever you need, I got you, Ellie. I care about you, and that’s got nothing to do with Nolan. So if you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to bring you food if you’ve got cravings, or whatever you need-just tell me p>
I leaned into him, the warmth of his body grounding me.
“Thank you p>
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“You’re welcome. And look, that includes getting you out of here if you need to leave. Like I said, I’m not going to let you be anyone’s prisoner for life. If you need an escape… well, I’ve got a boat and a very fast car p>
That made me smile, and Lance returned it with a victorious grin of his own.
“There we go,” he said softly. “Now you don’t look quite so miserable p>
“Why are you willing to go to so much trouble for me?” I asked.
“I just am,” he replied, tightening his grip on my shoulders a little.
I wanted to press him on that, but I chose not to break the moment. Right now, the
comfort of having him hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay was all that mattered.
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