Finn is quiet, watching me with intent.
I breathe in deeply before slowly exhaling. “I figured shooting the guy would stop the man on top of Faith, but it only seemed to anger him more. She was lying there, crying and screaming, so … I shot him in the back. He fell limply on Faith’s body, causing her to scream louder. She shoved him off her and slid across the floor before gaining the ability to walk. She scrambled away from him and into my arms. She yelled at me to call 911, but all I could do was stare at the guy squirming on the floor. Tears were in his eyes. I knew I should help him, but I was so angry. Faith ran into the living room to grab her phone as I watched the men I had just shot, lying there and bleeding, without helping them. My counselor said I was frozen in trauma, but after all these years, I’m still not sure why I didn’t try to help them.
I scrub a hand over my wet face. “The guy who was on top of Faith wound up dying. The other had surgery and lived.” My chest tightens as if it were strangling the words out of me. “I killed someone, Finn, and what happened that night haunts me. I have nightmares, replaying them barging into our home. I’m scared of being home alone at night. I live in constant fear of it happening again.”
It made the news, and my parents moved us to Anchor Ridge, a few towns over, so we weren’t the talk of the neighborhood. There were mixed emotions on what’d happened—some people praised us for sticking up for ourselves while others were angry a thirteen-year-old knew how to shoot a man. They called my father irresponsible for having loaded weapons in the house. Little did they know, he’d taken us to gun safety classes, almost as if he knew there was a risk it’d happen with his job.
I’m in tears by the time I’m finished. “I don’t want to be this way … to be broken.” I press my hand to my chest. “I’m about to be a mother. It’ll be my job to protect my baby, so I need to stop being scared.”
“Last night,” Finn says in a low tone, “what happened?”
“I woke up, and you being gone must’ve triggered something in me.”
He slowly scoots closer, waiting for me to tell him it’s okay to do so. I sluggishly nod, and he pulls me onto his lap. Like last night, he holds me close and allows me to release my hurt against his chest. When I drag myself away, a gentle smile is on his face.
He plays with a strand of my hair, twirling it around his thick finger. “You’re always safe with me, baby.” He dips his chin slightly. “My father needed a ride home, and I didn’t want to wake you. It won’t happen again.” He drops a kiss onto my lips, then my nose, and then my forehead. “Thank you for telling me this. It means everything to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Grace
“It’s about goddamn time,” Silas says when Finn and I walk into Lincoln’s penthouse, holding hands.
“Another couple,” Lincoln adds with a smirk. “Four down.” He casts a glance at Silas. “One to go.”
Silas flips him off.
The reactions aren’t surprising. Not all of our friends knew about Finn’s and my change in relationship, although I’m sure they already assumed with us living together. But we haven’t been around as much, given the current drama, my pregnancy, and him no longer working at Twisted Fox.
The girls knew after finding out what happened with Gavin’s wife. They were adamant about coming over for a girls’ night. They asked questions. Questions I couldn’t lie about.
It’s been a long week. There’s been an ease in my nerves since Gavin took a leave from work—most likely waiting for talk of his wife’s actions to die down. Even though I set everyone straight, I’ve steered clear of the teachers’ lounge.
According to Georgia, after I left on the day Gavin’s wife confronted me, Gavin charged out of his office in search of his wife after finding out that she hadn’t left. He led her out of the building, threatening to call the police with every step if she didn’t listen.
I haven’t decided what I’ll do if he comes back. Finn said he’d support me if I quit, but I love teaching too much. I pray that Gavin stays gone until my maternity leave, and then I’ll decide from there.
“I’m really happy for you,” Georgia says, perking up next to me.
“Remember how we’d bet who’d get pregnant first?” Lola asks.
Georgia laughs, pointing at her. “And we all said it’d be you.”
“Pfft,” Cassidy says. “You thought Lola, the commitment-phobe, would be the first?”
“We damn sure didn’t think it’d be Grace,” Georgia argues. “And I wasn’t about to jinx myself in high school.”
I laugh. “Me neither. That’s why we voted on Lola.”
Lola delivers a red-lipped smile. “Come to think of it, I don’t know why we didn’t put our money on Grace. She’s always loved kids.”
“Now, who’s the next to get pregnant?” Jamie bounces a cooing Isabella, her baby, on her knee. “Two down—me and Grace.”
“Uh …” Cassidy hesitates before slowly holding up her hand. “That’d be me.” She inhales a quick breath before continuing. “Well … not next since I already am.”
All our attention swings to her.
“I’m sorry,” she rushes out, staring at me. “I’ve kept quiet because I didn’t want to outshine your moment. I wanted to try to find the right time to tell you … and I guess this is the right time.”
I squeal, “Really?”
She nods. “Like you, I was totally shocked.”
I frown but then immediately correct myself, hating that she thought announcing her pregnancy would ruin any moment of mine. I get it, though. She’s told me plenty of stories about the competitiveness in the sorority she was in before getting expelled from college.
“I guess that makes three down,” Georgia says, scooting down the couch to hug Cassidy.
“Congrats, girl.” Lola blows her a kiss. “We’re going to have a shit ton of baby shopping to do.”
Snapping my fingers, I gesture for Georgia to help me. She jumps up from the couch, grabs my elbow, and pulls me to my feet.
Taking the few steps to Cassidy, I hug her tight. “I’m so happy for you, babe.”
It’s nice to have someone going on this journey with me.
She hugs me back. “Thank you. I swear, after taking the test, I understood your panic. I was freaking the hell out.”
When I pull away, I take the seat next to her. “What did Lincoln say?”
“Another reason I was nervous. Our relationship is kind of new, but he’s ecstatic.” A relaxed grin spreads across her face. “I also wanted to talk to you about the living situation. The townhome is a two-bedroom, and you’ll need a nursery. The penthouse is a two-bedroom, and we’ll need a nursery. If you’re okay with it, the townhouse is all yours. Jamie agrees too.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Finn
“If Georgia keeps dragging me to baby showers, I’m going to make her ass have my baby real soon,” Archer grunts, leaning back in his chair.