“Lexi…” Ruby rushes over to me and locations her hand on mine. I’m so longing for the contact that I don’t even care concerning the flour spreading over me. “What’s fallacious?”

“Who stated something’s fallacious?” I whisper.

She tsks. “You’ll be able to’t idiot me. I’ve obtained particular being pregnant mind-reading powers, keep in mind?”

I snigger, remembering the primary time she stated that with that basic Ruby look on her face. She’s at all times so optimistic, even when issues get darkish, so upbeat, making an attempt to make everyone round her happier. “Even in the event you’re not pregnant anymore?”

“Yep, they’re lingering!”

“I assume I simply wanted to see you, child.”

She takes my arm and leads me into the home. Smooth music greets me from the kitchen. Ruby speaks quietly. “Lexy is sleeping.”

I smile on the emphasis she locations on the y. We’ve all been doing that. I’m Lexi, and she or he’s Lex-eeeeeeeee. Mother thinks that can be her first phrases as a result of all of us say it to her a lot.

Within the kitchen, there’s a laptop computer open on the counter, displaying a recipe.

“Simpler to learn than a journal article?” I ask.

Ruby rolls her eyes. “I want. It’s extra sophisticated, someway.”

“So why do it?”

Now she appears at me like I’m loopy. “You actually are in a temper, aren’t you? Has Mother been getting in your nerves?”

I ought to’ve recognized that Ruby might learn my temper even by means of my tone, nothing else. She’s obtained that type of capacity and at all times has. Over time, I’ve needed to be cautious to not set free an excessive amount of when the dialog veers to darkish locations, like Ralph and the humiliation.

Ruby walks across the kitchen island and locations her hand on my arm. “What’s happening, Lexi? And don’t say, Nothing, child.”

“Colt stated he needs a household with me.”

I blurt it out, watching as Ruby’s face registers the information. It appears to occur in sluggish movement, her eyebrows creasing, eyes narrowed as she tries to work out who and what I’m speaking about. Then she smiles. That’s her first response—a giant grin spreading throughout her face.

“I knew you needed him. So that you’ve been having a fling, have you ever?”

“You’re not mad?”

“Mad? What? Why?”

“I don’t know… for not telling you.”

She squeezes my arm. “I simply need you to be completely happy. I perceive you’re totally different from me. You want your personal firm, your personal headspace. I imply… I did, too.”

She’s referring to the picture the congressman’s son took, the sick issues he tried to make use of to bully and blackmail her. “Generally, we’ve to struggle our personal battles,” I murmur.

“So what occurred? When did it begin? And he needs a household? What did you say?”

We transfer into the lounge, and I inform her all the things, minus the Ralph stuff. I nonetheless can’t deliver myself to try this. Perhaps when he’s in jail and might’t trigger any extra issues, I’ll be capable to then, earlier than he can brag about it as some warped, messed-up revenge.

“I believed he would hate me for mendacity a couple of stalker. It’s so tousled that I did that, however now we’re shut, Ruby. Method nearer than we’ve any proper to be.”

“Yep, yep,” Ruby says, nodding with an nearly dopey smile.

“Why do I really feel you’re eager about some fairly loopy issues?”

“It simply is sensible, Lexi. Scarlet, me, you… All of us discovered the lads for us. None of us needed to doubt it. I’m telling you. We’re all sources, each certainly one of us, contributing to a speculation that’s onerous to disregard.”

“Okay, lay your tutorial tackle me,” I say.

“Destiny is pushing us collectively,” Ruby beams.

I shrug. “I’m undecided I’d go that far, and truthfully, the best way we left issues doesn’t really feel like destiny. It doesn’t really feel like that was purported to occur. He seemed so positive one second, after which it was like he needed me to go.”

“Would you like a household with him?” Ruby asks.

Earlier than I can reply—it’s like my namesake saves me—Lexy begins crying over the child monitor. Ruby provides me a figuring out look. “Don’t say it,” I inform her, and she or he mimes, sealing her lips shut. We each know she was about to begin extra of that destiny discuss.

“Come on,” Ruby says. “She’ll wish to see her aunt.”

We head upstairs collectively. Ruby picks Lexy up from her crib after which brings her over. I’m at all times so shocked by how tiny she is, her small arms, her tiny coronary heart beating in her little physique. It melts some a part of me—a component meant to be onerous.

“You don’t must reply the query,” Ruby says, her arms clasped to her chest. “You’ve by no means held her like this earlier than.”

“Like what?” I whisper, my voice hoarse.

Lexy moans softly. She’s not crying anymore as I hug her nearer to my chest. The love pours from me, and I can’t assist however think about the love I’d really feel if she have been my little one. One thing deep inside aches.

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