Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
The table quieted after that, the weight of everything settling into a new kind of resolve. One by one, we began gathering our plates, the unspoken agreement to move forward in motion. As tired as I was, I offered to help Layla with the dishes so the others could head upstairs and start winding down. Roxxi double-checked the doors and windows with Cloe—finally taking the whole locking-up thing seriously, go figure—before both of them disappeared for the night.
“Thanks for cleaning up,” Arianna said softly, pulling me into a hug. She smelled like fresh jasmine.
“No thanks needed. You cooked.”
She offered Layla a small smile and padded off toward her room, leaving the two of us to finish up in a silence that felt less awkward and more weighted. When we were done, I dried my hands and said quietly, “I got what you needed. It’s in my room.”
Layla’s expression shifted—relief, dread, and something else I couldn’t name flashing across her face. “I’ll wait for you,” she whispered, glancing up the staircase like it was a gauntlet.
We walked up in silence, the occasional creak of settling wood following us. From Roxxi’s room, music thumped quietly. Goku’s voice spilled from Cloe’s TV.
Ari’s room was quiet, but I could picture her curled up under her blanket, trying to escape into a book like she always did before making herself go to sleep. Inside my bedroom, I shut the door behind Layla and moved past her.
“I hid them under the mattress.” I pulled out the bag, handing it to her like I was passing off a ticking bomb. She took it carefully, like it might shatter in her hands, then turned toward the bathroom without a word. The door clicked shut, and I sank onto the edge of the bed, phone in hand. There was a message from Ashton I hadn’t opened earlier while we were diving into Hunt research over dinner.
Ash
Aren’t you?
I read it twice, brows pinched. It didn’t make sense. The obvious answer was no. I didn’t have the energy to start something with him tonight. I sent a short Goodnight in return, then messaged Ryder too.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
No replies from either.
The bathroom door creaked open. Layla stepped out looking pale, like she was holding her breath in her throat and didn’t trust herself to exhale.
“I have to wait now,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“Mind if I brush my teeth while we do that?”
“Go ahead.”
I brushed by her and moved through my routine on autopilot, brushing my teeth while trying not to stare too long at the three tests lined up on the counter beside the sink.
The taped-up window didn’t make this any easier. I moved on to my skincare next. Minutes crawled, and my heart started racing like I was the one waiting for life-changing results. Layla brushed her teeth once I was done, and then we both prepared to confront the tests. We stood there, side by side, as she checked one by one. When her breath hitched and tears welled up, I wasn’t sure if we were celebrating or having a breakdown, but then she threw herself into my arms, her whole body shaking as she sobbed, and I made out the words, “No baby.”
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, grounding her while my own eyes stung. She clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her from breaking, and I let her cry it out. I couldn’t help but think about my own problems. My issues suddenly seemed much smaller in comparison.
“Come on,” I urged gently when she calmed down. “Let’s get some sleep.”
She nodded, wiping at her cheeks, then moved to toss the tests. I watched as she buried them deep in the bathroom trash, shoving tissues on top like that might erase the whole night. Once she crawled onto the far side of my king-sized bed, I turned off the overhead light, leaving my fairy strings glowing. I grabbed the chair from my desk vanity and propped it under the bathroom door handle for extra security, even though we were on the second floor. Layla didn’t say anything, just watched me, her expression unreadable. I slid into bed beside her, and the second my head hit the pillow, I was drifting to dreamland just like I knew I would.
“Lay...do you want me to get you condoms? Or maybe birth control?” I managed to ask, half-asleep.
I felt her shake her head. “He won’t use them. Says it feels better without.”
I stared up at my ceiling, counting down from five before speaking again. “Is he still…and this is what you want?”
She was quiet for a long moment. “Yeah. It’s complicated, but I really--I love him.”
I knew this wasn’t a battle I could win, so I kept my mouth shut after that and let my lids fold over.