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“Jesus, Amaya, are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?” Tanya asks once we’re seated on a park bench.
I shake my head slowly. “No, I’m good. I think.”
“You don’t look good,” she says. “I’m serious, what’s going on with you? You’ve been acting wonky for the past few days.”
“Wonky?” I chuckle.
“Yeah, like your mind is elsewhere.”
I shake my head again. “Like you said, I’m probably dehydrated. Or it was the shock of what we both just heard in there.”
“Right? What was that stuck-up princess from Hollywood Hell talking about anyway? Is she trying to buy the Golden Sequoia Estate?”
“God, I hope not.”
“Can you even imagine what it would be like? Having her as a boss…”
“Oh, now I think I’m gonna puke.”
“Deep breaths, honey, take it easy,” Tanya says. I can’t help but let a strained laugh escape as I breathe in and out.
“I’m sorry. Put it out of your mind. It’s probably nothing,” Tanya replies, gently squeezing my shoulder. “Kace, Finn, Elias, they would never sell this place. They love it too much. They’ve built new lives here. It’s got to be some dumb move on Ramada’s part and nothing else.”
What Tanya’s saying makes sense. That has to be it. There’s no way my guys would sell the place, right? That would be a nightmare—my entire life going down in flames, a dream obliterated before it even takes off.
But Tanya’s “what if” premise has already stuck its claws deep into my subconscious. I can’t seem to get my thoughts straight anymore.
I thought I knew these men well enough. Did I stupidly idealize them, somehow? They’re businessmen. They flip properties and corporations like they’re pancakes on a high intensity fire. And the estate is turning one hell of a profit, they’ve said so themselves.
If they were to sell it, they’d make millions of dollars on top of everything they’ve already invested into the place. It sounds cold, but that is the world we live in. Nothing lasts forever, and ultimately it’s their money, their business, their decision.
“Amaya,” Tanya says while I let the sun bathe me in its warmth. It’s the only comfort I can find in the moment. “I know I mentioned this half-jokingly before, but do you think you might actually be pregnant? I mean, the dizziness, the nausea, the appetite…”
“That is literally the last thing I need right now,” I groan with swelling frustration.
I’m staring at a plus sign on the stick a couple of hours later, I feel like things could not get any worse. All I can do is sit on the edge of the bed while Tanya pours me a glass of water. Thankfully, Mikey is in daycare until six this evening. I’ve canceled a couple of my afternoon classes, I may end up canceling the rest, as well.
There’s only so much I can handle in a single day, and I fear I’ve already reached my limit.
My phone pings again with another text message. This one from Elias. They’ve been trying to reach me since I left the breakfast room, but I haven’t replied to any of them. I know I should, as I promised them I would never go dark again, but I just can’t handle it right now.
“What are you going to do?” Tanya asks, carefully analyzing my expression.
“I have no idea.”
“Is it Derrick’s?” she asks gently.
“Oh God, no,” I say quickly, shaking my head and shivering at the mere thought.
“Well that’s good, at least. Do you know what you’re going to do?”
“I can’t tell anyone,” I say to Tanya. “Please, it has to stay between us.”
“I would never disclose this and betray your confidence, Amaya. It’s your baby, your body, your decision. You are fully in charge of who you tell and what you do about it,” she replies. “Just know that I’m here for you, no matter what.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you need right now?”
