Page 152 of Blush Crush

“You’ve been avoiding me,” I say. “Don’t tell me you haven’t because we both know you have been.”

“I broke my phone,” she says quietly, eyes averting my gaze, and all but confirming she’s just using that as an excuse. Assuming her phone is broken at all.

“Ariana.” My jaw clenches. “What the fuck is going on? If you’re going to break up with me, just do it already. Is it Wes? You want him still?”

Her head snaps up, her expression more hurt than anything. “What?!”

“Is something going on with you and Wes? Just tell me. I can handle it.” The words come out steadier than I feel. “If you’ve changed your mind about us, about me, just say so. Don’t go quiet and make me piece it together from states away like an idiot.”

Her eyes thin to slits, arms crossing over one another. “Are you serious right now?”

“Dead serious.”

“There is nothing going on with Wes. There has never been anything going on. I don’t want him. I want—” She stops, pressing her fingers to her mouth. Her pupils are blown soround I can hardly make out the blue around them. “This isn’t what you think it’s about.”

“Then what is it about? Because you’ve been avoiding me and you look like you haven’t slept and I’m standing here trying to figure out what I did wrong?—”

The door swings open at the worst possible moment.

Wes leans in casually, eyes already on Ariana. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, we’re having that same speaker issue again, I was hoping you could?—”

“Fuck off,” I grit.

Wes looks taken aback. “I’m sorry?”

“Fuck. Off. We’re in the middle of something and I’m this close to kicking your ass.”

He looks between me and Ariana, hands raised. “I don’t know what’s happening right now but I didn’t do anything?—”

“You’ve been sniffing around my girlfriend and you know damn well she’s taken so I’d appreciate it if you’d stop finding excuses to?—”

“Cole! Leave him alone.”

“No.” I shake my head, rolling up my sleeves. “I’m done being nice about it.”

“Cole!” she shouts again, but this time there’s a catch in her voice that stops me in my tracks. When I turn to face her, her eyes are brimming with tears, chest heaving like she’s on the verge of a panic attack. “I’m pregnant.”

Ariana’s hands fly to her mouth the second the words are out, her eyes wide with fear.

Wes clears his throat awkwardly. “I’m going to—” He points vaguely toward the door. “The speakers can probably sort themselves out.”

The door clicks shut behind him.

And then it’s just us.

I can’t speak. I’m not sure I’m breathing.

“Say something,” she whispers, her voice breaking on a silent sob.

She’s bracing herself like she’s preparing for the worst. Like she thinks I’m going to be angry. Like I’m going to leave.

“How long have you known?” I ask, my voice small. Unrecognizable.

“Since yesterday.” A tear slides down her cheek and she swipes it away fast, lifting her chin like she’s trying to hold herself together but she’s barely hanging on. “I took a test at Elyse’s. I wanted to tell you in person. I didn’t want to do it over the phone. And then you walked in here and I wasn’t ready.” She exhales shakily. “I’m sorry. This is not how I wanted to tell you.”

I drag a hand down my face trying to wrap my head around it all. Ariana is pregnant. With a baby. With our baby.

Holy fuck.