Page 264 of Ricardo

I pause until I can continue.

“He gave me water,” I whisper.

Victoria’s eyes soften.

I press the cup between my palms. “This morning, I woke up and was sick again. Maybe that’s just shock. It probably is shock. I'm being ridiculous.”

“Julia.”

“I don’t even know why I’m thinking about this right now.”

“Yes, you do.”

My eyes lift to hers.

Victoria’s face is calm, but there is no dismissal in it. No easy reassurance. No quick little smile confirming that I'm being ridiculous.

That makes my fear worse.

And somehow eases it a bit.

She leans forward slightly. “With me, it was fatigue and nausea. I kept blaming everything else too. Stress. Not sleeping. A new relationship with someone pretty intimidating.”

A laugh catches in my throat and breaks before it can come out.

Victoria’s mouth softens into a small smile.

“I knew before I took the test,” she says. “I tried to deny it, but it was just confirming what I already knew.”

My hand moves, settling over my stomach.

I realize what I have done and pull it back at once.

Victoria sees.

She says nothing for a moment.

Then, quietly, “When was your last period?”

My face goes hot.

I look toward the window.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s all right.”

“No, it isn’t. I’m usually…” I stop, trying to think through the fog of the last few weeks. Ricardo. The gala. Dante’s anger. The move from one crisis to the next. “I’m usually careful about knowing.”

“Stress can make everything irregular.”

“Yes.” I grab onto that. “Exactly.”

“It can.”

But she does not reassure me by telling me that’s all it is.

My chest tightens.