Page 27 of Twins with Daddy’s Bestie

Now it's my turn to be speechless. Most people would be jumping up and down with joy to learn someone is willing to invest in their dream. Then again, Olivia isn't most people.

“Do you want to think about it?” She shakes her head again, nervously holds her elbow in one hand, and clutches the collar of her shirt in the other. “Olivia, if there's something wrong, you can just tell me.”

She pauses, opening her mouth with a nervous look growing in her eyes. “Nothing is wrong. I just don't know if I want to be around you right now.”

Hearing her say those words is like a dagger in my chest. I clench my jaw, waiting for an explanation that doesn't come.

“I thought we moved past this,” I say, dumbfounded.

“It has nothing to do with what happened. I just need to be alone right now,” Olivia says, grabbing her bag and hanging it over her shoulder as she walks around the counter. “It's for the best that we don't get our lives more intertwined than they need to be.”

She lingers for a moment, biting her lip as she rests a hand on my shoulder. I want answers. I deserve them. But instead of giving any, she walks away, leaving me alone at the counter.

17

Olivia

Two words that I never thought I would say at this point in my life play on repeat in my mind: I'm pregnant.

I've had sex once, and I'm pregnant.

I'm pregnant and everything I've worked so hard for all my life is going to slip through my fingers.

I don't even have a boyfriend, and I'm pregnant.

I'm pregnant with Drake Vance's baby.

As soon as I get home, I collapse on the couch. I've only known for three days, and it's been the most stressful three days of my life. I've been nauseous but unable to eat, and a stress migraine has been brewing behind my eyes since brunch on Saturday. I don't know how long I can go on like this.

Drake is bound to find out about this eventually. And what am I supposed to tell my father?

“Still spiraling, I see?” Callie asks as she plops on the couch beside me. I didn't even hear her come in. I was far too focused on the nature documentary I was completely tuning out while I contemplated my recent life choices.

“Me? Never.” I curl into the fetal position while Callie locks her eyes on me. I know she's been waiting to talk about what's going on. I'll eventually have to come to terms with this, but I don't even know how to begin. What's happening is unthinkable. I never thought I would end up here at this point in my life.

“Did you talk to Drake today?” Callie asks, turning off the TV, and sliding on the floor to look me in the eye as I lie on my side.

I huff and roll my eyes as I think about my encounter with Drake. Of course, he doesn't know that I'm pregnant. I'm still debating whether to tell him. If he knows, it opens many avenues for everyone at work to find out. On top of that, I don't understand why he wants to bring finances into this by investing in my restaurant.

“Not about anything important,” I say to Callie, sitting up reluctantly. She slides back on the couch and watches me closely as I work up the nerve for the conversation I need to have. “What am I supposed to do about this? If I tell him, it will complicate things. But if I don't tell him, he's going to notice my pregnant belly eventually, and I think he'll be able to do the math.”

Callie scooches closer to me and grabs my hand. My nerves are overwhelming, and she is doing everything she can to calm me, which I appreciate more than I can express.

“You have options. You know that, right?” she says, her voice low and serious. “No matter what you decide, I'm here for you. But you do need to figure something out. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your time is kind of limited.”

“I know,” I say, leaning back on the couch. I've been so out of it that I haven't even thought about my options. This won’t just disappear, and I'm going to have to live with my decision. “Anytime I've seen something like this happen on TV, it's looked so much easier.”

“I know. I'm here to help.” She pulls me in for a hug. Callie is the first woman in my life who's cared about me since my mom died, and right now, her showing this maternal support is instrumental to my mental health. If I didn't have her, I would have already snapped.

“Realistically, I have a few options that I can pursue,” I begin. “I can carry it to term and give birth, but what do I do afterward? Or, I can...”

The words linger in the air between us, and I know I don't need to say them, but if it's something I'm going to seriously consider, I should be able to say it out loud.

“Termination would mean there would be very little impact on your life in terms of your career and long-term goals,” Callie finishes the thought for me. I feel a chill run through me at the idea of having an abortion. It's not something I thought I would ever consider. “Are you okay?”

She jumps up and gets me some water before sitting back down beside me. “I'm fine. This is just heavy.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes while I think about the possibilities. I know I don't have to make a decision tonight, but whatever I come up with right now is my gut reaction, which I have to give consideration to.