Page 44 of Cruel Salvation

Chapter14

Lotus smiled nervouslyand took a deep breath. Her heart was racing with anticipation as she thought of the news she had to share with her closest friends. She could barely believe it herself, but she was going to be a mum. With her newfound courage, she decided that tonight would be the night that she told them all.

Duchess opened the door with a smile and ushered her inside.

“Throw your coat in the boot room, and then come on through. Aoife and Peyton are here already.”

Lotus hung her jacket up in the immaculate boot room and followed the sound of laughter.

“Lotus, you’re here.”

She let herself be pulled into a hug with Aoife and felt her protruding belly pressing against her own slightly rounded one. “Yep, I’m here.”

“I have wine, beer, cider, cola, or some fancy mango cordial Gideon brought because apparently, we’re too posh for orange squash.”

“Cordial sounds good.”

“Uh, why cordial when you can have wine? I don’t get it.” Aoife rubbed her belly and made a face. “I love this kid, but I can’t wait until I can down a glass of Malbec and eat proper sushi again.”

The thought made Lotus feel slightly nauseous, but she just smiled and tried not to look too guilty. She had no intention of saying all this twice, so she was going to wait to tell them when everyone was there.

Duchess flitted around the kitchen pouring them drinks so when the doorbell rang, she jumped up to answer it for her. “I’ve got it.”

Val, Snow, and Charlie were on the threshold when she opened the door and hugs and kisses were exchanged like they hadn’t seen each other all day at work as they tried to get a read on Andrea Peston. But tonight was fun, a girls’ night that had been started by Aoife and was now a monthly date.

Lotus had never really had girlfriends, or many friends at all, even at school. She’d been too wary of people even then. A childhood of watching her parents lie and cheat and then smile as if all was perfect in their home had led to her becoming very untrusting, and that had only worsened when everything about her mother’s death had come to light.

“What are you cooking, Duchess?” Her senses were more heightened now that she was pregnant and certain things she’d loved sent her running for the bathroom, and other things she couldn’t stand before, she quite liked now.

“Garlic and lemon chicken with wild rice and green beans, then salted caramel profiteroles with chocolate dipping sauce.”

“You never cooked that.”

“Hey!” Duchess threw a tea towel at Val but laughed as she did.

“She isn’t wrong, Duchess. Cooking isn’t your favourite thing to do.”

“Fine, it was Damon. I was going to get takeout but he nagged me about all the salt and sugar in take-out being unhealthy so I told him if he was that worried, he could cook, and he did.”

“I’m telling you, if I wasn’t head over heels for Bás, I’d totally hit on Damon.”

A sharp feeling of jealousy and possessiveness hit Lotus in the belly at her friend’s words, which she knew was a joke. Val adored Bás, everyone had seen them dancing around each other for years and she loved them together. But it didn’t stop her from feeling like she wanted to claim him and hiss and spit at any woman who dared to think he could be taken from her.

“I think Lotus might just rip your face off and use it as a dishcloth if you do,” Peyton said, Lotus laughing at the violent visual.

“Funny.”

“She didn’t deny it,” Aoife said, bumping Charlie’s elbow.

Val looked at her. “Are you finally admitting you have feelings for him, then?”

All eyes in the room were aimed at her and she swallowed feeling slightly nervous. “Fine. Yes, I like him.”

“And?”

Lotus glared at Duchess. “And what?”

“Are you guys together?”