Page 9 of Accidentally in Love

Nolan and I had kept our affair quiet. That was the point when you had a secret friend with benefits. No one was supposed to know.

“Okay, how about we talk to him?”

I shook my head. “He’s gonna hate me.”

Gemma glared at me. “This is his fault too.”

“We usually remember to use a condom.”

My sister held up her hand. “Wait, a second. You sleep with this guy on the reg? Not a one-night stand?”

I nodded.

“Who?”

I stared blankly at her.

Gemma’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her. “Oh my god!”

“He’s gonna hate me. He doesn’t want to be tied down. He’s always made that perfectly clear.”

“You and Nolan have been fucking this whole time?”

“Off and on, not all the time.”

“Avs, you gotta tell him.”

I cried into my hands.

She came over and wrapped her arms around me. “Nolan’s a good man. He’ll stand by whatever you want to do.”

“Gem?”

“What?”

“I don’t want to baby trap him.”

Gemma wiped my tears away. “Oh, Avs, you have feelings for him, don’t you?”

I nodded. “Gem, I’ve been in unrequited love with Nolan freaking MacGregor for over a year.”

She squeezed me tighter. “Oh, sis. I had no idea. I thought you were just friends. I hoped you'd both realize you were meant to be eventually, but I had no clue you were sleeping together.”

I shook my head and let the tears fall to the floor. “That was the whole point. It was supposed to stay a secret. He’s never gonna feel the same way, and now we’re gonna have a baby, and he’s gonna hate me.”

“He won’t hate you, but you have to tell him how you feel.”

“Why?”

No way Nolan felt the same way. He made it perfectly clear he had zero feelings. He said his divorce had been amicable, but I got the feeling his ex-wife ripped his heart out of his chest and never gave it back.

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

“You have to tell him about the baby at least,” she urged.

“Gem… what if he doesn’t believe me? What if he wants nothing to do with us?”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Are we talking about the same Nolan MacGregor? He may have that whole stoic lumberjack thing going on, but he’s a good man. He’ll want to provide for you and the baby.”