Sacred Vow (Angels Halo MC Next Gen #5) - Terri Anne Browning Page 0,18

already tired of pretending to be okay.

Nova brought over a cup of soda along with a plate of crackers and a few grapes. “How are you feeling?” she asked as she took the seat beside me. Her eyes scanned my face before relaxing. “You have more color in your cheeks.”

“I’m okay now.” Picking up the cup, I sipped at the fizzy lemon-lime drink.

“Happy birthday!”

I lifted my head as Mila practically skipped toward me, her long black hair bouncing around her shoulders. Bending, she wrapped an arm around my neck and kissed my cheek. “Happy birthday!” she repeated happily. “Guess what?”

Her excitement had me smiling. “What, Mil?”

“We got the store!” she squealed. “And we can start working on it tomorrow.”

“Really?” Laughing, she nodded, and I jumped to my feet, throwing my arms around her. “This is great.”

“I knew it would make you happy.”

I was glad my arms were still around her, because the world went dark around the edges again, and I went limp against my best friend. She stumbled back, her arms tightening around my waist as she took my weight. “Shit,” she hissed. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head. “Give me a second,” I whispered. “Please don’t drop me.”

“Oh my God.” She pulled her head back to look at me, her gray eyes wide and full of sudden fear. “Are you pregnant?” she mouthed the words, and all I could do was nod. “Shit, shit, shit.”

A few moments went by before my vision completely returned and I was able to step back. But Mila grabbed my hands. “Are you okay?”

I shrugged, unable to answer that particular question. I didn’t know if I was okay or not. Nor did I know if I ever would be again, because this was uncharted territory for me. There were too many factors, too many unknowns, and too many dangers for me to have faith there would be a good outcome from this pregnancy.

Lyric walked over to us, a car seat in each hand and a huge diaper bag tossed over one of his shoulders. “Happy birthday, River,” he said, kissing the top of my head.

I put a smile on my face. “Thank you.” Bending, I stroked a finger down Isaac’s and Ian’s soft cheeks. “How are my two favorite demon spawn?”

“Ian is grumpy today,” Mila informed me. “I think he might have a tooth coming in or something going on with his ears.”

“That doesn’t sound like fun,” I murmured, stroking my thumb over his cheek again. He grunted at me and grabbed my thumb, pulling it into his mouth and biting down.

“No offense, River,” Monroe said as she joined us. “But if you have a stomach bug, you shouldn’t be letting Ian munch on your fingers.”

I quickly pulled my hand away from the baby, only to have him yell up at me in disapproval. I stood slowly, and Mila hugged an arm around my waist, steadying me in case I got dizzy again.

Mila grabbed her twin and pulled her in closer. “She doesn’t have a bug,” she told Monroe.

“But she was just—”

Mila pinched her side. “Shut up and think about it for a second, Mon.”

Monroe pinched her back. “Don’t pinch me, Mila. We’re not little girls anymore…” Her voice faded as realization hit her, and she turned wide eyes on me. “You’re…?”

I turned away from her and picked up my cup of soda from the table where Nova was still patiently sitting. I hadn’t planned on telling anyone about my condition that day, but I’d already spilled the secret to four different people now. If I wasn’t careful, the entire bar was going to know before the party actually started.

Behind me, I heard Mila and Monroe whispering to each other, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying, although I knew it was about me. Lyric used his foot to pull out two chairs from the table and set the car seats in them, pretending like he hadn’t heard what his wife and sister-in-law were discussing. Ian was getting fussy, so Lyric unfastened him and lifted his son into his arms.

Seeing the huge man with the baby in his arms had every woman in the room swooning except for Nova and me. A group came over, cooing and baby-talking to Ian while flirting with Lyric. Which had Mila breaking away from her sister and pushing in between the other women and her husband to get to her son.

Bending, she lifted Isaac into her arms. “Anyone want diaper duty?” she snipped at the