When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,16

my brother for forty-five minutes I might gouge out my eye with my finger.

When we arrive home, Cade heads straight up to shower.

Me? I go to order my damn pizza. Who cares if I made one yesterday? Pizza never hurt anyone.

Oh, hell no. Is this a craving? Like a pregnancy craving? I laugh at my own thoughts. It’s absurd considering said possible pregnancy sex happened two nights ago. Yeah, no baby here. Yet.

Oh, God, now I can feel the panic building inside me.

I’d dismissed the broken condom from my mind, but now I can’t seem to stop thinking about it.

I touch my stomach like there’s already a bump there, a little baby growing inside me.

I can’t be a mom. I’m not ready. I don’t even know how to change a diaper.

“Are you okay?” Rae asks, breezing out of the laundry room with a basket of clothes under her arm.

“Fine,” I squeak, when I’m anything but fine.

She raises a brow doubtfully. “Want to talk about it?”

“No,” I say too quickly.

She shakes her head and looks at me quizzically. “You’re being weird. Weirder than normal,” she adds with a soft laugh. She tilts her head to the side. “If you need someone to talk to you know where to find me.”

She brushes past me and the stairs squeak as she goes up.

I let out a breath. There’s no point in freaking out about the possibility of a baby. I won’t know anything for a few weeks, until either my period shows up—in which case I will do a dance—or I’m forced to take a pregnancy test.

I close my eyes at the thought. If I have to pee on that stupid little stick I’m making Xander go to the store to buy it. No way in hell am I buying one of those. Nope. If loverboy’s super sperm fertilized one of these precious eggs, the least he can do is buy the damn test.

Ugh, I’m not even hungry anymore.

I kick off my shoes and grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. I busy myself with cleaning the kitchen—wiping down the counters and vacuuming the floor. After a little while, Rae and Cade come downstairs to leave for their date. They’re both dressed up and look nice.

“Have fun, you two,” I tell them. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Like get married in Vegas and possibly get pregnant.

“Are you okay here by yourself?” Cade asks worriedly.

I roll my eyes and point at him with the rag waving weakly in my hand. “I’m almost twenty, so I’m pretty sure I can handle being home by myself.” Rae presses a hand to her mouth to hold in her laughter. “I don’t know why you like my brother.” I shake my head. “He’s not the brightest Crayola in the package, if you know what I mean. One too many hits to the head from football if you ask me,” I hiss under my breath, even though I know Cade can still hear me.

Cade groans and presses his hand to her waist. “We’re leaving now.”

I salute him. “See ya later.”

He shakes his head, both of them laughing, and then they’re gone.

It’s rare to have a moment alone in this house. Living with three other people makes for some chaotic surroundings.

I abandon my cleaning endeavor and decide to take a bubble bath since it’s not something I get to do often. Running the water, I add bubbles and some scented salts, then light candles and dim the lights.

This is exactly what I need after the last two days.

I clip my hair up and remove my clothes before sinking down into the hot water with a sigh escaping my lips.

My eyes close and I lean my head back, the water sloshing around my breasts with bubbles up to my chin.

I do my best to empty my mind of all my worries and relax, but it’s hard when the events of the last forty-eight hours plague my mind.

I probably should’ve brought a book in here with me to occupy my mind but it’s too late now.

The door from Xander’s room opens, and I let out a scream, covering my body even though it’s pretty pointless.

Xander pauses in the doorway, staring at me like a starved man seeing food for the first time. He licks his lips and his Adam’s apple bobs. His hair is a wild and untamed mess like he’s been running his fingers constantly through it in agitation.

He shakes his head suddenly as if he’s shaking away the fog