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I laugh and take a deep breath, willing my hurt feelings not to fester into tears. “Yeah, okay. ” I tell him all about the note and what I remember it saying, which isn’t much, but he promises to check with the guys at work to get more details. In the end, I feel a little better just having someone to talk to, but I decide that he’s right and I need my people.
Not knowing what to say to the twins yet, I pick up and dial Lee, knowing that he can help me sort my head before I call them. Having just dropped his date off, he agrees to head on over to the apartment. I can tell he wants to ask questions, but he hangs up with the promise to be over shortly.
“Well, you really managed to go all out in the drama tonight, Dani,” Lee says, leaning back against the headboard and opening his arms so that I can rest against his chest.
“Can you believe I’m pregnant, Lee?”
“Honestly? I can’t say I’m shocked. I mean, it’s Cohen. ”
“What the hell does that mean?” I laugh.
“The man wore a cape for, what . . . like, twenty years. He’s some super-secret black ops marine. I’m pretty sure he could kill me a million different ways—the man is just born to have super everything. ”
“We used a condom, Lee. ”
He gags. “I love you, Dani, but I don’t want to talk about that shit. Let’s just leave it at shit happens and his super sperm battered down the shield. ”
I slap his stomach. “God, you’re disgusting. ” I settle back down for a second before I push up and spin to look at him. “Do you think Cohen will think the same thing my dad did?”
Lee doesn’t say anything, which doesn’t help the trepidation I already feel. “I’m not going to lie to you, Dani. From the outside, without all the facts, it looks shady. But you said it yourself. Your dad didn’t even know how far along you are. ”
“I would never betray Cohen like that. ”
He smiles. “Yeah, I know that. It’s a shitty situation, Dani. Wait until Cohen gets back before you start to worry about it. I will say, I wouldn’t keep this from the girls. ”
“I didn’t plan on it. I just need to process things. I’ll call them tonight. ”
“Sure thing, babe. Come on. Let’s get some rest. I came straight here after a night out with Stacy. I’m fucking beat. ”
Lee and I managed to get a good few hours in before the knocking started. Chance left a note that said that he was over at Megan’s and would be back later. He’s been spending a lot of time with her lately. I teased him about finally dating, something I’ve never seen him do, but he told me that it isn’t anything other than helping her out with her daughter. I push back my normal embarrassment and guilt when I think about my first impression of her. Now, having met her, I know she is just a grieving woman who needs her friends.
I step out of Cohen’s room and walk to the door. When I look through the peephole, I smile and shake my head at the noise four fists can produce against one door.
Well, that didn’t take long.
I open the door right when Lyn is about to bang on it again and just barely dodge her fist.
“Damn, Lyn!”
“About time, bitch,” she snaps.
“Hey, Dani. ” Lila gives me a hug and follows her sister into the apartment.
“Where’s Lee?” Lyn asks, looking around.
“Right here. God, could you be any louder. I was out with the screecher before I came over here, and God, my head hurts. ”
All three of us look over at Lee and gawk.
“I can’t believe you went out with her crazy ass again,” Lila snaps. “The last time you went out with her, didn’t she go on and on about how many babies she wanted to have with you AND detailed out their names and what they would look like?”
“Christ, you must love crazy,” Lyn mumbles.
“Oh, shut up. It wasn’t that bad. Plus, I was horny. ”
“You’re disgusting,” Lila sighs.
“All right. Enough of this shit. What’s going on with you?” Lyn says.
“What makes you think something’s going on?” I hedge.
“Don’t play me for a fool. First of all, you don’t come home at all last night. You don’t answer your phone. Your car is still at the salon! And if that isn’t enough, when we went home to Mom and Dad’s for dinner, Cam was going on and on about how he and Colt overheard Dad telling Mom about how you got some fucked-up letter after work today. Then he said that you had to go to the emergency room. If that’s not enough to know something is most definitely up with you, then you’re insane. ” She takes a deep breath, and for the first time, I see through her anger and the worry she must have had all night for me, instantly making me feel guilty.