And then I blinked. Thinking of Mak, I’d forgotten all about the little box o’ goodies I’d thrown in my suitcase for the condoms I knew were in it. They were leftover from being on set with her last year. I’d just kept the little bag stowed in my luggage since the guys always had condoms on hand. I figured it was better than trusting year-old condoms anyway.
Now that I thought about it in my hour of need, though, there weren’t just condoms in that little goody bag. After Mak’s pregnancy scare, I’d also slipped a couple discreet pregnancy tests in. Mak traveled the world regularly and they could be extremely awkward to get in certain places. I hadn’t thought to pull the tests out when I’d thrown the goody bag in my suitcase—considering I’d barely been able to admit to myself what I’d been hoping for when I’d added it in the first place.
Jesus, and now was I actually considering that I might be… by a Mavros twin???
No. No no no. No, the universe wasn’t that cruel. Was it?
I started striding towards the door. But right as I was about to yank on the handle, I stopped and put a hand on my belly. And imagined a little being swimming around in there.
Holy shit. I stood there stunned.
Because what if?
What if I was pregnant?
25
ALL THREE NOW
Milo helped me out of the club, and then guided me down the sidewalk back towards the hotel.
He wrapped his arm around my back to protect me, even though for once, there weren’t paparazzi hounding us.
I looked up into Milo’s brown eyes and wondered why I had never appreciated him more. The twins were always spinning my head around, but it was Milo who was always there for me, steady, and never asking for more. Milo who was just as passionate as Leander and Janus, but who had more control than either, it seemed. And he wasn’t playing games with me.
If anyone wanted me just for me, it was Milo.
I hugged his arm harder than was probably necessary, but it was reassuring to feel his strong muscles under my hands. The streets of Dubai were getting more crowded as the revelers came out to party. Leander hadn’t been kidding when he said that nightlife started at ten o’clock around here.
“Are you okay?” Milo asked, as he helped me cross the street.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “I just needed to get out of there.”
“I’ll text the guys,” Milo said, but I shook my head.
“No, I don’t wanna cramp their style. Let’s leave them be.”
“But,” Milo started, and I shut him down. “I’ve got a headache. Can we just go and let them know we’re heading home?”
“Whatever you want, babe,” he said, though I could see the concern in his eyes.
Thankfully, Milo took care of texting the guys so I could just focus on walking and forgetting the night. I’d deal with life tomorrow.
At least, that was what I thought.
Until we got the few blocks home to the hotel, and… the twins were there waiting for us in the lobby. Good Lord, had they taken a cab back just so they could beat us here?
“What the hell, Hope?” Leander strode toward us, looking furious. “Did you really think you could just ditch us?”
And I realized my mistake. Daddy wasn’t happy. But I still didn’t think that I had the bandwidth to deal with him or Janus.
Milo put out a hand. “She’s tired. I told you, she has a headache.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Janus bypassed Milo to ask me. “When we were on the dance floor, you just took off? That’s not cool.”
And all of a sudden, I felt like bursting into tears. Which I just could not do in front of all of them. So I fled. Real mature of me, I know.
And of course, they were on my heels. As if I could outrun three hulking giants with huge leg strides.
They caught up to me by the time I made it to the elevator, and then they all crowded inside with me.
Three huge beasts of men and one tiny little me.
Of course, Leander immediately got right up in my space. His body was flush against mine as he levered me against the wall.
“Enough, little girl. Enough evading. Enough running away. You have a headache, fine. We take care of you when you’re hurting. But you never, ever run.”
A thousand emotions cartwheeled through me. I wanted to yell at him that if that was true, then why did he keep hurting me? I didn’t have a headache, I had a heartache, and he and his brother were the ones doing it to me.
I wanted to scream at him and find out once and for all if this was just a game to them or not. But in spite of all the things I’d done with them over the past few weeks, all the courage I’d mustered to try things I never thought I’d do… I just couldn’t get the words out.