Broken Hearts (Light in the Dark 5)

I breathe out, overcome with emotion. “More than you know.”

Jace

Nova takes a deep steadying breath as we stand outside the front door to Thea and Xander’s home.

We can see inside, the house lit up, our friends gathered around the island in the kitchen. They haven’t noticed us yet, laughing and drinking wine and picking at finger food.

I put my hand on Nova’s waist. “We can get in the car right now and go home. We don’t have to do this.”

She looks up at me and shakes her head. Her long hair is down, nearly skimming her butt, and she’s taken the time to slightly curl it. Her freckles stand out on her nose and like always I start to count them, but I never get very far. There’s so many it’s impossible to count them all, and it really doesn’t matter. Each and every one of them is perfect. Like her.

“No, I’m being silly.” She gives me a smile. “We need to tell them.”

The silence hangs heavy between us with the words she leaves unspoken.

And my parents.

I know she’s scared shitless to tell them she’s pregnant. She knows they won’t approve of her having a baby without being married—plus, they don’t even know me.

“Ready?” I ask her, nodding at the door.

Another deep breath and she nods.

I grab the door and swing it open.

“Hey, hey, hey, look what the cat dragged in,” Cade jokes, a beer clasped in his hand.

I close the door behind us and we meet the others in the kitchen.

Rae hugs Nova and whispers something in her ear that makes her laugh.

“I’m starved.” I rub my stomach for emphasis. “When are we eating?”

Thea wipes her hands on an apron—yeah, a fucking apron. It’s almost laughable. Almost.

“Five more minutes,” she says.

Xael sits in some little plastic seat contraption on the island, making all kinds of baby noises, like she’s trying to tell us to pay attention to her and stop talking to each other.

Nova perches on an empty bar stool and I stand beside her, my arm touching hers.

“How was Paris?” Rae asks.

It feels like forever since we’ve been there—like we shouldn’t even be talking about it—but since we haven’t seen our friends since before the trip their curiosity is understandable.

“Beautiful,” Nova tells her. “The architecture, the history, it’s incredible.” She gets a wistful smile, and the look in her eyes does something to me. I know Nova was reluctant to go in the first place, but it was what we both needed.

Thea places some platters on the island. “You guys can take these into the dining room. I’ll be there in a minute.”

We all grab a dish of food, except for Xander who gets the baby.

We set the dishes down and take seats.

Thea carries in a huge rotisserie chicken and sets it in the middle.

“Let’s eat,” she declares.

I pile my plate full with chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, and skip the vegetables because who needs green stuff?