bChapter /bb16 /b

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ir nced at the clock on her wall and was a little surprised to see that it was 5:45 pm. She hadn’t even realized. She had been busy catching iup /ion all the meeting notes for Roman’s files and sending off any actioning emails from the meetings. ir sat back in her chair and stretched out her back bwith/bb! /bher arms raised in the air. Before rxing again. She needed to call her sisters and with the door connecting her and Roman’s office closed, now seemed the best time.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Sutton’s number.

“Hi hon,” Came Sutton’s soft voice in her ear.

“Hey, how is my niece or nephew doing today?” Was the first question out of her mouth. Sutton’s pregnancy hadn’t been easy. She had had morning sickness nonstop for the first four months. Whoever had called it morning sickness had lied. Sutton had thrown up at anytime and often. She and Keira both believed part of it had been the stress of her ex leaving her pregnant and alone. God, she hoped so, because there was a chance she was pregnant as well. Not something she was ready to even truly think about.

“Moving like crazy.” Sutton said. “It was so hard to sit still at reception today.”

Sutton had been able to get a job as ba /breceptionist in apany managing cyber security, about a five minutes‘ drive from Kingston’s. It was only temp work, but they had been unable to find someone to fill the role because of an employment freeze. Cyber10 had just been bought out, was the rumor. But until that was made public, it was all spection. Cyber10 was thepany Kingston used.

It was good for Sutton because she could stay in one job for longer. Temp work was all over the ce and only for short periods, normally. bThe /bemployment freeze had helped Sutton, at least.

Because Sutton was pregnant, no one wanted to hire a pregnant woman on a full–time basis, when they would likely take some time boff /bafter the baby was born. Sutton hadn’t let her ask Roman for a job. ir couldn’tb, /bnot now that she was sleeping with him. It just felt wrong asking her boss she was now shagging to help her pregnant sister for a job. The silly thing was Sutton was very good withputers and working in reception just seemed a waste of her talents.

“How was thest checkup?” ir asked. She had been unable to make Sutton’sst appointment. Keira had gone with their sister.

“Everything it fine. I’m to be careful of my blood sugar levels and stress over the next few months. But other than thatb, /beverything is fine. You know Keira. She would have called you straight away if there were any concerns.”

Sutton was right about that, so she decided to change the subject.

“Damn Straight.” ir heard Keira pipe in from the background.

ir was relieved she would only have to tell her news once to her sisters because they were together. b“/bCan you put me on speaker?”

“Sure, give me a sec…” there was ba /bpause, then Sutton said. “Ok, Keira can hear now.”

“Are you guys going home this weekend?” She asked first. She had said home, but none of the sisters felt like it was. Their home had been sold to pay off debts after their parents‘ deaths. Who would have guessed their father had bankrupted thepany? Leaving them broke and at the mercy bof /btheir aunt and uncle.

ir crossed her fingers that they would go for moral support. Aunt Viv wasn’t easy to deal with alone and having uncle Peter there would only make it

bworse/b.

“Unfortunately, why?i” /iSutton said.

b“/bbI /bbroke it off with Dan.” ir got straight to the point.

There was a silence on the other end of the phone before Sutton asked. “What happened?”

“I found him in bed with…. someone else, ir didn’t say Laura because that woulde out soon enough and knowing bSutton/bb, /bbshe /bbwould /bbring /bbLaura/b, giving her a piece of her mind. They would know the truth soon enough without her gossiping about bit /bbwith /bher sisters. Sutton bdidn’t /bneed the bstress/b. ir just hoped Sutton had ba /bfront–row seat after everything she had put up with from their aunt and uncle.

b1/3 /b

b11:54 /bbWed/b, b18 /bbJun /bG b@A /b

“bThat/b… bthat /bcheating piece of shit. I’ll kill him.” Sutton said angrily. ir could also hear Keira’s angry words ovepping their older sisters: it was a blittle /bbhard /bto follow.

ir bcut /bthem off before they name more ways they would curse and maim Dan. “Sutton, Keira, it’s ok honestly, I think… I’m upset, bbut /bbI /bthink bit’s /bbbetter /bI found out now before we married.” ir took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing thoughts. She knew she couldn’t reveal the btruth /bbabout /bbRoman /bjust yetb; /bbit /bwas all too fresh, too uncertain. She nced at the rain–soaked sky outside. She didn’t even know if it was more than him bjust /bhelping bher /bout or an easy booty call.

“Did you have any problems kicking him out?” Sutton asked after she had calmed down enough ito /ithink clearly.

“I left.” She confessed. Now this was where it was going to get hard to keep Laura out of the exnation of why she bwas /bthe one to leaveb, /bnot bDan/b.

b“/bWhat? Why?” she asked, her concern evident in her voice.

It was then ir thought of the perfect reason why she would leave. “I found them in our bed,” she revealed, her voice tinged with disgust. “Every time I would walk into our bedroom, I would have seen them.”

“Where did you stayst night? Why didn’t youe here? Why didn’t you call usb?/bb” /bcame questions from both her sisters.

“I’m ok, I have somewhere to stay…”

Sutton cut her off this time. “Where? With whom?”

ir rolled her eyes, feeling like a teenager again with all the questions, but she knew it was out of love. “With a friend.” She couldn’t say her bossb, /bbwho /bshe had slept withst night, had offered her a bed with him in it. Just the memory of what they had done together yesterday, and this morning, sent white hot fire through her blood. “I’m safe, I promise.”

b“/bYou could havee here.” Keira said.

“You don’t have the room with the babying.” ir said, feeling the need to remind them, because there wouldn’t be room soon.

“ir, we would find room no matter what. The baby could sleep in my room for the first few months. Then we could look for a bigger ce for bus /ball. Familyes first.” Sutton offered. They had nned on fixing up the tiny study for the baby.

ir knew she wouldn’t take Sutton up on the offer. She was right where she wanted to be right now. Roman was showing her a side of herself she hadn’t known had existed. She intended to experience every second of it until he grew bored and asked her to leave. One thing she needed to keep safe was her heart because Roman hadn’t involved his own, not since his divorce.

“I’m ok for now. Will let you know if anything changes.” d Sutton hadn’t pushed for more details on which friend she was staying with, because ir wouldn’t have lied to her sisters.

“So, have you told Auntie Viv about the broken engagement?” Sutton now knew why she needed them there on Sunday.

“Yes, and she thinks bit’s /bjust ba /blover’s tiff and we need to sort it out.” ir confirmed.

“I think Aunt Viv needs to divorce uncle Peter and marriage into Dan’s family herself if she wants it so bad or ask Laura.” Keira said.

ir almost choked because the second option might very likely happen with a baby on the way. ir knew Dan’s mother Pa was bgoing /bbto /bbe pissed with Laura as her daughter–inw. She really liked Dan’s mother, but she wouldn’t marry Dan just for that reason. She would still be friendly with her. That wouldn’t change. bIt /bwasn’t Pa’s fault that Dan couldn’t keep his pants zipped. ir could see her being quite embarrassed bby /ball bthis /bmess.

“I just need you both there. I have a feeling it’s going to be a firing squad bon /bSunday.” Where auntie Viv and uncle Peter bwill /bbtry /bbto /bbforce /bher binto /bbmarrying /bDan again. But that would never happen. She would do her best to keep silent about Laura, but if she had no other choiceb, /bshe bwould /bbrat /bbher /bbcousin /bbout/bb. /bWhy should she suffer to protect Laura when she hadn’t cared about her feelingsb? /b