Fall For My Ex’s Mafia Dad
Chapter 155

"Go away," Jerome hisses. "You can see her later!"

"What the f**k, Jerome!" I hear Daniel snap and I gasp, going very still. Because Daniel - Daniel can't know. "She needs a minute -" Jerome protests as Daniel - taller and broader than him - starts to push at the door. "What's wrong with her?" Daniel asks, suddenly frantic. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine!"

"Then why won't you let me in!?" The final word a shout, Daniel gives a hard shove at the door and Jerome stumbles back. Jerome spins towards me, shaking his head as I stare at Daniel, who almost falls into the room.

Daniel takes a moment to stare at me, to look between Jerome and I, taking in our ashen faces and shocked expressions.

"What the hell is going on, Fay?" he asks, angry now.

"Nothing," I gulp, taking a step back towards the bathroom and cursing myself - absolutely cursing myself for not tucking the pregnancy test and its box away somewhere safe -

Daniel notices my step back and his eyes flash to the bathroom.

"What's in there?" he asks, pressing the bedroom door shut behind him.

"Shit," Jerome breathes, hanging his head in his hands again.

"Nothing!" I insist, taking another step backwards. But Daniel's already on to me, and as he starts to take long strides to the bathroom - desperate to know what we're hiding - I spin and dash in, reaching for the test still sitting peacefully at its spot by the sink. My fingers almost touch it, but Daniel is too fast. His hand suddenly comes into my sight, reaching out for it - snatching it up off the sink before I can grab it.

"Daniel!" I protest, whirling on him, grabbing for the test, trying to get it back. "It's mine!"

"Well f*****g obviously, Fay!" he shouts, his voice somewhere between rage and horror and worry all at once. "What the - what the fuck is this!?"

But I fold my arms, glaring at him as he holds it high up above my head.

"I peed on that, you know," I snap, hoping it will make him drop it.

But it doesn't work, he just glares at me and then looks up at it before snapping his face back to me.

"Are you...are you pregnant?" he asks, breathless.

"Well, I don't know, Daniel," I snarl. "That's what we were trying to figure out!" And I gesture vehemently towards the test, still held out of my reach.

And slowly, clearly trying to piece the world back together as Jerome comes to the bathroom door and stares between us, Daniel brings the test back down and stares at the result.

As Daniel stares at the stick I find that I can't breathe and my hand goes to my throat as I stare at him, waiting for him to tell me if...

...if my life is completely over.

Slowly, too slowly, he looks up at me. "It doesn't say anything," he says, his face twisting in confusion. "What's it supposed to - did you do it right?"

"Oh my god," I snap, taking a stumbling step forward and grabbing the test out of his hand. "Daniel! It's probably not done yet! And you're supposed to let it lay flat!"

Daniel puts his hands up innocently as I place the test back on the counter.

"How long are you supposed to wait?" he asks, a little breathless, staring at it.

"Three minutes," I say, crossing my arms and staring at the little stick as Jerome comes to stand between us. We're all silent for a long second, together staring at the little piece of plastic, before I groan and flip it over so that we can't see the result. Then I turn away, burying my face in my hands and beginning to pace anxiously. "We'll flip it over when three minutes are done," I say, decided. "I can't...stare at it and just guess."

"Fay," Daniel says, and I hear him take a step closer to me, touching my shoulder. "Who - who is the dad?"

And I spin, yanking my hands away from my face and glaring up at him. "Seriously?" I cry. "You too!?" "Well -"

"I am not sleeping with anyone except your dad, Daniel!" I shout, exasperated. Seriously, I lose my virginity two months ago and everyone already thinks I've got multiple partners? I mean, I guess Janeen would be proud, but - "He can't have any more kids, Fay," Daniel explains, looking at me like I'm stupid.

"Do you two," I say, looking wide-eyed between them and folding my arms angrily over my chest, "do you seriously keep saying that to me because you think I'm an idiot? That I don't obviously know this?" "Well then how -"

"I don't know, Daniel!" I shout, throwing my hands up, at the end of my rope. "I have no explanations! I am not keeping any secrets! I know what you know! And by the way, we don't even know if I'm..."

But my words cut off as I realize that I can't say the word. And my vision flicks back to the little plastic stick, sitting so innocently on the counter. Holding my entire fate.

"How much longer?" Daniel asks after a moment, and I glance up at him to see him clenching his jaw the same way his dad does when he's stressed.

"About thirty seconds," Jerome replies, staring hard at the sink like he can see to the other side of the test through sheer will alone.

"Swear it," Daniel snaps suddenly, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me a step closer to him so that I'm staring up into his too-serious face. He shakes me a little before saying it again. "Swear it, Fay. That you've only slept with him." "I swear, Daniel," I whisper, looking honestly up into his face, hoping he can see it there. "No one else. If this...if there's a baby...it's his."

Daniel looks at me for a long moment before wrapping his other arm around me and hugging me close. "All right," he says, and I can feel his head nod above me.

"What are we going to do," I whisper, pressing my face against Daniel's chest and letting myself shake a little against him.

"We'll...talk to him," Daniel says, chagrined. "He'll want a paternity test - or, I don't know, something. But he's going to be pissed," he sighs. "It's - it won't be easy. But we'll...we'll figure it out, okay? We'll take care of you." And I press my eyes shut and will myself to believe him, even though I know...

That this is not okay. Nothing about it is okay. My entire world just completely exploded in front of me, and even if I'm not pregnant - then what is happening with my body?

My stomach twists then and I go rigid in Daniel's arms, trying to figure out what's happening - is this like morning sickness? Or just anxiety? Or did Natalia seriously poison me last night -

Before I can let my mind race in the thousand new directions it wants to go, though, I feel Daniel turn slightly towards Jerome. "How much time is left?"

"Time's up," Jerome replies and I pull away from Daniel a little, my breath catching in my throat.

"Seriously?" I ask. How did three minutes go so fast?

Jerome confirms with a terse nod, still staring at the stick.

And then Daniel reaches for it, but I move fast and swat his hand away.

"No," I say, stepping forward. "This is...this is mine."

And my best friend hesitates, but he lets me walk to the sink alone, where I pick the little test up. And flip it over in my hands.