Page 227 of The Virgin Romance Novelist Chronicles
“Tell her, Derk,” Delaney added.
The tension in the room grew thick as Derk looked between us, gathering his thoughts. Two she-beasts were staring him down, waiting, and we weren’t about to let up now.
Delaney stopped him and gripped his balls when he attempted to get up from his chair. Derk squealed.
“You tell us right now what he said to you.”
Derk moved very carefully and said, “He’s concerned about you. He said you’ve acting really weird lately, kind of hormonal . . . kind of like you were—”
“He knows?” I shouted, stunned that Henry would know I was pregnant—and I didn’t—even though it was my body in question.
“Knows what?” Delaney looked between Derk and me for answers. “Have you not told me something I should know? What’s going on?”
I glanced at Derk, who had a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Henry knows?” I asked again.
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?” Delaney asked again, frustration ringing clearly. “I swear to all the penises I devoured last night that if someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on right now, I will regurgitate them right here on this table, and I can promise you won’t like it.”
“That is revolting.”
“Well then, tell me what is going on.”
Derk nodded at me for encouragement. I took a deep breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Delaney screamed, forgetting all about the atrocious hangover she was nursing. “You’re pregnant? On purpose?”
“No. Why would I be pregnant on purpose?”
“Well, who’s dumb enough to get accidently pregnant these days? There are millions of forms of birth control. You’re on the pill, right?” I shook my head. “Jesus, Rosie. How could you not be on the pill? Were you just using condoms?” I nodded, causing her to throw her hands in the air. “And you thought, with the amount of times Henry was stuffing his junk in your doughnut that you weren’t going to get pregnant, because you were using a condom? My God, you are stupid. I love you, but you are stupid.”
I waved a hand in front of my face as tears formed. This was all too much to handle, and I didn’t expect a sex education lecture from my best friend when I told her I was with child. I thought maybe she would celebrate . . . well, not celebrate, but at least give me a hug.
“Babe, maybe chill a bit. Clearly, it’s big news for Rosie to handle.”
Ignoring him, Delaney asked, “How far along are you? Is that why your clothes haven’t been fitting? You didn’t need to go to the gym, because youhadneeded to learn how to take a simple pill once a day. How far along?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, on the verge of tears. “But I’m guessing probably three months.”
“Three months,” both Derk and Delaney said together.
I nodded, stood up, and lifted my shirt so they could see my protruding stomach.
Delaney’s hand flew to her mouth as silence fell over the dining room table. Slowly, Delaney made her way around the table to me. She looked at my stomach and then lowered her hands so they were pressed against my belly.
Once she finally looked at me, she had tears in her eyes. “Oh, my God, Rosie. You’re pregnant.”
Before I could answer, she pulled me in for a hug and wrapped her arms around my back. “I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“Maybe you’re pregnant too,” I laugh-cried.
“No.” She shook her head against mine. “I use birth control like every other normal sex-crazed woman. It’s common sense.”
“Now’s not the time for a lecture.”
“When the baby is born, we will go over proper protocol for avoiding having another.”
“Sounds good.”
