Page 231 of Heartless Sinner

Adelina: Are you in your dorm?

Adelina: ALONE?

I texted her back quickly.

Me: No. But I can be there in 15.

Me: ALONE.

I stole one last whiff of Brooks’s cologne on his pillow before jumping out of bed. I threw on clothes and brushed my teeth with the toothbrush Brooks had bought for me to use during our sleepovers.

It took me less than five minutes before I was out the door.

My dorm was empty when I walked in, and my phone buzzed as I sat down on my bed.

Adelina: Got a call! On my way!

I barely had enough time to run a brush through my tangled hair before the door flew open. Adelina shut it behind her, her purse pressed against her stomach like a shield as she fought back tears.

The second she dropped the bag and slumped onto my bed, the tears broke free.

I dropped the brush onto the vanity, raced over, and sat beside her.

“Hey,” I whispered. “What’s wrong?”

She dumped the contents onto my bed.

My jaw dropped. “Are these … yours?”

Pregnancy tests scattered across my comforter.

She nodded. Her lower lip quivered as tears welled deeper in her eyes.

I sat there, at a loss for words, wanting to make sure the ones that left my mouth were the right ones.

“I don’t know what to do,” Adelina sobbed. “I’m so fucking fucked.”

“Everything will be okay,” I said softly while ignoring the fact that her pee sticks were where I slept.

I’d fix that problem later. My best friend was in a crisis.

“No, everything won’t.” She cried so hard that she struggled to catch her breath. When she couldn’t wipe the tears away fast enough, I helped her. “My family will kill me. My reputation … ruined.” She squeezed her eyes shut, dragging in shaky breaths.

“Who cares about that?” I shifted closer, remembering when I’d told her I was in love with her brother. “Reputations are bullshit anyway. All you need to care about is how you feel about yourself. Reputations come and go. But true happiness? If you feel it in your heart, that lasts forever.”

“I know …” She looked away while lowering her tone to almost a whisper. “It’s just the guy who …” Her voice trailed off around a sigh.

“Who is he? Who’s the dad?”

She linked our fingers together like she needed me to keep her settled while the words left her mouth. “Swear to me, you won’t tell anyone.”

“I swear⁠—”

“Not even my brother⁠—”

“Adelina—”

“Swear to me. I know you don’t want to keep secrets from him, given what you just went through, but eventually, he’ll find out. I just need a moment to process it. But I needed you, my best friend, to tell me everything will be okay.”