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“No more lies,” I promise as she releases me.

“What the fuck!” We both startle as Maisie enters the room, still in her soccer uniform, strands of hair falling out of her messy ponytail. She lets out a visible sigh of relief when she sees me sitting up in bed. “You bitch!” She points a finger atme, stomping toward me and Lyric. “Do not ever do that to me again.” She throws her arms around my neck with so much force I tip backward before being able to right myself again. “I was so worried about you.” She squeezes so hard I struggle to breathe.

“What are you doing here?” I ask once her hold on me slackens.

“Lyric told me. I came as soon as I saw her text. I thought you went for a walk or something when you never came back to the room. I had no idea...” She releases me, straightening to her full height. “So you’re okay then?” She gives me a long once-over.

“I’m okay.”

“What happened? Why are you here?”

“Um, you might want to sit down,” Lyric tells her.

Maisie crosses to the other side of the small bed, squeezing in next to me on the opposite side as Lyric, who angles her body so we’re all sitting in a semi-circle on the bed.

“Okay, now spill.”

I spend the next several minutes explaining everything to Maisie. The tumor. Me fainting. The baby. By the time I’m done, she looks a bit shell-shocked but also a little sad.

“Is there anything I can do?” It’s the first question that leaves her mouth.

“Yeah. You cannottreat me differently. I’m not made of glass. And while, yes, I’m a bit of an emotional wreck at the moment, I will get through it. But only if you two don’t tiptoe around me and make me feel like I’m damaged somehow.”

“I can do that.” Maisie nods. “And River?” She tilts her head toward the hall.

“He knows.” I nod. “And he knows the baby was his.”

“So are you two...”

“Officially together,” Lyric announces with glee.

“Oh, thank fuck.” Maisie lets out a long exhale. “I wasn’t sure I could take much more of your ass moping around the room like a lost little puppy.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” I argue, even though I know that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

At least she’s doing as I ask and not treating me with kid gloves.

“Bullshit.” She snorts out a laugh. “How is he handling all this?” All traces of humor are gone in an instant.

“Better than I expected,” I admit. “I think he feels kind of like I do. Sad but also a little relieved.”

“I can imagine.”

“Maybe one day...” Lyric adds softly.

“Unlikely, given everything. But hey, there’s always adoption.”

“There you go. Or there’s always surrogacy,” Maisie adds on. “I would totally be pregnant for you.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” I bark out a laugh, the feeling foreign against my throat.

“I totally would.” She seems mildly offended.

“How about we cross that bridge when we get there.” Lyric offers with a smile.

“Knock. Knock.” We all three look to see River once again standing in the doorway, his muscular frame damn near filling the entire entryway. “Mind if I have a few minutes alone with my girl?”

My girl...I bite down on my tongue to keep the squeal I feel coming up my throat from spilling out of my mouth.