Page 51 of Inferno

“So when are you going to tell him?”

“I haven’t decided.”

Prissy’s eyes narrowed warningly. “I hope you’re not thinking of keeping this a secret from him.”

“Of course not.”But Celeste didn’t look or sound too convincing.

Prissy frowned. “Celeste, you can’t—”

“Damn it, Pris,” she snapped, “stop telling me what Icanandcan’tdo! Everything’s not as black and white as you like to believe! I love Sterling, God knows I do. But I was drowning in our marriage, drowning in misery and hopelessness. So I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be okay with this pregnancy. I’mnotokay. I’m devastated. I don’t want another baby—with Sterling, Grant, or anyone else. If that makes me even more of a monster in your eyes, then so be it.”

Prissy had gone still. “What are you saying, Cel? What are you planning to do?”

The two women stared at each other as the wordabortionhung in the air between them.

After a long, tense silence, Prissy sat forward in her chair. “Whatever you decide to do,” she said in carefully measured tones, “please don’t keep Sterling in the dark. You were married to him for sixteen years. He has a right to know that you might be pregnant with his third child. If the baby is his, he deserves to have a say in what happens to him or her.”

“I agree.” Celeste held Prissy’s gaze. “I’ll tell him when I’m ready.”

“And when will that be?”

“I don’t know. But I need you to promise me that you won’t breathe a word of this to Sterling, StantonorMama Wolf.”

“Damn it, Celeste—”

“I’m serious, Pris. Not a word to anyone.”

Prissy scowled. “You know I don’t like keeping secrets. And you’re putting me in an impossible position by asking me to lie to my husband.”

“I’m sorry, but you know as well as I do that if Stan finds out that I’m pregnant, he won’t hesitate to tell Sterling. And that wouldn’t be fair. It’smybody andmybaby. So the news should come from me, not anyone else.” Celeste pinned Prissy with an intent look. “Do I have your word that you won’t say anything until I’m ready?”

After wavering for several moments, Prissy heaved a resigned breath.“Fine.I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.” Celeste’s expression softened with gratitude. “Even though you’re angry at me and you don’t approve of the recent decisions I’ve made, I’m glad you’re here, Pris. I need your friendship now more than ever.”

The naked vulnerability in her voice tugged at Prissy’s heartstrings, making her feel guilty for the way she’d turned her back on Celeste after the divorce. Celeste had made a terrible mistake, but did that mean she deserved to be permanently banished from Prissy’s life?

“Is everything all right?”

Prissy and Celeste glanced up to find the waiter hovering at their table with an anxious expression. “You haven’t touched your meals,” he said, “so I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Celeste looked meaningfully at Prissy. “Is everything okay?”

Prissy hesitated for a long moment,thennodded slowly. “Everything’s fine.”

Celeste smiled, visibly relieved.

But as Prissy picked up her fork to begin eating, she couldn’t help feeling as though she’d just made a pact with the devil and condemned her soul to the fiery pits of hell.