Page 72 of Pinch

Our whole family is in town. Mav is dancing with his mom, and Gigi is across the room sitting with Miss Gina, the sweet old blind lady she’s named after, who is basically our honorary grandmother.

“Hey, Super P.” My cousin Kim walks up and hands me a glass of hard cider. “Why do you look like you’re trying to disarm a nuclear weapon?”

“Thanks.” I take the tumbler from her hands, unsure what to do with it. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

Like Gavin Knight. He’s been on my mind since he pulled me out of that lilac bush, threatened the entire International Princess Woman program, then proposed to me. Twice.

The next day, the guys left for an out-of-town game, and the whole time they were gone he checked in via text to ask if I still had nausea, if I had any spotting…How would he even know that could happen?

I sent him the date of my first ultrasound in January, and he put it on his calendar. Then our last night in town, he sneaked into my bedroom. It was the first time he’d done it in almost a month, and my chest ached at his closeness. My body longed for his…

It’s impossible to know how much of my reaction is pregnancy hormones and how much is real. Our past hasn’t changed. We’ve just been hit with a really tricky plot twist.

Lying on his side facing me, he traced a lock of hair off my cheek so gently, as if I were made of glass. “I’m not trying to muddy the waters.” His blue eyes were so warm, so full of affection. “I know you need space…”

Did I need space? I was trying to remember why.

Oh. Because he supposedly cheated on my roommate with a bunch of sorority girls, and the last thing I wanted was to risk my heart again with a guy like that.

Only, is he really a guy like that? He doesn’t act like it. Can I trust myself to be right this time?

“My moms are complaining I haven’t been home sinceJune,” he continued. “Otherwise, I’d make an excuse to spend Christmas in Newhope.”

“It’s a family holiday.” My voice was quiet.

His brow furrowed, and his eyes flickered to my lips. “I know. That’s why I thought…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but I knew what he was thinking.His family.Did he mean me now?

Then he’d kissed my cheek and told me to have a safe trip before he slipped out again.

“So why do you look like the saddest Christmas elf on the shelf?” Kim leans against my shoulder.

“I’m not sad.” But my eyes are on my untouched drink.

We’re standing at the small bar in the back of the room near the pool tables while the rest of our family dances and celebrates. I look up and see my own parents moving their hips in time to the Bo Diddley Christmas beat.

“Mm-hm.” Kim arches an eyebrow. “Let me guess, it’s a guy.”

Kimmie Joy is our oldest cousin. She moved to Newhope as a baby with my uncle Jack before any of our parents even met. For a while it was just her and Aunt Dylan and her dad. Then slowly, the entire family started making their way home and having babies.

All except my parents, who stayed in LA for work.

Now Mav and Gigi are with us in LA, but we come back to our original family home on the coast as much as possible. We all grew up together, and nobody knows me as well as they do.

“It’s not! I’ve just got a lot going on.” But my voice goes weirdly high, giving me away.

“What’s his name?” Kim straightens beside me, crossing her arms, and I know she’s not letting me out of this one.

I glance around to make sure no one’s headed this way. “Gavin Knight.”

Her amber eyes widen. “Mav’s teammate? Does he know?”

“No.” I grab her arm fast. “Nobody knows, so don’t say a word.”

Her brow arches. “So what’s the problem?”