Page 220 of Pucking Sweet

Tina turns, grinning like it’s Christmas. “Can we go push Rowan in the pool now?”

She can laugh, but I feel like I’ve stepped out of my own body. I’m floating above the room, watching the chaos. Dad argues with the emcee. Mom is trying to reassure Connie Montgomery. All the guests buzz with gossip. Half of their faces are still turned my way. Did part of me always know? Is that why I called it off when I did?

Across the party, I see Violet and Anderson exchanging heated words. Then Violet is tossing her napkin onto the table and getting up. Anderson follows her, shoving back his chair.

“Pop,” Colton says, his hand on my back.

Lukas leans in. “Are you okay?”

I set my Shirley Temple down on the bar. “No,” I say in a faraway voice. “I’m not okay. Will you please excuse me?” Fueled by adrenaline, I feel half the eyes of the room watching me as I follow in the direction Violet and Anderson disappeared.

“Poppy,” my mom hisses, grabbing my arm as I pass. “Don’t follow them—”

I jerk my arm free. “Did you know?”

She dares to give me that confused look, hand clutching her literal pearls. “Know what?”

I glare at her. “About their sordid little affair lasting even before Anderson and I broke up? Did you know?”

She glances around, putting on her fakest smile. Dad is now behind her, talking to the furious Montgomerys. “Poppy, dearest, let’s not discuss this here,” she says, reaching for me again.

I back away. “Oh, so I’m ‘dearest’ to you now? I thought I was the family disappointment? I thought I deserved a scarlet letter? Selfish, you called me. Irrational, hysterical.That’s me, right?”

Her smile turns wooden. “Poppy Aurora, if you make this any worse—”

“How can it get worse?” I cry. “You’ve lied to me, and manipulated me, and bullied me for years, Mom. You knew my own fiancé was cheating on me and said nothing. God, you almost let me marry him!”

She huffs. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Blinking back my tears, I shrug helplessly. “Well, no one can ever say I didn’t try. No one can say I didn’t doeverythingin my power to earn your approval.” I take a deep breath, resolve settling in my chest. “But now I’m done.”

“Poppy…”

“Nana, if you’re listening, you know I love you, but you can keep your freaking money,” I call to the heavens.

“Oh, you are just being spiteful,” Mom hisses. “Please, can we just not do this here?”

“You know what, Mom? No,” I say, raising my voice. “I want to do this here. I wanna do itrighthere!”

Dad, and the Montgomerys, and several other faces turn my way. The whole restaurant quiets.

“Poppy,” Mom begs. “Don’t—”

“Look closely, folks!” I call out, putting both hands on my stomach. “My prudish mother doesn’t want y’all to know that I’m knocked up out of wedlock, but this is no Christmas ham stuffed under my freaking dress!”

A few gasps go around the room, and my mom looks like she’s going to either faint or morph into a snarling beast.

“That’s right, I’m pregnant with my partners’ child,” I go on. “And that’s partners plural because I havetwo.Give a wave, honeys!”

Eyes wide, Colton and Lukas wave their hands.

Lukas recovers first shouting, “Ice machine sex. It’s a ten out of ten, I’m telling’ ya!”

“Yep, your precious little Poppy Girl is riding two dicks at once!” A wild thrill rushes through me as I finally let this all out. “And if anyone has a problem with that, you can alllll take it up with Christina Renoux.” I point at her in the corner. “Becauseshe’sthe one who gave me the faulty condoms that likely got me pregnant!”

“You’re my hero,” she shouts over the crowd.

“Poppy,” Mom cries, angry tears in her eyes. “That isenough.”