Page 26 of The Temptation of Truth

Apregnancytest.

“Right. A test.”

“Tomorrow?”

I swallow. “Sure. Tomorrow.”

“Love you.”

“Love you.”

“Good night, Auri.”

We hang up, and despite the way my body yearns for rest, my mind can’t seem to find it. When I finally do succumb to sleep, it’s after hours of staring at nothing in the darkness.

6

AURORA

The knockon my hotel door breaks my stare off with the unopened pregnancy test box on the bathroom counter.

Thankfully, too, because I was giving myself a headache from how hard I was frowning. It’s been three days since Brady reminded me to take it, and I still can’t bring myself to do it. I’ve held him off by saying the one I brought with was damaged in travel, and I’ve been unable to buy a new one.

It’s all lies, but the truth is worse.

I spit my toothpaste in the sink and tuck my toothbrush in my cheek as I make my way through the room. I ordered breakfast only ten minutes ago, but I guess promptness is a perk of traveling with celebrities.

I double-check to make sure my bathrobe is pulled tight so I don’t scandalize a poor hotel employee, then plaster a smile on my face as I swing the door open. The moment the person in the hall is revealed, my eyes go wide, and my mouth goes slack.

I’ve been in Mabel Rossi’s presence every day since arriving in Melbourne, but something about seeing her outside my hotel room at eight in the morning steals every thought from my brain.

“Minty fresh?”

She smirks at me with her head tilted to the side. It takes a minute to realize she’s talking about my toothbrush, which is currently hanging precariously from my gaping mouth. I grab it quickly and hide it behind my back.

“Hi. Hey.” I clear my throat. “What’s, um, up?”

“We’re doing family breakfast in Savvy’s suite.”

Her eyes drop down my body, surveying my pink fluffy robe covered in daisies, and the smirk grows into a grin.

“Sleeping Beauty. You can come in that if you want.”

I clear my throat again and attempt to act more confident than I feel, hoping like hell the inevitable blush stretching from my cheeks to my neck doesn’t give me away.

“Is everyone else stage-ready like you, or will casual suffice?”

“Is casual what you want?”

The flirtatious lilt to her voice causes a cool chill to dance over the back of my neck. My eyes fall to the plump pink smirk on her lips, and I blink. I search frantically for a witty response to a question I don’t understand before Mabel finally takes mercy on me with a laugh.

“Everyone else is probably still in pajamas, so wear whatever you want.”

“Okay. Sure. I’ll be just a minute. You can come in if you want. Or I can just head down when I’m done?”

“I can wait.”

“Okay.” I open the door and wave her in. “Sure.”