Chapter 74 Fallen God 29

Chapter 74 Fallen God 29

Lola

Turning every which was, I surveyed myself in the full–length mirror hanging over the door in my childhood bedroom. “I'm not sure,” I mumbled, smoothing my hands down over my stomach.

From her place lounging on the bed, Elodie straightened. “You look stunning, and it's much too early to worry about showing or anything like that.”

I frowned at myself in the mirror. Showing? The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. She was right, of course it was too soon, but now she had said it, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Idly, I let my fingers skim over the satin.

“Stop it.” From her perch on the bed, Elodie groaned. “You look fantastic. Now put your shoes on and let's get out of here.” Her eyes drifted past me to the closed door. “If I have to hear your stepdad moan about Louis one more time, I may say something I'll regret.” She grinned ruefully. “Ok maybe I won't regret it because that man is a class A asshole but, can we please get going?”

“I’m not sure I should be going at all, Elodie.” And there it was, the truth. Erik's annual New Year’s eve party was a big deal, and it was an honour to be invited. But it would mean seeing Dion, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I knew sooner or later I would have to muster up the courage and tell him, but I had thought it would be when we were alone.

Shouldn't a guy find out he was going to be a dad without having all of his friends and family there as spectators? I didn't know what his reaction was going to be.

What if it caused him to drink again? Elodie had promised me that he hadn’t had a drop since Christmas Eve, and I didn’t want to be the reason he felt he needed to now. There was something about me that caused Dion to act out.

“You're going.” There was no room for argument in Elodie’s tone and I let out a sigh.

“I'm just not much in the party spirit.”

“Tough.” With a bounce, she was off the bed and had her arms wrapped around me. “I know you're scared, babe. I get that, but you don't need to be. Dion is and always will be crazy about you and when he sees you in that dress, he's going to want to rip it off and make babies–” She chuckled. “Well, more babies anyway. And you don't need to worry. No one is going to say a word until you're ready.”

I blinked at her in surprise. “The others know?”

For a second, Elodie had the good graces to look abashed. “Not everyone, just me, Jax, Celia and Erik.” She met my eyes. “Erik needed to know love, and of course, Legacy knows. But he's been sworn to secrecy and won't tell anyone.”

Sworn to secrecy, I frowned. She'd been sworn to secrecy as well, and yet everyone seemed to know. If Legacy knew, then it stood to reason that he had mentioned it to people, which meant Chance had probably heard.

Had Dion?

Was that the reason why his calls had stopped? Had he found out and was now so mad at me that he was ghosting me?

Wrapping my arms around myself, I shivered. “I can't do this.”

“Yes, you can, and you will. Stop being a coward, Lola, because I know you're not one. Dion messed up, but he didn't mess up the way you are thinking. Him and Isla are over and he shouldn't have invited her without warning you, but you have nothing to worry about there. Dion is crazy about you, not her.”

“I don’t know.”

My best friend made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. “Please don't pull a Jax on me. Jealousy doesn't suit you. You know you have that man's heart. Now you just have to go and talk to him and get the actual man.”

“That's easier said than done.”

Holding me out at arm's length, she gave me the once over. “With you looking like that, it's going to be the easiest thing in the world, Lola. Now let's go.”

There weren't as many people as I expected filling Erik's open plan home. The band was there, along with the usual groupies, but they seemed to be mostly professional couples dressed up to the nines.

I had thought my blue satin number was a little over the top, but looking around I felt suddenly under dressed. The dress I had worn to the Summit Awards would have been more appropriate. I swallowed hard. My steps slowed, so I fell behind Elodie, who up until that moment had been holding my hand.

She paused, glancing between Jax, across the room, and me. “Lola,” she warned, and there was no ignoring it. “Don't even think about bolting.”

One look at her face and I knew she would tackle me to the ground if I tried. And she was right. What she had said earlier had been spot on. I wasn't a coward. I was quiet, and I didn't like confrontation, but I wasn't a coward. I never had been.

Straightening my shoulders, I smiled.

“Everything ok?” Jax looped his arm around her waist but his eyes were on me totally. “Are you ok Lola?” His eyes drifted down to my stomach and I bit back a groan. “I mean, are you feeling ok after your stomach bug?” he amended quickly.

Elodie elbowed him sharply in the ribs and I winced.

“I'm fine thanks, Jax.” For some reason my voice came out ultra polite, and I did a double take as from some unseen room a dark head appeared. The head snapped up and stormy eyes met mine.

I looked away first because, for all my bravery, I wasn't ready to deal with Dion yet. I needed some liquid courage before that happened.

“Come on.” Jax hooked his arm through mine. “Let's get you ladies a drink.”

I grinned at him in thanks. Jax was many things, but he had seen the look of panic on my face and had acted accordingly. “Last time I saw Tate, he was rustling up cocktails and–”

“Hello, Lola.” Dion stepped straight into our path, blocking the way forward.

“Hi, Dion, we were just getting some drinks and–”

Jax cut Elodie off, his hand on her elbow as he manoeuvred her away. “Let's give them a little privacy, love.”

“So how have you been?” Dion didn't even wait until they were out of earshot. “You've been sick?” His eyes searched my face.

“I'm fine.” I tried to smile and failed. Why was this so awkward? I’d been living with this man only the week before. I'd been falling in love with him, and yet now I could barely talk to him. Hell, I could barely look him in the eye when he was talking to me. How was I going to tell him I was carrying his child?

“How have you been?” I finally managed to squeak.

“Bad, lost.” Those smoky eyes grew soft. “Lost without you.” One hand reached out and brushed across my wrist. A shiver ran through me before I could stop it. “When are you coming home?”

I did a double take. He wanted me to come home? To his home?

“To your place?” I asked, not even attempting to keep the surprise out of my voice.

Dion's fingers closed around my wrist and with one small tug, he brought me tumbling into his chest. “Our home, Lola. I still want it to be our home. It's not really a home without you in it, anyway.”

“Dion.”

“I've missed you.” The hand around my wrist tightened, but he didn't let it go to wrap me up in his arms. It probably would have been easier if he had. “I'm going to meetings. Every day.” He smiled a little sadly. “I just want you to know that.”

I sucked in a breath. “Dion,” I tried again.

And again he cut me off.

“I know I fucked up, Lola, but please say something.”

“I'm glad you are getting help, Dion. I really am, but–”

“No.” He shook his head. “Don't you dare say ‘but’ like that. Just come home and I promise I'll do better. I won't let you down again.”

Taking a deep breath, I counted to ten and waited for my heart to slow down. “We need to talk, Dion. Properly talk. But not here. Somewhere private–”

My name was called out as Tate and my brother appeared in front of us. Tate swung me up in his arms, spinning me in a circle that caused a fresh wave of nausea to rush up my throat.

“Come and have a drink with us, Lola.”

Dion's hand slipped from my wrist as I was bodily carried away.

“I'll come find you soon, I promise. So we can have that talk.”