Page 25 of Cross Me

“I think this might be a good time to catch him. Hold on a moment, the team will bring you over when we are ready.” Henry darted off to talk to Brexton.

I nodded, my stomach bottoming out. It wasn’t like me to be nervous. Then again, this wasn’t something I was used to doing. The last time I’d been asked to deliver good news, something terrible had happened. I shook off the memory. I couldn’t live the rest of my life expecting a bomb to go off.

“You okay?” Belle asked, seeming to sense the shift in my mood.

I didn’t want to spoil her mood, but I also knew I’d feel better if I talked about it. “I can’t help but think about what happened the last time I was asked to do something like this.”

“You can’t live your life in fear,” Belle said.

“I know that.” It was easier said than done, though. Plus, it didn’t help that my husband had the exact opposite opinion. I kept that to myself. “Was it hard to convince Smith to let you come?”

“Not really.” She paused as if considering it. “Of course, he knows how much security Alexander keeps around you, so that probably made him feel better. He wanted to come himself, but something is holding him up in Scotland.”

My stomach dropped another level. They had just gotten back from that trip. Now Smith was back there again? I didn’t like the sound of it. Smith was Scottish and he’d made no secret of his desire to get the hell out of London. Given what the city had put him through, I couldn’t blame him. But I couldn’t handle the idea that Belle might be leaving.

“I almost had to cancel on you,” she confessed, rubbing her flat belly. “My morning sickness has been a little bit more active. I’m hoping that’s a good sign.”

“It is,” I promised her. Even after her ultrasound had come back with good news—the baby had a heartbeat—she still seemed worried. I wanted to wait to share my own news until she felt more confident, but I was running out of time. I hesitated and then decided to dive in. I couldn’t keep this from her forever. “At least you don’t have it all day.”

She nodded vigorously. “I don’t know how I would deal with that. As it is, I’m constantly sucking on ginger lollies. It’s the only thing that settles my stomach.”

“Try mint,” I suggested. “It works for me.”

“I don’t remember you having much morning sickness with Elizabeth,” she said slowly.

“I didn’t have much with her,” I said, taking a deep breath.

In the time it took me to steel myself for the final reveal, Belle’s eyes widened. “You have one in the oven?” It was more accusation than question.

I bit my lip, to stop the sheepish smile creeping onto my face. “Yes. I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

“Clara Bishop, how could you keep this a secret from me?” She cried as she grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. The sudden movement attracted more than the usual amount of attention from the security guards around me. I pulled back and waved them off before they could interrupt the moment. Then I hugged her again.

“I was worried you would be upset,” I confessed.

“Why would I be…”

“I wanted to wait until after your doctor appointment,” I explained. “Then everything happened.”

“And I went to Scotland,” she said. Her eyes narrowed and for a second, I thought she really might be angry. It was never a good sign when she called me by my maiden name. Finally, she snorted. “Look, I know you were looking out for me, but don’t feel like you have to keep secrets from me. I love you and I will always be happy for you.”

“I love you, too,” I said, giving her another hug. My stomach flipped over, even relief made me queasy. Of course, the noxious combination of burnt rubber and motor oil hanging in the air probably didn’t help. This was going to be a long pregnancy.

“Are you okay? You look green,” she said when she released me.

“I think I need to find the loo,” I admitted.

“Okay,” she said, waving for someone to come over to us, “but then I want to know everything.” She eyed my stomach suspiciously, but it was well hidden under a sweater, a coat, and scarves. I’d made it purposely hard to spot my bump.

I was grateful Brexton was the one who caught Belle’s wave. He rushed over, and I told him in a whisper what I needed. Belle listened without speaking, but I had no doubt she was putting two and two together. She would figure out that others had found out about my pregnancy before her. I would have to remind her she had been the first one to know about Elizabeth and then beg her for forgiveness.

Brex led me beneath the grandstand and into a maze of corridors, some of which ran out towards pit lane. “There’s a few down here,” he explained. “You’ll have more privacy than you will out there.”

I was grateful he was thinking clearly. The press was out in droves. While none of them had been allowed inside to watch the practice laps, I knew how far a camera lens could reach. It was better to play it safe than to have someone catch me tossing my cookies in the bleachers. But the time it took to reach the pit was another problem altogether.

“Here,” he said. “I’ll be close.”

That was the benefit of a male security guard. I tried the handle and found it locked. My eyes darted around, looking for another one. We were in what looked like a makeshift garage, and the fumes were even worse. My stomach heaved as the door opened and I took a few stumbling steps. But it was too late. I grabbed the rubbish bin the unlucky stranger held out and lost the little bit of breakfast I’d hoped would stay down.