Read Need You Now (Martha's Way Series Book 2) for Free Online

sample. After nine tests, she already knew what came next; she had to
wait for the stated amount of time for the result. In this case, a whole three
minutes, this meant eternity in pregnant or
not-pregnant land. Anxiety curled in her stomach. Nerves tingling, Lily lowered
her weight down to her knees and leaned against the wall for comfort.
    She placed her phone on the floor, set the timer, and
waited. The silver antique clock usually found o n her
nightstand now stood on the cream-colored tile floor, staring at her. Her gaze
bounced between the two devices.
    Tick. Tock.
    The seconds faded away, determining her fate. Arms clutched
to her chest, she had no choice but to abide by the rules of Fathe r Time.
    As she waited, Lily said a silent prayer to St. Jude, her
mother’s favorite saint, the patron saint of the hopeless and the desperate,
the saint for those who felt trapped in lost causes.
    She met all the required criteria.
    . While at it, she promis ed never to make another wiseass comment about how
ridiculous periods were. Never again would she joke about being punished once a
month for not being pregnant. Besides, a woman’s monthly cycle was designed to
rid the body of toxins. Technically, it was go od. Now
the stick just had to declare her not preggo and all would be well again.
    Her phone vibrated and Minka’s name appeared.

 
    Hey,
you’re MIA. Call me.

 
    Lily smiled sadly at the text. MIA was a strong word but
fitting. The last two days, she’d avoided her family, Minka included. She was
family; not all family was connected by blood. Hiding wasn’t a trait she was
fond of, but at times necessary, especially when life
threw her a curveball so traumatic she couldn’t even call her best friend of
ten years.
    They’d met in college and worked together until last year
at an upscale private school in Princeton. Although Minka had moved to Martha’s
Vineyard they still talked on a daily basis. Minka
was her confidant, her other half, the sister she’d always wanted. When “What’s
his name” had ditched her, Minka had been the first to know. Even with about
five hundred miles between them, they still managed to talk as freq uently as possible, whether by a quick text or a long
conversation. No, the distance had not weakened their friendship. As close of a
relationship she had with her brothers and parents, Minka was her confidant,
the sister she always wanted.
    So why wasn’t s he confiding now?
    Because if she told Minka, that meant what she’d been
feared–the positive she’d been denying on every tossed aside ePT would suddenly
become very, scarily real. She couldn’t be that girl. The one with the accidental pregnancy whose life w ent to the shitter. She was strong. Capable. Together. Shit like this only happened to other
people.
    She glanced at the screen. Still deciding.
    And let’s say
hypothetically she did turn out pregnant. Never mind what the other tests have
already proven she was as pregnant as pregnant came,
but those had been indicators, two little plus signs. Hell, a little tilt of
the stick to the left or the right might have caused a tainted result, which
was why she bought and tried one last thing. This time the word preg nant
would appear on the screen. No signs. Those were not reliable, at least not to
her. In either case, she’d unload her troubles on her friend. But it’d have to
be face to face. Some things were better delivered that way. Also, Minka
wouldn’t judge. That she was sure of.  
    Now her parents and brothers— yeah, nausea filled her just at the
thought. She could see the disappointment in their eyes. Her family was tight,
stable, but with all the love and warmth came expectations. She had done a good
job meeting all of them until now. Graduate high
school. Checked. Go to college. Checked. Do something you love. Checked. Fall in love. Checked,
unchecked and now in denial mode. But there wasn’t a box for denial. Get
married then have babies. Yeah, that’s