Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) by Chrissy Peebles Page B

the Stone Age.  
    I
was thrilled when Liz stopped by with salads from Burger King. After eating, I
loosened the button on my jeans. “These things are so tight,” I said, tugging
at the waist of my blue jeans.
    She
blinked. “Those used to be so loose on you!”
    I
bit my lip. “I know. I don’t feel pregnant, just fat. My face is rounder, my
boobs are swelling like watermelons, and my butt is growing faster than my
stomach.”
    “It’s
normal for your figure to round out a bit. Besides, guys love curves!”
    “Why
aren’t you wearing any of the maternity clothes Mom bought? They’d definitely
flatter your changing shape. You should look like a glowing, pregnant, gorgeous
mom-to-be, not squish yourself into jeans that are too snug on you.”
    “I’m
trying to hold off for a little white longer.”
    “You
can’t, Sarah! You’re pregnant, and you’re gonna have a baby bump. Don’t get
caught up in all this weight stuff. You’re gonna get bigger—everywhere. You’re
carrying another human being inside your body, for goodness sake. Just embrace
it...and enjoy it.”
    “I
don’t want to be unattractive to Victor,” I said.
    She
shook her head as if I was being silly. “Come on! The man’s crazy about you.”
    “Every
beautiful woman stares at him. Maybe Victor is out of my league. What does he
want with somebody like me anyway?”
    “Don’t
get insecure on me, sis. That’s definitely not you talking.”
    “I
guess it’s the hormones. I’m happy one minute, crying the next, and eating a
spoonful of peanut butter on top of a pickle.”
    She
made a face. “Uh, that’s really gross.”
    “I
guess it’s pretty common in the first trimester. At least that’s what I found
on Google.” I shook my head. “I’m an emotional mess.”
    “Pregnancy
can be stressful and overwhelming, but lucky for you, I’m here.”
    I
smiled.
    “Hey,
not to change the subject, but remember that girl you got into a little spat
with?”
    “Lynn?
The one from the theater who says I can’t act?”
    “Yeah,
that one, the wench with ten years under her belt.”
    “What
about her?” I asked.
    “She’s
missing. She went out clubbing and never came home.”
    “That’s
awful. It seems like a lot of people are going missing, and that gives me the
creeps. Good thing I’m Immortal. A serial killer tries to mess with me, and
I’ll show him a thing or two.”
    “Maybe
we could look for her and see if we could dig up any clues,” she said.
    “Sounds
good. She’s a little snotty at first, but she’s really a nice girl once you get
to know her.”
    “Nobody
deserves to get kidnapped.”
    “Or
killed.”
    “They’ve
never found any bodies,” I retorted.
    “I
wonder what the dude’s doing with them?” she asked, shuddering.
    “I’ve
got no idea, and I don’t want to start imagining it. All I know is that the
whole thing creeps me out.”
    * * *
    T hat
night, Victor was drinking wine out of a medieval goblet he’d bought from the gift
shop. Our dog was lying at his feet.
    I
blew out a breath when I noticed Victor hadn’t taken his costume off after work.
“You’d rather stay in a costume than normal clothes?”
    “Normal
is a relative term, my dear. This is my normal.”
    “Victor,
I didn’t mean anything by that, and I don’t really want to fight with you.”
    He
nodded but didn’t say another word. His lower lip quivered.
    Even
though I could tell he was upset, I thought he looked adorable. “Have I ever
told you that you’re sexy as hell when you’re mad at me?”
    He
didn’t even look up at me.
    “You
can’t stay in those clothes,” I said.
    His
mouth pressed into a hard line. “You criticize my wardrobe when you insist on
wearing those ?” he asked, pointing to my shoes.
    I
glanced down at my flip-flops. “My feet are swollen twenty-four/seven. I have
no choice. And don’t you dare try to deflect the attention off yourself.”
    “I
wish to be alone,” he said in an authoritative