When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) by Micalea Smeltzer Page A

swear my temperature rose and if I didn’t get out of my clothes then I was going to suffocate. So then, after I removed my clothes, I laid down on the cold hardwood floor in the kitchen. It seemed like the best idea in the world at the time, but I realize now from Xander’s perspective I look like I’ve lost my mind. The ice cream drips on my bra and stomach probably don’t help my case, either, but it’s really freaking hard to eat ice cream while you’re sobbing.
    “I got hot,” I mumble, spreading out my arms and legs like you would to make a snow angel. I end up bumping my arm against the ice cream carton and it goes sliding across the floor and Prue runs after it, lapping up more of the quickly melting ice cream.
    He shakes his head and sets the plastic bag on the counter.
    The plastic bag that holds my fate.
    “Thank God your brother isn’t here.”
    “Eh,” I mumble. “He would’ve just shaken his head at me and left. Rae is the one that would ask questions.”
    “Where are they anyway?” he asks. “They’re never here.”
    “He said something about going to see her parents yesterday. I think they’re gone for the whole weekend.”
    Xander waggles his brows. “A whole weekend just the two of us?”
    I hiss at him—like a cat, because I mean seriously? “Buddy, I think we should figure out if I’m pregnant first, because if I am you’re losing your dick. Just sayin’.”
    “Buddy?” he mumbles to himself like he can’t figure out why on Earth I would’ve called him that.
    Still lying on the floor, I hold out a hand to him. “Help me up Mr. Betta-Not-Be-My-Baby-Daddy.”
    He suppresses a laugh and holds out a hand to me. Growing serious, he asks, “What are you going to do?” He sounds pained. “If it’s positive,” he clarifies.
    I sigh. I know what he’s thinking. “I wouldn’t get an abortion,” I tell him. “I don’t think I could do that, but …” I bite my lip. “I’m not ready for a baby, and how could you be, either? A baby’s a big deal and we’re already dealing with the whole uh-oh marriage thing. I don’t want an uh-oh baby too.”
    “You don’t think we could do it?” he asks. “Be parents.”
    “I’m sure we could.” I shrug, reaching for my shorts that lie on the floor. “But I think we could be better parents down the road. Like … when I’m thirty.”
    He chuckles. “So, you promise one day, if this is negative, you’ll have my baby?” He grabs me by the waist and pulls me to him.
    “Number one, it better be negative—no if about it—and number two, yes, if we’re still together. I’d like kids one day … far, far, into the future.”
    He lowers his head and nips my bottom lip. “Now there you go using the if word.”
    I shrug. “Hey, the summer isn’t up yet. You might grow sick of me.”
    He chuckles. “I haven’t in the last nineteen years so I think you’re safe.” He winks at me and steps back, grabbing up the plastic bag. “Shall we?”
    “We?” I echo. “Last I checked you don’t have to pee on the stick.” I snatch the bag from his hand and head for the bathroom.
    He follows, of course.
    I try to push him out of the bathroom but he’s too big. “Ugh,” I groan. “Go away.”
    “Nuh-uh.” He shakes his head. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
    “Obviously,” I mutter, letting my hands fall from his chest. The guy is as solid as a brick wall. 
    I take the box out of the bag and air whooshes out of my lungs. My hands shake and Xander notices. He doesn’t say anything as he takes the box from my hands and opens it. He reads the directions out loud and hands me the slender white stick. 
    He takes my face between his hands, forcing me to look at him. “It’ll be okay,” he tells me. “No matter what, it’s going to be okay.”
    I nod once and then go to pee.
    I don’t bother telling him to leave. I know he won’t anyway, and besides, I kind of want him here. Without him there, I might make a mad