I’m about to deny that but know what he says is true.

“And since you brought food from my favorite take-out place, I’m guessing it’s the latter,” he adds, leaning back in his chair with an arrogant smirk. “So, go on. Hit me with it. What are you dragging me into this time? Another wedding? Because if it is, there better be free booze.”

I’m not surprised this is the assumption he chooses to go with since I’ve had to talk him into being my wedding date more than once. “It’s not a wedding,” I promise. “It’s bigger than that. Much bigger.”

His amusement fades. “Sounds serious.”

“It is,” I admit softly, my nerves growing by the second.

“What’s going on, Elle?” he presses. “Did something happen? Has someone hurt you?” The anger that creeps into his voice sends a chill down my spine.

“No.” I rush to assure him. “It’s nothing like that. It’s not bad. It’s good. Really good. I’m just nervous to tell you because it’s probably going to shock you.”

His easy demeanor returns, body visibly relaxing. “I think you’re forgetting who you’re talking to, Elle. You’ve roped me into some crazy shit over the years, I doubt there is anything you can say that will truly shock me.” He chuckles.

He has no idea …

“Besides, if you’re excited about it, then I am too.”

My heart warms at the added response. “Really?”

“Of course. So, out with it. Tell me, what are we excited about?”

Knowing it’s now or never, I place my carton of food down on the desk, then take one of his hands into both of mine.

The gesture catches him off guard, but before he can ask any more questions, I tell him the secret I have been keeping. “I’m going to have a baby.”

Gunnar

Deafening silence fills the room as I stare back at my best friend, the only girl who has ever mattered to me, and know without a doubt that I just heard her wrong.

I shake my head, trying to clear the echo. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

A soft smile flutters across her lips, her eyes lit with excitement. “I’ve decided to have a baby, Gunnar. I’m going to be a mom.”

My brain struggles to process those words but can’t because they make no sense.

I look around the room, expecting a cameraman to jump out at any moment and say gotcha. It would be a typical Ellie thing to do. Hell, I’ll bet even Ryland is in on this, the sneaky bastard.

I chuckle at the thought. “Nice one, Elle. You almost had me.”

She doesn’t share in my amusement. Hurt flashes in her eyes before she releases my hand. “It’s not a joke.”

Realization suddenly strikes, evoking a storm of emotions. Disbelief, confusion, and … panic. “What the hell are you talking about? Since when did you start seeing someone?”

She tells me everything and she has not mentioned any fucking guy to me. I’m the only guy in her life. It’s always been that way. It’s supposed to always be that way.

“I’m not seeing anyone.”

Relief floods my senses, giving me a moment of reprieve until another disturbing thought emerges. “Wait, are you telling me you’re someone’s sidepiece?”

I’ll kill the son of a bitch.

Ellie is not the kind of girl you screw around with. She’s the girl you marry. Not that I want her marrying anyone either, but that’s not the point.

“What? No.” She laughs, finding it funny.

I find none of this funny.

“There’s no booty call and no guy,” she assures me.

This should make me feel better, but it only leaves me even more confused.

Amusement fills her expression. “You can have a baby without having sex, Gunnar.”

I blink at that response. Ellie is one of the smartest people I know, but she’s also naive and inexperienced, which I have always been content with. However, I am not so sure that has been the best thing for her after what just came out of her mouth.

“Here, let me show you.” Reaching into her bag, she pulls out a pamphlet and hands it to me.

Taking it from her, I read the cover that says: Plan your future. Be a parent. Be a donor.

What—the—fuck?

“It’s called in vitro fertilization,” she goes on to explain. “It’s a procedure that I’ve been looking into for quite some time now.” Taking the pamphlet back, she opens it and begins explaining the pictures. “How it works is they take my egg and combine it with sperm from a donor. Then, they place it in my uterus for me to become pregnant.” She finishes the explanation with a smile as if it’s completely fucking normal for us to be talking about eggs, sperm, and her uterus.

If I wasn’t staring into her light hazel eyes right now, I’d swear I was just sucked up into the fucking twilight zone.

She clears her throat, shifting at my silence. “Told you you’d be shocked.”

“Shocked?” I choke out, struggling to speak past the grip on my throat. “You just told me you plan to have a baby. I’m a little more than fucking shocked, Elle.” My voice grows louder with every word, reaching high decibels.

“Keep your voice down,” she snaps, her gaze darting to the open door.

“The hell I will. What the fuck are you thinking?”

Her eyes narrow at my tone. “I’m thinking about where I am in my life and how I’m ready to be a mother.”

“Even if it means having some rando’s baby?”

Sex or no sex, that still makes me feel all sorts of pissed off.

Her chin lifts defiantly. “Even if it means having some ‘rando’s baby’.”

I shake my head, struggling to comprehend this.

“It’s not as uncommon as you think,” she says. “This sort of thing is done all the time. It’s safe and a great alternative for someone like myself.”