Hidden (Stolen, Book Two) (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) Read Free Page B

that. I needed to laugh.” The tension had faded enough so that Harper could take a breath now and with its release, she was ready to know for sure.
    Kylie must have seen it in her eyes because she handed the test to Harper and stood up. “I’ll be right here as soon as you’re done.”
    When the door closed, Harper sat for a few minutes just staring at the wrapped test. She should have been doing this with Ethan, but he father made sure to screw that up too. God, what if it was positive. Could she really do it alone?
    Do what? A voice in her head whispered. You don’t even know for sure yet.
    With a heavy sigh, she read the directions and did everything she had to exactly as it said. When she was done, she set the white test on the counter and washed her hands. Kylie came in with a kitchen timer and set it to two minutes. The ticking echoed in the small room as Kylie sat and took her hand. Neither of them said a word. When the timer dinged, Harper jumped.
    “Ready?” Kylie asked, squeezing her hand.
    She wanted to shout that she wasn’t ready; to look at the test; to have a child.
    “Want me to do it?” her best friend asked softly.
    “No, I need to look first.” Harper stood and crossed to the vanity, then picked up the test. Her heart thundered against her ribs. What was she looking at? Two lines meant positive right? She looked down and for a second, everything stopped. Pressure built in her chest until it felt like she was going to burst apart.
    She turned to Kylie and promptly burst into tears.
    “Oh sweetie, it’s positive?” Kylie asked, standing and wrapping her arms around Harper. “I’m so sorry.”
    Harper sucked in air and tried to get herself under control. This was ludicrous. The sinking feeling in her stomach should not even be there.
    “It’s negative,” Harper finally whispered, trying desperately to push down the crushing disappointment that should, in all reality, be relief. “I’m not pregnant.”
    Kylie pulled back just enough to brush Harper’s hair from her face. The understanding Harper saw only made it worse.
    “You wanted it to be positive?” she asked.
    “I don’t know,” Harper said between sobs. “It’s stupid right? Ethan hates me because of what my father is doing and we don’t even know each other at all…”
    “But you like him?”
    “I really do, Kye. He’s...being with him makes me feel different. With all the shit that’s been thrown down the past few months, I didn’t think I could feel anything except like I was drowning in anger, but with him, none of it seems insurmountable. I can breathe easier with him. Like, if he and I could be together then maybe everything my father did won’t ruin me too.”
    “Babe, you’re not your father and you’re not ruined. The people who know and love you already know that. If Ethan can’t see it, maybe you’re better off without him around.”
    Harper snort laughed and moved away to grab a tissue. “Doesn’t really matter now anyway. He has no reason to even try, and even though things might have been different under better circumstances, the truth is we’re on opposite sides.”
    “But are you? Harper I know you hate what you’re father is doing. Step away. Distance yourself so that everyone doesn’t make you guilty by association. They don’t know you can’t stand him right now; all they see is a man with his wife and daughter standing by his side. If you weren’t there, then they’d speculate that maybe you don’t agree with what he did.”
    Kylie was right and Harper knew that, had known it for awhile, but for some reason she was trying to get her mother to see what she was doing to herself by sticking by him. So far all it had done was show Harper that her mother had her head in the sand. How much longer could she try to protect her if she didn’t want to be protected?
    Harper had a degree and when it came time to find a job, who was going to hire the daughter of an embezzling asshole,