E P I L O G U E 3

Lily's POV

Lily's outfit for her dinner with the girls

It had been a week since Adonis and I both knew I was pregnant. We had our first appointment with Doctor Kristen and I was obsessed with her so our decision was made on that front. The circle of people who knew was Anne, Kiara and Kieran and that was it. Kiara hadn't said anything and Adonis had called later that night and told Kieran and as expected we got emotions we don't usually see, he was so excited. This week we intended on telling everyone who needed to know and I was starting with the girls tonight but it was only for after we sorted out our issues.

I made a reservation for dinner and we were all meeting there. We had been texting but it didn't go past how are you, I'm good how are you it was just awkward. We launched our swimwear brand and it was going great, it was an affordable line with very cute bikinis and it was a hit.

I arrived first and went and sat at our table and got some water. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous I had no idea what was going to come out of tonight but I was hoping for positive results. I sent Adonis a quick text and he was finding this hilarious how nervous I was because he said he was confident we would be fine and be right back if we just talked. It wasn't just our friendship between the three of us that had suffered, Adonis and Connor though they still hung out and spoke, it was different because they didn't want to step on each other's toes, then there was Ben and I who were struggling too because he is Jane's boyfriend. The whole group was out of wack.

I saw Nicole walk into the restaurant and I took deep breath and stood up as she got to the table and we shared a hug. I looked at her outfit and I said, 'I love your boots.'

She looked down at them then at me and she said, 'They are gorg right?'

I nodded laughing and she was grinning and we sat down and narrowed her eyes looking at my face. She raised an eyebrow and said, 'Is this that the newlywed glow because I'm trying to have some that.'

I laughed out loud at her, this pregnancy glow must be a real thing. I leaned forward, suggestively raising my eyebrows and said, 'Do you want Connor to propose?'

She smiled softly and said, 'I am gagging for a proposal Lily, literally gagging for it.'

I covered my mouth in just pure excitement, Nicole wanting a proposal is a big deal. I took her hand and said, 'Have you guys spoken about it?'

She nodded and said, 'We actually did at your reception but I of played it off like I was having wedding fever but here I am months later still wanting a proposal I don't think it's wedding fever.'

I laughed and Nicole looked up and said, 'Jane's here.'

We stood up and all shared hugs and I felt her hair and I said, 'Wow, your hair is like silky silky.'

She laughed as we all sat down and got comfortable and waiter came and gave us the menus. We made small talk till we had ordered and then when we got our drinks it was quiet and awkward because we knew it was time to talk. I got a roll and started buttering it and I said, 'So what do you guys think happened?'

Nicole is very peaceful, she is the peaceful one of our group of friends. She sighed and said, 'I think we didn't communicate correctly and then it fell apart from there. We were all good when we were going to Adonis's birthday party then after it was shambles and it was down from there.'

Jane hummed and she said, 'I think we wanted to communicate feeling threatened but we did in a confrontational way and so you got defensive.'

I nodded because I did get very defensive, the tone was very accusatory. In hindsight I probably should have known that's how they were feeling and seen past the tone. I hummed and said, 'I shouldn't have gotten defensive to be fair, I don't think there was any harm in what you were saying.'

Nicole shook her head and said, 'It was Adonis's birthday he had friends he hadn't seen in a long time and who don't live in the US even we should have been considerate of that. It was his birthday after all.'

Jane spoke and she said, 'This all true but you then didn't even need us or want us. You were in New York with Kiara Dempsey going for football galas with Kiara and it's like we didn't exist anymore. You got married and we weren't there but she was how do we not take that personally and not hate that.'

Nicole softly nodded and I said, 'Okay that's fair but I didn't know which energy would come with you guys, the night of my engagement party you were catty. The reason I didn't even have a ceremony with anyone was because I didn't want the drama. Not to mention Kiara and Kieran were a surprise from Adonis and even if we had discussed they still would have been the two who came. I'm sorry but that's just how it is, how it was.'

Jane let out a sigh and I said, 'Kiara still is one of my best friends. Her partner is best friends with Adonis has been since university. Kieran has shares in the Chargers as well so we'll be together. I don't like that it's like I can't make new friends with you guys.'

Jane rolled her eyes playfully and said, 'But we are your best friends.'

I laughed and I said, 'Guys we are all in very mature and serious relationships now things have changed but we should always be friends, best friends.'

Nicole hummed and said, 'We just need to adjust, we can adjust. We've had to adjust before we can do this.'

She took my hand in one and Jane's in the other and she said, 'We're good right? We're back.'

I let out a laugh and nodded and Jane nodded as well. I could bet money that Nicole struggled the most with this she hates any conflict. Jane sighed and said, 'We need shots, I was so nauseous coming here.'

I narrowed my eyes and Nicole said, 'And your solution is to feeling nauseous is shots.'

The waiter came and Jane ordered shots and they came and I stared at the shots. The waiter lighted the shots and when he left Nicole and Jane picked up their shots and I picked mine up and did the cheers with them and put mine down. They downed their shots and I laughed at their faces. Nicole pointed at my shot and she said, 'Why aren't you taking your shot?'

I put my hands together and said, 'Well firstly I drove.'

Jane narrowed her eyes me suspiciously so I shook my head and said, 'And I'm pregnant I can't drink.'

I watched Nicole and Jane's mouths drop open and stay like that. Nicole groaned and said, 'Ain't no fucking way, are you really pregnant?'

I nodded and showed them a picture of me at my appointment and Nicole covers her face, 'I can't take it.'

I hugged her and I started laughing and when I looked at Jane she was in one position crying. Nicole and I went and flanked her and we were all hugging sobbing. We ended up calming down and I was updating them about my honeymoon, how I found out, how I told everyone. They watched the video of Kiara and I and Nicole gushed, 'She's just too likeable, she's so happy for you.'

Jane tsked and said, 'I hate that.'

Nicole and I laughed and our food came and we spent the rest of the dinner just catching up. I was really so invested in finding out about what's been going on and I was just happy we were back.

We separated after dinner and I went home and when I opened the door Adonis stopped pacing and looked at me. There was no emotion or anything on his face giving anything away. Something had me very unsettled right now and he said, 'Don't freak out.'

I narrowed my eyes and said, 'You are starting with don't freak out of course that's going to make me freak out.'

He took my hands in his and said, 'I just got off the phone with Kieran. Kiara was involved in a hit and run she is missing, Kieran was in the Virgin Islands and he just landed back in New York.'

My knees buckled and he wrapped his arm around me and led me to sit down and he said, 'Kieran said not to panic, her brothers are in New York and they're already handling it.'

I nodded and I said, 'We are going to New York right?'

Adonis didn't seem sure and he said, 'You can't be stressed Rose.'

I nodded, calming myself down and I said, 'I know, I know but being here isn't going to make me less stressed.'

He nodded, ran his hand down his face and he said, 'Okay let's prepare to go to New York.'

I stood up and we went into our walk in closet and we were packing. We weren't speaking at all just packing and we finished quickly. The next time he spoke he said, 'The car is here and the plane is ready.'

We went down and I messaged everyone who needed to know that I would be away for a few days. We got into the car and we were just holding hands and I was finding so much comfort in having him. Kiara had been quiet but I had idea that this might be happening at all. Adonis's phone started ringing and he turned to me letting me know it was Kieran and as soon as he answered Kieran was speaking and all Adonis said before the call ended was, 'We just got to the tarmac. Yeah man we'll see you when we get there.'

The call ended and I was looking at him expectantly and he said, 'They found her, she is really injured and was taken into surgery but they said it went well.'

I started crying and he wrapped his arms around me and we got onto the plane and it took off immediately. Adonis eventually convinced me to go to sleep and when I eventually woke up we had landed and there was a car waiting to take us to the hospital.

Kieran had sent all the details and gone radio silent so we didn't know what was happening currently. We got to the hospital and we got to her suite and knocked, the door opened and when walked in and saw Kiara in the bed tears immediately started falling out of my eyes. She had bruises on her face, her arm was in a sling and when we made eye contact she started welling up too and she said, 'Lily.'