The Gate to Everything (Once Upon a Dare Book 1) Read Online Free

made him even warier. Something was really wrong, and he took his time studying her, trying to decipher what it was. Her normally golden skin looked gray. Circles lined her green eyes, and her face was puffy. A wave of fear enveloped him.
    “Tell me what’s going on.”  
    Grace reached for his hand, and he blinked at her in shock. Her green eyes were pleading, and his fingers curled around her palm of their own volition.
    “There’s no easy way to tell you this,” she said haltingly, “and if I could, I wouldn’t for the entire world.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but…I’m pregnant.”
    He sat back in the chair. Fell back, more like. “What?” He felt her squeeze his hand again.
    “I’m pregnant.”  
    “Wait.” His mind clicked on like a backup generator. He did the math. They’d split up in December, over three months ago. Jordan shoved her hand away. “You’re just telling me now ?”
    “I went to Italy for a while to work in our sister restaurant.” Grace stood up slowly. “I needed some time to think about things.”
    He shoved out of his chair. She’d been in Italy? “Time? Are you kidding me?”
    The pleading in her eyes turned to anger. “Do you think this has been easy? Our breakup hurt me.”
    “It fucking hurt me too! How could you think it hadn’t?”
    “Please don’t swear at me! And maybe I didn’t think you weren’t affected because of all the women you’ve been photographed with.” She looked down.
    “I’m sorry for swearing, and the women were…” Crap, what was he supposed to say? “A distraction. Hype. I can’t believe you’ve waited this long to tell me, Grace.”
    Her silence was unnerving. “I decided to wait until I was past the first trimester.”
    His head buzzed as he realized why. She’d been waiting to see if she’d miscarry. “Jesus.”
    “I told you to stop saying that!” she said in a hard tone. “You know I hate it.”
    He blew out his breath slowly, reaching for calm. The first chef she’d worked for in New York had bullied her with bad language, and Grace had promised herself she wouldn’t be around that kind of ugliness again. Jordan had complied. Mostly.
    Grace sat down again and drank her tea, clearly upset if her shaking hands were any indication. He’d bet the bank it was chamomile flavored with lemon and honey, her favorite. He was grateful she hadn’t offered him any.
    He raised his hand like a white flag. “I’m sorry. I lost it. Chalk it up to shock, okay? It was the broken condom, right?” Frustrated by their separate sleeping arrangements in her parents’ house during Thanksgiving—a Kincaid rule—he’d coaxed her into the barn after a midnight walk to make love. It had broken during the heated exchange.
    “I was on antibiotics for my sinus infection, remember? It sometimes negates the effects of the Pill.” Which was why they’d used a condom.
    “I thought you said we’d be okay, that it wasn’t the right time of the month.”
    Her face scrunched up. “I was wrong, obviously. Here I was talking about my clock ticking…I don’t know if it’s nature’s greatest irony or a cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for.”
    “Ah, Gracie.” He swallowed thickly as a wave of emotion rolled through him. “So, we’ll get married.”
    “Like your parents did out of high school with you?” A flash came and went in her green eyes. “That’s not the way.”
    So, his parents hadn’t been happy. In fact, the decision had basically ruined both of their lives. His dad’s college dreams had been put on hold indefinitely, and he’d ultimately fallen into gambling, women, and alcohol out of resentment. He’d left the family when Jordan was eight. Jordan still had no idea what had become of him.
    “We aren’t my parents,” he said. “Grace, we’re having a baby. Of course, we’ll get married. I thought this was what you wanted.” I still love you.
    She held up a hand like a white