After The One (The One Series Duet) by Danielle Allen Page A

that makes me happy. I know ‘voice of reason’ is usually your title, but I have to ask… how are you feeling about all of this? You’ve always said you wanted to be married before you have a kid. Are you okay?”
    My eyes migrated to the flawless diamond Julian had slipped on my finger as the words he’d spoken from his heart to mine ran through my memory. “I’m more than okay and I will be married before we have the baby.”
    “What?!”
    I had to pull the phone away from my ear because the piercing scream felt like it was going to shatter my eardrum.
    “What?!” she repeated.
    I stifled a giggle. “Yeah, Julian proposed on Friday night.”
    I told her everything that happened, from the home pregnancy test to the poem in the jacket pocket to the urgent care exam room proposal. I was nearly in tears as I summarized some of what Julian had said to me that night.
    “He is the perfect man for you. I knew it. I sat in our apartment and I told you he would be perfect for you, didn’t I? And the fact that I pretty much hooked you two up will be highlighted in my maid of honor speech.”
    I laughed. “Deal.”
    “Okay so if you are two and a half months pregnant now and you are getting married before the baby comes, when is this wedding supposed to be? We only have six months to work with!”
    “We actually haven’t talked about that yet, but it’ll have to be in the next six weeks. I don’t know when I’m going to start showing, but if I want to keep the pregnancy a secret for as long as possible, I should probably not look pregnant in our wedding photos.”
    “I agree, and I guarantee you’ll be showing by the end of January.”
    “Maybe I can go upstairs and convince him to do a New Year’s wedding.”
    “Zoe, that man adores you. You won’t have to convince him to do anything.”
    “Bryce feels the same way about you. That’s why you should talk to him.”
    “He lied to me and said he was meeting a colleague and he met Lucifer’s sister.”
    I couldn’t help but laugh. “I get it, but there has to be a reason.”
    “That bitch talked shit about my best friend and was rude to me every time I had to do her makeup. There’s no reason. If—” Koko stopped talking abruptly.
    “Hello?” Concern flooded my system.
    “I don’t want to talk to you.” Koko’s icy tone immediately alerted me to who had walked into the trailer. “If I send someone to tell you JJ will do your makeup, don’t come looking for me. I’m on the phone. Get away from me. Give me my phone back!”
    I tucked my legs underneath my body and hugged myself.
    “Hello? Zoe?” Bryce’s tired voice burst onto the phone.
    “Oh…hey Bryce,” I greeted him awkwardly.
    “Dude, please get Koko to listen to me. I did not go on a date with Leah. Why would I go on a date with Leah? I was meeting with Robert Brady and his guests. He called them my colleagues. What am I supposed to do? Tell the creator of the show that I need to know who his guests are before we can meet? Leah and I got there on time, but Robert was running late. I had no idea she was coming. Please make her understand I would never do anything like that to her.”
    I didn’t say a word.
    “Zoe?” Bryce questioned the silence.
    “Is she still standing in front of you?” I asked.
    “Yes.”
    “Then she heard you. Is she glaring at you or is she avoiding eye contact?”
    “Glaring. Definitely glaring.”
    “Then she’s considering that you might be telling the truth. Tell her to call me back later and talk to her.”
    “Thanks Zoe.”
    “And Bryce…”
    “Yeah?”
    “There aren’t many people Koko and I don’t fuck with. Don’t make a habit of dining with people on that short list. Really, don’t make a habit of dining with any woman that isn’t Koko or heads will roll—particularly yours.”
    He chuckled. “I know. I apologize to you both. We’ll call you back.”
    Once the call was disconnected, I peeled myself off the couch and wandered