Page 9 (1/2)
"Jesus," I finally mutter seconds, ether, the water still sloshing around us "I thought I was going to pass out for a minute"
"It’s--it’s the heat in the rooht-headed, too"
I finally move, start to pull out of her, but she reaches aroundy "For what?"
"Overreacting Springing the idea of a baby on you so quickly and expecting you to just go along with it It was unfair of me" She kisses my lips, my chin, then my jaw, her lips soft and warm and full of comfort
"I overreacted, too," I say as I slowly pull out of her and then grab her by the waist, tugging her intowater sloshes and splashes; the bathrooive a shit "I’ht up in someone else’s life, you know? So to randomly procreate and make a baby"
Her eyes narrow and I worry for a second that I offended her "You have such a ords sometimes, Drew Callahan," she drawls, then scrambles out of aze locked on the floor "Holy shit, I think half the bathwater is on the floor"
We both laugh and help each other out of the tub, then thron as many towels as we can find on the floor to sop up all the water She pulls on a white terry-cloth robe provided by the hotel that overwhelms her completely, the collar puffed up around her neck, the he on the still damp floor I dry off and follow her out into the room, where she sheds the robe and crawls into bed I follow her, pulling her close and holding her to me
"Well, I knoe don’t do it very often, but there is one really good thing about arguing with each other," she says after a few quiet moments when I’m about to drift off to sleep Hell, I know it’s not even six o’clock, but a nap sounds daht about now
"What is it?" I ask, htly closed
"Hot ers downher "That was kind of a, Drew"
"It asn’t it?" I smile "Let’s sleep on it and then I’ll be ready for round two"
"Round two? How are you going to top that?"
"Watch me"
Fable
"Are you okay?" Jen slides into the booth across from me, her dark eyes full of concern as she studies one and with everything that’s happened lately, I needed to come home
So I did I asked Owen to stay with h he has his own place, and we’ve been hanging out It’s been nice It feels good, being here
But I’on …
Later
Sniffing loudly, I shakemy lips to dump the entire story on Jen when the waitress approaches, asking if ant coffee I asked my closest friend to meet me at a breakfast place none of us ever frequent, clear on the other side of town I want no one to hear anything we have to say This secret I’ to probably kill me when he finds out
"I’d like solance at ht of coffee makes my stoo "No, thank you Maybe soe juice?"
The waitress looks at e juice?"
Do I? I feel like I can’t make a decision to save e juice And a glass of water, too"
"Anything else? So to eat? We have a puests "It’s delicious"
My sto "No thanks," I say betweenher the ot there, just about five ood"
"Me, too," Jen says "I already ate"
The waitress leaves us alone and Jen glances around, then leans across the table, her voice low "What’s wrong with you? Tell ot your voice mail, you sounded so freaked out you scaredof a deal Well, it sort of is" Sing hard, I try to come up with the best way to say this But it’s only Jen She’s not going to judge She e May as well state it plainly "I’nant"
A pause as the words sink in and I watch her reaction It’s rather fascinating, really Her eyes light up, her lips part, and color bloo as she looks ready to squeal, then slaps her hand over her mouth at the last moment so all I see are wide, shock-filled brown eyes "Really?" she asks, her voice ers
I slowly nod "Really"
The waitress arrives at that preciseover the coffee cup that sits upside down on the saucer in front of Jen before pouring the stea The bitter scent reacheslike crazy I don’t puke right here in the middle of this tiny coffee shop
This is how I kneas pregnant in the first place Every little scent, every smell, especially either perfu My stomach is constantly nauseous and I’m so tired all the time All I want to do is nap
"How?" Jen breathes out the question as soon as the waitress leaves She tears into three creamers and duars and duriross