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The kitchen wasn’t e fries or chicken strips Waitresses were co out the food A few of the other waitresses stopped when they heard Aggie, and I felt my cheeks fill with the heat of embarrassment and a little shame

I would have never asked for money from her, or anyone else Not even when I was down to my last hundred dollars had I asked for a handout, or a loan, or anything else for that matter I wouldn’t have asked for help with money if I only had two dollars to my name

Maybe I did act a little naive for e Maybe I was a little sheltered But I wasn’t the type of person who took so I didn’t earn

I didn’t answer her I couldn’t even if I had wanted to My voice was locked in my throat

I went into the back roo eyes of ether

It took a few minutes before the heat in my face faded Then I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and forced myself to focus on work Maybe I didn’t need the money to move away now, but I still needed it to take care of myself and the only innocent in the mess—my baby

In the chaos of et away, I hadn’t really let myself think about the life that Raider had helped me create

It shouldn’t have co my breakfast—before I had even had breakfast—the week before It had, though After the first one to the doctor just the week before to confir worse since Raider hadn’t used protection the night we’d had sex

Still, I hadn’t wanted to believe it Hadn’t wanted to think that my heart would forever be connected to theit, and had finally succeeded in shattering it

For days now, I had tried to pretend like nothing had changed, like I wasn’t going to have to make decisions that didn’t just concern me but my child, as well

I didn’t kno Raider would react to finding out I was pregnant, and I wasn’t in any hurry to find out However, I knew that I would eventually have to tell hi, people wouldn’t be able to er Maybe I could play it off as just gaining weight for a while, but not even that could last long

Tying my apron into place, I finally sucked it up and went out to start waiting tables Like I had done at the strip club, however, I let instinct take over and ular custo apart at the seams

The lunch hour came and went, but the flow of customers didn’t let up until nearly three I was supposed to be off at four, but since I had coer to ie wouldn’t mind

With half my tables now empty, I took the time to restock the ketchup and steak sauce at each booth then went into the back todinner crowds that I kneould be swa at five

No one spoke to otten the hint and was leaving lad that I didn’t have to keep up the act with theo into the kitchen and let hs that made my cheeks ache