28. Summer #3
“You only chew fruity gum when you’re pregnant. The rest of the time you prefer minty gum. Spearmint’s your favorite.” When I don’t say anything, she continues. “I’m really good at pattern recognition. And this isn’t part of your normal routine.”
Crap. I wasn’t planning on telling her about this today when I haven’t even talked to RJ yet, but I’ve been so emotional it feels like a huge relief. “He doesn’t know yet. I just found out.”
“Does he know about your history?”
“He does.”
“Didn’t you use protection?”
“It’s not like we knew we’d be hooking up so neither of us packed condoms. But I have an IUD—or I did.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’d only had it in for a month, and apparently, even though it’s rare, it’s more likely for them to fall out in the first three months.”
“What would make it fall out?”
Your brother’s huge dick banging against my cervix.
That’s probably not the actual reason, and it’s so incredibly rare according to my research, but I can’t help my smirk.
Raven makes a gagging noise. “Nope. Don’t answer that.”
Swallowing my laughter, I opt for honesty. “I’m scared to tell him.”
“What? Why? Because of your history with miscarriages?”
I shake my head. “No. He made this comment that’s been stuck in my brain. The kids got me drunk and I threw up—long story, I’ll tell you later—and he said giving me a bath reminded him of bathing an unruly toddler and he was glad he was done with that stage of his life.”
“What a fucking idiot.” Her nostrils flare.
My hands fly up in defense. “I’m butchering it.
His words were kinder than how I’m retelling it.
To be fair, he didn’t know I’d get pregnant.
I’m thirty-eight and had an IUD. I wasn’t expecting it.
And we were not at the ‘Do you want any more kids’ phase of our relationship.
He probably didn’t mean it like that, but what if he did?
Now I’m in my head about it, afraid to tell him that I could be having his child—if I don’t lose this one too. ”
“You won’t. We’re not going to think like that.”
“Are you mad?” The question feels childish coming out of my mouth, and I drop my head.
Raven scoffs. “Why would I be mad?”
“This is a lot to process. You found out your best friend has been sneaking around with your brother, and he knocked her up.”
She clears her throat, getting my attention as I look up at her. “Well, I set you up, so I shouldn’t be surprised. And I’d love another niece or nephew.”
Tears well in my eyes, and I wave my hands in front of my face.
“It’s just a lot all at once. You got me all flustered when you showed up and then I lost my words, and I didn’t stand up for him before he left.
He doesn’t know I’m pregnant and I’m worried he doesn’t want any more kids but I’m trying not to stress, even though it’s not stress causing my miscarriages, it’s my stupid heart-shaped uterus.
I don’t know where RJ and I stand and I don’t know what will happen with this baby or if he even wants it.
And my emotions are all over the place because of the pregnancy hormones so everything feels like a bigger deal.
” My words come out in a torrent, so fast that I’m almost out of breath.
“Breathe. You’re feeling a lot of things.”
I nod as she grabs us some snacks and motions for me to join her on the couch. An hour goes by, even though it feels like it’s only been minutes.
Raven’s phone lights up on the table. Her brow furrows as she answers. She’s speaking in short, clipped sentences, and my alarm bells rise.
There’s a crease in her brow when she hangs up. “There was an accident. The good news is RJ is safe. But they’re taking him to the hospital to get him checked for smoke inhalation.”
“Oh my God.” My chest tightens.
She nods, steady as ever, her voice soothing. “He’s okay. But the bad news is that your place is not.”
“What?” My voice is high and squeaky as I squeeze my thigh to steady myself.
“The fire he was called into was on your street. The townhome a few doors down from yours caught fire and it spread quickly. When RJ got to the scene, he kept arguing with the chief about needing to save your babies.”
My hand flies up to my mouth as my pulse quickens.
“I think they thought he was talking about pets or something, so they let him go. The fire hadn’t spread to your unit yet.
He came out of your place carrying several boxes, and as soon as Hardy saw what he was doing he yelled at him to stop, but RJ ignored him.
He kept running in and out of the house to grab more boxes.
He was in such a rush, he never put his gear on.
Even when the house caught on fire, he kept running back in. Eventually, he collapsed in the yard.”
“My books.” Tears well in my eyes. “I called my books my babies. He was saving my books.”
“Well, it sounds like he saved a bunch of them. And they were able to get the fire under control so you might not have lost everything.”
“I don’t care about that right now. I need to see him. Can you drive me?”
Raven nods. “Of course.”