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“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” Ember’s face was candy apple red as we read the back of pregnancy boxes.
“Aww, come on. It’s fun.” I nudged her playfully with my shoulder. “What color of stick do you want to pee on? Blue, pink, or lavender?”
“I’m sure the color doesn’t matter.”
“It might. Like if you picked the blue one, maybe it’ll magically give you a boy. And a pink one will give you a girl.”
“And what will the lavender and white ones give me?”
I tapped my finger on my lips, thinking. “A unicorn baby!”
We giggled together. Oh, how I needed this time with my bestie. The past couple of days had been hell. My dad had put me on lockdown, always over-the-top protective. Usually, my mom could calm him down and make him see reason, but not this time. She had fully agreed with him. I needed to be protected at all costs.
“You’re such a dork.” Ember laughed and selected one of each box. “I’ll get them all for good measure. But I doubt we’ll know for sure. It’s too early.”
“Nope, these tests say you can take them as early as ten days after conception.”
“Excuse me.” A hand reached around me and plucked a box with the blue test in it.
I peered over my shoulder at the blonde who was at Dante’s party last weekend. She was wearing an apron with the Bluebird Bites logo on it… Raymond’s favorite place.
I felt the blood drain out of my face and tears flooded my eyes and blurred my vision.
“Maybe I should get two, just in case one is defective.” She smiled brightly. “It happens.” She sashayed away with her pregnancy tests.
“Oh. My. God. Was that Ray’s—”
“Girlfriend,” I said, finishing Ember’s sentence. “Yes.” Guess I knew where we stood. He’d told me to move on. Now I knew why. He’d gotten the waitress pregnant. “Fuck!” I ran out of the drugstore and straight to my car, leaving Ember screaming my name.
I didn’t wait for her.
I bolted like hell on wheels toward my Mustang and peeled out of the parking lot. Thankfully, the downtown wasn’t busy after lunch.
My phone rang. It was Ember. I couldn’t talk to her with a sob stuck in my throat. In my rearview mirror, I spotted my brother’s truck following me. My dad had made Chase follow me everywhere, since we didn’t know who was fucking around with me.
I’d left him in the magazine section while Ember and I picked out her pregnancy tests.
Chase would be furious that I left without him.
Ember’s name flashed on my screen again. I ignored it.
I pushed on the brakes as the light turned yellow, and they didn’t work. I pumped them and nothing. My heart raced as I entered the intersection. Wheels screeched as people swerved to avoid slamming into me.
“What is happening?” I screamed, with tears cascading down my face.
My next thought was to get as far away from innocent people. I headed for the nearest country road and called my dad. He’d know what to do.
“Are you calling to yell at me again,” he said. Hearing his voice undid me.
“Dad! My brakes don’t work! I can’t stop! What do I do?” I asked through my sobs.
“Calm down, Birdie. Where are you? Where the fuck is Chase?”
“Behind me.” But in front of me, I could see a tractor slowly pulling onto the road. “A tractor! I’m going to hit it!” I screamed. “I’m going to die, Dad! I love you! I’m sorry!”
18
Dante
