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Panic set in. “Well, um…we were just leaving. I forgot I had to…I um…I need to go buy…”
Monica yelled out, “Laundry detergent!”
I snapped my head over to give Monica a wide-eyed glare.
Zoey laughed. “Laundry can wait. Come on, I want to introduce you both to my guy.”
She pulled me back into the restaurant. I looked over my shoulder and mouthed, “Laundry soap?” at Monica. She just shrugged.
Before I knew it I was walking up to Zoey’s table. Cale leapt up to greet me.
Zoey stopped and gave me a smile I’d never seen before. She almost seemed…pleased with herself. “Cale,” she said, “this is my dearest friend, Maddie Powers. Maddie, this is my boyfriend, Cale Blackwood.”
Zoey’s stress on the word boyfriend didn’t go unnoticed. Cale glanced at her quickly before returning his gaze to me.
A million thoughts raced through my head. Do I let her know I know him? Do I tell her Cale is my mystery guy? The guy I’d been desperately in love with for the last two years?
Then it hit me: This was the guy she met in Starbucks. The guy who’s fucked her every which way but loose. My stomach clenched and my heart broke into a million pieces. He’d moved on. And, in that moment, I knew what I had to do. I stuck out my hand and attempted to smile. “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Cale.”
Cale looked down at my hand, then back into my eyes. I couldn’t quite tell what he was feeling. He eventually reached out and took my hand in his. I gasped slightly when our fingers touched and everything from that night two years ago zipped through my body. I quickly pulled my hand from his and looked away.
Cale cleared his throat. “It’s, um…my pleasure, Maddie.”
We both just stood there, attempting not to look at each other. Cale’s friend, Jack, stood up and reached out his hand. “I’m Jack Rembrandt, it’s nice to, uh, meet you.” He turned to Monica and smiled. “And you are?”
Zoey chuckled. “Where are my manners? This is Monica Price, Maddie’s friend.”
Both Cale and Jack shook Monica’s hand as she attempted to politely follow my lead.
“Waiter! Can you please bring us two more chairs?” Zoey asked, winking at me.
Monica and I both panicked and shouted, “No!”
Startled, Zoey jumped. “Nonsense,” she said, giggling. “You’re staying for lunch.”
Before I knew it, I was sitting directly across from Cale. I looked away and smiled at Zoey as she gazed back and forth between Cale and me.
Zoey gave me a sly smile. “Is everything okay, Maddie?” she asked “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Monica hit me on the leg under the table. I grinned and shook my head. “I’m fine. Totally fine.”
We spent the next fifteen minutes listening to Zoey describe how her and Cale met, how wonderful the last month had been, and how she couldn’t believe both Cale and I had bought houses on Beaver Lake. When Cale heard that, he stared at me, shocked.
The waitress set down my Caesar salad as I attempted not to look at Cale. I glanced up to see Jack and Monica glaring at each other. This was turning into a nightmare. I need to get out of here.
“Zoey, I really need to go,” I said as I reached into my purse to take out money. I could ask the waitress for a to-go box.
“Oh no!” Zoey said. “Not yet. I haven’t even told you the best news!”
Cale dropped his fork onto his plate. He leaned over and whispered, “Zoey, what are you doing? I don’t think this is a good idea. We need to wait and…”
She swatted her hand toward him as if she was shushing him up. “Nonsense, Maddie is my best friend. I can’t wait to tell her!”
“Tell me what?”
Cale had a panicked look on his face as his eyes darted between Zoey and me. “Zoey,” he said, “please! We still have to talk more about this and…”
Zoey glared at Cale and he stopped talking.
She turned back to me and sucked in a breath of air. Letting it out, she said, “I have some wonderful news to share.”
Cale seemed sick to his stomach as he looked at Jack. Jack was glaring at Zoey. Clearly Jack didn’t care for her.
I forced myself to smile at Zoey. “Well, I can’t wait to hear it,” I said, my voice cracking.
Zoey sat up taller and gave me a hair-raisingly creepy smile. “I’m pregnant,” she said.
Monica choked on her food and Jack jumped up. “Are you all right?” he asked
Monica grabbed her water and waved her hand at him, indicating that she was okay.
I was stunned. All I could say was, “What?” Zoey couldn’t have kids. If she did it would be dangerous for both her and the child. “How? I mean, who’s the father?” I asked.
Zoey’s smile vanished and Jack started laughing. Zoey glared at Jack before giving Cale an adoring look.
Oh God, please, no. This is not happening. Please don’t do this to me.
Zoey reached for Cale’s hand. “Cale and I are expecting a baby in about eight months. I’m only just a few weeks along.”
Monica cleared her throat. “Are you sure it’s Cale’s baby?”
Zoey gave Monica a look that should have dropped her to the ground. “Yes, I’m sure,” she hissed.
Monica took a sip of her wine and raised an eyebrow. “Well, one can never be too sure with girls like you.”
Jack started laughing again as he looked at Monica. “I like you,” he said. “A lot.”
Monica smiled and winked at Jack.
I kicked Monica under the table and was pretty sure Cale had done the same thing to Jack with how they both jumped and then shut up. My heart was beating at a crazy pace.
“Zoey, does your mother know?” I blurted. “What about the doctor? That kind of stress on your body can’t be good for you or the baby.” I wasn’t even sure if Cale knew Zoey was sick.
Zoey picked up her glass of water and took a sip. “This was supposed to be a happy announcement, and you’re ruining my moment. I wish you could just be happy for me, Maddison. There is no need to be jealous.”
I wanted to reach across the table and slap her. I looked at Cale and his eyes were filled with sadness. No, worse—they looked completely empty. He clearly wasn’t happy to be expecting a child. Without taking my eyes from Cale I managed to smile and say, “I’m thrilled for you, Zoey. I’m happy if you’re happy.”
She grinned from ear to ear. “I’ve never been happier.”
Monica cleared her throat and asked, “Cale, what about you? Are you happy about becoming a daddy?”
Zoey sighed and rolled her eyes. “Of course he is, Monica.”
Cale smiled, but I could sense it wasn’t genuine. “It was a shock when Zoey told me,” he said. “Not expected at all. I wasn’t really ready for parenthood.”
Zoey laughed. “Well, with the incredible sex we have, I’m not surprised.”
I couldn’t breathe. I needed to get out—now. I pushed my chair back, startling everyone at the table, and pulled some cash from my wallet.
“I um…I need to go. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”
Zoey was sitting there with what seemed to be a very satisfied smirk on her face. As if she felt that she’d won a game that I hadn’t even realized we were playing.
Cale stood up, “Maddie, wait.”
The look I gave him sent him right back to his seat.
I smiled weakly at Zoey. “Have a wonderful afternoon.”
She chuckled softly and said, “Oh, I will.”
As I walked away, I sensed Monica right behind me.
I stormed out of the restaurant and practically ran down the boat ramp and into my car. As I turned the key in the ignition, I leaned my head against the back seat and started to cry. Monica took my hand in hers.
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“I know you don’t want to hear this,” she said, “but I swear to God, Maddie. It was like Zoey knew you and Cale had a history.”
I didn’t want to believe it. My head was telling me that Zoey knew, but my heart didn’t want to believe she would be so cruel.
I wiped my eyes, pulled out of the parking lot, and began driving toward my new house. “We’re going out tonight,” I said. “I need to forget this entire day.”
I WALKED INTO the house and threw my keys down on the table. I still couldn’t believe I’d just seen Maddie. She’d been right fucking there…and then Zoey had to walk in. Sighing, I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. I walked into the living room and sank into the sofa.
“Cale?” Zoey said. “You’re upset. Why, baby?”
I rolled my eyes. I knew it wasn’t Zoey’s fault, but what were the damn odds that she'd be friends with Maddie? And it almost seemed like she got some thrill from telling Maddie she was pregnant.
“I’m not upset, Zoey,” I said as I downed my beer.
She sat next to me and sighed. “I told my parents today, about being pregnant. My mother is so excited. Thrilled, I should say, but she was a downer at first, like Maddie. Maddie was just jealous, though. She always wants what I have. It’s kind of sad, really.”
“Don’t you think you should wait and talk to your doctor? You said yourself that he’s going to tell you that this is a high-risk pregnancy. I mean, you’re telling everyone. You’re not even that far along and you’re telling your friends.”
She glared at me. “You want me to have an abortion? Is that what you want, Cale?”
For a brief moment I wanted to tell her yes. I didn’t want to have a baby yet, let alone with Zoey. I wanted to be in love—madly in love. And married. More than anything, I wanted to be with Maddie.
Shit. I need to stop thinking like this.
I knew it wouldn’t be long before Zoey picked up on the fact that Maddie and I knew each other. I had to admit, I was shocked when Maddie pretended not to know me. Then again, I couldn’t blame her either.
