Ten minutes feels like ten hours as I wait on my front porch for Cat to arrive. When her little red car finally pulls into my driveway, I feel ready to implode.
“What the hell is this about? What’s going on?” I ask before she even reaches the porch.
“London didn’t tell you?” she says, though she already knows this based on our phone conversation ten minutes ago.
“Tell me what?”
“Penn, I...” She closes the remaining distance between us. “I’m pregnant.”
I swear the earth tips sideways, damn near taking me with it.
“Did you hear me?” Her voice feels distant, almost as if she’s speaking through a tunnel instead of standing right in front of me. “Penn.” She snaps her fingers in my face.
“You’re...” I can’t say the words. Hell, I can’t even begin to entertain that this is actually happening.
“Pregnant. Yes.” She smiles like she couldn’t be happier. Meanwhile, I’m over here, trying not to have a complete meltdown.
“How?” It’s the only word I can form.
“Well, how are all babies created?” She giggles. Actually giggles.
“But we...”
“Used protection, I know. But nothing is one hundred percent.”
“You said you were also on birth control.”
“I was in the beginning. But it made me sick, so I stopped taking it.”
“And you didn’t think that was something you should have shared with me?” My temper flares.
“We used condoms. I didn’t think it would make a difference.” She seems taken aback by my reaction, though I can’t imagine why.
Did she think I’d be happy about this? That I’m going to have a child with someone I don’t even like?
And then there’s London to consider.
London...
My mind spins.
She knows.
She knows that Cat’s pregnant. That’s why she had Josie pick her up. But how?
“You told London.” It’s not a question.
“I stopped by earlier to speak with you and she answered the door.”
“You knew I was at work.” I shake my head, not buying that excuse for one second.
“I thought I’d take a chance and see if you were home.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I was anxious to speak to you.”
“If you were anxious to speak tome, you would have come to the docks. You came here for her.”
