“You sure?” she lowers her voice as she asks me, making sure that no one can hear her.
“Yeah.” I give her my most realistic smile before attempting to stand up, but wince as I do so.
“Drew?” Liv calls after me as I look up at her.
“What? Never better. Just tired, and totally not actively having a miscarriage.” I smile at her, pushing past the sharp pains I’m feeling before I walk back to my room.
“What?!”she yells after me before I hear Liza calling her fromthe living room. I can see the shocked expression still on her face as she watches after me, wondering if she should follow me or go back to Liza.
Leaning against the door, exhaling before forcing myself across the room. Collapsing on the floor in front of my bed and pulling my knees up to my chest.
Breathing through the pain, I feel the relief as it dissipates, and I’m able to move back up onto the mattress and lie on my back, just staring at the ceiling.
I don’t even flinch when the door swings open, hitting the wall at its side. Just looking over, I see Liv as she storms in to where I’m lying. Her face softens as she comes closer, and she sighs. “Please tell me you were just joking.” I can hear her pleading with me.
“That would be a terrible thing to joke about, wouldn’t it? Especially considering…”
“Yeah.” She nods her head, exhaling. “Fuck. Shouldn’t you like go to the hospital?” she asks.
It makes me laugh as I shake my head. “So they can tell me just to ride it out, and it’s probably for the best since my boyfriend just broke up with me.”
“Drew.” She gasps again before moving to my side and pulling me into her.
“I’m fine.” I force out through a sniffle. She doesn’t let me pull away, but holds me tighter to her. Even though Liv is my cousin, she’s always seemed more like an older sister, one whom I can count on for anything. Didn’t want my parents finding out, call Liv. Then, if I didn’t want Z to find out, call Liv. Maybe that’swhy I just dropped it on her out there, like a cry for help, a need for someone to confide in.
“I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”
“Yeah, no one did.” The confession comes out along with all the emotion before the tears trickle down my face faster.
“Shh,” she whispers as she rubs her hand over my hair just as my mother used to do, and I’m blaming the fucking hormones when I cry harder.
She strokes my hair until I’ve calmed back down.
“I’ve been fucking Loch for 5 years.”
“What?” her abrupt admission makes me laugh as I sit back, looking at her.
“Every time I go out of town, I’m going to see him. When he’s here, I’m at his house the entire time.”
“Why are you — ah.” I can’t help but laugh. “You tell me a secret and I’ll tell you all of mine.”
She smiles a little before nodding. “Pretty much.”
“Well, the mistake you made is not agreeing to it before you told me.”
She shrugs. “Maybe I just need someone to talk to.”
I can’t help but laugh as I stand up, walking into the bathroom and moving out of her sight as I look at my eyes in the mirror. Wishing I could cry and not leave them a red, puffy mess.
Hearing Liv flop backwards onto the bed and sigh as she continues. “I mean, Liza and Zeke both know that we’ve hookedup a few times, but not to the extent. Not that we talk all the time.”
Peeking my head around the corner. “So, you’re dating?”
“No,” scoffing and shaking her head. “We’re not. We’re together when we’re together and not the rest of the time.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I ask her.
“I was.” She shrugs, pushing herself up onto her elbows.
