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“You were,” Dana offered, still patting her hand. “You were just unaware that there’s some weird medical bullshit that complicated things. None of this is your fault.”
“You’re my friends. Of course you see it that way. I just don’t know how telling Brent can bring him and me anything but heartache.”
Ashley sighed, stopped pacing, and hugged her. “Well, right now, you finish this up, and we’ll go home and do a movie day. No thinking – just whatever food you can keep down and Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as the drop-dead undead.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jessica said.
It was, so far, the only one she had.
Chapter Thirteen
Jessica
Jessica spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, thinking over all her bountiful lack of options. It would be cruel to hide it from Brent, and she’d have to quit in a couple months anyway. She’d wanted to by the time school started, but Cara had begged her to help her adjust through middle school starting up, a new whole wing of her academy, and Jessica couldn’t say no. But by five months with twins, it’d be obvious what was going on with her. To everyone. She wasn’t sure which she hated more – the chance of a snide comment from Donald Sanderson when he figured it out or her dad’s disappointment. It was a close. Her dad would eventually forgive her, no matter what, but Donald Sanderson was a snake with a total talent for making her feel two feet tall.
The next day, she’d tried to make due with a caffeine-free tea and make it through her class before heading over to Brent’s estate. She was blinking pretty hard and realizing that going at least six months without coffee was probably going to drive her insane.
No, scratch that.
It would definitely drive her insane.
However, once she and Cara started going over her new homework assignment for earth science class, things fell into the right rhythm. She wasn’t sure she’d feel that way when Brent arrived, as if she were somehow putting out pregnant vibes now and he’d know on sight that she was with child. Correction. Children, his children.
“I had a good day today, actually,” Cara said.
“Did you?”
“Yes, Dad and the senator talked last year, but I think Grandpa might have said something too.”
“How can you tell?” Jessica asked, reading through Cara’s answers.
“His fundraising for his re-election is way down. I Googled lately, and it seems like really big donors are avoiding him. Also, now that we’re on the middle school side, I don’t have classes with all of those girls. They’re not that smart, so I have at least one girl in my class who’s really nice to me and likes marine biology, too.”
Jessica blinked. It was a cold reminder that Donald Sanderson went the extra mile to make people who crossed him or his family extra sorry. “What? You’re kidding about the senator, right?”
“I don’t think so. Everyone says her dad’s gonna lose.” Care shrugged. After four months, her bob had grown out to be shoulder length. Today she had it pulled back with a headband colored black and white like soccer balls. “I’m not really mad Grandpa did that.”
Jessica sighed. “It’s a little scary, but I’ll let you in on a secret.”
“What?”
“I’m glad those girls are leaving you alone, too. As long as you don’t, uh, have your grandfather threaten everyone. That’s probably a bad habit to get into.”
Cara took her worksheet back and started making any corrections Jess had pointed out. “I know, but those girls were awful.”
“Yeah, they were. If they find a way to give you trouble again, you need to tell me or your dad first, you know? We’re here for you, too.”
“Okay!” Cara said, finishing her work and putting it away in her binder. “So, do you want to go outside? I have a new soccer net out back, and we could kick around some.”
“Great, and I found a new killer whale documentary on Netflix we can watch till your dad gets back.” She stood up and grabbed her jacket. There was an unseasonable cold spell today. It was almost sixty, and to a “So Cal” girl like her, that was just too low. “Hey. Cara,” she started as they headed down the rat’s maze of hallways to the backyard. “Did you ever want any brothers or sisters?”
She had no idea why she’d started this suicidal line of conversation. After all, she wasn’t even sure that she could tell Brent. But maybe this was part of figuring everything out. If this were going to hurt Cara in any way, after all the poor girl had been through, the last thing Jessica would do then would reveal it.
