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"I—" I break off, and King wrinkles her forehead. "I'll see you in a bit," I finish the sentence, and she searches my eyes.
What was I about to say?
The vet declaresthat Echo is healing nicely and that she'll be running around again in no time. I'm standing next to King as we get the news, and this time, it's me who squeezes her hand. She sags against me, and I let out a huge breath. I wrap my arm around her, drawing her close, the relief making my knees weak.
We continue our routine. Whenever King is at The Grizz, I stay with Echo, even as she begins to feel better and can walk around almost normally again—only a little slower.
On King's night off, we curl up in her bed, my laptop in front of us. We watch one of those new Netflix shows, and before we realize it, we've watched the entire season.
So, this is what Rhys and Lilly always had with each other.I never understood until now.
That night, I go to bed with a lightness behind my ribs I've never experienced before. Making sense of my friend's relationship also puts something else in perspective. Lilly didn't stop Rhys from his mistake, because they were a team. They may disagree on topics, but she trusts him with every fiber of her being.
Maybe it's time to forgive them,I hear King's words in my head.
CHAPTERTWENTY
"MAAAAGS!"My shout turns into a croak mid-scream. Heart pounding in my throat, sweat begins to build on my forehead. I'm going to throw up. No, no, no.
How could this happen?
My eyes fly back and forth between the calendar displayed on my phone and the two round boxes sitting next to it. One I started a week ago—seven pills gone—and the other one I had fished out of the large blue bin outside the house—talk about dumpster diving at its finest. One pill left. How? My mind is racing through the days. I don't understand. I've never missed one. Ever!
My calendar has several reminders. One for when to get more (having no health insurance, I always have money set aside. I'd rather be hungry for a few days than not be able to protect myself) and two daily reminders for when to take it (one at the time I should swallow the tiny pill and another, two hours later, in case I forget it). I have never forgotten it. Until now. I even have it marked when to start a new pack in my calendar, which I did without thinking or double-checking the old one a week ago. Fuck! For once, I'm glad about my laziness with taking out the bathroom trash, which meant it was still outside.
Realizing what must've happened, I dove into the trash can like the time I was fifteen. Mom had been in the hospital for two weeks, and I was looking for something edible, not wanting Kiwi or his grandma to know how bad it was. They found out anyway.
I shake the memory and focus on the present. My best friend is still not here. Where the hell is this girl when I need her?
"MAAAAGS!" My voice now borders on hysterical.
The door flies open, and Mags stands in the threshold, frantically searching my small bathroom for the possible danger. Then, her eyes zero in on the vanity and instantly jerk back up, followed by dropping to my stomach. Understanding sets in, and she gasps, eyes bulging.
My throat closes up, and I swallow several times, but it's no use. The tears start pooling in my eyes until they spill over, and a sob bubbles up in my throat.
My best friend is at my side in two strides and wraps her arms around me. I cling to the front of her shirt while cries rack through my body. She strokes my hair, continuously murmuring, "I'm here. Let it out. It'll be okay," to me.
It feels like hours until my body begins to calm and numbness takes over. I pull back and meet Mags's concerned eyes.
"What am I gonna do?" My question breaks the silence in the room.
"Are you sure?"
She is asking if I have taken a test yet.
"I'm six days late, Mags." My voice cracks again at the end of the sentence.
"Stay here." She disappears and walks back in not thirty seconds later, holding a pink box.
Momentarily distracted from my situation, I frown. "Why do you have a pregnancy test handy?"
She completely ignores me and pulls out the test, holding it out to me. "Pee!"
"Gee, aren't we blunt today?" A half-hearted laugh escapes me, but Mags doesn't blink and shoves the little stick in my hand.
Not caring about modesty at this point, I drop my pants and sit down on the toilet.
Aiming at this darn stick is harder than it looks.
