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Her words echo in my head, and I know that she's right. I need to take a chance, to see if Piper is still waiting for me on the other side. I get up from the couch and walk over to my mom, taking her hand in mine.
"Thanks, Mom," I say.
Then I go up to my room, already pulling up Piper's number on my cell.
I have a call to make.
Chapter six
Piper
Isitatthebus station in Portland and I stare at my phone.
I stare.
...and stare.
I've been thinking for this whole trip about what to say to Jesse, how to tell him the secret I've been keeping...and I can't. I didn't call the night before, I didn't call on the bus.
And now I'm here.
Stuck without a ride, pregnant and alone in a city where I don't know anyone.
I'm about to hang up my phone to go get some food when it starts ringing. I frown and stare at the name, unable to believe what I'm seeing.
Jesse is calling.
Unprompted.
For the first time in six months.
My heart begins pounding in my chest as I answer the phone, my voice shaky as I say hello. There's a brief moment of silence before Jesse speaks, his voice rough and hesitant.
"Hey," he says.
My world feels like it's collapsing in on itself at the sound of his voice alone. I swallow hard, trying to calm my nerves. "Hey, Jesse," I reply softly.
There's another pause before he speaks again. "Listen, I know we haven't talked in a while, but I just wanted to say...I'm sorry I didn't call. Shit got really complicated with my mom and my family and I didn't know how to..."
"I get it," I cut him off. "I'm a fucked up person--"
"You're not fucked up."
"Fine," I whisper.
We fall into a silence then, each of us unsure of what to say next. I can hear the sound of traffic in the background, the bustle of the city around him.
Then, suddenly, Jesse's voice breaks through the quiet. "I would like to see you," he says. "I've been taking care of my mom, but I could swing a trip down to San Francisco."
I lick my lips. "Actually...that won't be necessary," I murmur. "I'm sitting at a bus station in Portland right now."
Jesse's voice catches in surprise. "What? Why are you in Portland?"
I take a deep breath, knowing that this is it. This is the moment I tell him the truth.
"I'm pregnant, Jesse," I say softly. "And I didn't know how to tell you."
There's a long silence before Jesse speaks again, his voice low and full of emotion. "Pregnant?" he repeats. "Is it mine?"
