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Her words made me feel like I was a child. Then the thought of Friday creeped into my mind, and I imagined I’d be living on the side of a road somewhere. “What am I going to do? I don’t have anywhere to go,” I cried, tears welling into my eyes. “I have no job. I have no money.”
“You know you always have somewhere to go.”
“No, Brielle, I’m not imposing again.”
“No, of course not. I was going to surprise you, but while I’ve been here, Sawyer has been working with the landlord. Apparently, the same apartment you had is still available, so he is getting your place back. We both agreed to pay for your rent until you get a few checks under your belt. Plus, I still need an assistant manager, so you still have a job.”
Tears flooded my eyes. “Really?”
“Yes,” Brie said, wrapping her arm around me and pulling me in for a hug. “However, you need to be strong for the trip back. I need you to share the driving time with me. You are coming back home to Eastport.”
* * *
Friday morning had come.Brie and I had packed everything into my car. Since I’d had to leave Eastport so fast, Brie had kept my car and had driven it up when she came for the funeral. She had planned on taking a flight back, but since I was now going with her, we packed up the car.
“Are you still feeling nauseous?” Brie asked as she shoved the last box into the trunk of her car.
“Yeah. I feel stronger, though,” I said, taking a drink of the electrolyte drink Sawyer had recommended.
“Good. Sawyer wanted to know if those were helping,” she asked, nodding to the green fluid in the bottle I held in my hand.
I nodded. “I just wish they tasted better.”
“Yeah, well, he drinks the green one all the time after his workouts. He said you would probably like the blue one better, but that was the only one I could get.” She shrugged. “I figured it would be better than nothing. You ready to go?”
“Yes,” I said, deciding against going up to the apartment one more time to do nothing but look at the empty rooms.
“You drive first,” Brie said, handing me the keys and climbing into the passenger’s seat.
Our plan was to drive halfway today, stop for the night at a hotel along the way, then finish the drive tomorrow. We’d stopped and gotten something for breakfast, and half an hour later, as we were driving on the interstate, I felt that familiar gush of saliva in my mouth. I tried to fight it, but the feeling got worse over time, so I pulled over to the side of the road.
“What’s wrong?” Brie asked, pulling her head out of her phone.
“I’m gonna be sick again,” I said, cutting the engine, ripping my seatbelt off, and shoving the door open.
I just made it to the front of the car and was sick. I leaned against the side of the car, just taking in the air, hoping and praying that some air would calm my stomach down. I could see Brie in the front seat on her phone, no doubt texting Sawyer. I rolled my eyes, wondering what other doctorly advice he had for me now. When I finally felt better, I climbed back into the driver’s seat and put my seatbelt on. I was about to start the engine when Brie put her hand on mine.
“How long has this been going on?”
“What?”
“This being sick? How long?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, a couple of weeks maybe.”
Brie looked out the window and nodded. “I was speaking with Sawyer just now. He, um, recommends that you take a pregnancy test.”
“Is that supposed to be some sort of joke?” I said through blurry, tear-filled eyes. “Why would you even suggest that to me? You know the same as I do that Dr. Kavanaugh told me years ago I was infertile, that there was no way I would ever get pregnant.”
Brie closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat. “Doctors can be wrong… Besides, I know that you and Asher….”
“That Asher and I what? That we slept together?”
Brie slowly nodded. “Yes, you didn’t need to tell me that. I knew a long time ago, from the way you looked at him. Regardless, you don’t have flu symptoms at all. Sawyer also doesn’t think this is stress. I hate to admit it, but I agree with him.”
“Brielle, I’ve had enough of this conversation. It’s time to get back on the road.”
“Bella…”
