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“Great. On the count of three, we’ll look at the test together, cool?”
I nod, taking in a deep breath. Tory counts down from three, and when she runs out of numbers, she grabs the test and places it between us. We’re both quiet as we stare down at the results. Life as I know it flashes before me. The past, the present, and the future.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Just. . .” An unfamiliar emotion settles inside me. “I guess I’m happy, yet a strange part of me is disappointed.”
“Because you wanted it to be positive?” she asks.
I look up at her, more tears filling my eyes. “Yeah. Is that silly of me?”
“Not at all.”
“I love him. I don’t know how not to. And if my life goes on without him, then maybe. . . I would have at least still had a piece of him.”
“Cal, this doesn’t have to be the end. You’re meant for each other. This stubbornness has to stop. On both your ends.”
“It’s not us being stubborn. It’s us being realistic. This is how it has to be. We may love each other, but there’s a toxicity between us. We fight—”
“And make up. Cal, just hearing your story, God! You two have insane passion. I would die for something like that. Don’t kill the messenger, but you’re the one holding yourself back.”
I pull away and wipe my cheeks. Inhaling a breath for strength, I straighten my shoulders. “I’m not. And now that I know I’m not pregnant, I can truly move on.”
“Cal—”
“I’m serious, Tory. This time, it’s over. And I’m going to ask you only once. Stay out of it. No more meddling.”
“But—”
“Promise me. No more. You let this die.”
She chews her lower lip until she finally agrees. “Fine. No meddling. It’s dead and buried. Wanna go on an ice cream and horrible reality TV binge?”
“Now you’re talking my true love language.” I take the test and toss it in the garbage. “There’s a new season ofTemptation Islandstreaming. Nothing like watching hot mess couples who are worse off in the love department than you are.”
“You know, if you just talked—”
“No meddling!” I say, cutting her off. She raises her hands in surrender, and I push her out of my bathroom and down to the corner mart so she can pay for all the ice cream.
Chapter fifteen
Easton
“AndIsweartoall the gods above, you rat me out—”
“Not gonna rat you out.”
“’Cause if you do—”
“Tory, fuck. How many times do I have to say that I won’t mention this call?”
“She has to think you came to your senses on your own. Jesus, you two are like a pair of pathetic, sad little puppies.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, you heard me. You both. Too stubborn to see what’s right in front of you. It’s called destiny, loverboy. Your future. She loves you, and you love her. So why are you two being so stupid about it?”
“I’m not being stupid. I was giving her space to think.”
