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“Really?” I wondered. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
She looked down at her dress and tucked her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ears.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said.
She didn’t sit down right away, and I realized that she was looking for a spot that wouldn’t get her dress dirty. I jumped down to get the blanket out of the backseat that I’d stashed there and spread it out for her.
“Thanks,” she said. I swore she blushed.
She made herself comfortable, tucking her legs underneath her body so her skirt didn’t billow. Cindy usually sat cross-legged, right on the floor of the cargo bed, and wasn’t worried about her clothes getting messy.
But everything about tonight felt different.
The sun was setting behind Cindy, and the breeze blew her hair all around her face.
“You look really pretty. Beautiful. You look beautiful,” I stammered. Fuck, I was usuallywaymore charming than this. Ask anyone. “The dress, the hair, it’s all just… yeah.”
I cringed, but she laughed.
“Anyway, you wanted to talk to me?” I asked.
Cindy took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes like what she was about to say was going to be really hard.
“Luke, I don’t really know when I’m going to see you again,” she started. “So before we go, I just wanted to tell you…”
Her voice trailed off and she looked away.
“Tell me what?”
“I wanted to tell you that… I…”
She bit her bottom lip. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and touched her cheek, using my thumb to ease that lip from her teeth. I have no idea how we came to be sitting that close. I inhaled deeply and smelled… cherries. Something sweet. It was nice.
“Luke.”
I leaned in closer. I smoothed her hair from her shoulder. I ached to kiss her. And I knew she wanted it too.
And then someone approached us. A very familiar someone.
“Not in love with her, my ass,” Emmeline snapped.
“Don’t start shit with her,” I told Emmeline. “It’s me you’re mad at, so if you need to say something, say it to me.”
“Oh, I have something I need to say to you, Luke.”
“Okay. Talk.”
“Not here,” she insisted. “Not withheraround.”
“Anything you want to say to me you can say in front of Cindy.” I stood up straighter and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“Fine.” Emmeline kicked the grass around her feet. “Luke, I’m pregnant.”
Two
