Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
His cheeks go pink.
I can’t help but laugh, even though it hurts. “Oh my God, are you blushing?”
“No,” he grumbles.
“Yes, you are,” I insist, the sight of the pink creeping down his neck making me happy for some reason.
I don’t know why. I guess because it feels like confirmation that he’s the man I’ve always thought he was, a man who’s kind and private and cares deeply, even if he doesn’t always know how to show it.
“Don’t worry,” I add, taking pity on him. “She didn’t tell me much more than that. She knows you’re like a big brother to me, and that isn’t the kind of thing you want to know about a brother.” I wait until he looks up to add, “And as for the romance thing, I don’t think it matters. That’s not what Bea’s looking for, you know?”
“What is she looking for?”
“A reason to believe,” I say. “In love. In you. Basically, all you have to do is wait for those text messages to buy you another shot and then…not fuck it up.”
Before he can respond, Charlotte pops her head back in to whisper, “It’s fine. He was freaked out at first, but now they’re back on track. I’m letting them have some privacy.”
“Oh, good,” I say as she wanders across the room. “I figured. He’s a pretty private guy, too. I thought he’d understand.”
“Yeah. Totally.” Charlotte nods a bit too long before stopping at the end of my bed. “So…”
“So?” I repeat, finally, when it becomes clear that Blue has no intention of returning her verbal volley.
“So, do you have any idea…” Crossing her arms, she nods toward the door. “You know. Any idea who…”
“Who what?” I ask, playing dumb.
“Who the father is,” Charlotte says. “I mean, I didn’t even think she was dating anyone back then. I seem to distinctly remember her saying she was struggling to find decent men to meet up with for coffee. Or even a decent…you know.”
“Fuck buddy situation,” I supply. Charlotte nods. “I have one of those right now,” I continue, deliberately playing up the slurring in my voice as I attempt to throw her off the scent.
The scent of the only person with a penis currently in this room…
The person who rushed to Bea’s side like a man in love…
The person who totally put the bun in that particular oven.
It’s only a matter of time before somebody wakes up to the incredibly obvious reality of what’s happening here, but in the meantime, I ramble on. “I feel like I should call him and tell him what happened. Or at least text him. But then, at the same time, I’m not sure he wants to know. I mean, not really, you know? I’m sure he would pretend to care, but would he really care? Aside from the fact that he now has to find another low-stress situationship, which isn’t as easy to find as you would think. A shocking number of people my age have no interest in sex. I mean, maybe not no interest, that might be overgeneralizing a little bit, but—”
“Okay, okay,” Charlotte cuts in with a good-natured huff and a wave of her hand. “I get it. You’re right. It’s none of my business. When she wants to share—if she wants to share—then she’ll share. And that’s that.” She brightens as she adds, “It doesn’t really matter, anyway. Bea is happy about the baby, with or without a partner in the picture, so I’m happy, too.”
She beams back and forth between us. “And hey, she has us. We’ll be there in a pinch to change diapers or wash bottles or whatever else needs to be done.”
“Of course, we will,” Blue says at the same time I say, “No doubt.”
But as the nurse comes in to check my vitals—assuring me that I can smash that morphine button again whenever I’m ready—I can’t help but think that every word Blue says from here on out will be held against him in a court of Did you Betray Your Friends and Family Law.
What will Charlotte and Nix think when they eventually find out who Beatrice’s baby daddy really is? Will Nix rediscover that anger management problem Charlotte seems to have tamed with her sweet, sweet love?
Will Blue still be their family?
Or will he be the guy looking for a reason to get traded to avoid getting punched repeatedly in the face?
I don’t know. The water stain on the ceiling doesn’t, either. Even post-morphine hit, it remains silent.
Thank goodness.
I’ve had enough of its backtalk.
I take advantage of the peace to text my dad, the diner, the bar, and finally, yes, my fuck buddy, informing them all of the recent developments. My dad sends all his love and flowers and balloons, the jobs promise to put me back on the schedule as soon as I’m feeling better, and Tommy texts me a fifty-dollar gift card for pizza delivery and promises to “see me on the other side.”