I glared at both of them. “Wow, you two sure move on fast.”
Erica caught on to my accusation quickly and returned my glare. “Excuse me?” she said. “I certainly hope you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking. Because if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, that’d make me a really shitty friend and I know I’m not one of those.”
Vance looked confused. I felt him trying to push into my head but I was successfully blocking him. “What happened here, Karli?” he interrupted. “Where’d you find Chad?”
I gestured towards the front door. “Just inside the door. On my couch.”
He looked at Erica. “Stay here with her. I’m going inside.”
“Okay,” she replied. She scooted in the car and shut the door. “Are you all right? Is Chad gonna be okay?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I hope so. What were you doing out with Vance? You two seem awfully dressed up.”
She looked down at her dress. “I know what you’re thinking, but don’t. I don’t have many things at his house. I had to get my stuff out of my place pretty quickly. It was the only dress I had. We were going out to dinner. As friends.” She sighed, blowing a hair out of her face. “Karli, I’ve been crying my eyes out day after day since the warehouse. Vance has been really upset too. We both agreed that we needed to get out of the house for a nice dinner so we could have some semblance of a normal life. That’s all. Quite frankly, I’m extremely offended that you would even entertain thoughts of me betraying the girl code. I know what he means to you. I’m not an idiot, for Christ’s sake.”
I echoed her sigh. “I’m sorry, Erica. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. It’s just been a really shitty couple of weeks. I have no idea how I even got to this point again!”
“What point?” she asked.
“Having another crazy chick out to get me. Seriously, what the hell?” I looked down at Eri’s clasped hands and noticed a diamond still sparkling on her ring finger. I grabbed her left hand. “How are you doing, Eri? Really. I’m so sorry I didn’t call more while I was gone.”
“It’s okay,” she sobbed. She looked up as she wiped a tear away from her eye. “K, I know it’s fucked up after everything he’s done, but I still love him. I’m heartbroken. I don’t know how to go on without him.”
I pulled her into an embrace. “Oh, honey, it will get better. I know it hurts now, but it won’t feel so bad down the road.”
She pulled away from me, sobbing even harder. “You don’t understand, Karli. There’s more. I’m late.”
“Late for dinner?” I asked, my confusion clearly coming out in my tone.
She shook her head. “No, Karli…late, late. As in, for my period. I think I’m pregnant.”
Oh shit. “How late?”
She hung her head. “Five days.”
“Have you taken a test?” I asked.
She looked up. “No, I couldn’t do it. I don’t think I can handle the answer either way. Part of me wants to write Jake off forever, but another part of me wants a piece of him forever.” She smacke
d the heel of her hand into her forehead. “God, I’m such a moron!”
I moved her hand away. “No, sweetie, you’re not. Look, we can go to CVS first thing in the morning and get a test. I’ll be there with you the whole time.”
She sniffed. “Okay, that’d be great, Kar.”
Movement out the window caught my attention. I looked over and saw Chad being wheeled out on a stretcher. I ran out of the car to the gurney. “Hey, Kar,” he said sleepily.
“Oh thank God, you’re awake!” I exclaimed as I grabbed his hand. “Do you remember what happened, Chad?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, a little. Maria invited me over. She said she had talked you into…” He looked away. “Nevermind.”
“Talked me into what, Chad?”
“Uh…a threesome. Guess I should’ve known something was up, huh?” He attempted a laugh, but wound up coughing.
“A what?!?” I shouted. “Omigod, Chad, you’re such a pig! I swear one day your dick is going to get you killed!” Okay, I knew it was a bitchy thing to say and the look on his face confirmed it.
“Gee, Kar…tell me how you really feel,” he snapped.