“Hi, Sweetpea. What time are you leaving? I thought we could hit some sales together and get some Christmas shopping in.”
“Oh. I meant to call sooner. Andi invited me to go to Pigeon Forge with her and I accepted the invitation.”
“I wish you had said something. I bought a huge bird. I wanted us to cook together.” By cook together she means I’ll cook while she gets drunk and watches Lifetime movies. “You’ll never guess who I bumped into at the store.”
“Who?”
“I ran into East and Lynn. I had no idea they were expecting. Why didn’t you tell me she’s pregnant?”
All color drains from my face and my stomach drops. My phone falls to the floorboard.
“You there?” I hear my mom call out as I scramble to pick up the phone and remember to breathe.
“I didn’t know.” I swallow hard. “I didn’t know they were back together.” A lump forms in my throat as bile churns in the pit of my stomach threatening to make an appearance any second now.
“Well I didn’t talk long with them, but she looks to be close to her third trimester if not ready to pop any day now.”
“I haven’t really talked to East lately,” I lie. My head swims.
They can’t be. She can’t…East and Lynn. No way. No freaking way. This isn’t happening. She’s lying.
“Well I wish you’d reconsider coming home.”
“Yeah. I don’t know. I’ll think about it, but I don’t want to hurt Andi’s feelings.”
“Well call me later. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I end the call and drop my phone into my lap and start up my jeep. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I mean my mom wouldn’t just make that shit up. She has no reason to lie. Not about that. I know Lynn and East have history, but I thought what we have is unbreakable.
I should talk to East myself but not over the phone.
My bags are already packed and in the back. Guess I will surprise him early and see for myself what he has to say.
I drive to his house. His motorcycle is in the garage and the truck is gone.
He might be at the clubhouse. I’ve not been there with him since we started whatever it is we’ve been doing.
I pull up to the gate and Link recognizes me. With a voice so deep and gruff that would make any man cower, he asks, “What brings you here, darlin’?” Link is big with tats on his face that make me think he’s spent some time in jail. I wouldn’t want to meet him alone in a dark alley or piss him off.
“I’m looking for East. Is he here?”
“Yeah. Is he expecting you?”
“Mhmm,” I lie.
“Well go on through.” He opens the gate and I pull up next to East’s truck in the lot. I shut off the ignition and stare at the clubhouse. I can already hear the loud music blaring. There’s a lot of motorcycles and vehicles here. Maybe I should have sent a text and asked if this would be okay. I’m already here though. No one would find it strange if I came looking for him. Most people here have known me since I was a kid. I exit the jeep before I turn into a complete chicken shit and lose all my nerve.
I bite back the tears that have been burning in my throat the whole way here. Strutting through the front door, I push my shoulders back and scan the bar for East. I immediately see him at the bar downing shots. That’s unusual for him. He’s not a heavy drinker and he’s more of a beer man.
“Hey there, sweet thing.” Some guy I don’t know grips my elbow and pinches me on the ass.
“Hey,” I shriek and slap at him as he laughs.
“Back the fuck up,” I hear a familiar voice growl.
“This one belong to you? Thought you were a married man.” The man looks to Roane.
“You could say that. This girl is off limits.”