12
Laurel
There aren’t words for how much I am dreading this phone call.
After a lovely, quiet breakfast with Rafe, now it’s time to call Carly. Rafe assures me that my sister loves me and wants me to be happy, but I think she wants me to not have Rafe’s baby much more.
“I think we should keep putting this off,” I tell him. “There’s no reason she has to know right now. We should have second breakfast.”
Rafe shakes his head like he thinks I’m overreacting. “We’re getting it done now.”
“Wanna make out? I have a strong urge to make out with you right now. Let’s do that instead.”
“As tempted as I am by your offer of avoidance kisses, no.”
I pout at him. “You don’t like my mouth?”
Sliding me a playful warning look, he says, “Keep it up.”
“I’m just saying, if you liked my mouth, you would be much more interested in going upstairs and making out for a while. We can make this phone call any old time.”
“We’re going to make it now so we can enjoy the rest of the day,” he states, grabbing the phone himself since I’m making no move to do it.
“How about you make the call and I’ll hide behind the couch and listen,” I suggest.
He cocks an eyebrow and holds up the cell phone to show me it’s ringing. “Better hide fast.”
Grimacing, I hide my face behind my hands, but spread my fingers to peek. My sister’s face fills the screen. Rafe has the phone aimed only at me right now, so she offers me a big smile.
“Hey, you. How’s Chicago?”
This already sucks. Grimacing, I say, “Um, that’s actually why I’m calling. I may have been gently massaging the truth when I said I was in Chicago.”
“How gently?”
“I’m in Vegas,” I blurt.
Her smile falters, but she doesn’t flip out. “Vegas? Because you’re visiting a certain golden-haired Morelli, or because you’re finally pursuing your lifelong dream of legal prostitution? Please say it’s the second thing.”
Rafe tilts the phone to face him and he waves.
Carly groans and drawls, “No. Be a hooker, Laurel! It’s not too late.”
“That can’t be the answer to everything,” Rafe says, lightly.
Carly glares at him.
I might as well get all the bad news out there now. “The reason I came here is…” I hesitate, trying to think of a gentle way to put it, but there is no gentle way. “Remember Easter?”
“Like it was a fucking terrorist attack. Never forget.”
“Right, well… so, it turns out that, um… Even though we were totally safe and we’re not sure how…” I trail off and look at the screen. I know she already gets it, but she’s trying not to. “I’m pregnant.”
She says nothing.
This is scarier than anger and disappointment, because I have no idea what’s coming.
Rafe turns the screen back so he’s in the frame. “And we’re cool with it,” he adds. “This is clearly unexpected, but Laurel wants to go through with the pregnancy.”