“Reese!” she cried out.
A second later she started to run toward him.
She all but jumped into his arms and Reese held her tight, shutting his eyes as he did so.
“Goddammit, Steph, what’s going on with you?” he asked her as he put her down.
She stepped back and put a hand to her stomach. “Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re pregnant?”
“You told him?” Steph asked.
“I snooped,” Reese quickly said. “I went through her bag and saw the test.”
“You could have taken the fall for me,” Steph said.
“What? Fake a pregnancy?” Josie asked. “Don’t be like that, Steph. Own your…”
“Mistake?” Steph asked.
“Actions,” Reese said.
Steph looked down and started to play with her fingers.
“Hey,” Reese said. “It’ll be okay.”
When Steph looked up, she was in tears.
Josie hated to see her like that. But Josie wasn’t the one who slept with someone without protection.
“I didn’t mean…,” Steph said but stopped.
“Of course,” Reese said. “Come on, sit down for a second.”
Josie carefully watched how gentle Reese was being with Steph. The way he took out a chair and helped her sit. The way he pulled out a chair and sat next to her. Leaning close and touching her shoulder.
“You have to know who the father is,” he said. “Please tell me it’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad?” Josie asked. “Christ, Reese…”
“No, it’s okay,” Steph said. “I’m trying to think it out.”
“Meaning there’s more than one guy,” Reese said.
“Yeah,” Steph said.
“Shit. What the fuck were you thinking? You’re eighteen. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
“I don’t know.” Steph shot back. “Are you going to talk to me like I’m a child?”
“You are a child to me,” Reese said to her. “My best friend’s little sister.”
“Stepsister,” Steph whispered.
“Who gives a shit about that? Goddammit, Steph. I’ve known you for forever. I said… I promised…”
“You were never around anyway,” Steph said. “Not after Lasz died.”