“I got it,” a familiar voice says, and I open my eyes and level my gaze on Ruthie.Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
I haven’t even told Gabe yet and if Ruthie figures this out before him, it won’t be good. She slips the cashier a twenty and his shoulders relax.It’s not like I don’t pay. I bring my purse and everything, but if I don’t give this ... thisbaby... what it wants when it wants, well, let’s just say the result resembles Regan MacNeil from the exorcist.
“Ruthie.” I say throwing my arms wide. Probably not a great idea since Saltines go flying across the store.
“Hi, sugar.”
“What are you doing here?” I secure the lid on my spray cheese and slip it into my purse. I hold tight to the rest of the Saltines though because you never know when the urge to puke will strike again.
“Just grabbing a little milk.”
“Right, of course.”
“Why don’t you come back to the house and have a little breakfast.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I just ... um ...”
“Need to visit with me for a bit,” she finishes with a tone that implies I have no other option.
Okay. I guess I’m headed to Ruthie’s for breakfast then.
She buys a carton of milk and I resist flipping off the asshole cashier as we leave. Her house is just around the corner, but the walk is awkward as fuck. I’m too fidgety, too on edge. I even contemplate throwing my crackers and running for dear life, but then she will definitely know something is up.
I climb the small porch to her house and wait for her to jam the key in the door. Once it’s open, she gestures for me to enter, and I know this is it. I’m done for, because there will be no escaping her shrewd gaze once I’m seated at her small, laminate kitchen table.
“How you been, Lo?”
“Good. Really good. Great, even. You?”
“Can’t complain. No one will listen.” She plates up some bacon and two eggs from a pan that was sitting covered on the stove. “Gabe says the two of you finally pulled your heads out of your asses and started shacking up.”
I grimace.Thanks for the heads up, Gabe. Ruthie sets the plate in front of me, the egg yolk stares back, glossy andsunshiny yellow, it jiggles as it settles, and my stomach revolts. I shove a piece of crispy bacon in my mouth, closing my eyes and chewing without tasting just to avoid puking everywhere.
“Er ... yeah. It’s kind of a new thing.”
“You haven’t been by for Sunday dinner in a while.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve just been really busy with work.”
Ruthie places a mug in front of me and pours the coffee. Then she sets sugar and cream on the table. I fix my coffee the way I like it and take several deep gulps, remembering too late that I’m pregnant and should probably be drinking decaf now. I guess there are a lot of things I should be doing now, like not sleeping with my baby daddy before I tell him the news.
My stomach rolls and I set the coffee down and push it slightly away with a grimace.
“Mmhmm.” Ruthie says. “You need toast.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“I know that look. You’re not fine. You’re pregnant.”
My mouth hangs open. “What? No.”
Great save, Lo. Great save.
“There are only two things in the world that give a woman that look. One is pregnancy, the other is seeing her lover with another girl, and since that isn’t likely to happen ...” She rises and walks to the counter, pops two pieces of bread in the toaster and turns to face me. “Does he know?”
I shake my head. “I ... meant to tell him last night.”
“But you got distracted.”