He handed it to me, and I nearly hugged him, but that would have put Callan off. “Thanks,” I said, and Ryan nodded. “See you in the morning for our big fight scene?”
He groaned. “Bright and friggin’ early.”
The three of us walked to where the cars were parked together. Callan hung back a step so that Ryan and I could stand side-by-side, and I knew that photos of this moment would end up online. I could only hope that my talk with Callan wasn’t. I hadn’t seen or heard anyone near—Callan had scared that guy good earlier—but I didn’t feel like I could relax here.
My purse hit against my thigh, as if reminding me that there was the equivalent of a bomb inside. Something else for me to worry about. What if I was pregnant? How would I deal with it? How would they? Would they simply throw their hands up and walk away?
No, I couldn’t imagine any of them doing that. Besides, it wasn’t likely that I was pregnant, anyway. I had a few tiny symptoms that could be just about anything, and I had my implant. Even if I hadn’t had a period, it didn’t mean anything. That’s how the implant worked, after all.
Callan helped me into the car but positioned himself in the front seat beside the driver. It felt wrong for him to not be beside me, but it was more professional for him to take the front. The drive back through the mines seemed to take longer, but when they stopped outside what looked like a giant mound of red clay, I was confused. “This is the hotel?”
“One of the charming things about Coober Pedy, love,” the driver said. “Lots of our buildings are underground. Keeps things cooler.”
It was absolutely gorgeous. “That’s so cool!”
We got out of the car and found the room numbers that matched the numbers that Ethan had texted Callan before. We stopped outside what was to be my room. There was a door code to get in, and he read them out to me. “Can I come inside?” he asked.
I bit my lip. I’d promised him that it would be just him and me, but the pregnancy test was like a screeching alarm that only I could hear. “Can I get a few moments? Please?”
Callan didn’t look thrilled, but he kissed my forehead and punched in the code for the next door. “Go inside,” he said. “Text me when you want me.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Cal.”
I shut the door, and for the first time in a long time, I was glad to be totally alone. The room was all carved rock that was cool to the touch, and there was a bathroom in the very back, tucked into the rock like it had sprung there naturally. I took the pink test box out of my bag and headed to the bathroom, heart pounding in my chest.Please, I thought.Just please.
I wasn’t sure what I was asking for.
17
FOSTER
I sat on the surfboard, the warm water lapping at my calves, and I took in a deep breath. To say that the last few days had been rough was an understatement. Ever since our trip to the interior, Adrianne had been... icy. Avoidant.
Callan had told us about the photographer who’d nearly caught them and how she freaked out, but when Ethan and I asked her about it, she didn’t want to talk about it. Ethan told me and Callan to drop it, but it had been three days of this behavior, and it waskillingall of us.
Today was the first day “off” since arriving in Australia, and by eleven, she still hadn’t come out of her room. Callan offered to stay at the hotel to wait for her, and Ethan and I hit the beach. I needed something to clear my head.
But so far... it wasn’t helping.
“What if she leaves us?” I asked as Ethan paddled up beside me. “What if the photographer thing scared her, and she’s done with the lot of us and just doesn’t know how to say it?”
Ethan sighed. “Why do you always jump to the worst conclusion?”
Because that would be the worst thing, I thought. “I love her,” I said. “Callan said that she said it to him while they were fighting—the words just came out—and I’m trying like hell not to be jealous, but goddammit, I love her, and she won’t talk to us.”
Ethan stared at me, blinking over and over. “I think that’s the most words I’ve ever heard you say at one time.”
I kicked water at him. “That’s all you got out of that?”
He shook out his hair. “Of course not,” he said. “I... I love her too. I don’t want to lose her any more than you do.”
“So, whatdowe do? How do we fix something that we can’t really fix? Unless she quits her job or the world gets a lot cooler, there’s really no safe way for her to be with us in the open.”
“It’s easier at home,” Ethan pointed out. “We just need to make it through the next few weeks here, and then the movie will be done, and we can go back to our comfort zone.”
I shook my head and glanced behind me. The waves weren’t doing much today. “Once this movie is out, she’s going to be a megastar. The paps aren’t just going to go away... so we need a game plan or we’re going to lose our girl.”
Ethan either hadn’t thought of that or he hadn’t wanted to think of that. “We should head back.” He glanced behind him. “One more run, and then we’ll go.”