Page 61 of The Bridges I've Burned

She grinned. “I just really want to beat Macon.”

“You’re trying to beat the guy in a race? Have you seen him run? He’s ex-military. He’s a freaking beast.”

She shrugged. “I almost had him,” she bragged before adding, “Once. But I might have cheated a little and flashed him.”

Laughter filled the small space, and I reached for my water bottle and checked the time. It was late afternoon, and we’d already been here for over an hour.

Surely, she was done, right?

Marin had spent the morning at the sheriff’s station, trying to console Macon. After she confirmed what he’d already suspected—that Zander had fled the island without so much as a good-bye—he was understandably upset. Marin said he was both angry and heartbroken. He’d waited years to get the chance to talk to his brother, and now, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get another. He sent a string of texts to Zander that ranged from telling him off to begging him to come back, but all of them went unread and unanswered.

After Marin left Macon at the station, she texted and asked me to join her for lunch and a trip to the gym. I’d been so ready to get out of the house at that point that I practically flew out the door.

I was not handling the downtime of vacation well. I needed a hobby, and stat.

Billy’s was one of the most well-known restaurants in Ocracoke. The owner, Billy Radcliffe, also happened to be Macon’s best friend and their next-door neighbor. The restaurant’s patio overlooked Silver Lake Harbor and was known for its laid-back atmosphere and amazing food.

Unfortunately, the shade of the umbrellas and the slight breeze from the bay had done nothing to hinder the stifling humidity of the July heat, and no amount of convincing could get Marin to eat inside, where the air-conditioning was.

“It’s beautiful outside,” she’d said.

“Island life has changed you, my friend.” I’d glared at her as I proceeded to down my weight in water.

Now, after an afternoon in the heat and an hour in the gym, all I could think about was how gross I must smell and how much I wanted a shower.

“I can see the way you’re hovering near the door, Elena.”

“Come on, Marin,” I begged her. “Stop torturing yourself. Think of the baby!”

The treadmill started to slow, and I felt a glimmer of hope.

“This is the time when you should be eating ice cream and pickles. Not running so much that you dry-heave.”

“When did you see me dry-heave?” She scoffed.

The treadmill finally came to a stop, and I silently cheered. I watched as she stepped off and grabbed a towel, wiping it down her face and neck. It was the first time since I’d arrived in Ocracoke that I’d seen her in something formfitting, and I could already see the small changes in her body. Her normally slim, flat stomach slightly swelled out under the tight fabric of her yoga pants.

I stared at her for a moment, momentarily stunned.

There was a fucking human in there.

“You okay?” she asked, looking slightly concerned.

“Yeah, I just…” I shook my head, feeling completely bewildered. “You’re fucking pregnant, Marin.”

She laughed, tossing the towel in the dirty bin. “Uh, yeah. Tell me about it. Lunch today was the first time I could keep a meal down in days.”

“And this is how you choose to celebrate? By torturing me?”

She shrugged. “It’s the first time I’ve felt this good in weeks. Besides, isn’t any time we spend together a gift?”

“Uh, no. I want to see the return policy.”

When she moved to grab her stuff, I didn’t hesitate.

Oh, thank God.

The baby bump had me thinking…

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