Page 155 of Never Forever

“That makes me happy. That our families know.”

“Of course, you’re happy because you’re not going to be the size of a fucking house! Twins! What will twins do to my body?” I cried.

I grabbed my stomach. My breasts. As if to hold them all in place.

“Carrie, whatever happens, we’re doing it together. You and me.” He pulled me into his arms, holding me on the side of thehighway. Someone honked a horn but we ignored it. “We’re a family. Nothing can change that now.”

“Family,” I repeated.

My phone in my pocket rang and I pulled it out.

Annie.

I declined it. I would call her back once I was done freaking out.

A text appeared.

Annie: 911. Mom just called. She’s on her way home.

“Oh no,” I muttered. “We’ve got trouble.”

35

Carrie

“You sure you’re okay?” Matt asked, for what might have been the millionth time. I’d made him wait in the truck for me while I called Annie back. It seemed silly, trying to save him from Mom drama at this point, but old habits.

For some unknown reason, Mom left Gran on the cruise and was in fact on her way home. And she was going to be back in Calico Cove tonight.

That was all Annie knew.

It’s not like Mom would rough it out on the island like I had, so I imagined she would check herself into The Dumont.

After the play was over, I’d go there and see what happened.

We’d just pulled up at the bandshell. The curtain didn’t go up for another hour or so, but the cast and crew were there getting ready. They waved to us as we sat in the truck.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“Carrie,” Matt said. “I can tell when something isn’t right.”

“My mom is on her way back to town,” I blurted.

He sighed. “Really.”

“She didn’t tell Annie what happened, just that she was coming home. You don’t think it was because of the picture of us?”

Matt let out a snort. “She’s running home to save you because she still thinks I’m not good enough for you?”

“That was never the case,” I insisted. “It wasn’t about you, Matt. It was always about what she wanted for me.”

He nodded. “She wanted everything for you.”

“I’m sorry I made us a secret,” I said, feeling like it was an apology I owed him.

“Do you want me to take you to her?” he asked.

“No. We’ve got…” I gestured to the bandshell, the people who were counting on us. “Stuff to do. After though, we should head to The Dumont. My guess is she’ll go there, rather than stay with Annie.”

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