Page 24 of Just Between Us

I walked down the stairs and Rich appeared from the kitchen.

“Are you okay?” he asked, the level of concern on his face making me anxious.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Probably just something I ate,” I lied.

Annie was coming down the stairs behind me, and I caught her glaring at her dad and giving her head the tiniest of shakes. My eyes widened as I stared at her, then I looked at Rich.

“You told him?” I looked at her incredulously.

“I’m sorry. He was worried, and I just blurted it out.”

My heart was pounding. Rich knew I was pregnant, and it was Annie who had told him. I wanted to tell him in a nice way I had yet to think up.

“Lucy,” Rich pressed.

“I can’t believe you would tell anyone, Annie, least of all Rich. It’s my news. I get to decide who knows and when and how!”

Annie’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open at my outburst.

“It wasn’t your thing to tell! I wanted to tell him! Me! I’m supposed to be the one who tells him!”

Rich moved to touch my arm. “Lucy. She didn’t know. It’s okay.”

Suddenly, I was terrified. What if this wasn’t what he wanted? What if he was going to tell me to get rid of it? Imean, shagging your kid’s best friend was one sweet fantasy, but knocking them up after less than a year was not as sexy.

“Luce, I think you’re overreacting a little. I shouldn’t have told him, but is it really that much of a big deal? And,” she added looking at her dad, “what do you mean I didn’t know? Didn’t know what?”

Annie looked at me and then at her dad. Time started to slow and I was paralysed and powerless to stop what was about to happen. Rich’s eyes met mine, and his mouth opened. I knew what he was about to say before he said it. I stared at Annie and waited for her to explode.

“You didn’t know Lucy would want to tell me herself. And you wouldn’t know because you didn’t know the person Lucy has been seeing is me. I’m the mystery man.”

“You and Lucy?” Annie scoffs. “Dad, be real. Like Lucy would ever look twice at...” Her words disappeared the second she looked at me. “No.” She begged me to tell her it wasn’t true with her eyes.

I looked away. My friend—my best friend—knew me so well that everything I did would give me away.

“No!” She shouted this time, so forcefully it made me jump.

“You’ve been fucking my best friend and now she’s pregnant with what I assume isyourbaby? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

“I should have told you sooner,” Rich confirmed.

“No... No fucking way. You’re disgusting, both of you. I can’t deal with this shit.” Annie ran down the last few stairs, grabbed her coat, and was out the door before anything else could be said.

“Annie!” Rich called to her as the door slammed behind her.

He looked at me, and I fell apart. The shock, the emotion, the guilt, the uncertainty of it all poured out, and I started to sob. Rich came to me and wrapped his arms around me.

“Shhhh.” He stroked my hair. “It’s okay. I promise you it’s all going to be okay.”

It wasa good half an hour before Rich had me calm enough to talk.

“Apparently, vasectomies aren’t all that effective sometimes, huh?” He smiled at me.

I looked at him, my expression blank.

“Sorry, I just wanted to make you smile, even a little.” He stroked my cheek as I sat beside him on the sofa.

“Shouldn’t you go after Annie?” I asked.

---