Page 108 of Curveball

Her chin drops. “With Quincy? Since when?”

“If I’m being honest, since the day I met him when I was five.”

She slowly nods as if she’s contemplating our past. “I guess I always suspected you had feelings for him, but I’m not sure I realized how deep they ran. I saw it as a childhood crush.”

“It started that way, but they’ve deepened a lot throughout the years. He…umm…he was all my firsts.Allof them.” I give her a look trying to convey just what Imean.

She sinks back into the seat and breathes out, “What? When?”

“The night he was drafted, after you passed out, we kissed. The night before our high school graduation, he and I slept together for the first time.”

I see her searching her memory bank for a moment. “The night of our state championship? You slept over after the celebration party where you broke up with Jack.”

I nod. “Yes. I broke up with him knowing who I wanted to be my first. When you fell asleep, I went to Quincy’s room. The day we all met, he asked me to give him all my firsts. For some reason, that stuck with me, and I wanted to see it through. Between my promise and my crush, I needed it to be Quincy, not Jack, that night.”

She blows out a breath. “I suppose part of me is surprised and part isn’t. Why are you telling me this now? What’s the big deal? That was a long time ago.”

“Our physical relationship continued throughout most of my time in Houston. For years, we slept together.”

“Oh. I...umm…okay. What about since the move to Philly?”

“Yes. I initially didn’t want it to, knowing how strong my feelings are for him, but…” I start to tear as my shoulders fall. “I’m in love with him. I always have been. I can’t seem to help myself. In my head I knew I should stay away, but the heart wants what it wants, and my heart has always been with him.”

She takes a few breaths. I know she’s toggling between being upset with me and wanting to comfort me, eventually saying, “I know you’ve been secretive. I suppose I understand why. It’s not like this is a bad thing. You’re my best friend. You’re a sister to me. Why would you’d think I’d be upset if you date my brother? I don’t understand why it needed to be so secretive.” She looks at Layton. “It’s not like I’m in aposition to judge you for falling for your best friend’s sibling.”

I swallow. “There’s more. I’ve been keeping a lot from you. Know that it wassohard. I hate keeping anything from you. It guts me.” I take a breath. “When I first got to Houston, I found out that my dingbat of a mother didn’t do what was necessary for me to become a US citizen when I was a kid. I wasn’t going to be able to get a work visa in time for that first season and wasn’t sure I’d get it at all since I had been here illegally for so long.”

She pinches her eyebrows together. “That sucks, but what does this have to do with you and Quincy?”

“He stopped by the morning I found out. After talking things through, he suggested we get married so I could obtain my citizenship.”

She lets out a laugh. “Married? That’s crazy.” Her eyes then widen as realization hits. “You and Quincy were married?”

“Aremarried. We’ve been married for over six years.”

She whispers, “What the fuck?”

“To be clear, we have never lived as a married couple. It’s been on paper only. We’ve both seen other people. That was our understanding. Yes, we also spent time together, but that was physical and completely separate from the marriage.”

“Holy shi—”

“And now I’m pregnant. It’s his.”

Her mouth widens and she covers it with her hand. Tears form in her eyes.

It’s silent for several long beats, but when her hand drops from her mouth, a smile finds her lips. “I’m…I’m going to be an aunt?” Her smile widens. “And it’s going to be yoursandQuincy’s? This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened.”

I pinch my eyebrows together in total shock. “You’re not angry with me?”

“Rip, I’m experiencing about a thousand different emotions right now, but anger isn’t one of them. My brother and my best friend are married and having a baby. This is the best day ever.”

She flings herself across the limo and wraps me in a huge hug. “I’m so happy.”

Tears of relief stream down my cheeks as I hug her back. Layton the mushball is covered in tears too.

She eventually pulls back. “Omigod. I want to have a huge baby shower. We can have all sorts of baby softball and baseball stuff. And then we can—”

“Arizona, there’s more.”

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