Page 128 of Between Hate and Desire

I’ve finished the rest of Sophie’s food, and the waiter has cleared the table, but we don’t leave. Hanging out has become more rare with their rehearsal schedules, so I want to spend as much time with them as I can.

“How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?” Sophie asks as we settle back into our seats after getting drink refills.

“Any kicking yet?” Maddie perks up, trying to reach for my belly.

“I’m good, just tired. I think I feel a little something, which the pregnancy book says is common around four months, but I’m not exactly sure. It feels like a little flutter.”

“It could also be gas,” Sophie interjects. I give her a scowl. “Well, it could! That’s what I heard anyway.”

“Well, baby kicks can’t be felt for a while from the outside, but the mother should be able to,” I say, repeating what I read.

“I can’t wait until you’re so big that when the baby moves around it looks like an alien inside your stomach,” Maddie states in a giddy tone.

I furrow my brows, giving her a weird look. “That sounds painful.”

“I’ve seen videos on YouTube and Instagram. There was this one woman whose baby’s foot pushed the skin so far you could see its tiny toes! Looked freaky as hell!”

“Stop scaring her,” Sophie scolds.

“If I have nightmares about giving birth to an alien baby, I’m blaming you!” I point my finger at her.

“Wait!” Sophie interjects. “You haven’t given us an update about…” She draws it out, unsure if she should say it aloud or not. I’ve only told her, so now Maddie will freak out when I explain the Jenna situation.

“I asked if we could talk more about it tonight,” I say after sharing the news with Maddie who, in fact, lost her shit. “I don’t know how he’s so sure, but he asked me to trust him so…”

“If they were casually hooking up, maybe he thinks she was sleeping with other guys too?” Sophie looks at me with a pitiful expression.

“I might be a virgin and all, but even I know you can get pregnant after one time,” Maddie chimes in, and her confused tone makes me laugh. “I mean, right?”

I purse my lips and nod. “There’s always a chance, even if using protection, unless they did it while…” The thought is so gross, I can’t continue.

“While what?” Maddie pushes.

Sophie catches on to what I was about to say and grimaces. “Ew.” She laughs. “Though I’m sure it happens.”

“Can you two fill me in please? I’m clueless.” Maddie pouts.

I lean in toward her and lower my voice. “Unless they had sex while she was…you know…onher period.”

We pull apart from each other, and she twists her lips. “People do that?”

“You can’t normally get pregnant during that time of the month, but hell, stranger things have happened,” I tell her.

“That’s…interesting.” Her eyes widen in disbelief.

“To each their own, but now imagine how our talk is gonna go tonight.” I sigh. “Not that I’m going to press him on specifics because it’s not my business, but we decided to wait until after the trip to discuss it so we could focus on beingnewlyweds.”

“It is too your business,” Sophie disagrees. “You two are in a weird ‘non-relationship’ relationship.”

“No,” I argue. “We’re just friends, Soph.”

“A friend you want to see naked.” Maddie snorts, and I’m seconds away from slapping it off her smug face.

“Joke’s on you because I’ve already seen him naked,” I blurt, then cover my mouth.Shit.

“What?” they exclaim.

I look at the imaginary watch on my wrist and start shuffling out of the booth. “Oh look, it’s getting late. I still have to unpack and do laundry.”

---