Page 118 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

“Hi, my love.”

“How could you leave the house without your cell? Are you nuts?” he asks in a tense voice.

I’m not up for this.

“First: don’t scream at me. Second: I forgot. And third: if you’re going to call me just to be a jerk, be prepared because I can be one too.”

Silence.

“Where have you been, Jude?”

“I went to buy some sundries, and then I took a walk because—”

“A very long walk, don’t you think?” he asks, cutting me off. “Alone or with company?”

“Where’s that coming from?”

“Alone or with company?” His voice is even edgier.

What’s going on? But before I can ask, the call drops.

I stare at the phone like a fool.

Did he hang up on me?

Did that dickhead hang up on me?

Furious, I dial his number. Now he’s going to find out what it means to raise your voice. But as soon as it rings, he hangs up without picking up. That enrages me. I try three more times, but the result is the same.

I’m hysterical, nervous, and—to make matters worse—pregnant!

If I could get my hands on Eric right now, I’d kill him!

I don’t know what to do and decide to swim a few laps. I need to do something.

I put on my swimsuit, and, when I reach the edge of the pool, my stomach flips over, and I run to the bathroom.

When Flyn comes home, I’m sitting at the edge of the water, totally out of my mind. The boy hugs me from behind and kisses me on the cheek. Delighted by that display of affection, I close my eyes.

“Thanks, sweetie. I needed that.”

The kid, who is very smart, sits next to me.

“What did you talk about with my uncle?”

“Nothing, sweetie. He’s in London, and it’s hard to have a discussion at such a distance.”

The boy looks at me and nods but doesn’t say anything. He’s drawing his own conclusions. Suddenly, my stomach gurgles.

“What do you have in there, an alien?”

I laugh and can’t stop.

Everything is surreal again.

I’m pregnant, and Eric, the man who should be by my side, kissing me like crazy because he’s going to be a father, is angry.

“Let’s have dinner, or I’ll have to eat you up right now,” I say.

---