Page 81 of Bargain With the Boss
She laughed. “Sure they’re not.”
Inside, we walked the candy and snack aisles, filling our basket with food I’d never usually eat. Cupcakes, chips, M&Ms, Butterfingers, a cooler, and ice along with a ton of energy drinks and soda.
Claire was practically twirling around the aisles in a sundress that barely hit her mid-thigh. She was carefree in a way that I never could be. It was addicting, and I found myself laughing at her.
I’d never played hooky, and I’d done so twice in a week. Now I was literally running away like a petulant teen.
I paused at the female care aisle.
“Oh, man did you get your period? Lame.”
I nibbled my lower lip. “No.”
She grabbed my hand. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
I turned to her. “I might have done something stupid.”
“How stupid?”
I looked around the store, but it was middle of the morning on a workday. It was practically empty save for a few employees.
“Sydney?”
“Pretty stupid for Crescent Cove.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Oh. With Xavier?” She pitched her voice low as if anyone knew him.
“Yes.”
She dragged me down the aisle to the condoms. “So, we definitely need these.”
I pulled her farther down to where the tags for Plan B were. “I actually should start here.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah.” The story came out in a rush before I could stop myself. “The condom broke, then I lied to him and told him I was on birth control but it gives me wicked migraines so I never could stay on it.”I paced back and forth down the aisle. “I’m so stupid. I’m so fucked. The one time I ever do something impulsive—God, that’s not even true anymore. I have a car named Betty outside that I would never buy.”
“Okay, breathe.” She caught my hand on one of the passes and pulled me in front of her.
“First of all, Betty is perfect and she’s so very you.”
“She is not.”
Claire gripped my hands. “She’s who you are when you aren’t trying so hard to be who others want you to be.”
I blinked.
How could she know me so succinctly in such a short time?
“Takes one to know one.” She grinned at me, then gripped my fingers. “Is this what you want?”
“I don’t know.” It was the truth.
I’d never had a thought about a child or a family. Not after the absolute arctic chill of my own household. Even seeing Jude and Maddie didn’t compute to me. I’d never thought it would be for me.
“Well, how about we buy it, and you can think about it?”
I nodded. “Okay,” I whispered.
