Page 84 of Vicious Arrangement
We all stare at the sticks. All twelve of them. I might be a nurse, and if one says positive, the fact I’m late, the fact I’m nauseous, and how I feel inside, I know it’s right, but I needed to suddenly make sure.
And now…
I’m sure.
“I thought this would be end times or joyous, depending, clearly, on the circumstances,” I say.
“Which is it?”
“I don’t know how I feel.” I look at Katie. “A mess?”
“I’ll blow off work if you want. Dave can wait. You know I hate Dave, right?”
“I’ve heard the rumor,” I say drily. “You could tell me about your secret date.”
“I’m not dating Dave.”
“Asher.”
She shakes her head. “We had coffee. Do you want company?”
“I think… I think I need to think.”
“I guess I have to see Dave, then. Worst luck.”
I walk her to the elevator and give her a hug.
“Call if you need anything, okay, Ari?” Katie says. “I mean it.”
“I promise.”
When Katie leaves, Angus and I trail up to my room, and I close the pocket doors, leaving a sliver open. The breeze from outside is nice, and Angus joins me on the bed, cuddling up, his doggy warmth comforting against my back.
I don’t know what makes me do it. But I pick up my phone and google Noah Templeton and tragedy. I type in murder and, at a guess, add suicide.
What pops up is truly awful.
My heart breaks for the woman who died protecting her child and for that child that’s still inside Noah. I can see him blaming himself when it wasn’t his fault.
The father hunted the child, and witnesses heard him shouting it was Noah’s fault and he’d kill him, too. And then he shot himself.
Noah didn’t speak for weeks.
I close the tab, heart hurting. Oh, that poor little boy. A man locked himself in with his dead wife and hidden son and killed himself before anyone could get in.
I can see how Noah would blame himself.
And I see how he’s closed himself off from a full life because of that.
Worse, will me being pregnant push him further away?
I just don’t know what to do.
Chapter Twenty-Two
NOAH
After sex Thursday,I haven’t seen much of Aria. I know she was here all day Friday.
