Page 59 of Second Chance Ex
At his response, my heart slams hard against my chest and, again, I get that same twisty feeling in my belly.
“Shall I set the table, Prue Bear?”
I start, pulled from my phone, turning to find Mom carrying a stack of white plates so high I almost can’t see her face.
“Oh my god, Mom! Here, let me help.” I tuck my phone into my pocket, lunging forward to take the pile from her, placing the stack of dishes safely on the table before they fall and shatter into a thousand pieces and we’re reduced to serving on paper plates.
“Oh, sweetie, this looks wonderful.” Mom looks around, smiling at what I’ve done so far.
“You really think so?” I chew nervously on my nail, scanning the scene skeptically. “You don’t think it looks tacky?”
Mom shakes her head vehemently. “No. It looks likea best friend who went to alotof trouble.” She reaches out with a reassuring squeeze of my arm before heading back toward the house. “I’ll grab the silverware.”
I check the time on my watch. The caterers will be arriving soon. Granted, I’m only doing high tea (and an obscene amount of wine for an event that starts before noon), but I wanted the food to at least be top tier, so that’s what I’ve spent the majority of my budget on. I’ve also got a psychic coming for a little fun. I mean, I found her on Facebook Marketplace, so she’s probably a lunatic, but it was either that or drinking games. I’ve never been to a bridal shower before and, to each their own, but I feel like necking shots of tequila over a game ofNever Have I Evermight be frowned upon.
“Oh my god,P, this is incredible,” Madison whispers to me, nudging me with her elbow. “You really didn’t need to go to this much trouble!”
For the record, this is the third time she’s told me this and I have to bite back my smile because Madison Morrow is not an easy woman to impress. But, safe to say, my party has been a roaring success. Everyone is having a great time. The high tea was Instagram-worthy; the food was delicious and there’s a lot of leftovers so my dad, who is currently hiding out upstairs, watching a Bruce Willis movie, will be only too happy to devour the scraps. Madison received some gorgeous presents; lingerie and sex toys galore. Even Elma, the psychic, has been a hit. She’s at least eighty-six with silver hair, and she’s dressed in a featherygown that looks like it’s been taken from the backlot of an old time Hollywood film. She set her little portable card table up in the far corner of the yard, and has been reading the girls’ futures or pasts, or whatever it is; I’m a non-believer, but everyone has been raving on and on about how accurate she is, even my mother.
“Come on, Prue, you have to have a go!” Heather encourages me.
“Yeah, P, she’s so on-point, it’s almost creepy,” Madison says, her eyes cartoonishly wide.
I quirk a brow, finishing my fourth glass of wine, the last few sips really getting the better of me and my uncontainable sass. “Let me guess,” I tap a finger against my chin thoughtfully, “she predicted marriage in your near future.”
Maddy deadpans, rolling her eyes at me. “No, but she did predict something…”
I’m stilted by the teasing tone in her voice, and I watch her, waiting for her to elaborate, as does everyone else around the table.
“What?” Milly presses, visibly on the edge of her seat.
Madison takes a deep breath, eyes closed a moment, the faintest of smiles hinting at her lips. And then, she stands and my eyes trail down to where she’s clutching her stomach, and I swear, I can feel my heart sink into the pit of my gut as realization washes over me.
“I’m pregnant!”
Deafening squeals and screams follow Madison’s announcement.
She’s suddenly swarmed, everyone running around this side of the table to congratulate her, and being that I’m seated right next to her, I’m collateral damage,bumped and knocked by eager arms flailing out to wrap around the soon-to-be wifeandfirst-time mother.
When I realize I’m still seated, and probably not nearly excited enough for my best friend as I should be, I stand, smoothing down the front of my dress, stepping in to wrap my arms around Madison. She returns my embrace, wiping tears from her cheeks.
She sniffles. “I’m so sorry to keep this from you all.”
I pull back, managing a smile I know doesn’t reflect the look in my eyes.
“How far along are you?” someone asks.
Madison takes a proffered tissue from Dawn, wiping her tears. “Ten weeks. And I wasn’t going to say anything, but I can’t keep pretending to drink this damn glass of wine because the smell is literally starting to make me feel like I’m going to be sick.”
“Now it makes sense how you’ve been holding your liquor so well these past few weeks!” Milly shouts, pointing an accusing finger at Madison. “And how you’ve been miraculously avoiding hangovers!”
Madison laughs. “Yeah, thankfully I’ve had Ryan around to cover for me.”
“I guess this explains the rushed wedding.” Heather jibes, winking conspiratorially.
Madison ducks her head, her cheeks reddening. “Yeah. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with people having babies out of wedlock. Ryan and I just wanted to do it this way.”
Everyone coos.
