Page 100 of Give My Everything
It truly does.
Clearly, Ben and Wyatt are having a much needed, brotherly bonding moment that will hopefully allow them to be here for each other while Ivy struggles through whatever this is.
But I can’t help but look around at the faces that are also watching me.
Half of the people in this room are here for Ivy.
Lucas, Lennon, Paige, Wyatt, Hannah, Ben. Ivy’s dad and Krissa, her nanny Vicki and her mom.
There are a handful of other people here for their own reasons, too. A couple I don’t recognize holding hands in the corner. A guy I think owns one of the bike rental places near the pier. A woman and little girl who were talking quietly to each other as she lay snuggled in the woman’s arms.
Some of them are watching Ben and Wyatt.
But some of them are looking at me.
Their eyes narrowed, or squinted in confusion.
Because Wyatt just unofficially announced some things we’d been hoping to reveal on our own timeline.
Sure, the process of dating and presenting our engagement to the people we know has fallen a little off course.
But the pregnancy?
…pretending you could ever be a father…
Maybe these people didn’t understand. Maybe they don’t know…
Lucas knows already. I didn’t know Wyatt knew, but I assume that means Hannah knows as well.
Vivian and Calvin Calloway are both staring at me. Neither of them seem to have any emotions on their faces, but that could just be because of plastic surgery on her part and the lack of a soul on his.
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” I say out loud and to nobody in particular. I’m just desperate to get away from this feeling of being watched. “I’ll be back.”
And then I wander out of the waiting room and through the sliding doors that connect to the main lobby.
I push forward, trying to get outside, needing a chance to catch my breath and…
“Remmy.”
I clench my eyes shut. This isn’t what I want. This isn’t what I need. Not from him.
So I keep walking, ignoring his voice until I get outside and can gulp in the salty sea air that allows me to feel like my lungs are expanding for the first time.
“Remmy.”
“What?” I say, my tone tense.
I turn and look at Lucas, who stands in front of me looking just like he always has.
Like a man who cares about me more than I deserve.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not fucking okay,” I bite out, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “But today isn’t about me and my emotional problems, okay? Go back inside.”
There’s a pause and I keep my eyes glued to the ground. But I know he steps closer because his same old flip-flops that he’s had for years come into my line of sight.
“You’re not on the outside, Rem.”
