Page 41 of Test the Ice
“That’s because I make stupid decisions when I drink!” Reese blurts, slamming the jug onto the counter.
I raise a brow. “Well, that’s intriguing."
“She hasn’t drunk a sip of alcohol since being impregnated by Benedict,” Zoe confesses.
Never mind. That’s not intriguing at all.
“One drunken night and now look at me!” Reese exclaims. “A baby, a shitty job, an even shittier apartment…”
“A hot fiancé…” I say, winking at her.
Her cheeks turn red again, and she reaches for the apple juice.
I do my best to keep a straight face, but she’s drinking apple juice while pretending it’s something stronger. It’s amusing.
Zoe and I stand in silence as we watch Reese screw the lid back on. She undoes her long braid and quickly throws her hair into a high ponytail while muttering to herself. Zoe turns to face me and leans back against the counter with her arms still crossed over her chest defensively.
I feel like she’s about to interrogate me, especially with the shitty lighting in this apartment.
“Since my sister is clearly spiraling, I need you to fill in the gaps on what happened tonight.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Uh, well…”
I don’t even know what happened. It’s all a blur. Kissing Reese, then the asshole who was belittling her, the whole “he’s my fiancé” thing, and now to find out that she’s a mom?
Shit, maybe I should ask for the apple juice.
“Benedict showed up.” Reese is staring at the counter. Her hands rest against the top, her ponytail hanging low over her shoulder. “And I panicked.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should carry a baseball bat with you,” her sister retorts.
Reese shoots her a dirty look. “That’d go over well. I can’t even sit inside my car without him banging on the window and threatening me.”
I raise an eyebrow. “He was threatening you?”
She averts her gaze.
“He threatened to take you to court again?” Zoe asks, neither of them acknowledging me.
I know when to keep my mouth shut–though most of my team would disagree–but this seems a little more serious than I originally thought.
Reese’s entire demeanor changes. Her shoulders sag, and her voice quivers. “He was going on and on about how I’m whoring around, picking up random guys at clubs–”
Zoe interrupts her. “Picking up random guys at clubs? Yeah, because you’re an Uber driver! That’s your job! It’s not like you open your legs for them!” She huffs. “For fuck’s sake, you won’t even drink alcohol because you’re afraid to step a toe out of line! As if you’d be sleeping with random men!”
And just like that, it clicks.
All the excuses, the comment from the other night about feeling shame.
I’m beginning to dislike this Benedict guy more and more.
Once Zoe finishes her rant, Reese continues, “He kept referring to Malaki as my fuck buddy.” She glances at me before biting her lip nervously.
Suddenly, I feel the need to defend her.Us.“We aren’t,” I add.
“Still, I was afraid he’d twist things and use it against me…” Our eyes catch again, and I know exactly what she’s thinking.
When Benedict tapped on the window, we were mid-kiss.
