Page 132 of Pretend You Love Me
“I can get you in somewhere...”
I cut him off. “Unnecessary.”
I’m not sticking around any longer for this interrogation to continue.
“Let her go,” I hear Elizabeth whisper as I walk up the stairs.
Once I’m inside, I slip into the bathroom for a moment. When I open the door, Elizabeth and Zadie are waiting for me.
“What are you guys doing?” I ask, looking from one of them to the other.
“We have a question about wrapping paper,” Elizabeth says loudly.
As I’m shooting Zadie a confused look, she grabs my arm and pulls me toward her bedroom. “Come take a look and help us decide.”
Once we’re inside the room, Elizabeth shuts the door. “How far along are you?”
My mouth drops open.
“You’re pregnant, right?” Zadie says, her eyes drift from my face down to my body. I instinctively cross my arms over my chest.
“You don’t have to talk with us about it if you don’t want,” Elizabeth adds quickly.
I finally find some words. “Um...I think around twelve weeks.”
Zadie presses her lips together and nods slowly. “How are you?”
I slump onto the bed. “Miserable.”
“Emotionally or physically?” Elizabeth asks.
“Both.”
“Is this something you want?” Zadie says, her voice soft.
“Yes.”
“Good.” Elizabeth sits down beside me and squeezes my hand. Zadie sits on the other side and places her hand on my back.
“Have you told Kip?”
I shake my head.
“Anyone else know?” Zadie asks.
“Just Will and Declan. They figured it out around Thanksgiving.”
“That’s why Will invited Kip? What a dickhead,” Zadie says. She’s looking straight forward. Her eyes look like they are plotting some sort of revenge.
“Yeah, he is a dickhead,” I agree.
Elizabeth sighs and says, “You know, I thought I was pregnant once before I had Vivi, and I didn’t tell James. It was a whole thing.”
My eyes grow wide. I look from Elizabeth to Zadie, who doesn’t seem surprised at all. She must have already known this.
“Why not?”
Elizabeth sighs again. “It’s hard to imagine now, but we weren’t in a good place, and he had told me he didn’t want children.”
