Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
“No you’re not,” she says, still grinning.
I nod. “It’s real. Just found out this morning.”
She screams. Not a horror-movie shriek, but a full-throated, joyful whoop that bounces off the exposed brick and turns a dozen heads. I shrivel into my seat, but she’s not embarrassed; she’s vibrating with delight. She stands, rounds the table, and nearly tackles me in a hug, pinning my arms to my sides. Her hair smells like coconut and chlorine.
“Oh my god, this is huge,” she says in my ear, squeezing tight. “Are you happy? Are you scared? Are you going to keep it?”
She says it all in one breath, then releases me, hovering inches away with that laser-focus only best friends can muster.
I try to process the questions. “Yes, I’m going to keep it,” I admit. “But I think I’m still in shock.”
Andie plants her hands on my cheeks and looks me dead in the eyes. “It’s okay to be all of the above. I’m here for you no matter what.” Her voice is low, serious, and suddenly I feel the tears threatening again.
I blink hard, fighting them off. “I was going to wait to tell you, but—”
“Fuck that,” Andie says. “You tell your best friend everything, even if it’s ugly or weird or you’re still working out how you feel. That’s the rule.”
I nod, and the knot in my throat loosens a little. I take a sip of her coffee, just to do something with my hands. It tastes like battery acid and bad decisions.
Andie slides back into her chair, curls her legs under her, and fixes me with her therapist face. “Okay. When did this happen? Like, how pregnant are you?”
“Maybe five weeks,” I say. “Could be six, tops. It’s early.”
She beams. “You know who the dad is, right?” She says it with a wry, pointed look.
My face must say it all, because she hoots with laughter. “Shit, Sim, you and Professor Hottie McHotts must have had some fun at the cabin, huh?”
I bury my face in my hands. “Don’t call him that.”
“Why not? He’s objectively hot. And also, he’s your boyfriend, and not your professor anymore. This is like a modern day fairy tale.”
She bounces in her seat, genuinely excited. “Wait, does he know yet? Are you gonna tell him?”
“I haven’t even processed it myself,” I say. “I walked around the city for three hours after the appointment. I just… I’m still in shock.”
Andie gets serious again, picking at the edge of her cup. “Do you want to be a mom? Like, for real?”
It’s a good question, and I let it settle. “Yes. But I just started my master’s, and—”
She nods, lips pursed. “Yeah, that would be a lot.” She leans in. “But whatever you do, you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll help. Hell, I’ll be the cool aunt. I’ll teach your baby to swim before they can walk.”
The sincerity in her voice almost breaks me. I look away, blinking hard.
Andie, in true form, switches tracks before I can spiral. “Speaking of babies, you’ll love this,” she says, her tone slipping back to its default: chaos. “Remember Stella, from down the hall?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I’ve been boinking her dad.”
I squint at my pretty friend. “Yes, you told me. He’s the older man you’ve been hooking up with.”
Andie smirks. “Yeah, and it’s amazing. We go at it like rabbits. Middle-aged men are so much more fun. They’re all, like, hardened and throbbing.”
The visual almost makes me choke. “You’re out of your mind.”
“Not really. Thomas is divorced and knows a lot about life. Plus, he gives me better relationship advice than my therapist.” She winks. “But we’re careful. Don’t want a surprise baby myself.”
The irony is not lost on me, and I can’t help laughing. The tension dissolves, just a little.
I give her a look. “You use condoms, right?”
Andie rolls her eyes. “Of course, Mom. But honestly, we do anal a lot to be safe. Not all the time, but, like, a lot. So I’m fine.”
The way she says it—so airy, so matter-of-fact—makes me crack up for real. “That’s your plan? The back door is birth control?”
She deadpans. “Worked so far. Besides, it’s fun.”
I shake my head, smiling despite myself. “You’re insane.”
She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “You love me for it.”
I squeeze back, and in that moment I do. I love her for always bringing spark to our conversations.
We finish our drinks in silence. The world outside glows with the blue hour, everything saturated and surreal.
Finally, she breaks it. “So what are you going to do about Liam?”
I don’t answer right away. I watch a group of undergrads pass the window, all limbs and laughter. I think about Liam, about his face when I tell him, about the mess of wanting and not wanting.
“I’m not ready to tell him,” I say, quiet.