“Can you come with me?” I whispered, wishing I didn’t sound so frantic. “I can’t talk about it out here.” He nodded and left the door open while he flew around his room, throwing on a shirt and scooping a handful of water to tame his hair. I waited outside the door with my arms crossed.
Cassidy couldn’t be pregnant. She was under a lot of stress with this trip: being in a strange place, knowing she’d soon be without her sister, getting involved in a serious whirlwind romance with someone she’d met a month ago. That stuff could have thrown off her body. I did the dates in my head. She would have conceived during one of their first times, if not the very first. What were the chances?
McKale came out, closing the door, and we rushed to my room where Cassidy waited. Once we were in with the door closed, the three of us stood close so we could keep our voices low. We each crossed our arms over our chests, which might have been comical under different circumstances.
“The Clour cannot have children, right?” I asked.
“Tha’s correct.” He looked back and forth between the two of us with a crease in his brow, then his gaze stopped on Cassidy and his forehead smoothed. “Ah.”
“Please tell me they can’t get women pregnant,” I whispered.
McKale paused, too long.
“Aye, they can.” He sounded respectfully sorry. “But it does no’ last beyond the early months.”
Cassidy whimpered, covering her mouth, and angry fire raged through me.
“McKale,” I said through gritted teeth. “Please find Rock and bring him here.”
He pushed a hand through his dampened hair and nodded at me, looking pained.
“Wait!” Cassidy’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm as he turned to go. “You’re not gonna tell him, are you?”
He looked down on her with sad eyes. “Nay. If I did, he’d no’ come.”
She watched him leave with her mouth agape. “He would still come.” She sounded childlike.
“Cass—”
“No!” She pulled away when I tried to touch her and went to her bed, sitting down and pulling up her knees. “McKale’s wrong. It’s not like that. Ronan loves me.”
I curled my hands into tight fists. My sister could be pregnant with a baby that had no chance of survival. And I had a terrible feeling the only person Rock loved was Rock.
We waited in silence. She stayed in bed and zoned out while I paced. It felt like forever before the guys came. Rock’s hair looked particularly big this morning and he wore a good-humored expression.
“Wha’s the secret, then? Are we off on another grand adventure today, lasses?”
“Oh, it’s grand alright,” I said.
“Robyn, stop!” Cassidy jumped out of bed and went to Rock. He draped an arm over her shoulder and they gazed at one another.
“Sorry,” she said to him. “It’s just that…”
She looked down, not able to say it, and Rock absorbed the silence. He noted our serious faces, and lost the stupid grin on his own. His hand dropped from Cassidy’s shoulder. When he took a step away and her chin quivered, I trembled with anger.
“Och. Ye should have warned her,” McKale told him.
“It’s okay,” Cassidy said. “I’m not mad at you, Ronan.” She moved toward him, but he looked afraid.
“I thought ye knew it was possible,” he said, eyes darting toward the exit, which was blocked by both McKale and myself.
“Well, you thought wrong.” I worked hard to thaw the ice from my voice. “So, now’s the part where you comfort her and tell her you’ll be there for her.”
Cassidy sent me a furious look. Rock reached out with uncertainty and laid a hand on Cassidy’s shoulder. When she leaned on him and began to cry into his chest, he put his arms awkwardly around her.
“Och, shiteballs,” he said.
Cassidy laughed at his funny-sounding use of her word before her tears tapered off and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.
“Will ye be tellin’ yer folks?” he asked, seeming terrified at the prospect.
“No way. If I told my mom she would tell my dad and he’d probably kill you.”
His expression of terror expanded, and Cass managed a small giggle. “I won’t tell them, but I’m not good at keeping secrets. Maybe I’ll tell Mom when we’re back home.”
Rock didn’t look reassured. He’d obviously had bad luck with fathers in the past. Imagine that.
“Everything is okay,” she told him. “It’ll be okay.”
Why was she comforting him? It was not okay.
“Aye, Cassie-lassie.” His smile was nervous, but she beamed back at him anyway. I was shocked. She hated being called Cassie. She once chased me and gave me a wedgie when I said it.
At least Rock seemed to be making an effort now, even though he appeared unaccustomed to doing so.
“Um, so, Robyn and McKale are having their binding ceremony in five days,” she told him.
“Truly?” He grinned, but not as wide as usual.
“Perhaps I’ll see if me father can make an exception and allow the Clour to attend,” McKale said.
“Aye, if ye can get the stubborn old man to agree, I’ll be there.”