And suddenly I wasn’t sure about anything.
With a heave, I placed my hand over my mouth and barely made it to the bathroom before puking up way too much licorice and Mountain Dew.
“Austin?” Thatch was immediately knocking on the door, then jerking it open. And then I was being pulled into his arms. “I’m so sorry. I know it looks bad.” He felt my forehead. “What’s wrong? Is it the news? Do you have the flu? I can prescribe something for nausea, just give me a min—”
“I think I’m pregnant.”
The phone slipped from his fingers and dropped onto the bathroom tile with a clang.
Yeah. So write that, Hollywood.
My dad set up my own mom.
With my boyfriend.
Whose child I was carrying.
Kill me now.
Avery went to the store with me.
I told Thatch to stay with Lucas, plus it wouldn’t be good for him to be seen. His name wasn’t ever given, but it was impossible not to notice the high cheekbones and ever-present blond man bun. Besides, he was on buses, park benches—the guy was well known. And I was pretty sure that within the hour, news would break that Dr. Holloway—you know, my possible baby daddy?—was the home wrecker.
I groaned.
I was so angry at my dad, I wanted to give him a black eye—he wasn’t the best dad, but at least he’d always protected me, kept me safe. Put a roof over my head. Made me believe that no matter what, we’d stick together, even if it was all a front. I never thought he’d actually throw me under the bus—or Thatch for that matter. Not to mention my mom. The woman he supposedly loved enough to marry.
I knew I needed to confront him, but the very idea that he would set up our family like that had me reeling. I wasn’t even sure what I would say, but I hate you was item number one on the list.
“You okay?” Avery rubbed my leg. “I mean, I know this is all a bit much, but it’s going to be fine. Right?”
“Totally fine,” I said through clenched teeth as we made our way through Walgreens and grabbed a few different pregnancy tests. Avery bought them.
For obvious reasons.
All of them pointing toward breaking news. No way was I going to add any fuel to the flame.
When we were back in the car, I started to cry again.
“Why can’t we do anything normal?” I asked the universe. “Remember? White picket fence? One dog? A kid AFTER you get married and have the perfect job? And the perfect family reunions where both sets of parents hang out and aren’t cheating with each other!” I yelled the last part.
“Okay,” Avery said slowly. “First off, it’s just your dad and his mom, it’s not like everyone’s swapped. Second, that’s not real life.” Right, because that made everything better.
“This, this isn’t real life!”
“Actually, it is.” Avery shrugged. “Life is messy. It’s chaotic. And I hardly doubt you’d want perfect. I mean, have you ever even seen a picket fence? You have to paint that shit!”
“Avery.” My eyes welled with hot tears.
“You can’t even watercolor!”
Woman had a point.
“And one dog? Who gets one small, tiny, annoying little dog? You’re more of a big-dog girl, and even then, have you seen Thatch with animals? He tried to pet a turtle once and was so rough, the little thing nearly drowned!”
I burst out laughing as I wiped away a stray tear. “That’s true—he’s only good with people.”
“Not creatures. And I’m sure all pet owners everywhere say a thanks to God that he didn’t decide to become a vet.”
“True.”
“The point is this,” Avery said softly. “It’s not always going to be how you planned it—but is love ever planned? Do you think I wanted to fall for my sister’s ex-fiancé? The one who cheated on her? That sure as hell wasn’t in my life plan!”
“Yeah, but your story is romantic!”
“Right, and so is yours, just in a different way, Austin.” She rolled her eyes as she pulled out of the parking lot. “Sheesh, remember when you guys met? And you were all stumbling over to him and he couldn’t take his eyes off you? And the man was a certified man whore, ask Lucas!”
“I don’t think I like that part of the story,” I admitted.
“Right, but the minute he found you, he changed his ways. Bam!” She slammed the steering wheel, causing me to jump a foot. “And now, look at you guys. Basically cohabitating and ready to have a baby, and—spoiler alert—the baby is going to be so beautiful! And healthy. And have a doctor as a dad!”
“And the story just got better, but we don’t even know if I’m pregnant.”
“You’re over two months late,” Avery said, then just had to add, “If you aren’t pregnant, we really need to talk about your stress levels, or maybe it’s just the Mountain Dew finally going radioactive in your system and changing you into a superhero! If that’s the case”—she winked—“I say wait for Captain America.”
“Good talk.” I gave her a high five before grabbing the Walgreens bag and making the trek back up to Thatch’s apartment.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
THATCH
“What does a nervous breakdown feel like?” I kept checking my watch, and every time I checked, only a minute had gone by. Walgreens was two blocks away.
Two!
“What the hell? Did they stop to feed the ducks or something?” I paced in front of Lucas while he devoured half a bag of potato chips. “And why aren’t you saying anything?”
“One.” He held up a finger. “Because you’ll just tell me to shut the hell up.” He crunched down on another chip. “And two, because I’m ninety percent sure if I say something, no matter how helpful, you’ll just take out your pent-up aggression on me and punch me in the face, and I like my nose. I’m attached to it, literally. So I’ve got nothing.”
“I wouldn’t punch you.”
“Admit it, you want to punch something.”
“Because I don’t know what the fuck to do!” I yelled. “I’m pretty sure Austin’s dad wants to start a smear campaign in order to protect his own ass, and if Austin’s pregnant . . .” I sat and groaned into my hands.
“And if she is?” Lucas asked.
A buzzing sensation washed all over my body. “I’d be stoked,” I finally admitted. “It’s not like I’m getting any younger.”
“Saw a wrinkle near your lip, man, I’d fix that shit.”
“You have smile lines too, dumbass.”
He grinned. “Mine make me look sexy, since they’re paired with this cleft right there.” He winked. “Yours make you look old, ergo, congrats on the baby.”
I tried to tamp down my excitement.
But it was impossible.
So when the door opened and Austin held out about six different types of pregnancy tests, I was ready to give her as much water as necessary so she could hurry the hell up and pee on the damn stick.