Chapter 22

It had been almostsix months since I started seeing Rich. Things were fast becoming more and more settled, and the time was fast approaching to tell Annie, but for now, she was still completely unaware of what was happening between her best friend and her dad.

I didn’t know if it was the stresses at work, but lately, she’d been feeling sick and not sleeping.

I stared at her.

“What?” She sighed.

“Annie, are you sure you’re okay? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like shit.”

“Thanks.” She rolled her eyes at me. “I’ve just been feeling more and more sick recently.”

My eyes widened at the thought of what might be the reason.

She eyed me suspiciously, and I knew what she was thinking.

“You don’t think you’re…?” I asked her.

She shook her head adamantly. “I’m absolutely sure that’s not what’s going on here.”

I shrugged. “Nothing is one hundred percent effective, you know. Maybe it’s worth taking a test to make sure.”

She shook her head again.

Panic drained the colour from her face. She clamped her hand over her mouth, raced to the bathroom, and retched.

Fuck.

She sat on the floor, hugging the toilet, as I stood in the doorway and got the most pitiful look from her. “I can’t be,” she insisted. Again, she heaved.

“Look, you stay there. I’m going to the chemist on the corner to get you a test. I’ll only be about five minutes.”

She gave me a thumbs up as she retched again.

By the timeI made it back, she’d managed to stop vomiting. She’d cleaned herself up and was sitting on her bed.

“You look as white as a sheet.” I handed her the small paper bag with the test inside it.

I had no words for her. She took the bag out of my hand and walked into the bathroom with it, locking the door behind her.

Three minutes later, she reappeared and handed the stick to me without a word. I looked at it as she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

“Shit, Annie.”

“I know.”

“It’s positive.”

“I know.”

“You’re pregnant.”

She snapped up from where she was lying and bored holes in my head. “Iknow.”

“Sorry,” I replied sheepishly. “You’re in shock. I’m going to make you a sweet tea.” I went downstairs, and she rushed back to the bathroom to throw up again. At least this time we knew the reason why.