“I don’t know. We haven’t had a real conversation in years. I don’t know how to ask her if she was carrying my child.”
Fuck.That hurt me for him. I can’t even imagine the loss, nevermind the fact of not finding out until years later. That this whole time it was kept hidden. Our conversation is cut short when Mark emerges from the trees whistling, none the wiser that one of his best friends is the father of his sister’s miscarried baby.
“I’m gonna go start the fire so that we can get cooking,” Trystan states. I nod, knowing he needs a couple minutes to himself.
“Did I hear he’s starting up the fire?” Mark asks.
“Yup,” I quip while peeling back a layer of scales on a bass. How am I going to help these two?
???
Sydney
In the morning, Garrett has a buddy drive with him to go pick up my car. By the time they get back, Holly and I are itching to get to my place.
“Don’t be snoopy!” Jane hollers from the kitchen as we waltz out the front door.Ha!As if that didn’t make me want to run up my stairs even faster! I twist my key in the lock, and Holly immediately pushes the front door open wide.
“This place is cute! Now, where’s your bedroom?” She’s on a mission and will not be deterred. We drop our stuff in the entryway.
“Up the stairs to the left.”
“Race ya!” Holly blurts, frantically taking off for the steps with a wild grin on her face. We giggle as we make the mad dash up to my bedroom, Bitsy and Amy right at our heels. Upon crashing into the room, we freeze, staring at the tall dresser before us while catching our breaths.
“Shit, are we really doing this?” I whisper.
“Why are you whispering?” She turns her head quickly, flicking my face with her shoulder length hair while she whispers back to me.
“I don’t even know.” I snort a suppressed laugh back at her.
“I’m dying to know if it’s a ring,” Holly states, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Me too, but I don’t want to see it if it is.” I cover my face with both hands, nerves doing somersaults in my belly.
“Okay, where am I looking?” She rubs her hands together, determination setting in to solve the mystery.
“Top drawer, far right side, stuffed in the black boxer briefs.”
“You’d think he’d pick a better spot.”
“I would’ve never looked if Bitsy hadn’t tried to make a snuggle spot and messed it all up. He was already all packed up, so he wouldn’t have noticed anything out of place either.”
Holly walks up to the drawer cautiously, even though there’s nothing to be cautious about. She opens the drawer and feels around, coming across the shape quickly.
“It’s definitely the right size. It’s black and velvety…”
I hold my breath. Her breath catches as she opens it up. She says nothing as I burn holes into her back, imagining a handful of different things it could possibly be.
“Hollz, you’re killing me here. Is it earrings? Jenna’s wedding ring? What?”
“Holy shit, Sydney…” she whispers on a breathy exhale. I hear her snap the tiny box shut and watch as she stuffs it back neatly in the drawer. She takes the time to make the boxers just like all the others.
“Holy shit, what?! I need more words than that!”
“Umm…” She looks down at the dresser, then left toward where I’m sitting on the bed. “That’s a fucking rock, Syd.” The grin splitting her face wide leaves me breathless and in shock as her words settle in. I swallow, but there’s nothing there to go down. My throat is as dry as the desert being beat by the mid-day sun.
“Like, like a…” I stammer, watching her nod exuberantly. I’m speechless. A ring. A diamond ring.
“It’s gorgeous,” she continues. I just nod my head back at her because there’s just… nothing. I have absolutely no words.A freaking engagement ring!