Page 33 of Catcher

Promise kneels beside me immediately, her movements careful, gentle. “Hey,” she says softly, like she’s afraid I might shatter. “You don’t have to say anything right now. We’re here.”

Sadie crouches, too, her eyes never leaving my face. “You’re going to be okay,” she whispers.

London reaches down, picks up the pregnancy test, glances at it once, then sets it beside the sink. Her jaw tightens, but when she looks back at me, I can tell it’s out of concern, not anger. “Can you stand, Ruby?” she asks. “We’ve got you.”

I nod weakly, even though my legs feel like Jello. Between the three of them, they help me up. Promise keeps an arm around my back, Sadie holds my hand, and London hovers close, ready to catch me if I wobble.

Together, they guide me down the hall and into my bedroom, where they have me sit on the edge of the bed. Promise kneels in front of me while London sits beside me, and Sadie disappears briefly before coming back with a cool, damp washcloth. Without a word, Sadie gently presses it to my face, wiping away the tears and streaks of mascara I hadn’t even realized were there. Her touch is careful and nurturing, as if she’s done this a hundred times before. “There we go,” she murmurs. “Just breathe.”

Doing as I’m told, I take a deep, cleansing breath.

Promise rests her hands on my knees, grounding me. “We’re not going anywhere,” she says. “Whatever this is… we will figure it out together.”

London crosses her arms, eyes fierce and protective. “And just so we’re clear…” she adds, her voice lighter but no less serious, “… we’re not letting you hide shit from us anymore. We planned this sneak attack because we knew something had been up your ass lately. I can’t believe you not only kept this from us, but you weren’t even going to let us be here for you.”

A sob finally breaks free, but this time I don’t fight it.

“Lon!” Promise hisses.

For a few moments, the room is quiet except for my uneven breathing.

Promise is the first to speak, “Okay,” she says, picking herself up off the floor and gently sitting beside me on the bed. She’s careful to keep her voice calm and steady when she continues, “We’re here. And we love you. Now, are you ready to tell us what happened?”

I nod, staring down at my hands twisted together in my lap.

London shifts closer. “We’re not here to judge,” she says. “You know that’s not us. We just need to understand.”

Sadie squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to rush,” she adds softly.

I swallow hard.

Promise hesitates, then asks the question I’ve been dreading. Telling my friends means reliving the humiliation. What will they think? “Ruby, who’s the father?”

His name bursts out of my mouth before I can stop it. “Catcher.”

The girls go silent. The only thing that can be heard is the sound of my shallow breathing. All three of them stare at me.

London’s eyes widen. “Wait,” she says slowly. “Catcher?”

Promise blinks, clearly trying to process it. “Catcher?” she repeats his name like maybe I misspoke, and she’s waiting for me to correct myself, only I don’t.

I nod, tears spilling over. “Yes.”

Sadie’s grip tightens on my hand. “Oh, Ruby…” The way she says my name sounds pitiful.

Pity is the last thing I want right now.

London straightens, shock written all over their face. “I did not see that coming,” she says, then, “When did this happen?”

“That night, a couple of months ago, when we all crashed at the clubhouse,” I confess.

Promise frowns. “You never said anything.”

“I know,” I say quickly. “I was embarrassed. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

My chest tightens as the memories rush back. “We slept t-together,” I say, my voice cracking. “I got up to get something to drink after I couldn’t sleep. His door was cracked open, and he was sitting up in his bed. He looked… I don’t know, off. Like something was wrong. I only wanted to make sure he was okay. And then… it just happened. I thought it meant something. I thought he was into me, and I thought…” I shake my head. “I thought there was something there. I was wrong.”

London’s expression hardens.