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We hit the road again, and the conversation shifted to the list of songs we’d come up with yesterday for our playlist. We pulled up one after another and sang along at the top of our lungs, ranking each one when we were done, based on random things like sing-along value and feel-good-scream value.
I tried to ignore the repeated why wasn’t I prepared for this? That bounced in my thoughts, but I didn’t succeed.
When we reached Onyx’s and knocked, he answered the door with a scowl. “Are you both all right? Where have you been?”
5
Onyx
It wasn’t as though Alys and Maddox being late was a big deal, but it was also unusual for her. For as long as I’d known her, she’d been a I’m running two minutes behind and I wanted to let you know kind of person.
As the three of us brought their bags and laptops in from Maddox’s SUV, he said, “Sorry we’re late. We stopped for ice cream and lost track of time.”
Alys winced.
I was missing something.
That was fine. It was between them.
But I couldn’t let it drop. First she was keeping something from me, and now she lost track of more than two hours because they stopped for ice cream?
“Can I talk to you?” I asked Alys after we’d deposited everything in the living room.
The ping in my chest wasn’t jealousy or anything along those lines. Couldn’t be. But I was worried about my friend. I was willing to draw down on anyone who hurt her.
She nodded. “Sure.”
Maddox opened his mouth as he reached for her.
Alys gave a quick shake of her head. “We’ll be right back.”
She fell into step with me as we headed through the sliding glass door that led to the back yard. The sun sat on the mountain that made up the horizon, casting my deck in yellow and long shadows.
I walked up to the small koi pond that sat a few yards away from the porch, and settled onto the ground next to the rocks surrounding the water. Light bounced off the glassy blue, and two bright orange fish swam underneath.
Alys settled next to me.
How was I supposed to start this conversation? “You can tell me anything. You know that.”
“I do.”
I waited for more. That should’ve been her opening. She was silent. I glanced at her, to see her rubbing her thumb over her fingernails one at a time.
“Alys?”
“I-had-a-pregnancy-scare.” Her words tumbled out. “I-was-late-I-freaked-out-it-turned-out-to-be-nothing-and-that’s-that.”
I had to slow the words down in my head, figure out where some of the syllables were supposed to break, to piece together what she’d said. “You thought you were pregnant.”
“Yes.”
The way my insides twisted was painful. “But you’re not.”
“No.”
“And Maddox knew.”
“Yes.”
