I move my hand to end the call, but Theo’s voice rings out again.
“Oh, Allie?”
“Yes?”
“How did you know?” When I don’t answer right away, he elaborates. “That I ordered dessert so my first date with my wife wouldn’t end?”
“Lucky guess,” I say as I start to pace back and forth in the hallway.
“Well, you certainly seem to have quite an understanding of the human experience. Congratulations, Allie. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you then.”
I end the call and run into the living room, only to be greeted by the sound of moaning.
Jesus Christ, I left them alone for five fucking minutes.
Emory’s sitting on the couch, eyes rolled to the back of her head, while Luke is on his knees in front of her.
“You have to be kidding me? Can you at least keep it in the bedroom?” I call out, and Luke pops his head up to glare at me. Emory’s eyes fly open and her cheeks turn beet red. “He’s not?—”
“We’re not doing anything,” Luke finishes for her. I take atentative step forward, moving past the couch to reveal Luke massaging Emory’s right foot from his place on the floor. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Montgomery.”
“I don’t think you can blame me, considering what was going on when I walked in earlier…”
“You mean when I was having an intimate moment with my fiancée in our private home?” he snaps back.
“I’m not sure ‘intimate moment’ is how I would describe what I heard.”
“Okay, enough, you two. Who was on the phone?” Emory asks, holding her other foot out when Luke drops the one he was massaging.
“Oh, I got the job.”
“What?” she screeches. “You didn’t lead with that?”
She attempts to jump up, but her belly slows her down, and she falls back onto the couch. Luke drops her foot again and holds his hand out to pull her up. When she’s finally standing, she rushes over and throws her arms around me.
“That’s amazing, Al.”
“Then why do you look like you’re about to cry?” I ask as I rub her back.
“It’s the hormones.” She pulls back and moves her hand in the air as if she can wave them away. “I’m just so happy for you.”
“I’m happy too, Em.”
It’s the truth. I’d be lying if I said my life has been easy, but for the first time in months, maybe even years, I feel hopeful.
2
ALLIE
I wakeup with my hair stuck to my face and my head pounding like something is trying to escape from it. I lick my dry, cracked lips and throw back the blanket covering me. The black blanket. Not my light pink duvet…
What did you do, Allie? What the fuck did you do?
My eyes slowly adjust as the morning light spills in through the curtains, but everything is blurry in one eye. Shit, I slept with a contact in again. I scrounge around for my glasses, but they’re not on my nightstand.It’s not your nightstand,the voice in my head reminds me.
Fuck.
