“You’re welcome. Just remember it when I need a favour.”
I had a terrible feeling that favour might be sooner than I thought.
CHAPTER12
Amber
FEBRUARY 14, VALENTINE’S DAY
“So who doyou think Genevieve’s with tonight?” I mixed the lime juice in with my soda and tried to pretend it was a fancy cocktail.
Neva and I were at a restaurant in Manchester that was twenty stories high and had views across the city. It was also a great place to people-watch and glimpse celebrities, including a footballer for Liverpool who was on a date with not one, but two women.
Neva glanced at her phone. She’d been a little on edge all evening, but I was putting it down to the fact that this was the first proper time we’d been on our own since she’d found out I was pregnant.
I was still pregnant, and it looked like I was staying that way. Hopefully. Words I never thought I’d say. There were a couple of hurdles, like the conversation I needed to have with Nate, which I was obviously dreading. I hadn’t told anyone else my decision yet – anyone being Genny and Neva. I wanted to tell Nate first and give him time to digest it, and decide whether he wanted to be part of the baby’s life.
And mine.
This was nothing other than a package deal.
“You clearly have a theory.” Neva sipped her drink, another lime and soda. She’d offered to drive, even though she didn’t have to, but for the last week or so, I’d become the designated driver, so I hadn’t argued. Plus, I hated driving into the city centre.
“I think it’s Guy.”
Neva spat her drink out. “No! They hate each other.”
“So they’re having great hate sex. Imagine the passion!” I was starting to hit that level of hormones where I would’ve liked some of that passion myself.
Neva shook her head. “No. You’re imagining things.” She glanced at her phone again.
“Waiting for someone to call?”
“Yes – no. No. Just looking.” She glanced over my shoulder.
I frowned. Neva was being very un-Neva like. “Are we okay? I know you were shocked when you found out about me being – pregnant.” I paused between the words. “But are we okay?”
She swallowed hard enough for me to see her throat move. “If you forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
“I was hardly supportive. Or a good friend. I was jealous.” Her attention was all on me now. “I am so sorry.”
I shook my head. “Don’t be. I know how much you want a baby.”
“I do. But I want to find a man first to be a good father.” She glanced away again. “Nate will be a good dad. He already is.”
“When I tell him. I just don’t know how to go about making that happen. You know, it’s not every day some woman you’ve hooked up with four times tells you she’s pregnant.” I stopped, Neva’s face had paled.
“Amber?”
“What is it?”
She stood up, her napkin falling to the side. “Don’t hate me, but you can have your chance now.”
I stood up and turned around, looking in the direction where she’d been staring. There, instead of the restaurant full of strangers, was the tall, broad man I knew intimately.
“I’ll see you later.” She picked up her handbag and scuttled.
