“Oh, God,” Andy exhales before pulling me into a hug. “I’m sure he didn’t mean that!”
I shake my head against her shoulder, trying not to blubber.
God, I’m such a pussy.
“He was pretty clear about it, Andy.” I sniffle. “No babies. Ever.” I curl a hand over my stomach, realizing there’s already a slight firmness to the bulge there that I’ve never noticed before. Andy pulls back and frowns down at me.
“Well, he’s going to have to change his mind,” she says firmly. “Because he put a baby inside you, and now he’s half responsible for it.” She stops abruptly, her frown deepening. “Wait. If you guys just went on honeymoon, how could you…?”
“We met before. A couple of months back.”
Andy’s mouth drops open as she stares at my throat and then back at me.
“You’re her!” she says. “The girl with the tattoo.”
I touch my neck to the ink there.
“Yeah. So?”
“So Raoul lost his mind over you, you idiot!” She chuckles, letting my shoulders go. “Mateo said the guy nearly drove him nuts trying to get him to use his connections to find you. Said Mateo owed him because Raoul helped him find me when…” She pauses. “When I went off the rails.” Her voice grows firm again. “The man was obsessed!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He wanted his mother’s ring back. End of story.” I’m uncomfortable with where this is going.
“His mother’s ring?”
“Long story,” I say, not wanting to go into it. “Anyway, I gave it back.”
“And then he married you.”
I shrug. “A business deal. I’m a fucking commodity.”
Andy’s face brightens into a smile.
“You think that’s what it is?” she asks.
“Iknowthat’s what it is, Andy. He won me in a motherfucking poker match – from my cunt-faced father.” I’m feeling my mojo slowly returning. Meanwhile, Andy seems entirely unmoved by my foul language. There must be a lot of cussing in pediatrics.
“Oh, it’s more than that, honey. That man has bedded every skank from New York to Vegas and then some. But wedding bells? There’s never been a mention of it.”
“Everyskank?” My lip curls. “Gee, thanks, that makes me feelsomuch better.”
“No!” Andy quickly backpedals. “I mean, he could have any woman he wanted…and he often did. Sometimes more than one at a time. And then he met you, andboom! He’s getting hitched. The man has feelings for you, girl.”
I snort. “Sure. And they’re all in his dick.”
“Hey, don’t knock the value of good sex, girlfriend,” Andy chuckles. “It’s how Mateo and I started out. I fucked his brains out every chance I got until he convinced me I was doing it for more than just a good time.”
“Bullshit. You guys are sickeningly cute. Your relationship is nothing like what’s happening between Raoul and me,” I mutter sullenly. I don’t have time for Little Mary Sunshine to try to explain to me that she understands what I’ve been through.
“Don’t judge too quickly, Emma. You’re not the only woman who’s visited the dark side.” Andy’s lips tighten as she steps away from me. “All I’m saying is that not every romance starts out with sunshine and roses, okay? And this baby? This baby deserves a chance.”
“That’s why I can’t tell him about it!” I retort. “What if he wants me to—” I can’t say the words, but Andy guesses.
“You want me to believe Raoul will force you to have an abortion?” Andy’s head snaps around toward me.
I shrug. Who knows what the man is capable of. I won’t say that to her, though…she’s clearly in his camp. Drinking the fucking Cool-aid.
“No,” she goes on. “Not Raoul. Not after what he’s gone through.” I watch as her hand tightens around her cell phone and part of me feels ready to launch an attack if she dares to dial out right now.
