I laugh. “Yeah, but you cheated…you set alarms,” I say, pointing my finger at him.
Mom and Dad had a rule—only one kid allowed in their bed. If you got there and someone was already in there, you had to either go back to your room or sleep on the floor. Mason and I played that game for a while, because we were scared of the dark. Which, looking back, if we both would’ve just stayed in the room together, we wouldn’t have been scared. Jesse and Cody were older, so they didn’t participate in that game and shared the other room anyway.
“You setalarms?” Dad questions.
“Yeah…for, like, midnight. I had to beat her there,” he says.
“What were you scared of?” Jesse asks.
Mason shrugs. “I don’t know. The dark?”
“So turn the light on?” Wesley suggests.
Mason sits up in his chair. “Who sleeps with a light on?!” he hollers, like that’s the craziest thing you could’ve ever suggested. The table erupts with laughter, and before anyone can answer him, Cora starts crying.
“Good job,” I joke.
“Sorry.” Mason frowns.
Mom takes care of the situation and leaves the room, bouncing the baby in her arms.
“That cry is like nails on a chalkboard to me right now.” Jesse rubs his forehead but keeps eating.
The sound of a diesel truck rumbles from outside as Mom and I are in the kitchen cleaning up later.
I glance out the window “Oh, it’s Cody,” I say, glad he’s decided not to wallow in self-pity all alone today.
Just as I turn back around, something at the corner of my eye stops me. I look back to Cody’s truck. The passenger seat…there’s a girl in it.
My jaw drops slightly. Tell me he’s been dating someone secretly and this is how he announces it!
He rounds the truck and opens her door, offering his hand to help her down. I catch a quick glimpse of her hair, mostly brown, but threaded with soft blonde highlights that catch the light as she gets out.
Cody shuts her door and my heart stops.
She’s pregnant…verypregnant.
Is Cody having a baby?! He wouldn’t, wouldhe?
“Um…Mom…” I say cautiously.
“What?” She comes over to see for herself.
“Oh, heaven help me…” she mutters and we watch them start towards the door.
Epilogue
Wesley
Six Months Later
I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my life.
I had to lie to Addison, and that makes me sick. I told her I was going out with the guys tonight, but I’m not. I also roped Blake and Sierra into it. Insisting they ask Addie to babysit so I could get her out of her house.
Now, here I am, sitting in the living room across from Leonard and Maureen, trying not show how insanely nervous and scared I am.
My eye contact breaks away from her dad over to Maureen, who’s, thankfully, smiling.
