Lainey planted both hands on the green roof rail. “Mr. Segarra, I can’t leave this parking lot without this car.”
He stared at her, unmoved. “I’ll give you six hundred to strip it for parts to sell to collectors.”
Lainey couldn’t believe just how far she’d fallen.
She sighed. “I’ll do it for nine hundred,” she countered.
Carlos nodded and disappeared with his son into a maze of VW Golfs.
“This is a sign,” Bree announced, much peppier than the situation called for.
“Of what?” Lainey could only think of her immediate needs, which, first and foremost, was to cry on the hood of a red Jetta.
Bree cradled her belly and shifted her weight from foot to foot. “To take a leap. You literally have nothing to lose.”
“Please, kick me while I’m down. I’d love to see exactly how far I can burrow into the earth’s crust.”
“My parents bought a spa in Sweden, and I think you should go there.”
Lainey couldn’t process any part of that sentence. “For, like, a weekend?”
“No, to work.”
“I don’t think I can get a Swedish work visa to be a towel attendant.”
“We’ll make you a fancy title that sounds super essential.”
“I think that’s technically fraud.”
“So?” Bree arched her brow. “You’re not the only one capable of subterfuge. Come on. You can live in staff housing. Wasn’t the dream to travel and go on adventures?”
“Yeah, and I’m not sure working for your parents and sleeping in a bunk bed next to a woman named Ingrid counts as an adventure.” Was this happening? Was any of this real? “Sweden does have really good health care.”
She grinned, bouncing. “I know, right?”
And she’d need health care once Elliot got around to divorcing her. She figured it was only a matter of time.
“The idea of owing anything to your parents makes me feel icky inside.”
Bree grabbed Lainey by the shoulders and leaned in close until she occupied her entire field of vision. “Don’t think about them. Think about me.”
She couldn’t say out loud that the thought of relying on anyone, even Bree, made her feel ill. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to. Her friend could see it all over her face.
“Okay, so it turned out that Elliot wasn’t worthy of being on your team. It doesn’t mean you were wrong to try. I’m really proud of you for trusting him, and you should be proud of yourself, too.” Bree squeezed Lainey’s shoulders until there was no chance she’d be able to pull away. “Don’t let this setback close you up again.”
Lainey took a deep breath. Now that she knew she was capable of trusting someone, she only had to let go of a little of thattoxic self-reliance she’d developed, not only out of necessity, but out of fear. Fear that other people wouldn’t show up for her. Fear that if they did, they’d take it back. But trust didn’t have to be all or nothing. She could decide to let certain people in.
She let out a sigh. “Fine, I’ll google Swedish work visas.”
“Oh my god. I can’t believe it.” Bree grabbed Lainey’s wrists in a one-sided giddy bounce that Lainey wasn’t joining in for, her face painted with genuine shock. Was Laineythatbad at accepting help? “I can’t believe it. I can’t be— Fuuu…” Bree’s curse tapered off into more of a feral howl. She dropped Lainey’s hands, doubling over in pain.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Should I get help?”
“It’s just a contraction. They started this morning, but that one was a real doozy. They’ve been getting closer together for the past hour, so I’m probably a bit more dilated now. Should we check, you think?”
“Oh my god, are you inlaborright now?”
She sighed, as though Lainey was the absurd one. “Labor is not nearly as dramatic as they make it look on television. I’m fine. Though—cards on the table—I did wet myself on the drive over here.” She grunted like a barn animal. “And now I’m wondering whether that was actually my water breaking.”
