“No, why, did she say she was going to?”
“Um, yeah. She ah…she was going to do some things around her place, so maybe that’s all it is.”
“She’s at her place?”
“Last I knew she was.”
I shake my head. What is going on here? Everything in my gut tells me Amanda knows something I don’t. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“About thirty minutes ago.”
I move toward my door. “I’ll head over there.”
“Um, maybe it’s best that you don’t.”
My steps slow. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Maybe she…uh, just needs some time to herself. You know, girl time.”
I don’t believe her for one second. “Yeah, I’m heading over,” I say and end the call. I dart outside, hop into my car, and hurry through traffic. My throat is so fucking tight I can barely swallow, and my heart is crashing against my ribs so hard, I’m sure they’re going to snap.
I finally reach her place, park my car and head to her door. I stand on the stoop and knock. I wait a second and no answer comes, so I look through the window. A car pulls up behind mine and Amanda steps from it, her face a bit pale.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Is she not home?” she asks, and worries her lips.
“Where is she, Amanda?” I ask, my voice darker as dread takes hold. Jesus Christ, I need answers and I need them now.
“I have a key.” She slides it into the door. I push through and hurry around her place, but she’s nowhere to be found. I grip my hair and tug.
“What the fuck?” I say. “Did you guys go shopping?”
“Uh, yeah, sort of,” she says. She walks down the hall, steps into the bedroom and opens the closet.
“What are you doing?”
“Just seeing if her things are here.”
“Why wouldn’t her things be here?” I fight the full-blown panic simmering below the surface.
She takes a few breaths, and it’s not hard to tell she’s keeping something from me. “Let’s go sit down.”
“I don’t want to sit down. I want you to tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, and I really don’t know where Gemma is, and I’m a bit scared, because of her mental state right now.”
Every muscle tenses. “Does this have something to do with Brad?”
“Please, let’s just sit,” she says and walks past me. I follow her to the living room and drop into the chair.
“What?”
She takes a big swallow, and says, “She took a pregnancy test today.”
The room closes in on me, sucking the air from my lungs as her words race around my brain. She’s on the pill, and we used a condom. Albeit that condom was outdated, and then we stopped using them because she’s was on the pill. “Is she pregnant?” I ask, remembering how sick she yesterday morning.
“Don’t be mad, Callan,” she says and leans forward. “She didn’t do it on purpose. She wouldn’t do that to you. She was afraid to tell you.”
“Why would I think she did it on purpose? Wait, did she say that?” Shit, does she think so little of me. Yeah, sure I said numerous times I wasn’t interested in a family or more kids, but come on. Doesn’t she know me better than that? But that’s not my main focus right now. “Is she pregnant?”
“She’s pregnant, Callan, but she wouldn’t have run away. I know my sister.”
The world closes in on me. My God, I’m going to be a father again, and while I want to take joy in that, at the moment I can’t. “Where is she, then?”
“I don’t know. She told me she was going to talk to you. None of this makes sense, actually.”
I jump to my feet. “She’s in trouble.”
“Oh, God, she must be.” Amanda stands on shaky legs, her eyes big and worried.
Old worries and fears come racing back in a burst. Something is wrong. Every instinct I possess tells me it is. “I can’t lose her,” I say around the huge lump in my throat. “I can’t lose her and our baby.”
“You won’t,” Amanda says and puts her arm on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze that does little to reassure me.
Fear grips my gut, and I nearly vomit. “It can’t happen again. We have to find her. Now.”
Amanda nods. “I have an idea.”
17
Gemma
My entire body is shaking as I give my sister a kiss goodbye and shut the door to my townhouse behind her. I drop to the floor and bury my face in my hands. How could this have happened? I never thought forgetting my pill for one night could lead to pregnancy. I put my hand on my stomach. What am I going to do? What would Callan want me to do? He’s not the kind of guy to suggest I abort, and the truth is, I don’t want one. We made a beautiful baby, and there is a part of me holding out hope that he might want this as much as I do, despite telling me numerous times that he’s not interested in a family.
I stare at my phone, and see that he’s messaged me. I run my finger over the screen, and consider how the conversation might go down. Amanda was right when she told me the longer I put it off, the harder it will be. I’m just going to have to put on my big girl panties and tell him he’s going to be a father again, and hope he wants the mother who’s giving birth to his baby.
I take a deep breath, ready to call, when my front door opens. I look up, expecting to see Amanda. Did she forget something? But when my eyes land on Brad, I jump to my feet.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as he closes the door behind him.
“Now that you’re back home, does that mean lover boy finally put you out?”
“Brad, what is going—”
“What’s going on is we’re going to figure out our
