“I’m going to hand my phone to the bartender, he can give you the address.” I look at the bartender who nods. “Can you fetch me?”
“Put him on the phone.”
I hand the phone over and ignore the fact that he’s pissed at me. I’m not entirely sure why. I mean, I didn’t knock up his sister, and it’s pretty clear what the parameters of our relationship are. We’re all fun. Good for mind-blowing sex and a few laughs, but we’re not supposed to rely on each other. Except, it was more than that, at least it was for me.
The barman hands me the phone. “He’ll be here in about twenty minutes. I’m to give you water until then.”
I nod and pocket my phone. I turn back to the bar and sip my water. Customers come in and out of the pub. They order at the bar. Some sit on a stool; others move over to the tables.
Eventually, Denver walks through the door. I try not to acknowledge his arrival and turn back to staring at the wall behind the bar. If he’s pissed at me, I can just ignore him. Not listening to whatever lecture he’s about to deliver sounds like a really good idea.
Denver sits on the bar stool next to me. “Just a Coke, please,” he says to the bartender.
“Such a responsible designated driver.” I turn to him. “Thanks for coming to get me, even though you’re pissed at me. Not that I can figure out why.”
He frowns at me and rests his keys on the bar. “What makes you think I’m pissed? I may not be happy and I’m worried. Mostly because no one will tell me anything.”
That was probably wise. Denver had a tendency to react before he had all the facts. But I know what it’s like to be left out of the loop. “I didn’t knock your sister up.”
“Okay, and you’re both wallowing because you’re disappointed?” The frown on his face is not from anger but rather confusion. “I didn't even know you two were trying. I mean you just got married a little over a month ago. You’re not even living together.”
I point a finger at him. “That, my friend, is a topic that’s not up for discussion. Convenience is not a reason to live together.”
“That makes sense.”
“No.” I try to shake off the beer cobwebs and give him my serious look. At least, I hope it’s my serious look. “It’s an excuse. It’s just another way to keep me at a distance. Why didn’t I see it, Denver? I’m fucking in love with her. But she’s not interested in anything, real. Okay, I can forgive her calling you to get her from the airport. She had no idea where we stood. And the other night, when she was out with the girls, thanks for calling me for that by the way, it’s not a big deal. But this affects me directly. I should be included in the experience. But she called my cousin.”
Denver lets out a long breath. “Right. Dude, I have no words of wisdom, but girls are weird. When you find a good one, inevitably she’s surrounded by a tribe of more good ones. And they rely on each other and support each other. It’s actually a beautiful thing to watch once you get rid of the chip on your shoulder and pull your head out of your ass.”
I look at him, unable to control my frustration. “Andi didn’t get her pregnant. Okay, neither did I. But I should’ve been the one she called.”
“I agree. And I don’t know why she didn’t.” Denver drinks his Coke in two long gulps. “But you can’t walk out every time your feelings get hurt.”
“My feelings weren’t hurt. I was angry.”
“You were angry because you were hurt.” He looks at me, his gaze unrelenting. “But she won’t know that, because you don’t stick around to talk to her.”
“I tried that last time. I told her that I feel left out when she calls someone else.”
“And the next time it happened what did you do?” Denver was raising his voice. “Instead of waiting for her to explain her choices, you walked out. Do you have any idea what’s going through her mind?”
“No. Because she won’t talk to me.” Actually, that’s not true. The five ignored texts from her probably implies that she wants to talk.
“Then I’ll tell you.” He makes himself comfortable and starts listing things on his fingers. “She thinks she may be pregnant. She’s a temp, so no stable employment. She’s just trying to find her own place in the world. She barely knows the father. She’s married and on the brink of divorce from said father. She doesn’t want to be a single parent, but if the father doesn’t want to be in the picture, what are her options? And does she have the emotional strength to consider those options. And all of that’s before she considers the physical implications.”
“Fuck, that’s a lot.” I look at him, frowning. “How do you know this?”
“I got schooled a few years back. And yes, it’s a lot. For us guys, it’s a shock to find out that we might be a parent. And we don’t have half as much to deal with as they do. So, they turn to each other because only another woman will get it.”
“I get all of that, but I still want to be pissed.”
“Oh, for sure. It sucks. And just because it’s normal and understandable doesn’t make it the right way to go. She should’ve still called you first.
“So, now what?”
“Now, you’re going to crash on my couch.” He picks up his keys and gestures to the door. “Once you’ve slept off your hangover you can talk to her.”
“That’s if she still wants to hear from me.”
Chapter 14
Angela
Well, this makes a change. Instead of being bent over the toilet at work, I’m holding on to the one at the doctor’s office.
Andi got me an
