Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,97
is coated in humor when she replies, “Clearly. You two are freaking adorable.”
Blakely peeks up at me from under her wet lashes, slaying me all over again. “Thanks, Case.”
Her friend stands and gives Blakely a hug. “And on that note, I’m gonna go.”
My girl’s eyes bulge as if she’s being squeezed too tight. “What? Why?”
“You have a lot to discuss.” She pins Blakely with a look that’s probably highlighted in a guidebook on how to read women.
They exchange a few rounds of hushed words that I’m not able to understand. I try to strain my ears, but all that’s audible is a jumble of nonsense. There’s plenty of flaying hand gestures thrown into the mix, too. In the end, Casey pulls away with a large grin spread across her mouth.
“Let me know how it goes.”
Blakely’s complexion takes on a ghostly hue. “Fingers crossed.”
The blonde waves at me. “Nice to meet you. Good luck with this one.”
Before I can question her meaning, she’s blending into the crowd and making an exit. I scrub over my forehead while trying to process the past five minutes. This was not how I anticipated my reunion with Blakely going. I set my sights back on the only one who matters.
“What was that about?”
“I have to tell you something. Maybe you should sit down?” The uncertainty in her voice raises my guard with a grinding tug.
“Is everything okay?” I slide onto the stool Casey just vacated.
Blakely is wringing her hands tight enough to cut off circulation. “That depends.”
I drag her seat into mine, entwining our legs together. “On what? You’re kinda freaking me out, Lee.”
Her eyes leap to mine, a fresh layer of shine coating the blue I love falling into. “I don’t mean to. This isn’t bad. Well, I don’t think it is. Some people might, I guess. It all depends on your plans and opinion and beliefs. Not that I can change anything at this point. There is a lot of responsibility involved. Unless you don’t want to be. Involved, I mean.”
“Sweetheart,” I coax. The uplifting use of that term is meant to console. “You’re rambling. Just tell me what you have to say.”
She sniffs and wipes at her cheeks. “I’m pregnant.”
A static buzz kicks on in my brain. That dull hum swallows the background noise and leaves me listening to the echo of my harsh breaths. My heart strikes with a rioting beat, the punishing jabs enough to make me flinch. I school my features before she gets the wrong idea. “How is that possible? I thought we were covered?”
Blakely smacks her forehead with a huff. “Right? That’s what I thought. Turns out I missed a shot and contraceptives have an expiration date. The methods aren’t foolproof. I’m aware this makes me flaky and forgetful. But in my defense, I hadn’t been sexually active. Birth control wasn’t a present concern for me. It was a simple decision to shove that task onto the back burner, and I never remembered to set up a new appointment. And now, there’s a bun in my oven.” Her voice has escalated in pitch throughout her explanation, ending at a near-hysterical volume.
“Hey,” I soothe. “It’s not your fault.”
She laughs, but there’s no amusement in the sound. “Uh, it actually is. I told you we were safe and protected.”
“If you knew we weren’t, would it change our time in the cavern? Would you have held off?”
Her face reveals the truth even if her mouth isn’t ready to admit it. “No,” she finally mumbles. “I still would’ve climbed you faster than a pine tree with low-hanging limbs.”
I grin and brush my thumb down her face, from temple to chin. That smooth trail is velvet against my calloused pad. “I feel the same way, Blakely. Mistakes happen. Oversights are common. Certain things are worth the risk. And the consequence of those actions is the furthest from a punishment. We’re going to have a baby.”
“Yeah, we are.” She’s trying not to cry, her face scrunching with the effort.
Scratch my earlier appraisal of our fresh start. This is most definitely the opposite of what I was expecting. That doesn’t make it bad. In fact, the panic that many might experience under these circumstances is notably absent. I prop my arm on the bar and…smile. Probably the largest damn grin I’ve ever unleashed.
Blakely cringes, keeping one squinting eye on me. “Are you losing it? This is the calm before the hysterical storm, right?”
A weightless shrug shifts my upper body into hers. “No, I’m good.