and intrigued by having a ‘different’ experience—and she was there to provide it.”
“Bored?” This came from out in the living room.
They both looked over to see Serenity returning to the kitchen, and Lorelei immediately approached her. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Serenity waved her words away. “I overreacted earlier. It’s not a big deal. Let’s just forget it.”
“I can’t. What I did was completely uncalled for. I don’t even know why I picked that fight. I was just...angry and wanting to strike out.”
“I can understand why. Once I got upstairs and started to calm down I realized how much what we were doing here—” she gestured at what was left of the memorabilia Reagan hadn’t yet packed away “—must’ve stung. I’m sure it was a trigger for you. Like I said, let’s just forget it.”
Lorelei’s troubled expression didn’t ease. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather Lucy and I left?”
“And go back to Mark early?” Serenity said. “No! It’s bad enough that he said he was bored with his life. Even if there’s some way he could spin that to make it sympathetic, why didn’t he wear a damn condom when he was with your best friend?”
Reagan caught her breath at the mention of birth control. If she was pregnant, everyone would say the same thing—they would marvel at her stupidity and carelessness.
She was tempted to explain how an accident could occur, wanted to say that maybe the encounter was completely unexpected and happened too fast. But she was afraid that would reveal too much about her own situation.
“Claims he did,” Lorelei said. “He doesn’t know how she wound up pregnant. But that’s another reason I think they’ve been together more than once. I don’t see it as very likely that she got pregnant the first time they had sex, not if they were using a condom.”
Reminded of her encounter with Drew, Reagan’s stomach muscles tightened. Once was all it took, especially without birth control—which was what frightened her.
“Did she supply it?” Serenity asked drily, intimating that Francine might’ve wanted to sabotage Lorelei’s marriage by getting pregnant.
Lorelei grimaced. “I don’t know. Those were details I didn’t want to hear so I didn’t ask.”
“Well, I heard what you said to Reagan as I was coming down the stairs, and I’ll be honest. I don’t like what he’s had to say so far. There’s been nothing to make me believe he’s truly repentant.”
Reagan jumped back into the conversation before it could seem strange that she’d fallen silent for so long. “I agree. I feel like absolute shit for doing what I did. Where’s his contrition?”
“His explanation sounds like he’s only thinking of himself and not accepting any responsibility for what he did,” Serenity agreed.
“So I should leave him.”
Reagan was afraid to go that far. “If you do split up, does he have a good job? You once mentioned—in a text or something—that he works for a defense contractor, but I have no idea how much that pays.”
“He’s a propulsion engineer for an aerospace company. He has a good salary.”
“Then you’ll get enough child support?” Serenity cut in.
“Who knows? If we divorce he’ll also have another family to support.”
Serenity picked up the wineglasses and started to wash them. “He’ll have to support the new baby either way. It’s not worth staying with him if you’re going to be unhappy.”
“I’m not convinced I’ll be any happier if I leave him,” Lorelei said with a frown. “That might only make my life worse—because anything that hurts Lucy hurts me.”
A knock sounded at the front door.
When Serenity looked as though she couldn’t imagine who it could be, Lorelei said, “I bet that’s your neighbor, bringing back the shovel. I saw him clearing the walks earlier when I was out with Lucy.”
“Oh, right. Of course. Thank God I’ve showered,” Serenity muttered and, after setting the wet glasses on a dish towel, went to the door, leaving Reagan alone with Lorelei.
“I know you’re sorry for what you said to Serenity—”