love it,” Ari said with a knowing smile.
Peter nodded. “I love it.”
For a moment, they were almost friends. But their eyes met, and Peter’s gaze grew wary.
“Why did you want to see me?” Before she could answer, he announced, “Because I’m with someone else now. Lacey Harbuck. She’s at the school, too, and she’s got the same goals I have. She’s gorgeous, and she’s smart, and we can see a successful future together.”
“Well, that happened fast,” Ari said, not hiding her surprise. “Not even two months.”
“When it’s right, you know it,” Peter said, jutting his chin out defensively.
Ari took a sip of coffee. How could she say this now? Should she not tell him, because he was clearly so together with Lacey?
But he should know.
“Peter, I’m pregnant,” Ari blurted.
Peter froze. Defiantly, he said, “So what?”
“It’s your baby.”
“You can’t prove that.”
“Actually, I can. If I wanted to go to the trouble of getting a DNA test. You know I wasn’t with any other guy, Peter.” Before he could reply, Ari said, “I’ve missed a period and you know I was regular. I’ve taken some pharmacy tests. I haven’t gone to a doctor yet, but I’ve got nausea, and I’ve been throwing—”
Peter leaned across the table, hissing. “For God’s sake, Ari, I don’t need the details. I’m sorry if you’ve been inconvenienced, but you know what to do. Just get rid of it. If you insist, I’ll pay for half the abortion.”
Without thinking, in a completely spontaneous action, Ari crossed her arms protectively over her abdomen. She waited until Peter sat back in his chair and calmed down.
“Peter, I want to keep the baby.”
“That’s impossible.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t know why this happened, but somehow it seems right.”
“You are not going to force me to pay child support.”
“Stop that. I’m not going to ask you for any money at all. You don’t have to even see him or her, ever, if that’s your choice. But I thought it was necessary to tell you, to inform you that you will have a child walking on this earth.”
“It will not be my child.” Peter brought a fist down on the table hard, making Ari jump. Several other diners looked their way. “Jesus Christ, Ari, you are a curse on my life.”
Ari said earnestly, quietly, “I don’t mean to be a curse on your life, Peter. If I hadn’t told you, that would have been wrong, wouldn’t it?”
He gritted his teeth and didn’t answer. But he valued being honest, so he spoke. “You did the right thing to tell me. But I am in the right to say I will not consider this my child. I will not legally acknowledge it. I never want to see or know about it. My wish is that you never have it. If you press, I will hire a lawyer to make a financial settlement for you. Otherwise, Ari, I hope I never hear from you or see you again.”
Ari nodded. Peter pushed back from the table and walked away.
* * *
—
Ari drove back down Route 3 along the coast toward the Sagamore Bridge and Cape Cod. She realized she felt oddly empty. Not saddened by Peter’s reaction, not angry, not anything at all. In a world where her father was having an affair and her mother blithely went off on a trip, and she was pregnant by a man she’d made love to out of sympathy because they were taking finals and she didn’t want to upset him then—she had done what she’d thought was right—what was right? Did right even matter?
She had the obligation to decide. She was pro-choice and she’d helped friends go through interventions, friends who were adamant about not having a baby and who were relieved afterward. Now, this was her body—and her life. Could she go through life alone, as a single mother? In a way, it was a ridiculous question. She was educated, she had resources, she had a family who would help her. Well, Eleanor would; Ari wasn’t sure about her parents. And families were made in all sorts of ways.
But what would this mean for her personal life? Right now, it was Beck who made her feel as she’d never felt before, but everything with him was new. A summer infatuation? In reality, Ari thought Beck had feelings for her. If they had all the time in the world, she was sure their mutual attraction would blossom into love. But if she was pregnant by another man, a