Kiss and Break Up - Ella Fields Page 0,61

grabbing her books.

“Hey, Daph, if you’re done with Annika’s baby daddy, call me,” Danny said, gesturing with his hand to his ear. He and his friends laughed as they backed down the hall.

“Baby daddy?” I turned to Daphne.

Her mouth parted, and she seemed to fade into the rows of beige-colored lockers behind us. “He knocked her up.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement soaked in shock.

Which was confirmed when Willa raced over, worry etching her face and words. “You heard?”

Daphne jerked her head.

We stood frozen as half the school departed, and when Lars shouldered his bag, his head lowered as he walked down the hall, he didn’t even look at Daphne.

I passed the choc chip to Daphne and took the peppermint, dunking my spoon in.

We’d declared an emergency scrapbook meeting at my place, which had turned into an ice-cream pity party before we’d even made it here.

“Have you tried calling him?” Willa asked.

Daphne shook her head, her eyes red. I didn’t know if I’d ever seen her cry before, and I didn’t know that it was fair she looked even prettier when she did. “I don’t want to.”

Willa and I both nodded in understanding.

“When did it happen, though?” I asked aloud, finally. “I mean, you said you guys have been exclusive.”

“Only for a few weeks.” Daphne stabbed her spoon into the tub. “We’d kissed at the start of summer, but I thought it’d be a one-time thing until I saw him at Wade’s before school started.”

“I heard he and Annika hooked up before break. I also heard that it could be his baby or Coach Lenton’s.”

I snorted. “Seriously? He’s like forty.”

Willa shrugged. “He’s not bad for forty.”

Daphne stared at her ice cream. “I think that second one is just a rumor.”

I nodded. “But how do we know there’s any truth to any of this, then?”

“There’s a kernel of truth to every lie,” Daphne said.

I scowled, hating how much I’d lied to not only Dash but also myself.

Willa knocked my foot with hers.

I blew out a breath, ditching the ice cream on the window sill and flopping down onto my pillows. “And the look on Annika’s face at lunch.”

“Oh, yeah,” Daphne said, scoffing. “She’s definitely with child.”

“She looked scared,” Willa said.

Daphne grunted, and Willa apologized.

“No,” Daphne said. “You’re right. But wouldn’t you be? She’s not even eighteen until next month, if my memory is correct.”

The minutes ticked by as Daphne assaulted her ice cream while Willa and I stared up at the ceiling.

“How did we get here?” I pondered, my heart hurting. “Sad, confused, and left in impossible situations.”

Willa hummed.

When Daphne started crying again, harder this time, I sat up and took the ice cream, setting it aside as Willa handed her some tissues. While Daphne tried, unsuccessfully, to control everything she was feeling, I realized something.

She and Willa might have been in impossible situations, but I wasn’t. I didn’t have to keep feeling like this if I didn’t want to.

I had to find a way to make him talk to me.

Dash

Pregnant.

I wished I could say that he had it worse than me, and yes, I was the kind of asshole who compared, but I was pretty sure he still had a functioning heart. Even if it was in a state of shock.

“What are you going to do?” Rave asked, sitting on the frame of his bike.

He was an idiot. He could fuck it up, and that thing would cost two grand to replace. We didn’t ride cheap.

Paper crackled, and then Lars blew out a smoke-filled exhale. “I don’t even know.”

More silence.

I wasn’t sure what it was about these kind of moments in life, the ones that came crashing in and wrecked everything to hell, reducing everyone to wordless wonderings, but I didn’t like them. It was akin to playing victim, lying down and taking it.

I was no pushover. I was getting so fucking sick and tired of taking it.

I pulled out my phone, staring at the stream of texts from Peggy that I’d ignored. Well, ignore would be the wrong choice of word, considering I’d stared at each one for hours.

Freckles: I’m sorry, Dash.

Freckles: I need to talk to you. Please talk to me.

Freckles: Why won’t you answer? At least text me back. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I’m sorry.

Freckles: I think I’ve made a huge mistake, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

My nostrils flared as I read the last one she’d sent, and then I pocketed my phone.

“Is she going to keep it?” I finally asked