if you can’t get past the fact that she miscarried and hadn’t had the chance to tell you, then don’t even bother going to see her. Fight or flight, little brother. It’s your call.
Fight.
I will fight as I would for my last ounce of breath.
Because she’s my all-in.
Stephanie is my air.
Stephanie is my heart.
She’s everything vital to me.
“Clara, stop freaking out! I’m fine. I needed to get away for a while,” Stevie reassured into her phone as she watched Ally curl her hair.
“You disappeared for almost a month! How could you go off and not tell me where you were? I’m your best friend!” Clara scolded.
“I know.” Stevie sighed and handed Ally a bobby pin. “I’m home now.”
“Yes, but for how long?”
Stevie rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have to go do your husband right now?”
“He has to go to work. You didn’t answer me,” Clara pointed out, annoyed.
“I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “Whether I stay in Melbourne or go to Paris all depends on him.”
Clara hummed. “England isn’t an option?”
Once Ally had finished curling her hair, Stevie gave her a thumbs-up before she returned to her conversation with Clara. “No. As much as I love Charles, I can’t stay and be reminded that he always deserved a proper girlfriend. He doesn’t need a terrible ‘how you met’ story.”
“And how did you meet?” Clara asked with a lot of interest in her voice.
“That’s for me and Charles, Clara. Now I am so glad you moved to Massachusetts and everything, but as much as I appreciate the love, I have to go. Schedule me in for another integration in a week when I’m over this jet lag. Okay?”
Clara sighed. “Fine. You’re so lucky I love you. We’ll talk later. Bye.”
Once she had said her goodbyes, Stevie hung up the phone and dropped it onto Ally’s would-be bed. “I can’t believe you aren’t going on a date with Rob tonight.”
Ally gave her sad smile from the mirror. “I can.”
“Seriously?”
“If you want to avoid me asking you about why you haven’t even reached out to Julian, then you better drop my not dating Rob topic. He doesn’t like me, Stevie.” Ally looked down at her hands. “He made it loud and clear.”
Stevie groaned and fell back on the mattress. “God, Rob is such a clueless dick.”
“What are you going to do tonight?” Ally asked.
“Deal with this jet lag business. Attempt to sleep and then when my stupid brain decides to stop trying to solve the reasons as to why there’s really life on Earth, I’ll go eat some ice cream in bed. Cry a little because I feel like I need to and then assess my little ducks and put them in a row,” Stevie replied.
“He loves you, Stevie. He made a horrible mistake.”
Breathing out, Stevie stared at the Victorian plastering of the ceiling. “If you do decide to go home with your date, then could you call me to make sure you’re safe? Do we need a code word for when you find out he has a small nether region or that he has like twenty cats and loves Cher?”
Ally burst out laughing. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this but ‘Cher’s pussy’ could be our code word?”
There was silence then they both began laughing hysterically.
“Deal. Cher’s pussy it is!” Stevie said between chuckles.
Stevie: I’m back home, but I really don’t feel like talking over the phone or seeing you just yet. I was wrong to lie to you. I’m sorry, Jarred. I looked you in the eye and instantly betrayed your trust. I didn’t want to burden you with the truth when I had miscarried. It didn’t make sense to worry you. I get that I shouldn’t have kept it from you. You’re not my stepbrother, you’re my brother, and I love you and I am sorry.
Jarred: I’m so sorry, Steves. I was blinded by rage. I get why you kept it to yourself, and I’m sorry I said all those things. You could never disgust me. I love you, and I will never be a shit brother ever again. I will never let you down. I’m so sorry I gave Julian the sonogram. I had no right to do that. I shouldn’t have taken that away from you. He should have heard it from you.