“In less than three weeks. Is Ryder calling things off?” Disapproval pinches Oliver’s face.
“Not exactly,” I say. “But I guess they’re off now.” Ryder made that clear when he issued his ultimatum.
The silence in the room seems to suck all the air out, waiting and anticipating. I resist the urge to babble. The entire mess is just too embarrassing to share with my brother-in-law, even though he’s a sweetheart and I adore him.
Bethany comes over and hugs me tightly. “I’m so sorry, honey.”
Oliver pats my shoulder awkwardly. “Yeah, um… If you guys would like to talk privately…”
I shake my head. “It’s all right.”
Bethany puts a hand at the small of my back and leads me upstairs. “Let me show you to your room.”
They have three bedrooms. The biggest one is the master bedroom, and the smallest is a home office where Bethany does most of her web comic work. The medium-sized one is for overnight guests and has a double bed. Pale green sheets with an ivy pattern cover the mattress. The curtains are cool mint green against the light cream wall. Even though the room isn’t that large, it feels somewhat spacious because of the colors.
I set the suitcase at the foot of the bed and perch on the edge of the mattress. My knees shake, and fatigue settles all the way to my bones.
“Are you really all right?” Bethany asks, settling next to me.
“I’m fine. Just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Not surprising. I saw the news. The baby, right?”
I nod. We didn’t talk about anything like that when we accompanied Mom and Simon to the airport, but Bethany would have to be deaf and blind not to hear about it.
“I wish you’d told me,” she says.
Blinking away the tears before she can notice them, I put my elbows on my knees and clasp my hands together. “I’d just found out when you made your announcement. I didn’t want to steal your thunder.”
“Oh, Paige. You know it’s not like that.”
“I know. But at the time I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, or what was going to happen… If I was going to be a single mom or…what. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for certain.”
She sighs. “Ryder should do the right thing. It’s his baby, too.”
I press my lips together. I can’t tell Bethany what’s really going on. It’s not that I don’t trust her to be discreet. It’s just that I can’t let anybody know the entire truth behind the deal Ryder and I struck. Even if he made it clear what he thinks of me, I don’t want to be petty just to get back at him. Undoubtedly he’ll move on—there are thousands of eager women for him. It won’t take him long to find a woman who can play the role he wants.
Bethany squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you decided to crash at our place. There are pictures of us at the airport with Mom and Dad. It looks like everyone’s tracking your movements.”
The idea that people are watching me like that makes my skin crawl. I saw how bad it was for Ryder, but it’s one thing to watch it happen to someone else and another to experience it first-hand. “I’m really sorry. I’ll find a place soon. I don’t want you to lose your privacy because of me.”
She snorts. “Don’t even think about it. They’re welcome to watch me drive to the grocery store, the post office…and my gynecologist! I’m so boring, they’ll lose interest within a week.” She puts an arm around my shoulder. “No matter what, you have me and Oliver. And Mom and Dad, too. We love you and we won’t let anything happen to you, okay? So cheer up. I want to see you smile.”
Her unconditional love thaws the cold knot in my chest, and I manage a tiny smile.
“There you go.” She tightens her hold on me. “Have you had dinner yet? If not, Oliver made a killer quesadilla and guacamole…unless you can’t keep anything down?”
I shake my head. “No morning sickness. And I’m ravenous. I’ll join you.”
“We already ate, but I’ll set you a place and re-heat some of the food. Come on down whenever you’re ready.”
The wooden stairs creak under her steps. I inhale the mild detergent on the sheets and will myself to cheer up. Moping won’t solve anything, and I have to pull myself together. I’m going to need a new job and a place to stay ASAP.
But first things first. It’s time to eat and fortify myself. I won’t waste away like some distraught Victorian maid. Paige Johnson is made of sterner stuff.
So I get up and pull myself together. When I reach the dining room, one end of the rectangular table has a plate piled with quesadillas, a bowl of what looks like homemade guacamole and some salsa. At the other end is a stack of papers. Bethany is reading through them, a frown on her face.
Oliver hands me a glass of OJ, and I take my seat. His quesadillas are amazing, gooey with tons of cheese. I eat in silence for a few minutes, just savoring the food.