“We’re out of eggs,” Chelsea said, as she turned from the refrigerator to look at Neil.
“We’re still having pancakes, right?” Neil asked. He’d arrived ten minutes ago. Chelsea had been the only one up to answer the door. Luna had stumbled down in her pajamas when she’d heard the doorbell and she was sitting at the breakfast bar next to Neil. Chris was taking a shower, and had yelled he’d be down in a minute.
“Um, yes?” She grimaced. “But I’m going to have to go to the store.”
“How long will we have to wait?” Luna asked dolefully.
“About twenty minutes. Hang in there.” Chelsea ruffled her hair. “Have a bit of watermelon to keep you going. There’s some cut up in the refrigerator.” She grabbed her phone and her keys from her purse. “Can you watch Luna until I’m back?” she asked Neil.
“Yep. We have an hour. I only came over early because I need to talk with Chris about plans for when we go back to L.A.”
They were due to go back in less than two weeks. Chelsea had agreed to stay on until Luna went back to live with Anya once school started. They hadn’t talked about what happened after that – they hadn’t had a chance – but she’d need to talk with Lois about her next job soon.
The grocery store was empty when she arrived. She headed straight for the coolers, picking up a twelve pack of large white eggs and heading to the self-checkout. As she scanned the barcode, her phone started to ring, Ember’s name flashing on the screen. Smiling, she accepted the call.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked her sister.
“Tired. But that’s because Arthur decided to stay up most of the night,” Ember told her. “Remind me next time not to let him have any sugar.”
“It was a good night though,” Chelsea said. “Hold on a second, I just need to use Apple Pay.”
“Where are you?” Ember asked.
“At the grocery store. I’m supposed to be making pancakes for everybody but we’re out of eggs.”
“Everybody?”
“Luna, Neil, and Chris.”
“Oh.” It was amazing how many syllables Ember managed to get out of that one small word.
Ignoring her sister’s curiosity, Chelsea put her phone against the payment screen and waited for the transaction to go through. When it did, she picked up the eggs with one hand and put the phone back against her ear with the other.
“All done,” she said, heading out of the store. “What are you calling about so early for anyway?”
“I can’t find the test I showed you yesterday. I wondered if you still had it.”
“Um…” Chelsea frowned. “Yeah, I might. I probably put it in my bag when Luna got interested. You want me to bring it over?”
“Nope. I ordered a cute t-shirt for Arthur that should arrive tomorrow. It says I’m the Big Brother on it. I thought I’d dress him in it and see if Lucas figures it out. I’ll grab the test from you before then.”
“That’s sweet.” Chelsea grinned. “Video it when you tell him. I want to see his face.”
“I’ll try to remember,” Ember said dryly. “Anyway, it was good meeting Chris. I really liked him.”
“Shut up.” Chelsea rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where this was going. Ember hadn’t called about the test at all.
“He seems to like you,” her sister teased.
Chelsea sighed and put the eggs on the hood of the car so she could open the door of the Acura. Then she grabbed them again and put them on the passenger seat. “I really have to go. There are some hungry people waiting for me,” she told Ember.
“Talking of hungry, your boss looked at you like you were his favorite meal.”
Gah, she really was enjoying this.
“I can’t hear you,” Chelsea half-shouted down the phone. “You’re cutting out.”
Ember laughed. “You can run but you can’t hide. I need all the details.”
“Goodbye, Ember.”
“Bye, gorgeous. Give your boss a big kiss from me,” Ember teased.
Chelsea rolled her eyes and hung up the phone.
“Where’s Chelsea?” Chris asked, walking into the kitchen. Luna was sitting at the breakfast bar munching on a wedge of watermelon while Neil was showing her something on his phone.
“She needed eggs,” Luna told him. “So she went to the store.”
“She forgot her purse,” he said, frowning. Chelsea’s bag was in its usual place on one of the breakfast bar stools. He lifted it up and set it on the counter, and it immediately fell over, a few of the contents falling out.
“She took her phone,” Neil said, not bothering to look up from his own phone. “Apple pay.”
“What’s this?” Luna asked, leaning forward to pick something up from the counter. “Is it a magic wand?”
Chris blinked. She was holding a pregnancy test in her hand. He leaned across the counter and tugged it from Luna’s fingers. “It’s nothing,” he grunted. “You shouldn’t look at other people’s stuff.” He turned it over in his hand, a cold rush of blood pulsing through him.
The word across the window was clear. Pregnant.
His fingers tightened around the test. “Luna, go to your room.”
Neil finally glanced up from his phone. “What’s going on?” He frowned when he saw what Chris was holding. “Is that?”
“Luna,” Chris said harshly. “Now.”
She blinked. “I didn’t mean to touch Chelsea’s things. I’m sorry.”
Chelsea was pregnant? She’d promised him it couldn’t happen. No wonder she didn’t care if they used a condom last night. She’d known this all along.
She’d lied to him.
Neil’s eyes were wide as he let out a long breath. “Go upstairs and get your shoes, Luna. You and I can head out for breakfast,” he suggested. “We can go to Déjà Brew. I hear they make a mean hot chocolate.”
“But Chelsea’s making us breakfast,” Luna said, looking confused. “She just went to get eggs.”
“She just messaged me, the store’s out of eggs,” Neil lied. So now they were all doing it. “Go on,” he urged. “Let’s fill our mouths with as much sugar as we can get.”
Luna giggled. “Okay. Can I bring Angel Bear?”
“Yeah, bring him,” Chris said, wanting to get her out of here. Because he was about a minute away from exploding. “Go on, sweetheart, get ready.”
She ran out of the kitchen and Neil turned to face him.
“Chelsea’s pregnant?” he asked.
“That’s what it says.” His heart was hammering against his chest as he collapsed onto a barstool. It was like he’d been transported back in time to when Anya landed the bombshell on him. He was a fucking idiot. He knew that contraception didn’t always work.
But dammit, she’d promised him.
“I’m guessing from your expression that you didn’t know or plan this?”
“Nope.” His reply was terse.
“Shit. I guess you guys need to talk.”
“Yeah.” Chris nodded, trying to keep his emotions under control. “We do.”
“Just take it easy on her,” Neil said. Before Chris could reply, Luna walked back into the kitchen, her body half concealed by that giant goddamned bear at the same time a shout came from the hallway.
“I’m back! Who wants pancakes?” Chelsea’s footsteps pummeled the floor. A moment later she appeared behind Luna, her brows furrowed when she saw the little girl standing in the doorway holding her bear.
“You got the empty box!” Neil called out, forced jollity lightening his voice. “Thanks for that.” He jumped up and stole the carton of eggs from her hands. “You ready, Luna?”
Luna’s lips moved but she said nothing. She was too busy looking at the eggs in Neil’s hands.
“I want to make something with it,” he told her.
“Like a toy?”
“A dragon,” he said solemnly.
Her eyes widened. “Ooh. Cool. Can I help?”
“Sure.” Neil nodded. “But let’s go now. We can leave the egg carton here.”
“Is there something wrong?” Chelsea asked. She blinked as she looked from Chris to Neil. Chris twirled the test in his fingers, keeping it from her gaze.
“Um.” Neil flashed her an awkward smile. “We’ll catch you later.”
“You’re taking Luna? I thought I was in charge today.”
“I’ll bring her back later.” Neil patted Chelsea’s arm. “Can you put the egg carton on the table for me?”
“Sure.” Chelsea took it from him and watched as he left the kitchen, taking the bear from Luna and leading her down the hallway. She slowly turned back to Chris.
“What’s going on?”
“I was hoping you’d tell me.” His voice was low. Harsh. He held up the pregnancy test.
“Oh. You found it.” A smile pulled at her lips. Was she fucking kidding him? She was happy about this? “Isn’t it great? We were starting to think it wouldn’t happen.”
He tightened his grip on the test. “No, it’s not fucking great.”
The blood drained from her face. “Are you angry with me? I didn’t mean to keep the test in my bag. Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Did Luna see it?”
“Yes.” He spat the word out. “She did. And she wanted to know what the fuck it is.”
Chelsea blinked. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I should have thought about that. I hope she wasn’t too upset.”
“She doesn’t know what it is. But I guess she will soon, huh?” He let out an annoyed laugh. “She’ll find out you’re a goddamned liar just like I have.”
The smile dissolved from Chelsea’s face. She looked like he’d just slapped her. “I don’t understand.”
“You promised me you were on birth control.” He stood up and flung the test on the counter. “You fucking lied to me. I should have known.” He shook his head. “I should have known you were a liar like Anya. Should have listened to that voice in my head that told me you were trouble.”
Her mouth dropped open. He could see the glisten of tears in her eyes. But they couldn’t touch him. Crocodile tears never did. He’d seen enough of them to last a lifetime.
“Were you even on the pill?” he asked her. “Or was that a lie, too?”
She inhaled raggedly. “I didn’t lie,” she whispered. “I’m not a liar.”
“No. You’re just a user, right?” He’d trusted her. He loved her. Christ, he’d told her that just last night.
He’d believed it when she said she loved him. But it was all wrong. He tried to breathe in, but his chest wouldn’t move. Everything fucking hurt. He’d been betrayed before. So many times.
But this pain… he’d never felt anything like it.
He inhaled again, but the air wouldn’t reach his lungs. His breath was shallow and harsh. He started to panic.
“Chris…”
“Don’t touch me.” He lifted his hand to keep her away. He couldn’t let her near him. Couldn’t bear to feel her hands on him. “Keep your fucking hands to yourself.”
“I don’t understand.” Tears were flowing freely down her face now. He’d been wrong, she was a good actress.
And then the dam broke. He slammed his hand down on the table and she winced. “You don’t understand? It’s fucking simple. You’re trying to trap me, the same way Anya did. But you’re worse, because you knew I didn’t want this. You promised me it wouldn’t happen.”
She looked at the test, laying in the center of the counter. “You think the test is mine?”
“Of course I fucking do. Well done.” He clapped his hands slowly together. “You got the prize. A lifetime of an easy ride, thanks to an easy ride.”
“You need to think about what you’re saying,” she said, her voice low. “Because you’re crossing the line.”
“I’m crossing the line?” His laugh was harsh. “I’m not the liar here.”
“Nor am I.” She crossed her arms over her chest, blinking away her tears. “The test isn’t mine.”
“Then whose is it?”
“Ember’s.”
He frowned. A slow wave of horror washing over him. “Your sister’s?”
“Yes. And you can go to hell, you asshole.”