Page 51 of Wild Devotion
“Are you sure?” Her eyes traveled down my body, lingering for a beat on my midsection before snapping back up.
“Yes, Chantel. Everything is fine.”
“I’m banning you from skateboarding.” Caleb pointed at Chantel. “Anything on wheels. You’re a menace.”
“Oh, fuck off. I can’t help it if you’re a lousy teacher.”
I sighed. “Maybe don’t skateboard in the house?”
Caleb’s mouth twitched. Without a word, he hopped on the board, and with a quick push and a kick, launched it into the air. It spun and flipped beneath him before landing smoothly on the hardwood. He landed on top of it without a sound.
“Still a fucking show-off,” Chantel muttered.
“You make it look so easy,” I whispered. “How do you do that?”
“I worked at it.” He stepped off the board, and his eyes locked on mine. “It’s easy now, but it wasn’t always. Took a lot of time. But some things are worth the effort. Even when you have to go slow.”
Heat crawled up my face.
“I need to get ready for work.” Chantel stepped between us, breaking the moment. “Zadie, you’re obviously fine. Why don’t you two go hang out like the degenerates you are?”
Caleb raised an eyebrow at me. “What do you say? Could be fun.”
I could picture it. The park, me bundled in a sweater, watching him carve across the ramps with that effortless grace. Maybe he’d convince me to try, just so he’d have an excuse to put his hands on my hips and hold me steady.
The look in his eyes said his fantasy wasn’t far from mine.
But fun wasn’t in the cards. Not with the hurt still lodged in my chest and the goose egg swelling on my skull.
“I can’t.” I tore my gaze away from him. “Chantel, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“If you don’t mind talking through the shower. I’m running late.”
I headed for the stairs without looking at him. Part of me hoped the rejection stung. The rest of me couldn’t bear the thought that it did.
Her loft was as pristine as always. Bed made, white duvet smooth, everything in its place. A magazine-spread oasis above the chaos of the rest of her life. She started stripping as she walked toward the bathroom, leaving a trail of clothes like breadcrumbs.
“So?” she called from behind the shower curtain, the water already running.
“So?” I stared at the ceiling, giving her privacy she clearly didn’t feel the need for.
“Cocotte, you wanted to talk. So, talk.”
“I got my test results back. Everything came back negative.”
“That’s good news.” Her reply was clipped. Almost cold. Chantel could be blunt on her best day, but this was something else.
“I was worried. I mean, I’m still worried, but at least the baby’s not?—”
“Crisse d’ostie, Zadie.” Her voice bounced off the tiles. “When are you going to stop hiding from everything?”
“What?”
The water cut off. The curtain whipped open. Chantel stood there, dripping, glaring at me with one hand on her hip and zero regard for the fact that she was completely naked.
“You.” She pointed at me. “Need to stop hiding. Call Sean. Tell him about the baby. Then tell Caleb how you feel and let him decide for himself. He’s not a child, Zadie. He can handle the truth.”
“Can you please put on some clothes?”
