Page 44 of The Dare

I don’t feel alone and I sure as hell don’t feel like I don’t have a future.

I think Michael’s just put our future inside me.

All out futures. His, mine, and our baby’s.

Ours.

Us.

* * *

“This seat taken?” I ask, as I smile and raise both brows. Hoping I look disarming enough when I face Suzanna a few hours later in the dining car for breakfast.

She saw me coming and twisted her face to look out the window, but I saw.

“Sit wherever you want,” she snaps.

I want to get defensive, maybe even tell her to grow up, but I know it’s only because she’s hurting.

Because I haven’t had any time for her since the dare.

The dare I want to thank her for, I really do. But now’s not the time for that, I can tell.

“You want something? My treat,” I tell her, but she ignores me.

A passing waiter hands me a menu but I ask if I can just have some coffee, which I recall is free. Reminding me that I’m not exactly in a position to buy anyone anything right now, least of all breakfast.

I never even spoke to mom about money before she left.

I think Suze knows that too.

“You’re up early,” I continue, trying to lighten the mood.

Suze turns to face me. She looks awful. Like she’s been up half the night and crying.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the restroom mirror earlier.

I’ve had no sleep at all either but I feel and look like a new person.

I’m actually smiling for a change.

“Can we just skip the bullshit?” she says in a low voice, sniffling before turning away again.

Feeling my smile fade I puff my cheeks and blow out a breath of air silently, fighting the sudden urge to drum my fingers.

This is going way worse than I thought.

My coffee arrives, and I drink it even though it’s a little too hot.

It tastes amazing and looking past my best friend, the sun rising over the mountains looks as if I’m seeing it for the first time.

The world just looks better, tastes better, and definitely feels better.

Even though I left Michael sleeping, I know he didn’t sleep a wink last night either, trying so hard not to crush me during the night. Not that we actually slept a lot.

I just wish my bestie would be happy for me instead of acting out.

I need to fix this before Michael wakes up. Before Suze and I get home.