Page 14 of Lick

“That was different,” he snaps.

“Sure. Look, I’ve gotta go. If on the rare chance she turns up here, I’ll tell her to call you. Goodbye, Dan.”

“Yeah, thanks for nothing, Emma. And you wonder why I had to find someone else.” He disconnects abruptly, leaving me to lie back and stare at the ceiling.

The man is a serial cheater. He refused to keep his dick out of other women’s vaginas and then played the victim when I refused to continue with our sham of a marriage. He milked his heartbreak for all to see—our friends, his parents, and our kids. So much so that, in the end, it was me who got the blame for the downfall of our marriage. The irony isn’t lost on me that if I had cheated on him, he’d have left my ass in a heartbeat and been applauded for it.

When my phone rings again, I growl, reaching for it as I accept the call and hold it to my ear. “I’ve already told you. You need to fix this yourself.”

“Say what now?”

“Stacey?”

“Yeah. Why were you expecting someone else?”

“My ex. He tripped and fell into someone’s vagina again, and my daughter caught him. He’s upset that she’s mad. Apparently, she’s overreacting.”

“Wow, he’s a real fucking winner, that guy.”

I huff out a laugh. “You have no idea.”

“Anywho, I’m calling to see if you want to come out tonight? Nothing too crazy, just a little dancing and some live music.”

I open my mouth to say hell no, then I remember the baby. Fucking hell. “Where are you thinking?”

“Shooters, if that’s okay with you?”

I feel my stomach churn, this time with nerves, and find myself nodding even though she can’t see me. As much as I don’t want to do this, I didn’t get myself pregnant, and Lick deserves to know.

Something tells me, though, he’ll be anything but happy to hear the news.

7

Emma

Idon’t have it in me to get dressed up like last time. There are a million places I’d rather be going than a bar, and each of them would have a mattress. As that’s not an option, I’ll be dressing for comfort. It might not be pyjamas, but it beats squeezing myself into a little dress.

I opt for a nice pair of jeans, knowing I won’t fit into them soon, and team it with a black gauzy top that’s fitted across the bust and floats around the middle. The spaghetti straps won’t do anything to ward off the cold, so I throw on a leather jacket I got for a steal at a second-hand store and slip on a pair of low-heeled black booties.

I keep my hair straight this time, and my makeup minimal, just some concealer and foundation to hide the blemishes and dark circles under my eyes, mascara, and a slip of pink lip gloss.

I press my hand to my stomach and take a deep breath. It still feels so damn weird knowing there’s a baby in there. After the twins, Dan and I decided we didn’t want any more. For me, I liked the idea of a big family, but without a support network, I have no shame in admitting it was too much to do alone. And I was alone, no matter which way you painted it. I was a married single mom.

That Dan suggested another baby after I told him I wanted a divorce was the final nail in the coffin. A baby is not a bandage that will magically heal the damage. It will turn cracks into chasms, and the fact that he was willing to put a kid through that spoke volumes about the kind of man he’d become. Besides, he only wanted that baby as a way to tie me to him further. He was never going to stop cheating. He just wanted to make it harder for me to walk away. Like it was fucking easy to leave the only man I’d ever loved.

My phone rings three times before it drops. That’s Stacey’s signal to say they’re here, so I shake off my dark thoughts, throw my things into the pockets of my jacket and jeans, and head for the door. I hesitate for a second before heading back to the bathroom, where I pick up one of the tests that has a cap on the end and says in layman’s terms, “pregnant.” I don’t need him thinking it’s a COVID test or something. I add that to the inside pocket of my jacket and head out.

Jessie’s driving so at least I know she’ll be able to get me out of there if needs be. I climb in the back seat and strap myself in as Stacey turns around to greet me. “You feeling better?”

“For now.”

“There are so many things going around. My sister-in-law has had the flu and a stomach bug thanks to her kids bringing them home from school.”

I wince at the mention of kids. Stacey, being Stacey, misses nothing. “What’s wrong?”

I bite my lip, unsure whether I want to say anything. I can’t help but feel a little ashamed that I’m in this mess because I was reckless. If I’d just stayed home that night, none of this would have happened.

“Emma?” The worry in her voice is my undoing.