Page 83 of Beneath the Blue Moon

***Casey***

“Case, get out of this bed. It’s time for breakfast.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“That’s a first since I’ve been here.”

“Shut it, Collins.”

“There’s bacon,” Sandy says in a sing-song voice.

“Bacon?”

I could be hungry for bacon. I roll over onto my side, revealing

the shirt I’m clutching.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing.”

Before I can shove it under my pillow, she snatches it. I

sit cross-legged and wait for her reaction.

“Is this Ethan’s?”

“Yes, now give it back.”

“Oh, honey…” She hands it back to me, and I tuck it into its

hiding place. Taking my hand, she pulls me up. “Come on, bacon always makes

everything better.”

I drag myself to the kitchen, where I find Daddy drinking

coffee and Clara making breakfast.

“Good morning,” I greet them.

“Morning, moonbeam.”

“I hear there’s bacon.”

Clara smiles brightly and holds up a strip before dropping

it in the pan. “You heard right!”

The moment the bacon hits the pan, my stomach does a crazy,

wobbly dance. I cover my nose, but it’s too late. Jumping to my feet, I race to

the bathroom as fast as my ankle will allow. I barely make it before I throw up

possibly everything I’ve ever eaten. As soon as I flush the toilet, nausea

overtakes me again. I guess I was wrong, but now I’m sure I’ve thrown up

everything I’ve ever eaten.

“Case?” Sandy pushes the door and steps in as I’m rinsing my

mouth. “Are you okay?”

“I think so. I guess all that eating has finally caught up to

me.”

“Let’s see, you’re eating everything in sight and now you’re

throwing up.”

“So?”

“Honey, when was your last period?”

“It was…” Wait, it was supposed to be… Is she saying what I

think she’s saying? “I can’t be! I’m on the pill!”

“Did you guys use condoms?”

Fuck! We never discussed it. I never even thought about it!

“No.”

“Well then….”

“Oh, God! Sandy….”

“First, we have to make sure. Is there a drugstore nearby?”

“We can’t do it here. Everyone will know before I do.”

“We’ll go to the next town and then we’ll make a doctor’s

appointment.”

“Okay.”

Pregnant. How the hell could I be pregnant? Well… I know how,

but this can’t be happening.

I sit in the passenger seat wringing my hands until we find

a drugstore. Sandy keeps telling me not to worry, but how can I not? I’m sure

this violates Helena’s dictum. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t. Surely a

catch-22 if there ever was one. I’m dead. I’m so dead.

In the drugstore, I stare at the shelves in confusion. “Which

one?”

“Why don’t we take one of each? I’ll go pay, and you wait

for me in the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

I pace the bathroom until Sandy joins me and hands me the

tests. I pee on five sticks, and we wait for the results.

“Calm down, Case. This isn’t a bad thing. You love each

other. Even if you’re not together, I’m sure he won’t abandon you.”

“No, he won’t.” But his mother will kill me. “But… there’s

something you don’t know about him.”

“What? God, don’t tell me he’s married.”

“No, he’s not. But he has money, Sandy.”

“Money? What are we talking here?”

“Like billions money… I think. I don’t really know.”

Her eyes open wide in shock before comprehension of the

situation settles in.

“You’re worried he’ll think you did it on purpose?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, if he does, he doesn’t deserve you, and you did the

right thing leaving his ass. However, something tells me that won’t be the

case. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll try.”

She takes a deep breath and looks at her watch. “It’s time.”

Three of the sticks have a plus sign, and the other two say “Pregnant.”

I’m fucked; which is exactly how I got into this situation.