Page 40 of Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake
“Don’t give me that ‘come on.’ What am I supposed to say? Congratulations on your massive accident?”
“Hey!” Lizzie said, her voice rising. While, yes, le bébé was an accident, it washeraccident. And she was already quite fond of said accident.
“No,” Thu pressed back, never one to beat around the bush or approach a subject with delicacy. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend with you all that this is some great news. You don’t even know this guy.”
“I know him!” Lizzie said.
“Yeah? What’s his middle name?”
Silence.
“How about his birthday? You know that one, Lizzie? Or does he have any siblings?”
Lizzie crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at her lap like a pouty child, shame pricking through her like needles.
“How did this happen?” Thu said.
“Well,” Lizzie said, eyes still fixed on her lap, “when a man and a woman get super horny and rub their naughty bits together—”
“Lizzie, stop.” Thu’s face was serious and stern. “You’re an adult. How do you not know the fundamental basics of not getting fucking pregnant?”
“Because I’m a moron, I guess!” Lizzie burst out, hot tears stinging at her eyes. “Because it never occurred to me to check the expiration date on a condom! It’s rubber, for fuck’s sake, not a carton of milk!”
“You have more sex than anyone I know. How did you even manage to let one expire?”
Lizzie opened her mouth to offer some weak excuse, but the low rumble of Rake’s voice cut her off.
“I think it’s time you stop talking.”
Lizzie’s head whipped around to look at him. He was staring straight at Thu, whose eyes widened in shock.
“Excuse me?” Thu said, fixing him with a terrifying glare.
“I mean this with as much respect as possible, but you need to stop. Now.”
The entire table was frozen in another stunned silence. Harper and Dan shared a similar mask of horror, while Indira’s jaw was almost resting on the table. No oneevertold Thu to do anything, let alone stop talking. Rake had unwittingly stepped into a minefield.
Without warning, Thu threw her head back and laughed, making everyone jump. Ending the cackle as abruptly as she’d started it, she pointed a finger at Rake. “You don’t tell me what to do, asshole.”
Rake held up his palms in defense. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to sit here and listen to you berate Lizzie like this. Do you really think she isn’t confused enough? Thatwearen’t confused enough? And scared shitless and asking ourselves all these same questions? Because we are. Was this planned? No. Do we have a plan? Not really, but we’re working on it. You shaming her isn’t going to make this process any easier. Lizzie doesn’t need someone pointing out all the reasons this situation is less than ideal. She needs a friend.” Rake turned suddenly, aggressively, to face Lizzie. She stared at him with wide eyes. “My middle name is Arthur. I was born on January 23. I’m an only child.”
Rake continued to stare at her, Lizzie blinking back, trying to process all the different signals vying for her attention. After a moment Rake cocked an impatient eyebrow.
“Well?” he pressed, waving his hand. “Tell me yours.”
Lizzie snapped out of it. “My middle name is Marie. It’s boring and common, and I’ve always hated it. I was born on April 1, and I have an older brother named Ryan. And a sister-in-law named Mary. She’s perfect.”
Rake nodded once. “Great. I look forward to meeting them.” Then, without preamble, he turned back to the table, clapping his hands together. “Now that Lizzie and I obviously know each other, I think it’s best if we go. You’ve sufficiently upset her, and I’d like to take her home to rest.” He stood, holding out a hand for Lizzie.
In a daze, she took it, looking between her friends. Indira’s mouth still dangled open, and Thu sat there with a blank look on her face, the first time Lizzie had ever seen her lost for words.Harper’s eyes flicked back and forth between Lizzie and Rake in a blur, but Dan met Lizzie’s gaze with an unabashed grin, one eyebrow giving the subtlest arch of approval before Rake placed his hand on Lizzie’s lower back and guided her to the door.
Chapter 19
THE walk home with Lizzie was silent. Sad.
At a bodega near Rake’s hotel, Lizzie stopped, telling him to wait there as she popped inside. After a few minutes, she reappeared in front of him, plastic bag swinging, as they continued their silent walk back to the hotel and up to his room.
Inside, Lizzie kicked off her sandals and pulled the earrings from her ears, tossing them on the dresser.