Page 65 of The Surrogate Mother

“I’mnotgoing to rehab!” This is insane. I’m not going to rehab when I haven’t done drugs even once in my entire life!

Monica puts her hand on Sam’s. I want to reach across the coffee table and strangle her with my bare hands. “I told you she wasn’t going to want to do it.”

“This is not negotiable, Abby,” Sam says. “If you don’t do this, I’m going to allow Monica out of her contract.”

I can’t believe this is happening. How could I be in this situation? I don’t do drugs. The only way it could be in my urine is if someone slipped it to me. But how could that happen? I can’t even think of a time when…

Wait a minute…

“My coffee!” I gasp, pointing at Monica. “You bring me coffee every morning. You must be slipping it in my coffee!”

Monica’s eyes widen. Sam, on the other hand, turnsbright red. “Abby, please, you’re embarrassing yourself,” he says.

“Don’t you see?” I cry. “It’s the only explanation!” I glare at her. “And she probably grabbed my keys out of my purse and made a copy, then planted the meth in the drawer.”

Sam drops his head into his hands. “Abby…”

I stand up off the chair, my legs trembling underneath me. “Search her purse, Sam. I bet you’ll find a copy of my keys in there.”

Sam stands up too. “Are youout of your mind, Abby? I’m not searching her purse!”

“I don’t mind if you look through my purse,” Monica speaks up.

“No.” Sam folds his arms across his chest. “You’re out of control, Abby. I mean it. I want you to think about what I said about going to rehab, because if you don’t… well, I just don’t know.”

I stare at him. “What doesthatmean?”

He’s quiet for a moment, the silence heavy between us. He finally looks down at Monica. “Mon, could you step outside? I need to talk to Abby alone.”

“Of course, Sammy,” she says softly. “I’ll… um, see you later.”

Mon.Sammy. Oh, andlater. What does “later” mean?

Monica leaves our apartment, closing the door quietly behind her. She doesn’t lock it though, although she could have, because I’m a hundred percent sure she’s got our keys in her damn bag. She knew Sam would never agree to search her. She’s smart, that one.

It’s very quiet when we’re alone. Despite everything, Sam looks really good in his shirt and tie. I wish we could put all this drug business aside and he would kiss me. But I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever kiss me again.

“Abby.” He takes one of my hands in his. That’s promising. “Monica is gone now. It’s just us. Please tell me the truth.”

“Sam…”

“Please.” He blinks a few times like he’s trying to hold back tears. “I won’t be angry with you. I want to help you, Abby. Just… be honest with me. I deserve that after all these years.”

Wow. He’s almost making me wish I were a meth addict.

“I’m telling you the truth,” I say. “Monica has been drugging me.”

“Goddamn it,” he says under his breath. He drops his head. “You understand the position I’m in, Abby, right? This isn’t just a regular adoption. This ismykid.”

“Ourkid.”

“No,” he says. “Mykid. This is half my DNA.Myson. If you decide you don’t want to do this or if Monica backs out, which she has every right to given the circumstances, I still have an obligation to be there for her. I’m not going to walk away from this.”

I feel like I’m going to throw up. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” he says, “please think about this rehab program.”

“Sam…”