Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41351 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 207(@200wpm)___ 165(@250wpm)___ 138(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41351 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 207(@200wpm)___ 165(@250wpm)___ 138(@300wpm)
Riley was about to put the phone on vibrate when it rang again. She had a feeling Megan would keep calling until she answered. With a groan she hit the answered button.
“Hello?” she didn’t bother to hide the annoyance from her voice.
“I know you’re mad at me but I’m so sorry. I had a major lapse of judgment. I should have told Ethan to shove it.” Megan’s tearful voice penetrated Riley’s wall of anger. Her friend wasn’t a malicious person and Riley knew first-hand how persuasive Ethan could be.
She sighed. “Megan, if I had wanted Ethan to have my address and number, I would have given it to him myself. But don’t beat yourself up over it okay? What’s done is done.”
“You’re not angry with me?” Megan sounded hopeful.
“I’m a little ticked off but I’ll get over it. I take it you’re calling me before Ethan told you he’d been over here last night.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Megan?”
“Uh, no. I called because knowing my brother he would have wasted no time getting in touch with you. I figured he would have called you by now or something. He was over at your house last night?”
Riley wished she had kept her big mouth shut. “Uh, forget I mentioned it.”
“What happened between the two of you? Is this perhaps a sign that you two are finally going to stop being stubborn and work things out?”
“Hold up. I never said anything happened. Just that he was over here. And us getting back together is a huge leap from one visit.”
“You didn’t have to say anything happened. What’s not said speaks louder than what is said. I’m not naïve enough to think the two of you are going to get back together based on one night of bumping and grinding.”
“Bumping and grinding? Seriously Megan? I’m going to need you to never ever use that phrase again and to toss your R. Kelly CDs. The man is a menace on a person’s vocabulary.”
Megan giggled. “Hey, you two are adults. I’m not here to judge. I’d love you two to make another go at it but barring that, you can work on being civil toward each other. You two meant so much to each other once, so I’m sure there is some level of caring on both ends. Besides, you made a baby together. There’s no greater bond than that.”
Riley stiffened. The mention of her reproductive failure was like a dagger to the heart. Therapy had helped ease some of her pain but it never completely took it away.
As if realizing her faux pas when Riley didn’t respond, Megan was again apologetic. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. That was insensitive of me. I just thought…never mind. It doesn’t matter what I was thinking. There I go putting my foot in my mouth.”
“It’s okay. I have gotten over it for the most part, but a woman never forgets those kinds of things.”
“I know. When Jackson and I were dating for a year, I got pregnant. It wasn’t planned. My birth control failed. But we were both happy. We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together even before he proposed. It just so happened we would be parents sooner than later. I wasn’t that far along when I miscarried, but it was devastating. I didn’t get out of bed for a week and all I could do was cry.”
Tears gathered in Riley’s eyes upon hearing how her friend must have suffered. “Oh, Megan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“But you know what the worst part was?”
“What?”
“That my best friend wasn’t there. I needed you, Riley. I almost hated you a little bit for being able to walk away from our friendship so easily. But I love you like a sister. You are my sister no matter what some silly decree says. That’s why I’m fighting so hard to remain in your life.”
Teardrops raced down Riley’s cheeks. In her need to break away from all things Ethan, had she been selfish for turning her back on her dearest friend as well. And to know she’d hurt Megan by staying away caused her a great deal of regret.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I know Jackson was a big support for you but I should have been there as well. Seems I’m the one who should have been doing the apologizing. I’m a terrible friend.”
“No, you’re not. You were in a lot of pain after the divorce. I get that. But now that we’ve reconnected, and enough time has passed it’s time for us to get back on the same footing we once were. I’m really excited you’ll be my maid of honor.”
This was news to Riley. “Maid of honor? I thought I would just be a bridesmaid.”