22
BREE
“You were right,” I said to Iris as we sat in the ice cream parlor, and both stared at our cups of melting ice cream. Samuel was halfway done with his large-mint chip. “Slow down, Samuel,” I whispered to him when he nearly choked.
I patted his back a little and rubbed it too. “Slow down.”
“Can I have yours please?” he asked and flashed me a cute look that melted my heart. I grinned and slid my cup of ice cream to him without thinking. Earlier today I was craving ice cream and I had brought Samuel out here for some but running into Iris and Josh ruined my craving completely.
“Right about what?” Iris asked without meeting my gaze.
I could tell she was still upset. Hell, I would hate her too if she had done the same thing to me, but I wanted her to know I still cared about her.
“Your father,” I continued, forcing down the tears rolling to the surface of my lids again. I cried myself to sleep last night and woke up with a migraine this morning because of Josh.
How could I be so stupid to think he would love me too? He probably thought I was crazy, and this was all a fling for me.
Iris arched a row, and I quickly added. “You were right about him not loving me. I guess I was stupid enough to think that it was real. Or rather, I was greedy enough to think I could have it all go my way.”
Iris’s stony gaze softened, and she touched my hand that rested on the table. I gasped when her cool skin covered mine. She didn’t pull away like I expected her to, and my shaky gaze met with hers.
“Did he tell you that?” she asked in a gentle tone. “Did he say he didn’t love you?”
“He didn’t need to say it in words,” I replied, and she sighed, got up and came to sit by my side.
“Oh, Bree,” she cooed, then hugged me. “I’m sorry if what I said hurt you,” she said as she hugged me tight. Tears stung my eyes now and I felt it roll down my right cheek.
The last thing I wanted to do was cry over Josh in public.
“I’ve been a terrible friend, I know,” I said to her. “I hate myself too, and I wish I could just turn back the hands of time. I’m so sorry I hurt you Iris…”
I finally broke into tears, and Samuel seemed shocked as he stared at me with rounded eyes and pale cheeks. His eyes too teared up and he began crying as I quickly wiped my cheeks.
“Oh, Samuel why are you crying?” I asked him after Iris released me. I touched his cheek, wiped his tears away and ruffled his hair to get him to stop.
“You’re crying,” he complained and cried louder again. Tears barely rolled down his cheeks, but he didn’t stop until a small laugh left my lips.
Samuel finally quieted down after I wiped my cheeks and his. Iris offered me a small smile then she stood up and returned to her seat facing mine.
“I’ve missed you, Iris,” I told her before she could say anything. “I’ve missed hanging out with you. I know it’ll take a while for you to forgive me, but I just need you to know that I’m sorry…I really am.”
“You don’t have to be,” Iris said, and her following words shocked me. “Love happens to us when we least expect it.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well I was in over my head. Maybe this happened for a reason. Right now, I just need to focus on myself and my baby.”
I touched my stomach as I spoke and dragged in a deep breath, hoping it would ease the ache in my heart.
“The baby, right,” Iris said, then stuck her tongue close to her cheek. I saw the bulge and saw how she rubbed the back of her neck before licking her lips. It would take a while for her to get used to all of this, I could tell.
When my dad first fell for Allison, it had taken me a while to get used to it too. When she announced her pregnancy, I also felt a bit weird because I was used to being the only child.
Iris had to feel the same way.
She smiled at me again after some time, then nodded. “I should go now, my dad’s waiting in the car,” she said.
“Thanks for sitting with me,” I said before she patted my shoulder then walked around our booth and out of the ice cream parlor.
“Baby steps,” I said to myself, then linked my fingers to offer myself comfort. “Alright Samuel, let’s get going.”