Page 45 of Tattoo My Heart
FIFTEEN
“It was amazing.”
I drop my head on the table in Carrie and James’ kitchen, banging my forehead against it a few times.
My best friend is sitting across from me, the baby safely tucked against her chest as she is feeding him. The picture they make is so wholesome, I have the sudden urge to cry. This is probably stemming from the night I spent with Cal and all the emotions he stirred inside of me.
“I can’t get over the shock that Cal Prentice was your first.” Carrie shakes her head at me. I feel my face heating up.
It’s not embarrassment for what I did with Cal, or, to be more specific, for what Cal did to my body for hours, but more for the fact that now it is public knowledge that he is my first.
“Oh wow, it finally happened, huh?” James’ amused tone echoes from the entrance to the kitchen. Okay,nowit is public knowledge, and I want to die.
“Don’t worry, Evie.” Carrie reads my face correctly, that’s why we’re best friends. “James won’t run his mouth about this to anyone.”
“Who am I gonna tell?” James looks incredulous as he spreads his arms out in question.
“Well, definitely don’t tell Cal himself,” Carrie snorts. My head snaps up to look at these two.
“Why would he talk to Cal?” My eyes go back and forth between James and Carrie. I’m sure I look as crazy as I feel.
Carrie finally catches on to the fact that I may not be aware of the full picture here.
“Oh, uh…” And now she looks uncomfortable. “James and Cal are good friends.”
“What?” I shriek out loud. The baby in Carrie’s arms gets startled, his small arms spreading wide like a little baby starfish. “How am I just now hearing about this?” The tone of my voice is much lower now.
Carrie looks startled and James looks as confused as ever.
“Why is that such a big deal?” he asks, then looks at Carrie. “Am I not allowed to have friends?”
“Of course you do, babe,” she rushes to say, but I interrupt her to throw my two cents in.
“Out of all the people in this world, James,” I snap at him. “You had to become friends with the one man who I loathe?”
“Youloathe?” he snorts in amusement. “Who even talks like that?” he asks his girlfriend.
“I talk like that!” I am whisper yelling so I don’t scare the baby. “You know that he and I don’t get along.”
“You seem to have gotten along just fine last night,” he deadpans.
I turn to look at my best friend, who I now consider a traitor as well.
“I thought he was so nice and very hot.” I point at her boyfriend, ready to slap him upside the head when I see the obnoxious smirk lighting up his face. “But now, I can’t stand the sight of him.”
“Evie,” Carrie tries. “You’re making this so much bigger than it needs to be. Neither one of us would betray your confidence, and…”
I look back at James. “Have you ever said anything about me to Cal?”
The instant guilt taking over his face is hard to disguise for anything other than what is it. They do talk about me, that much is clear.
“I cannot believe you,” I point at him. The anger is making my hand shake slightly.
“Evie,” Carrie pleads with me. “There is nothing wrong with any of this. James never says anything bad about you,” she assures me.
“Never, I swear,” James jumps in. “You are the nicest person ever. I would have never agreed to you being the baby’s godmother if I thought differently.”
The reminder of that little detail mollifies me somewhat. I stare at their baby, in awe of the fact that these two were able to create such perfection. At the rate I’m going, I’ll never find that in my lifetime. The only good thing right now is the fact that I don’t have to worry about dying a virgin. So, there’s that.
