When we disappear inside the bathroom, Daisy shutting the door, I inhale a deep breath. “I peed,” I let it out like that.
Daisy stares at my pants and wears a pained smile. “Uh-oh.”
I haven’t even grown the bravery to look, but I do now. The spot is very wet in the front. I check myself in the mirror. And the back.
They all saw me pee myself. “I just screwed my chances.”
“They all know you’re pregnant.” Daisy breezes down the bathroom, peeking in all the stalls to make sure they’re empty before she returns to me. “If I peed my pants, it would’ve been weird.”
Yeah. Okay. I can blame this on my baby. It’s his fault. Oh God, that sounds awful too.
Daisy takes out her phone and puts it on speaker. She’s the problem-solver in this instance. No matter that I’m older. Our roles usually reverse given the circumstance. I’ve bailed her out of situations and she’s bailed me out of plenty more.
I’ve always felt guilty that she’s had to act like the older sister towards me. But, I think, maybe I’ve been wrong all this time.
One of us doesn’t have to be more responsible than the other just because of age. We’re both vulnerable. We’re both strong. We’re both problem-solvers.
I think, maybe, that’s what being sisters is all about. Picking each other up when the other trips. Putting on our sisterly superhero capes when the other needs us. We’re both human in the end.
“Hey,” Daisy says into the receiver. “Are you around the Hale Co. offices by chance?”
I expect Rose’s icy voice to cut in, not this one: “I’m about to ride over to Ralph Stover, but I can pass through if you need me.” Ryke Meadows. She called the one person that I am on a hiatus with.
My eyes widen in horror at Daisy, and I wave my hands to shut this down, and I mouth, No! Daisy gives me a look like this is the only option. But Lo…is working. Connor is working. Rose is working.
Everyone is working on Tuesday. Except Ryke.
“Dais? Is everything okay?” he asks. “I can pick you up if you want to leave early.”
“No,” she says quickly. “It’s not that. Can you just grab some of Lily’s clothes—”
“No, no, no,” I cut in, my voice high-pitched. “It’s fine. He has to go meet Ralph Stover. I wouldn’t want to take him away from his friend…” I trail off at Daisy’s smile.
Ryke answers me on the line. “Ralph Stover is a fucking state park.” Rock climbing, I realize. He was going rock climbing. “What do you need, Lily?” I hear a door creak open from his end, and I wonder if he’s already in my bedroom.
I think I’m a new shade of red called Fire Engine Embarrassment. I open my mouth to mumble out the articles of clothing, but I just eat air.
“A new pair of pants,” Daisy tells him easily. “And panties.”
I’d like to disintegrate now.
“What the fuck happened?” Concern infiltrates his rough voice.
“Ipeedmyself,” I say so quickly.
“You pissed your pants?” Ryke asks with questioning, the sound of a drawer sliding open.
I make a noise of distress and rest my forehead on the sink counter, all hunched over. Daisy rubs my back.
“Hey.” Ryke tries to soften his voice. “It’s okay. I’ll be there in a second, Lily.”
Daisy holds the phone near her mouth. “Can you speed?”
“Sure,” he says without hesitation. “I always break this fucking law for you, sweetheart.” It is so cute that I almost swoon instead of roast, but this humiliation is just too strong today.
My invisibility powers have let me down, once again.
{ 24 }
LILY CALLOWAY
In the span of five minutes, Irene has checked on us once, and we told her that someone is stopping by to bring me a change of clothes. She actually turned her scowl into a pity smile for me. That’s how bad this is.
“He’s coming up the elevator,” Daisy says, checking her texts.
I crack the bathroom door and peek at the fourteen board members, who all take the extra time to chat with each other.
“No one has bailed on us yet,” Daisy whispers to me. She peeks through the top portion of the crack while I crouch below her. She’s right. They’re still eating and drinking and smiling, which is good.
The elevator dings, and all of the board members quiet, rotating to face the sliding metal doors. Ryke emerges, wearing a leather bike jacket, zipped to the collar, and a black backpack with buckles across the chest. A green water bottle dangles off the lower strap with a carabineer.