“Oh, my God, and you think I wanted this?”
She shrugs. “I guess . . . you play, you pay.”
“Oh, my God.” I pick a pillow up from my couch and throw it at her, pegging her in the leg and causing her to yelp. “I can’t believe you just said that. That’s something a disgruntled grandparent would say, not my best friend.”
“Well, I don’t know what you want me to do.” She stretches her arms out to the side. “I’m trying to be helpful here, but your need to hide this pregnancy is absolutely ridiculous and will never work. You need to realize that. Unless you plan on terminating the pregnancy, which I know you don’t want to do, hiding this child will not work. Pacey will find out, and think about his reaction if you don’t tell him. The fury in that man’s eyes will split you in two. And is that what you want, Penny? To be split in two?”
“Might make it easier. Responsible Penny can take care of the baby and hide while working Penny can provide for the family without revealing she had a child. Sooo, possibly this could work.”
“You’re acting insane!” Blakely throws her hands up in the air and heads toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To dunk my head in some snow.”
I run up to her and stop her. “Please don’t leave. I need you.”
She turns toward me, and I can see the worry in her eyes. It snaps me out of my delirium. “You have to tell him.”
My eyes water as I slowly nod. “I know.”
“And you have to tell Hornsby.”
I shake my head. “No way. I’m not telling him. Pacey will murder him. We’ve already established that. I’ll just say this is some random hookup, and the guy is nowhere to be found.”
“Why on earth would you do that? We don’t get paid that much, Penny. And there are going to be a lot of expenses that come with a baby, so you will need Hornsby’s help. And besides that, he has the right to know.”
“Trust me, he won’t want to know. We both made it quite clear that we didn’t want anything serious. I mean, think about it. He doesn’t ever date; he just hooks up. This is the last thing he wants. This is an anchor weighing down his fun-loving ship.”
“Well, too bad for him,” Blakely says with such strong conviction that I wish I could have her kind of sass at this moment. “I’m so sick of women—for the most part—taking on the brunt of the pregnancy. Sure, some great men out there are truly there for their partners, but in situations like this, it’s more often than not that the woman deals with all the struggles when it should be both parents.” She points her finger at me. “He doesn’t just deserve to know. He needs to know. This is his responsibility too.”
I agree with her. I do think it would be easier if I didn’t have to go through this alone. But I barely know Hornsby, and what I do know about him doesn’t really paint him as a father figure. And once Pacey finds out, I truly think he will kill Hornsby. Then what happens? I don’t have a baby daddy at all.
A wave of nausea hits me all at once, and I reach out to hold my friend.
“Oh God, I have to tell him.”
“You have to tell both of them. And do you know what my suggestion would be?”
“What?” I ask.
“I’d rip off the Band-Aid and tell them at the same time.”
Is she insane? Telling them at the same time seems like a more ridiculous suggestion than hiding the baby.
I’m about to protest when I pause . . . well, would it really be that ridiculous? Ripping the Band-Aid off has always been a tried and true way to conduct truth-telling business. Telling them at the same time might not be too bad. I wouldn’t have to say it twice. They could both just deal with the news together, and who knows, it might be a bonding moment for them. They very well might hug and congratulate each other on the wondrous news.
Ugh. Who am I kidding? We all know that is a far-fetched reaction that will never occur. I need to be prepared for the drawing of blood and fists.
“I’d need a buffer,” I say, my mind actually thinking this is a good idea, despite how they might react. Telling them at the same time is easier on me, and that’s what matters. “Someone who’d be able to protect Hornsby when Pacey unleashes the fear of God.”
“That’s a good idea,” Blakely says as she walks me to the couch, and we both take a seat. “Because what if Pacey attacks Hornsby? You won’t be able to get them apart, especially with a baby on board. So why don’t you invite Taters?”