Addicted After All (Addicted #3)(68)

But Daisy is so good at integrating introverts that she wraps an arm around my shoulders and says, “I was telling them about the time we tested out Hale Co. bicycles as kids.”

I vaguely remember this, but it’s lost in a pool of other foggy memories.

“I was six,” she quickly paints the picture for me, “and I decided to ride the bike without using the handlebars. I crashed into Jonathan’s Range Rover next door.”

Daniel, with his fluffy brown hair, speaks up. “So you’ve moved on to crashing motorcycles?”

All the guys laugh lightly, like flirty laughter, some even nervous. Like a gorgeous, confident girl automatically intimidates them. This is bizarre.

Daisy shrugs. “I like going fast.”

Horn-Rimmed zeroes in on me. “What about you, Lily? Are you more cautious in your approach?”

My approach to life? All the eyes pin to my body, and my neck grows hot. And then Maximoff kicks me again, this time in the bladder. So hard that I have no opportunity to stop myself. The water I downed at the other table suddenly leaks.

My world is in slow motion.

Everyone waits for me to finish my sentence while a wet spot sprouts on my khaki slacks. Oh my God.

I am mortified. This ranks up there…high, high up there.

They can’t see. They can’t see. I pray that my face hasn’t turned tomato-red yet.

“She’s more analytical than me,” Daisy says. I catch her gaze and she looks at me like are you okay? No. Nope. Daisy smiles at all of them, trying to remove the attention from me.

“You’re the impulsive sister?” Horn-Rimmed asks Daisy, eyeing her long, long legs like Daniel did.

“Very,” Daisy says, “and I’m so impulsive that I have to whisk Lily away from all of you. Sorry. We just need a quick break.” She hooks her arm with mine, and we head towards the ladies’ room. I’m practically sprinting.

“What’s wrong?” she whispers.

I shake my head. I can’t say just yet. My body is petrified, and goose bumps run down my arms the longer I play the moment in my head, on rerun. My face flames by the minute.

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 f*cking 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 f*ck 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.