Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(135)

“I know…but I’ve…only been with one lately…and…oh God, Kiera…” She looked back up at me, her face desolate. “It’s Griffin’s…” Now my face was desolate. “Oh my God, I was afraid you were going to say that…” If there was one person on this earth that should never procreate…it was Griffin. But he had, and now my sister was possibly carrying his seed.

Clutching her arms, I grabbed my bag and pulled her towards the door. “Come on, we have to get you a test.” 378



Surprisingly, she jerked on my arm. She was shaking her head as I looked back at her, her face looking genuinely terrified. “I can’t…” Running my hand down her arm as soothingly as I could, I whispered,

“You have to know, Anna. Either way, you have to know.” She still looked spooked, but she didn’t argue with me so I very gently pulled her forward. Feeling like I was trying to break in a wild mare that was going to bolt at any sudden movement or sharp sound, I finally got the freaked-out Anna into Kellan’s car.

But when I turned the ignition, she opened the door and bolted. Twisting my lips at her through the window, I shook my head. “Get back in the car, Anna.”

She slammed the door shut and shook her head. “You do it, I’ll wait upstairs.” Sighing at her reluctance to face the facts before her, I nodded and backed the car out of the lot. Hopefully, she’d still be home when I got back. Anna could avoid responsibility with the best of them. I had no idea what she’d do if the stick turned blue.

At the drugstore, I picked up one of each kind of test, and two of the kind that detected pregnancies early. If she’d gotten pregnant from Griffin, then it had to have happened in Boise, and that had been just a few weeks ago. It seemed too early to me for her to test positive, but then, I wasn’t an expert on the subject. I’d leave that up to EPT.

Wishing my sister had been here to buy these, wishing the person at the register was a girl tonight and not a twenty-something guy, I set down my basket full of pregnancy tests, muttering, “They’re for my sister…”

The man smirked at me, but said nothing. I was sure he thought I was lying. I oddly felt like covering up, even though I was already wearing a thick jacket. I don’t know, but buying pregnancy tests was sort of like buying condoms. It was a flashing neon sign hovering above you that screamed— I’m having sex! Well, I supposed the tests screamed— I had sex!

I hoped I didn’t run into anyone I knew…

379



Luckily, I didn’t, and I got out of there with bright red cheeks and most of my pride intact. When I got back to the apartment, my sister was still there. In fact, she was huddled on the couch under a blanket, shaking like she’d just watched a horror movie. Sighing at her, I handed her the paper bag. She wouldn’t take it. Instead, she dropped her head in her hands and started crying again.

Sinking down to my knees, I put the bag out of sight behind me and brushed her silky hair behind her ears. “Hey, it will be okay, sis.” In what I thought was a hopeful voice I added, “I mean, you’re probably not pregnant. Don’t you use the pill?” I’d used it diligently ever since Denny and I had started getting serious. I just assumed Anna did the same.

She looked up at me, her face forlorn. “Most days…” I bit my lip to contain the rant I wanted to give her. You can’t go around and sow your wild oats so carelessly. But, she was freaking out, and the last thing she needed was a lecture from me. Smiling instead, I patted her leg. “Do you want me to help you?” Rolling her eyes, she glared over at the bag I was hiding with my body. “No, thank you. I can pee all by myself.” Sighing, I watched as she stood up, grabbed the bag, and stormed out of the room. I tried to imagine the free-spirited vixen pregnant…but I couldn’t.

She came out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later, holding five sticks in one hand. She stared at them, horrified, like they were going to start calling her Mommy at any moment. “Okay, now what?” Walking up to her, I eyed the freshly wet sticks…they were blank.

“Well, I think you have to wait a few minutes, Anna.” She looked up at me, color in her cheeks. “I have to wait? I have to sit here and wait to see if my life is over or not?”

“Anna, your life doesn’t have to be over if you are preg—” 380



She put her finger up to my mouth, silencing me. “Don’t say the p-word. It’s bad luck.” I rolled my eyes at her, hoping she’d washed that finger, but I didn’t comment on her ridiculous superstition.

Running her hand through her hair, Anna continued to stare at the sticks in her other palm. “I need a drink,” she muttered.

She started to twist her body, like she was headed to the kitchen. I grabbed her arm. “Anna, you can’t drink, not if you’re preg—” She glared at me nearly saying the dreaded word again and I quickly changed it to, “not if you’re with child.”

I smiled at my turn-of-phrase, Anna frowned. “Damn it! This sucks already.”

Forcefully taking the sticks from her, I made her sit on the couch, away from them. Her eyes watched the various tests in my hand. I almost felt like I could wave her into a trance with them, like a snake charmer at a circus. I wished I could, since every ten seconds she asked, “Anything?” Glancing every time, I responded with, “No, be patient.” Around the tenth time she asked and I glanced, I noticed something.