Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(160)

friend?

Really?”

Kellan

had

always

seemed…tolerant of his bassist, at best.

Anna dropped her head into her hands. “Goddamn it, Kiera, you promised.”

Feeling bad, I put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I had to.” 451



She glared at me between her fingers. “You had to?” Sighing, I removed my hand from her body. “Kellan found the bag of tests…” Remembering his face when he’d broken up with me, I frowned.

“He thought I was pregnant…”

Anna immediately stopped her pissy attitude, her hands covering her mouth as she gasped. “Oh God, Kiera…I’m sorry. I didn’t think…I’m so sorry.” I smiled feebly at her and she touched my shoulder, her face now only showing concern. “Are you guys okay? Are you still…together?” she whispered.

Thinking of his grin when he’d said goodbye, I nodded. “Yeah, we…talked it out.” Talked, accused, cried, yelled…made love.

Exhaling in relief, she smiled. “Oh good, I’d hate to think that I…” Her face hardened back up as she remembered her situation. “He won’t say anything to Griffin, right? You told him not to, right?” I tilted my head, trying to remember if I’d ever told Kellan, specifically, to not say anything to the soon-to-be dad. “Um, well, things were a little intense and I don’t think I actually…” She shoved my shoulder back. “Kiera?”

Frowning at her shifting moods, I shook my head. “I told him you were considering adoption, so I’m sure he won’t mention anything to Griffin until you’ve decided.”

Her mouth dropped open and a hand subconsciously rested on her belly. “You told him I was thinking of giving her up? Why would you tell him?”

Interested by her reaction, I said, “He needed to know why I didn’t tell him about the pregnancy right away.” I shook my head. “There was too much tension between us and I couldn’t lie. I’m sorry, I had to tell him the truth.”

452



She nodded, then sat in a folding chair by the table. Tears immediately started filling her eyes. “So now Kellan thinks I’m awful, huh? Giving up my baby…”

She swallowed, choking back a sob and I squatted in front of her.

Holding her hands, I shook my head. “No, no of course not. Kellan…understands.” I wasn’t sure if Kellan did or not, but I couldn’t say anything else to Anna, she was on the verge of losing it.

She nodded a few times as tears started trickling from her eyes. Then her mood shifted another way. It happened so fast, I nearly got whip-lash. Standing up, her face was instantly fiery. “You need to call Kellan, and make him keep his mouth shut!”

Her fast movement had made me lose balance and from my new seat on the floor, I glanced up at her. “What?”

Rummaging through my bag, Anna found my phone and flung it at me. “Call him! Do whatever you have to do!” She indicated my body with her finger. “Do that heavy breathing and moaning thing that I hear through the walls all the time—whatever you have to do!” She pointed at me, adding, “But make sure he keeps his big mouth shut!” My mouth dropped wide open. Oh my God! Had she heard the phone sex? Jesus, I’ll be so happy when I was out of here. I flicked open the phone and dialed Kellan’s number. It rang a few times, then, “Hey, this is Kellan. I’m probably onstage or making out with my girl. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you… if I feel like it.” I smiled at the message that I begged him repeatedly to change. “Hey, Kellan, it’s me. Um, Anna’s flipping out about you telling Griffin…” Anna glared at me and I sputtered out, “Just call me back, okay?” Shutting the phone, I shook my head. “He’s traveling back to the band.

He’s probably in the air, or just about to land somewhere.” She sighed grumpily and I stood up, wondering if I should try and comfort her or run away from her. Figuring her mood couldn’t possibly swing much farther today, I thought I’d take a chance and tell her the 453



good news. Grabbing my bag, since I did need to head out to school, I started backing away from her.

“I’ll try him later today, alright?” Anna nodded, her arms re-crossing over her chest. Knowing it was now or never, I quickly added, “I should probably tell you, so you have lots of time to make arrangements, but…I’m moving back in with Kellan.”

I waited just long enough to see her mouth drop open, then I yanked on the door and quickly made my escape. I thought I heard cursing as I fled down the hall.

Kellan called me back just as I shut off his car in the school parking lot.

Watching my schoolmates shuffle about, on their way to this class or that class, I couldn’t help but wonder if their lives were as dramatic as mine tended to be.

A light splattering of April rain hit my windshield, making circular shapes that coalesced into long streams. Flowers were in bloom along the berms that I could see from the solitude of my car, petals open in welcome to the moisture. When I’d first come here, I’d hated the drizzle, preferring warmth and dryness, but I had so many nice memories that were wrapped in rain, that I’d come to embrace it, just as much as the locals.

The cell phone propped against my ear filled with Kellan’s warm laugh. His sound, combined with the light ting of drops hitting the roof, brought an image of Kellan into my mind—wet, hair slicked around his eyes, drops trailing across his lips…