Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (6 page)

“
You haven
’
t seen anything yet,
”
she challenges.

A challenge I will happily accept.

Asher Vineyards
—
Sonoma County

ARIELA

After pacing in my room for twenty minutes, I decide I need some wine and someone to talk to, so I go over to Maggie
’
s house.
 

Logan asks me a barrage of questions about Eastbrooke
’
s homecoming, which I politely answer. But the nagging in my head gets so strong I just blurt out,
“
I think Riley got a girl pregnant.
”

“
Why do you think that?
”
Maggie asks.

I give them a replay of our phone conversation and what I think I heard.

“
And then he texted you and said he had
business
?
”
Maggie asks incredulously.
 

“
Honestly, I
’
m surprised Riley doesn
’
t already have kids,
”
Logan says.
“
He definitely gets around.
”

“
Logan!
”
Maggie says, giving him the evil eye.
 

“
It
’
s okay,
”
I say.
“
I know why he
’
s been doing what he
’
s been doing, and I understand it. Plus, I can
’
t say much since I
’
m married.
”

“
Regardless, I want to know what
’
s going on,
”
Maggie says.
“
I
’
m texting Keatyn.
”

“
Do you think she will know?
”

Maggie squints her eyes at me.
“
You know how tight they were in high school. Times that by more than ten years.
”

I watch as she sends out a text, and I stare at her expectantly.

“
There are little dots, like she
’
s typing something, but then they disappear. That usually means she doesn
’
t know what to say.
”

My phone vibrates on the table.
“
Oh, shit,
”
Logan says.
“
It
’
s Riley. Ten bucks says he
’
s with Keatyn and Aiden. You better answer that.
”

“
Yeah, I guess I should.
”
I hit the button and say,
“
Hey, Riley.
”

“
Yeah, so sorry about our call. Um, it
’
s been kind of a crazy night.
”

Part of me wants to immediately ask if what I heard is what she said, but the other part of me
—
probably the part who has a husband she doesn
’
t trust
—
wants to test him. To see what he will tell me on his own.

He continues.
“
I had some personal business to take care of. I
’
m not sure what you heard before the call disconnected.
”

Personal
business. I sigh with relief.

“
Are you still there?
”
he asks, his voice soft but stressed. I want to reach my hand through the phone and caress his face.

“
It
’
s okay, Riley,
”
I say instead.
 

“
I don
’
t know if you will say that once I tell you this, but Shelby
—”

“
The girl who was in your place that night?
”

“
Yes. She
’
s pregnant.
”

“
Did you date long?
”

“
No. We had a total of three dates
—
the three movie premieres
—
and used a condom every time. There was never any evidence of failure, but she’s pregnant. I made her do a pregnancy test and everything.
”

“
Are you sure it
’
s yours?
”
I ask gently.

“
Keatyn tells me the timing
’
s right. But we
’
ll be doing a paternity test as soon as possible. If it is mine, I have to be a good father, Ariela.
”

“
I wouldn
’
t expect you to be anything else.
”

“
Can you
—
can we
—
if we decide to go forward
—
handle this? God, Ariela, you are the only one I ever wanted to have a baby with. When I heard you didn’t have any children, I took it as another sign. That you were waiting for us to get back together. That we were meant to be. That maybe it was fate.
”

“
And what do you think now, Riley?
”

“
I think fate is a tricky bitch.
”

I laugh.
“
Brooklyn said that to Keatyn in the movie.
”

I laugh too.
“
Yeah, he did. He used to say it a lot. God, I miss him.
”

“
You were all close?
”

“
He was one of my best friends. After it happened, I almost
—
I got on the plane and everything . . .
”

“
Almost what?
”

“
Came to find you. We were all devastated. And Aiden said something about never wasting a moment of our lives. I got on my plane and flew to Connecticut, but I had chickened out by the time I got there. I was afraid you would say you never wanted to see me again or that you were married or something, and I knew my heart couldn
’
t take it.
”

“
Oh, Riley,
”
I say, tears filling my eyes.
“
You have no idea how much that touches me. That you thought of me in that moment.
”

“
Does that mean you
’
re not mad about Shelby?
”

“
It happened before I came to California, Riley. I can
’
t be mad about it.
”
It
’
s the right thing to say, but I
’
m not sure if I mean it. I am mad about it. And the event planner in me is ticking off all the ways this could go wrong. All the hurdles and obstacles that could get in the way if we decide to have a relationship. Our love would be tested in ways we never expected. I hear a muffled noise.
“
Riley, are you okay?
”
 

“
Yeah, sorry,
”
he says.
“
It
’
s like I
’
ve been holding my breath since she said
I
’
m pregnant
. I was worried you might think I
’
m not worth the hassle.
”

“
Riley, I
’
m still married. If we go forward, it isn
’
t going to be easy. And to quote another line from Brooklyn,
Life is messy. It
’
s supposed to be that way
.
”

He lets out a frustrated sigh.
“
I don
’
t want it to be. We
’
re supposed to talk about us this week. Get to know each other again. Do you still want that?
”

“
Yes, I do. And, Riley, we don
’
t really have to decide at the wedding if we want to date. We can take our time. Get to be friends again first.
”

“
I
’
m tired,
”
he says.

“
I am too. Let
’
s say goodnight.
”

“
Like we used to?
”
I can hear the boy in his voice.

“
Just like we used to. Go.
”

“
I
’
ll be dreaming of you,
”
we say in unison.

Shelby
’
s Apartment - The Valley

SHELBY

As I enter my crappy apartment, I run my hand across my belly and think about how Riley took the news. Honestly, I thought an honest man like him would let me move in right away.
 

I slam the door shut hard, pissed that I
’
m back here and not sitting pretty in Riley
’
s penthouse, planning our wedding. The things a girl has to do to get ahead in this city.

My roommate yells at me,
“
Well, how
’
d it go?
”

“
Come out here and talk to me. I need a drink.
”

“
You shouldn
’
t be drinking when you
’
re pregnant,
”
she says, coming out of her bedroom and plopping down on our second-hand sofa. I study the golden color of the velvet fabric
—
make that third or fourth hand.
 

“
I drank before I knew I was pregnant. I don
’
t think one more will hurt.
”

“
That baby is your golden ticket out of here. You should take good care of it.
”

“
True,
”
I say, grabbing a glass out of the dishwasher.
“
Are these clean?
”

She shrugs.
“
Maybe.
”

I hold the glass up to the light.
“
There
’
s lipstick on the corner. I
’
ll just rinse it out.
”
I run the wine glass
—
one of the two we own
—
under hot water, then cold, then fill it to the rim from a box of white zinfandel in the refrigerator.
“
You want one?
”

“
Please,
”
she says, handing me her empty plastic cup, which is emblazoned with the logo of the sports bar she works days at.

“
So, how did he take the news?
”
she asks as we make ourselves comfortable on the couch.

“
He was shocked. I mean, that
’
s to be expected, right?
”

“
Right.
”

“
Then he was kind of an ass. That did surprise me. He actually made me take a pregnancy test right then and there.
”

“
Well, thank God you
’
re really pregnant.
”

“
Can you imagine? He keeps pregnancy tests like all the time because girls say they are preggers when they aren
’
t to try and trap him.
”

“
That
’
s pretty tacky, if you ask me,
”
she says.
“
But he is rich. I
’
m sure he has to worry about gold diggers.
”

We share a knowing glance and then both start giggling.

“
Was he ever surprised when the test turned positive right away. I even pretended to be worried about it. Told him it might not turn pink since it was so early.
”