red herring [h.s.]

31.

Stella.

"Are you sure you want to do this today?" I asked as I called out for Erin who was in my bathroom.

The door was open and the lights on in there shone against the wall which held my little dining room table, filled with clutter as always. I heard her peeing, which answered my question while I was in front of my closet deciding what to wear, again.

It was a Saturday and officially two weeks since Erin and Zayn had slept together without any protection. And she was now taking a pregnancy test in my bathroom. Even though I advised her to take it in the morning and not on an evening where we were supposed to meet our friends in fifteen minutes.

Erin had freaked out tremendously when I got my period on Wednesday and she didn't. She ended up getting it on Friday but wasn't sure either way, since she claimed she was late. Even if it was just the full two days, she wanted to take a test to be sure, and I had to be witness of that.

I sighed and pulled out a white T-shirt with a knitted jumper to put on top of it, along with blue ripped jeans and my heeled boots. It was warm enough for this time a year yet still nice enough to go to a restaurant and bar.

My phone chimed and I plopped down on my stomach on my bed, seeing that Harry texted me he was going to be slightly late. I quickly texted back that it was fine because we were too. I could already hear Logan's whining in my ear again about us women always being late. Little did he know it was because his best friend was taking a pregnancy test.

I heard the flushing of the toilet and turned my head to see Erin returning from the bathroom, her hands still slightly damp from running them under the tap. Her face was less than carefree, "Two minutes." She mumbled.

I nodded, "I'll time." I held up my phone and put in the timer, patting the bedding to invite her to sit down. She did so, just in her underwear while fiddling with her fingers and keeping her head low, "I don't think I've ever been this scared in my life."

I sympathetically kneaded her shoulder and shot her a small smile, "You'll be fine, Erin. Either way. And you'll always have me, no matter what."

She slumped her shoulders with a heavy sigh, "Two fucking minutes have never felt this fucking long."

"I know. You could help me fold laundry in the meantime if you want." I teased, nudging my head to the full laundry basket which I had carried up from the basement. This building had a washing unit downstairs, to be shared with most of the tenants. I for one did not have the room or the money for a separate washing machine, so I did it like that.

Erin scrunched up her nose, "You know me better than that. I hate doing laundry."

"I know." I chuckled. Erin and I once had the crazy idea that we were going to live together. Jeremy had died a few weeks prior and I was looking for a new place, eager to get out of that Brooklyn-apartment that held so many memories of my past relationship.

I actually moved in with Erin for a few weeks and it worked well. Partly because her loft apartment was huge and I had my own bedroom and everything. The thing was that we complimented each other in the household tasks we did. I for one hated dusting and vacuuming, but I loved cooking and didn't mind doing the dishes. Erin hated doing the laundry and she was a horrible cook.

Eventually we did decide not to move in together, because we valued our friendship too much and I was kind of ready to grieve on my own. Erin lived just a few blocks over and she was always there for me if I needed her, so that was close enough for the both of us.

The ringing of my phone made both our smiles falter. Erin groaned when my alarm went off, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I feel sick."

"Hey," I coaxed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "It's going to be okay. Remember what I said, yeah?"