Breaking

Chapter 22.

"Rosalee's pregnant?!" Arabella gasps. Manuel and I laugh at her reaction, then I take a sip of my coffee. I became a big coffee drinker after the accident, after many nights reliving my personal hell in my dreams. We're at some dinner around Arabella's apartment building. It's still early in the morning, everyone's either at work or school, so the only other people here are a couple of guys sitting at the far end of the counter. I had tensed at the sight of them when we entered the dinner, remembering last night's horrifying events, but Arabella didn't seem to notice.

"How far?" Arabella asks and the light tension between us shifts dramatically. Arabella notices and frowns. "What did I say?"

I shake my head, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "Nothing. It's just...she's three months."

"She found out at the hospital," Manuel tells her.

"Oh..." Arabella whispers, her face showing she completely understands what we mean. "But she was drinking at the wedding, how did they find out that night?"

"I needed blood. We didn't know our blood types so they took samples and hers said she was pregnant."

Arabella tries to smile. "Does she know what the sex is?"

I shake my head. "She doesn't want to know. Everything's either green or yellow and it's going to stay that way until the baby's old enough to say otherwise."

Arabella and Manuel chuckle.

And I look at them closely. We're in a booth and they're sitting across from me. I've noticed how much Manuel has changed with her, compared to the beginning, he sees her differently, almost like a little sister. And she sees him as a...

I sigh, putting down my coffee that I was planning on drinking. "You knew about Alex," I tell him, and his face drops, giving me my answer.

"I told him because I knew you would freak out," Arabella rushes out.

I hold out my hand to her and shake my head. "I'm not mad. I just...wanted to know."

Arabella looks at Manuel for a long moment then back at me. "You didn't tell him?"

I shake my head again, immediately catching on to what she's wondering. She wants to know if Manuel knows why we crashed, and why I missed the stop sign. "No one knows."

"Alex doesn't either," she whispers.

"Knows what?" Manuel demands to know.

Arabella and I lock eyes and decide then and there not to tell him, not to tell anyone. Now that I know he knew about Alex before, Manuel will feel guilty for not telling me sooner. And Alex will feel like it's all his fault, the accident, the reason why Arabella and I haven't spoken in three months. But it's no one's fault and I think it's clear if that night just stays an unknown accident. The details aren't important. But of course, Arabella and I will soon have to go to the police station soon.

Suddenly, Arabella reaches over and grabs my coffee. My eyes widen as she brings it to her lips and takes a sip. "Since when did you start drinking coffee?"

She shrugs, slouching in her seat. My eyes cut to Manuel, we lock gazes, and I gently jerk my head to the side, the gesture of saying get out of here but I'm asking him to give us a minute. He nods and states he has to use the bathroom, slipping out of the booth.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask her once he's out of earshot.

"Do you promise not to be disappointed in me?" She says, reaching over and placing the coffee in front of me again.

I wince. But I deserve that. "I promise." Admittedly, I begin to panic. Why would drinking coffee make me disappointed in her?

"After Alex left, I started drinking." Oh. How could I be disappointed in her when I did it myself? "Now, I'm drinking coffee to keep...my mind clear."