Just a Game

Turning Tables

Alice // chapter thirty-two

T H E mall was packed due to everyone scurrying to get their Christmas presents bought and wrapped before the actual day presents itself in ten days.

Nonetheless, the smell of a packed crowd was beyond revolting. My throat had closed up in fear that my breakfast will come back out in an unpleasant manner. So, I quickly walked into a shop I couldn't pronounce the name of; they seemed to have nice shoes. Plus, I needed to get out of that crowd.

A scent of roses overwhelmed my senses as I walked over to the shoe section. It wasn't a bad smell, just one that overpowered everything.

I was looking for something to wear to the family meeting tonight. It was time for Jace and I to bury the hatchet. It was getting irritation to see him and not touch him. I wanted to tension gone. Now.

"Alice! I didn't expect to see you here!"

I froze, my eyes scrunching up in the face of mortification. It was her and I knew it. She most likely wants to rub it in my face the fact that I lost Jace. She was wrong.

Regardless, I turned to face her. A bitter smile curled up my lips, my eyes engaging with her icy ones. "Tanya. What a pleasure running into you here."

She shrugged, walking over to where I stood. She picked up a pair of high-heeled black booties, examining them intently before putting them back down. "Yeah, I needed to pick up new clothes. Mine aren't fitting as well anymore," she sighed, a look of feigned dismay crossing her features.

My eyebrows furrowed. "You gained weight?"

She turned to me with a curious gaze. "Yes. Why, can't a girl just gain a few pounds at her free will?"

Stunned, I stood speechless.

When I didn't respond, she let out a loud laugh, confusing me even more. "I'm just messing with ya. I'm preggo."

I blinked. "You're a spaghetti sauce?"

"No, silly," she snickered, waving me away, "I'm with child."

I'm sorry, what?

"You-how-but," I stuttered, the shock that thrilled through me was monumental. After a while, however, my mind was able to conjure a well-constructed sentence, "what the fuck?"

"That's what I said," she sighed loudly again, her presence relaxed as though we were the best of girlfriends having a normal conversation, "I mean, I was on birth control. Plus, I always used condoms."

I cringed.

I did not need to know that.

She giggled. "Sorry for the TMI, but I'm just so excited about this. Pregnancy feels good, surprisingly."

"Better than your last pregnancy?" I asked, trying to not seem rude by acting on impulse and running out the door, because honestly, that's what every cell in my body wanted to do. I wonder what Jace would think when he hears of this news. Maybe it would help him get over the whole Adam issue.

"What pregnancy?" Tanya questioned, pure inquiry evident in her eyes.

"Um." My mind blanked, unable to understand if she was joking or if she was being legitimate. "Adam. You lost Jace's baby, didn't you?" I asked, the words sling-shooting my heart into traffic.

She blinked repeatedly, each time, a level of understanding sinking deeper and deeper into her. "Oh my God! Yes, of course! Adam."

My mouth gaped open, my mind momentarily forgetting how to form and articulate words for communication purposes. I stood there questioning what the hell was going on.

For Tanya, on the other hand, damage control seemed to have taken the driver's seat because a bright smile lit her pretty face and she reached to rub her belly. Successfully distracting me from the sea of doubts and questions in my head, she was starting to win the game. "I just had a weird moment. Sorry about that."

I shook my head fast, riding her of her apologies; it felt so cold and insincere, I wanted no part of it. "How far along are you?"

Her smile widened, a bit of sincerity sparkling in. "Two months."

"Oh, wow, that's amazing," I laughed, giving her a hug that was totally awkward on my part. However, I'm sure I hid it well. She and I may not get along, but this was an innocent child.

"Thank you," she beamed, her hand flying back to her belly, "I'm hoping that this time around nothing bad will happen."

"Fingers crossed," I said and actually crossed my fingers like an idiot, "when are you due?"

"June 26."

"Congrats! Wow, a summer baby," I chuckled, pushing the eagerness to leave the shop to the back of my mind.

She nodded, placing a pair of Nikes into her cart. "Thanks."

I curiously followed as she walked to the men's shirt section. "Who's the father, if you want to answer, that is?"

"Oh," she laughed, "you don't want to know. Trust me."

My eyebrow arched. "Uh, why would that be?"

She shook her head, picking up a men's baseball shirt that was way bigger than her size. "Because I'm trying to protect you from getting your feelings hurt. Trust me when I tell you, you do not want to know."

See, I would've trusted her had she been sincere. She sounded like she was taunting me, egging me on to push her to the point of telling me who he was. I mean, I don't get why revealing the father of her child would hurt my feelings. The only man she and I have in common is Jace and he was with me when she got pregnant.

"Look, Tanya, I'm really happy for you, but stop playing around," I hissed, toning down the acidity as low as I could for the sake of the baby. "Just tell me who he is. We can't be that close that he'll have that much power over me."

Amusement swam in her irises, chilling the atmosphere as we stood there bickering over nothing. "He does have a lot of power over you, Alice. Trust me, you don't want to know this," she repeated.

I gulped. "Just tell me, Tanya."

She stared at me for another second with boredom and then shrugged. "Fine. It's Jace."

I blinked and bursted out laughing. I couldn't control it for an actual second, because was this bitch crazy? Wow and here I was trying to be nice because she was pregnant. What a joke.

"I would say I'm sorry, but it was a-mazing," she gloated, or at least tried to. I was still laughing. "Plus, I got his baby inside of me. Again."

Immediately, I stopped short, realizing that she wasn't just trying to get a reaction out of me. "You're bluffing. Jace was with me when you got pregnant."

She scoffed. "He was off the market not infertile."

I winced. "Yeah, no. You're just messing with me."

"Believe what you want to believe, Alice," she said, letting out a high-pitched breath, "the truth will stay the truth. By the way, you're still invited to the baby shower. Maybe then, you'll start to believe it."

What the hell?

"Ho-"

"-Well, I'll see you in school on Monday," she turned to push her cart away from me, but stopped to glance back, "good luck tonight with my love."

I looked at her as if she'd just told me ten plus nine equaled twenty-one. The level of maliciousness between her and I thickened as she turned around sharply to the cash register.

Absolutely and completely thrown out of orbit, I ran out of the mall and to my car, earning a couple of strange looks from passers.

When I got into my car, my heart settled down, quietness overtaking my thoughts.

And I knew right then and there what Tanya was trying to tell me.

I didn't want to acknowledge it. I wanted to ignore it, to pretend as if that was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to be there.

Shit, this could not get worse.