Choosing Henley(39)

“Just because his family is wealthy isn’t any reason for him to be ashamed of you,” Hannah says calmly from beside me.

“You told her?!” Beth practically shouts, glaring at me. “I told you not to tell her!”

“Did you really think I wasn’t going to, Beth? Come on. You’ve been acting really weird and it’s not like you. Spill. We’re tired of guessing and we aren’t leaving until you fess up,” I scold her.

“We love you, Beth. Please.” Hannah’s pleading tone isn’t lost on me. We are all close, and knowing that Beth is hiding something from us is unnerving.

Beth reaches across the table, placing her hands on top of ours. “Really, you guys. I promise. Everything is fine. Kyle is great. He’s funny and smart. We’re just being careful, okay?”

Hannah and I exchange glances. This whole situation still smells like shit. “Why did you delete all your accounts?” Hannah asks.

We noticed a little over two weeks ago that all of her social media accounts had been deactivated. Beth loved those things. She Instagrams more than a tourist does.

Beth rolls her eyes, clearly irritated by our line of questioning. “I told you his family is well off. He asked me to delete them, so I did. It’s not a big deal. Listen, if I brought him to our next monthly dinner, would you guys feel better?”

“Yes!” Hannah and I both say in unison. It would definitely be easier to feel out whatever the hell is going on here if we could interact with him in person. But there is that one other thing still nagging me…

“What about Jay?” I ask. I think we all sort of thought that was going to happen eventually.

“What about him?” Beth responds, her eyebrows raised in question.

I look at Hannah and she nods her head. We’re thinking the same thing. “Well, wasn’t that, like, a thing?” I say hesitantly.

“No. I mean, not really.” Beth sighs. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Jay.” She puts a hand over her heart. “I really do, but I think deep down we’ve always just been friends. Do we flirt? Sure, but who doesn’t flirt with Jayden King.” Looking at us, she shakes her head before continuing. “Well other than you two of course.” She waves her hand between the two of us. “I think we sort of tried there for a bit, the whole hanging out thing, but it just wasn’t there. I mean, I get it. It would have been nice if our whole little group just matched up like a TV show cast, but no dice, girls.”

“We didn’t mean to pressure you guys into feeling like you had to be together,” Hannah tells her.

“You didn’t. It’s all good, sis.” Beth smiles reassuringly at both of us. “We’re just friends and I’m happy with Kyle.” She bats her eyes at us, and I kind of what to smack her in the face.

I know that seems a bit dramatic, but this guy seems like bad news, and of all the people to be blind to all those red flags, I just can’t believe that it’s Beth.

I think of the most generic, noncommittal way to answer her. “I’m happy you’re happy.” Although, all douche-canoe-new-boyfriend-related things aside, I can think of one grey-eyed beauty who will be happy to know that Beth and Jay aren’t bumping uglies.

“Good. That’s settled.” Beth flashes us an award-winning smile. “Now is that the only reason for this emergency Valentine’s Day lunch? Or is there something else you’d like to give me the third degree over?”

“No,” Hannah says softly from beside me.

“No, what?” Beth asks, cocking an eyebrow at her sister. “There’s more?”

“Yes,” she answers even more quietly this time.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?! What else did I do?” Beth huffs.

“It’s not you. It’s me.” Hannah clarifies. “The other reason I wanted us all to talk today is because I have something to tell you.”

I reach under the table, lacing my fingers with hers. “What is it, Han?”

She looks nervous and it’s starting to scare me.

“Sis?” Beth urges from the other side of the table.

A tear slides down Hannah’s cheek, but the panic I’m starting to feel subsides when her face splits into a grin. “I told him this morning. It was my Valentine’s gift,” she says, and another tear streams down her cheek. “I’m pregnant.”

“Oh my god, Hannah! That’s wonderful!” I grab her in a hug and Beth comes around, sliding into the booth on the other side of her.

“It wasn’t planned and I’m not even sure how it happened, but I’m so happy,” she gushes as the tears of joy keep flowing from her eyes.