“Ready?” Emily asked, still extremely cheerful.
“Yep.” I tried to come off as friendly.
Friendly wasn’t my default. Or my talent. But I aimed for it anyway, just to keep the peace since we were apparently sort of family.
She waved at Artie before pulling out of the parking lot, hitting a button on her phone to play some acoustic rock music from the car’s stereo.
I watched my apartment get smaller as we left it behind. My chest squeezed more by the moment.
I knew it wasn’t completely logical, but it felt like I was leaving my life behind.
My freedom, too.
Bo and I had an agreement, but still. This was the second time I thought I was leaving my own place for good. I couldn’t help but wonder if it would actually stick this time.
“I’m stopping at a convenience store for snacks,” Emily said, her gaze on the road while her music played fairly loudly.
“Okay.” I bit my cheek at the urge to tell her I’d rather just go straight to Bo’s cabin.
The sooner I got there, the sooner I could get out of this awkward interaction.
When she parked in front of a small drugstore a few minutes later, it occurred to me that she’d probably been with the bears while they planned the night before.
There was a good chance she’d heard that Bo might have accidentally knocked me up.
And considering she was human, she definitely would’ve thought about the morning after pill.
I finally looked at her, and found a small, empathetic smile on her face. She handed me some cash, and I didn’t look down to see the amount.
“It’ll take me a while to decide between the chocolate bars. We can meet back here whenever you’re ready.”
I nodded.
She slipped out of the car, and my eyes stung again.
I was getting really tired of crying. And nearly crying.
I swiped at my face with the back of my hand, drying my tears even though they weren’t falling yet.
seventeen
MADISON
Emily was alreadyin the store when I went inside. She was tucked away, hidden in the candy aisle.
I grabbed the morning after pill, and after a moment’s hesitation, a box of condoms that I was pretty sure would work.
Though I wasn’t positive whether Bo and I would be having sex, I would rather throw away the whole box than risk getting pregnant when neither of us was ready. If my period started, I’d go with a simpler version of birth control. Like an implant or an IUD or something.
I bought the stuff without making eye contact with the dude at the cash register—who I vaguely recognized—and stopped in the bathroom to take the pill.
Back outside a few minutes later, I slipped into the car, where I found Emily eating a chocolate bar.
She broke off a piece and offered it to me. I took it silently, handing her the leftover cash in exchange with a murmuredthanksthat she waved off.
“I’m a sucker for chocolate,” she remarked, as she pulled away from the drugstore.
“Isn’t everyone?” I bit into the creamy candy and nearly groaned.
