Chapter 2

The laughter around me cut off. Nobody dared make another sound.

Only Audrey stayed pleased with herself, pulling a face at me.

"Nyah, nyah, you can't hit me, you can't touch me!"

"Bet that just kills you, doesn't it!"

The anger surged back up in me, and just then the towel slipped. I grabbed at it with both hands.

Audrey seized the chance and darted forward, slapping me twice, left and right across the face.

"You can't touch me, but I sure can touch you."

I glared at her through the stinging heat on my cheeks, shaking with rage.

"Audrey, don't push your luck."

"Oh please! Weren't you the one who came at me first?"

"So you get to hit me, but I don't get to hit you back?"

If it weren't for Tyler, I would have torn her apart right there.

Maybe he thought it had gone too far. Tyler frowned and stepped in.

"Enough!"

"This is over now."

Over? I was the one who got humiliated.

Prank me and then call it over? There was no deal that sweet in this world.

Seeing my anger hadn't cooled, Tyler set his face and turned to me.

"That's enough. Stop it."

"Audrey's still young, she doesn't understand these things. You're older than her, you should know where the line is."

"Besides, she was only joking with you."

"Audrey, come here and apologize."

Seeing how serious Tyler's face was, Audrey came forward, reluctant but obedient.

"Hey! Sorry, old hag."

The whole room burst out laughing before they could stop themselves.

Audrey pushed out her lips in what she thought was a cute little pout. "She's a few years older than me, isn't she? What is she if not an old hag?"

Tyler paused, then gave a helpless little laugh and flicked her nose.

Being treated like that, I finally slapped her clean across the face.

The air went silent all at once. All I could hear was my own heart, pounding on and on in my chest.

"If your mother gave birth to you but never taught you manners, I don't mind teaching you how to behave in her place."

Tyler's hand shot up and shoved me back. He put his whole weight behind it, and with both of mine still clutching the robe closed,

I lost my balance and slammed into the coffee table beside me.

My forehead caught the corner. My lower belly hit the edge.

As I slid to the floor, the pain came with me, sharp and blinding.

I couldn't hold back a scream, and behind me the crowd, seeing me like that, roared with laughter.

"Serves her right. Knew she was barely dressed and still picked a fight!"

The one who said that was Tyler. It was not something a husband should say to his own wife, and even less was that a hand a husband should raise against her.

And Audrey, the one who'd started it all, cried out as if she were the wronged one. "Tyler, does that old hag know my parents are divorced? Is that why she said that about me?"

"I was only making one small little joke. Did she have to take it that far and drag my mom into it?"

Tyler pulled her into his arms and soothed her, like he was coaxing a child.

Wave after wave of pain rolled through my lower belly, nearly more than I could bear.

Something was wrong. This felt like a miscarriage.

Tyler turned his head and shouted at me, "Are you going to lie there playing dead for sympathy?"

"Get up and apologize to Audrey."

His eyes were dead set on making me apologize.

But I couldn't get up at all. My whole body was trembling.

If he still cared about me even a little, he would have noticed how white my face had gone.

When I felt the warmth begin to slide down, I knew for certain I'd lost the baby.

I hadn't even known I was going to be a mother, and already I was losing it forever.

When they saw the red spreading under me, everyone froze.

"Damn, this went way too far."

"If Tyler hadn't shoved her, how could she..."

Maybe they felt the rest was too cruel to say, so the words stopped there.

Tyler let go of Audrey, thrown into a panic of his own.

Seeing Tyler care only about me, Audrey started crying again.

"Tyler, Eve, I'm sorry."

"This is all my fault. I never should have suggested the prank game."

With that, she bolted out the door.

Then came a fall down the stairs and her wretched scream.

Tyler went rigid, and the hand that had been a breath away from touching me pulled back.