Undoing my belt, I get ready, trying to focus on the task at hand, but my mind is a whirlwind. As I glance over at Alexis, leaning against the car door, I try to bury the thoughts gnawing at me. She shifts uncomfortably, muttering about how her belly aches. She’s pregnant, and the sight of her swollen body reminds me of things I’d rather forget—memories I’ve spent too long trying to bury. But I push them down, just like I’ve always done.
“Are you ready?” I ask, my voice rougher than I mean it to be, my patience wearing thin.
She rolls her eyes at me, oblivious to the storm churning inside my head. She moves into position, not caring about the roughness in my tone, not caring about anything really, just like me. But then she hesitates, looking back with that half-lidded, knowing gaze.
“W
