One Drop of Golden Sun

Ch. 39 Watch Out for Falling Coconuts

*Lokela

Ray shut the door behind her with a metallic crack. Inside, no one looked at anyone else.

The silence was as thick as the stench.

"Well..." Doug cleared his throat. "Who wants music?"

"I have my ukulele," Travis said.

Miller flipped on the radio and what passed for surround sound speakers in the van pumped a rhythmic dance song.

"All right. I think we should get some burgers," Trevor announced.

A consensus was obviously reached by the grunting as every guy gave his yes. Doug pulled into traffic. A bright, floral bag at Lokela's feet caught his eye. That was definitely not his or Miller's. Doug's? It stuck out as an unusual choice even for him. Wait. He nudged it with his foot.

"Guys," Lokela said. "Which one of you brought the red hibiscus bag with the pink nighty?"

The van's tires squealed as Doug whipped into the next street and did a U-turn. "Beth's maternity bag. We have to take it to the clinic," he said.

"We don't have to take it anywhere near that Russell guy who wants to kill my brother," Miller said. He grinned over his shoulder at Lokela. "That's my special job."

"We take it to the hospital, drop it off, and then get the burgers," Lokela muttered. In his head, though, he was already pleading with Ray to listen to his explanation. But nothing he had to say sounded good.

When Doug found the clinic, he reached around the seat for the bag.

Lokela was faster. "I'll go with you."

"You really don't get it, do you?" Doug asked. "Fine."

As soon as Lokela hit the pavement, all the others piled out of the van, too, though, except Zach, who was still passed out. A line of drool dangled from his mouth to the seat.

Finding Ray was easier than he had hoped. She was pacing at the entrance, muttering to herself. She pulled up short to glare at him as he approached.

Doug pointed at the bag. "Beth forgot her things. You aren't going in the delivery room?"

She shook her head. The fear and anguish in her expression tore Lokela up a little bit more inside. But it was Doug who hugged her.

"She said it was better if she and Russell did this together. She'll call for me, though, if she needs me."

"Do you want me to stay?" Travis asked.

Ray shook her head.

It killed him to not be the person she ran to—to bury her face in his chest. What did he expect? He'd lied for months and then forced his way uninvited into her life at the worst possible moment.

"Beth is going to do great," Travis promised. He gave her a quick hug, too.

Trevor picked her up in a bear hug, leaving her feet dangling. "Do you want us to come back with a burger and fries?"

"No, I might puke it up and then I'd be grosser than Zach, but thanks."

He couldn't take it any longer. He stepped forward.

"Ray, I want to explain," Lokela said in a hushed whisper. From behind, both Travis and Trevor leaned forward to listen. Lokela could sense their tense anger as they waited with bated breath to hear.

"You know what would have been really nice?" she asked. "Is if instead of coming here, you would have stayed on the beach with your really drunk, best friend, which would have had the added benefit of the rest of us not having to smell his vomit on the way."