Red Queen Read Online Free Page B

child.
    But Jimmy lowered his head. He staggered.
    â€œWe lost him,” he said.
    â€œShe had a miscarriage?”
    â€œNo.” The word came out so small. I put my hand to my mouth.
    â€œDon’t tell me she had the baby and it died?” I gasped.
    He turned and looked at me, pale as plaster. So frail, so hollow. I felt if I said the wrong word, he’d shatter.
    â€œHis name was Huck. He lived for three days.”
    â€œWhy did he die?” I asked.
    The wrong words. Jimmy turned, opened the door, spoke over his shoulder. “You’re right, I should go. We can talk later.”
    He left; it was amazing how much it hurt. It was like he was breaking up with me all over again. It was then I wished I hadn’t said the “why” word. We should have left it at the hug.

CHAPTER THREE
    I DID NOT LEAVE MY room for some time, and when I did, I found a note from Debbie and Alex. They had left to find the kids from our class and plan the night’s festivities. That’s the word Alex chose—“festivities.” I doubted she had seen Jimmy’s face when he had left our suite.
    I was tired and knew we’d be up late. I tried napping but had trouble falling asleep. Huck haunted me, perhaps the way he haunted Jimmy. I didn’t fool myself. Jimmy had won our fight—if it could be called that. And here I had been positive I would humiliate him when we finally spoke. I was sure I owned the moral high ground. But Jimmy was right, the child was his own flesh and blood; it transcended infatuation, even our love, never mind that the infant had died.
    I kept wondering what had killed Huck.
    A part of me sensed Jimmy did not know the whole story.
    At some point I must have blacked out. The next thing I knew, Alex was sitting beside me on my bed. “You all right, Jessie?” she asked softly.
    She had seen Jimmy’s face after all. She was concerned about me.
    I sat up quickly. “I’m fine. What time is it?”
    â€œFive.”
    â€œFive! Why did you let me sleep so long?”
    â€œYou looked exhausted. Besides, the gang’s not getting together until six.”
    â€œWho exactly is the gang?”
    Alex continued to study me. “Not sure, whoever comes. But I’ve got some good news. You know how you said you wanted to see O ?”
    â€œDon’t tell me you got tickets?”
    â€œSix seats. Ted got them from a scalper. He says he doesn’t care who comes with us. He’s even volunteered not to go, in case you want to bring a date.”
    â€œBullshit. He never said that.”
    Alex shrugged. “All right, I made that up. But he’s not stupid. He saw the way you and Jimmy were looking at each other.” She paused. “Can you tell me what happened?”
    â€œLater,” I said.
    I took a quick shower and put on the only dress I had brought—something short, black and sexy that Debbie had sewn for me for my birthday. She had designed it after a dresswe had seen on Project Runway —we were all addicted to the show. Debbie’s dress was even more inspired than the one on TV. She was a woman of many talents. A pity she kept most of them hidden.
    Our class was staying at the MGM, but our celebratory dinner was to take place at the Bellagio. It was supposed to have the best restaurants. Our reservations were for a high-priced Italian bistro but our class was no sooner gathered in the Bellagio lobby than an argument broke out. Half our gang didn’t like Italian—they wanted to eat elsewhere. On the surface that didn’t seem like a major problem. Unfortunately, as Debbie shouted over the bedlam, we had already promised the hotel a minimum of two hundred guests.
    â€œIf we don’t all eat here, we lose our discount,” Debbie said.
    â€œHow much is that?” someone demanded.
    â€œForty percent,” Debbie replied.
    About fifty percent of our class didn’t give a damn. They split for