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Ugh.
Adam sat down in the chair beside me, sliding in close. “Because he hurt you, Lena. I warned him that if he ever hurt you, I’d hurt him. I made good on that promise.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m more than capable of fighting my own battles. And beating up Jeremy wasn’t necessary. We’re not in high school. We’re adults who slept together. Very consensually I might add, over a long period of time—”
Adam held out his hand to stop me. “Please, spare me the details. I’m feeling sick.”
I rolled my eyes. “I got pregnant, Adam. It was stupid, yes, but it’s where we are and now, I have to figure out what I’m going to do.”
“Don’t you mean both you and Jeremy need to figure it out?” Meg stated.
“You saw his reaction tonight. Was that the face of a man ready to deal with this? I don’t think so. I’ll handle this myself.” The memory of Jeremy’s horrified expression kept replaying in my head on a loop. And the pain of his question ripped me open every time I thought about it.
“He was shocked, yes, but maybe if you give him time—” Meg began to say, but Adam wasn’t having it.
“He doesn’t deserve time. He got Lena into this, he should be here, right now, supporting her. The fact that he isn’t says everything there is to say about his character.” He shook his head angrily. “I always knew he was a pig when it came to women. I’ve seen it myself, he views them as expendable. But this is different. I thought he was at least smart enough to know that he couldn’t treat my sister this way. It seems I overestimated him.”
Adam’s description of Jeremy was upsetting only because it was the truth. Or it had been. I honestly thought, particularly after our weekend away, that he was changing. That he could be something different for me.
But that was before I dropped a literal bomb in the middle of it all.
Meg still seemed unsure, but Adam was going on. I didn’t have the emotional energy to fight him. “Come back to our place. You shouldn’t be alone right now,” he insisted and for the first time that evening, Meg agreed.
“I don’t need a babysitter, guys. I’ll be okay.” Even as I said it, I didn’t quite believe it. I felt as if I were dangling dangerously close to the edge with no one there to pull me back.
I put my hand on my stomach. “You sure have caused a lot of drama, little one,” I murmured quietly. When I looked up, I found my brother and Meg watching me with a strange mixture of sadness and something close to wonder.
“My baby sister is having a baby,” Adam mused, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it.
Meg took my hand. “Is that what you want? To keep it?”
As she asked the most important question, I realized the truth. It was so clear, and I knew without a doubt that there was only one option for me. The only one that felt right. The only one that I could live with.
I wanted this baby.
Even if Jeremy was never a part of our lives again, this tiny piece of us was important. The most important thing in the world. And sure, it couldn’t have come at a worse time, but my baby would be loved.
I nodded. “It is. I want this baby.”
“What about Jeremy?” Meg asked, glancing at Adam who looked ready to spit nails again.
I picked up my still quiet phone. And then I started crying all over again.
They put their arms around me, holding me tight. Adam kissed the top of my head. “Let us take care of you, Lena. We’ll go tell Mom and Dad. Our family is stronger than anything and we’ll support you completely. And Jeremy can—”
“Enough, Adam. Now isn’t the time. Lena doesn’t need to hear about all the ways you’re going to rip Jeremy apart,” Meg reminded him sternly.
“You’re right,” Adam agreed before turning to me. “It’ll be okay, sis.”
I wanted to believe him. I really did.
But there was a gaping hole in the middle of my chest where Jeremy was supposed to be.
**
I ended up staying with my parents through the holidays. My parents, while shocked when I told them about the baby, were exactly how I knew they’d be: excited to be grandparents. Supportive. Incredibly loving.
I was so lucky to have them.
I had only been staying with them for a few days when I got a text from Jeremy.
Don’t shut me out. We need to talk.
I didn’t respond. What would I say? Took you long enough, asshole.
Perhaps I was being stubborn, but my feelings were shredded into pieces. His radio silence in the days after telling him about the baby had done a lot of damage. It had confirmed my worst suspicions about him. That deep down, our trysts had been nothing more than sex. His romantic getaway had been an attempt to fool himself into thinking it could be something else. But when push came to shove and he was faced with a serious, real-life issue, he ran for the hills.
