His eyes reddened. “But she won’t be a shitty mother. Jo ain’t Delilah. She wouldn’t have robbed me out of every right and chance to be there for my boy, and I’d have wanted nothing but to learn from my mistakes and raise a kid that wouldn’t call me shitty when they grew up. Stop kidding us all and yourself. You did what you did because you knew I would be a better father if I had another baby. You were afraid I’d have loved it more. You were jealous that I’d have given them the life I was never able to give you. You were terrified that if it was my baby in her belly, she would choose after all and leave you.”
A muscle in my jaw twitched. Eighteen years of abandonment, father and mother issues cracked up inside me like an infected wound. I wanted to scream but I smiled in his face instead. “And now she’s carryingmybaby.”
“You don’t know that,” she said. “It could be Laius’s.”
I snorted. “No, Jo. It can’t be his.”
“Why not?”
“Are you gonna do the honors or should I?” I asked him.
He swallowed and gazed at her, sorrow covering his expression. “I’m sorry, baby.”
She spread her hands in the air in confusion. “Sorry for what? What’s going on?”
“My father, your precious husband, had been shooting blanks inside you, Jo. He had a vasectomy years before you met, and he never even bothered to tell you. Don’t take it personally, though. He basically did it because he didn’t want any more children like me.”
“Laius,” she hiccupped through the tears, “is this true?”
A tear dropped down his face, and he just clasped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes with a nod.
“I wish I’d known that early enough. Total waste of energy, time and money. Do you know how much it cost me to find those sperm suppressants I gave you instead of antibiotics? Or the sleeping pills that are safe for pregnancy that I gave my Jo so I could fill her with my cum in her sleep every night right after her period?”
She stared at me like I was insane. “You did what?”
“You were ovulating. The first week after your period is the best time to get you pregnant.”
“You’re…” Her fingers clawed up.
“Yours. Always. I just had to make sure you’d always be mine, too, Jo.” I gazed at her. “You can’t leave me now. It’s forever, Jo. I told you I’d give you everything you wanted. I’m not like him. I wasn’t going to cut him off. I still wanted you to have him because you need him as much as you need me.”
“Oh! How fucking magnanimous of you, Tirone! I didn’t know you were such a selfless, caring man that you always putmefirst.”
“I know you’re upset now, but…” I approached her, smiling at her belly, “we’re a having a baby, Jo. Can we just put everything aside now, and I promise I’ll make it up to you later? I haven’t even had a chance to hug you or tell you congratulations or show you how much I love you.”
I reached out to place my hand on her abdomen, emotions already overwhelming me. “I just need to touch you.”
She slapped my hand away and stepped back. “You won’t touch me ever again. You ruined everything. Even this moment I’ve been waiting for I can’t enjoy or feel any of the happy feelings I should have because of you and how you always fuck me up.”
My smile vanished. “Jo. Don’t say that.”
She looked at him. Why would she look at him?Look at me. I am the one for you, not him. This is between us.“And you…” Her voice broke off as she swallowed her tears. Then she grabbed her bag and keys.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” I went after her, Furore in tow.
She ignored me and opened the door. I ran after her, running down the patio and blocking the way. “You’re not leaving.”
“Get out of my way before I kill you.”
“Jo, please. Can we talk?” Furore joined me. “There’s so much I need to tell you. Let me explain.
“Both of you, leave me the fuck alone. I can’t stand to see either of your faces.” She shoved her way down to her car.
I banged the top of the car. “I said you’re not leaving. You’re not going anywhere without me.”
“Or what, huh? You’ll call the prospects to come block my way or cut me off the road with your bike? Do it, Tirone. Let me crash and hurt myself and your fucking baby.”
Of course I wouldn’t. I knew how stubborn she could be. I wasn’t Furore. I wasn’t going to repeat his mistakes. “Let me come with you. I’ll be silent the whole way unless you start talking.”
