“So what if I did? She has a right to know.”
“Before you even told me!” I don’t try to hide the fact that I’m angry. I’m more than angry.
“Why does it matter who I told first? Everyone was going to find out anyway.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what? It’s not like I planned to get pregnant.”
“You stopped taking birth control and didn’t tell me. Sounds like that’s exactly what you were trying to do.”
“Would you listen to yourself? I’m not so obsessed with you that I’d try to trap you with a baby.”
Oddly, I think that’s exactly what she’s trying to do.
A baby.
I can’t even think about it right now.
Can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’m going to be a father... A father. Me. And the mother is Cat Stewart.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” I cover my mouth with my hand when my stomach violently lurches.
“I knew you’d be surprised. I mean, I was pretty shocked myself. But this... I thought you’d be—”
“You thought I’d be what? Happy?”
“You’re going to have a child.”
“With a woman I don’t love.”
She doesn’t try to hide the hurt my words inflict; it’s written all over her face.
“But you could.”
“I could what?”
“Love me. We could be happy. We could be a family. The three of us. A perfect little trio.”
“If you are, in fact, pregnant—and make no mistake, I will not take you at your word—a paternity test will be the first thing we do. If I am the father, then I will be in the child’s life always, but I will not be in a loveless relationship to do it.”
“You’d have our baby raised in a broken home?”
“It’s not a broken home. We were never actually together. This was casual. I made that very clear.”
“But after you said you loved me, I thought—”
“I wasn’t saying it to you.”
“Then who were you saying it to?” She balks, not waiting for me to answer because she already knows. “London.”
“I was drunk. I was picturing you were her and it just slipped out. That’s why I ended things right after. I knew it wasn’t fair to you.”
“You’re right, it wasn’t fair. None of this is fair. I’ve done everything. Given you everything. Tried to be someone you could love.”
“You shouldn’t have to try to make someone love you. They just do or they don’t. And I don’t love you, Cat. A child is not going to change that.”
“Not if you won’t try.” Her eyes fill with unshed tears.
