The emotional dam breaks, and her words spew out in a heated rush as she clenches the fabric. “But you don’t know that! It’s so easy to say the words, but you can’t possibly know. I’m on my own with this pregnancy, and I’ve got a deadbeat boyfriend slash roommate who refuses to grow up and accept responsibility for anything. Not even a baby. And he doesn’t know that it’s twins yet because he wouldn’t come with me to the doctor.”
Her lips twist in a sneer as my feisty kitten stabs a finger into my chest. “Do you know his first words to me when I told him I was pregnant? He wanted to know when I was getting an abortion. An abortion! I understand that other women have their own opinions and thoughts on that topic, but I know whatIfeel and I can’t even fathom doing that. And even this morning, he told me that if I was going through with this, it’d be without him.”
Hatred for Silas festers deep inside me, and as much as I try to hide it, I’m sure it slips and shows on my face even as I murmur sympathetic sounds. To think that he would deliberately cast her to the curb is infuriating, but adding in unborn babies to the mix is despicable. If I even had the slightest bit of doubt about claiming her, it’s gone now. Completely eradicated.
“I’m sure you have better things to do than to listen to me have a breakdown, but everything hit me like a sledgehammer after my appointment. Two babies, Connor—two. Everything one needs, the other will, too.” Rosanna takes two more sips and forcefully places her glass on the coffee table, her breathing choppy with the weight of her stress.
Now that she’s started, she can’t seem to stop. That’s okay. I’m here to be her sounding board.
“And I can’t live here with them, I know that, because it’s barely safe enough for me. But there’s no other place that’s halfway decentandaffordable on just my income, too. Tack on health insurance and reliable transportation, and all of a sudden, I’m juggling too many glass balls in the air with no clue how to catch them all safely. Do you know how much it costs to have a baby in a hospital? More money than I’ve ever made in my lifetime!”
Putting my own drink beside hers, I inch closer and take her hand. “Rosanna, listen to me. You don’t know me that well yet—”Thud!A muffled curse sounds outside. Our eyes flit toward the door, but when nothing else is said, I continue. “But if there’s one thing you need to understand, it’s that I can’t stand by and not—”
The door flings open, and a stocky man appears.
Silas.
Chapter seven
Rosanna
Ijumpback,Connorall but forgotten at the moment. What’s Silas even doing here? Surely he and Jackson didn’t start drinking this early in the afternoon. I search his face for any clue, zooming in on his hazel eyes.
Clear.But with no emotion inside. Hopefully, he doesn’t get too angry. “How’d your interview go?”
Taking in both me and the strange man sitting on our couch, Silas slams the door and silently stares.
Okay, then. I stand and gesture toward Connor, fumbling with my sleeves. “This is Mr. Shay. He...he’s contracted with Mr. Wright and was kind enough to bring me home. I was throwing up because...” Because of his babies. My babies.
It feels strange, Connor and Silas being in the same room. Maybe it’s just because they’re both in front of me that the stark differences between them are glaringly apparent. Not just the physical ones, though. No, the deeper ones. More like a man who’s ready to take on the world versus a man who’s completely given up and has no desire to try anymore. I hurry to add, “Oh...the car died at the shop and I couldn’t get ahold of you. It went to voicemail every time I—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Silas cuts in swiftly, his stone-cold gaze moving to my stomach. “While you were gone, I did a lot of thinking and talking to Jackson. We’re going to get a place in Princeton.”
Excuse me? My hands move to my hips in exasperation. “We’re moving? And just when were you going to tell me this?” Complete jackass, I swear.
“No. You don’t get it, Rosanna. Me and Jackson are moving to Princeton. He knows someone who can get us jobs at one of the clubs, and we’re gonna share an apartment. Just us. You can do whatever you want with this one. The lease is in your name, isn’t it?”
Vaguely, I feel my jaw drop in shock, even as a heavy presence stands at my back. “Yes, it is, but—wait a minute. Did I hear you right? Jacksonfound the both of you a job and a place to live, and you’re leaving me here to finish out the lease on my own?”
My incredulity increases with each word. With all we’ve been through, from childhood to now, he’s abandoning me! And he’s telling me this in front of a strange man who’s probably feeling all kinds of awkward at the moment. I hazard a glance at Connor, surprised to see his big body radiating restrained anger, all the way from his heavy shoulders taut with tension to his clenched fists.Did he just twitch?
Silas’s lips twist cruelly, drawing my attention back to him. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Unless you took my advice and did something about that, babe.”
That.
Meaning our babies that he still thinks is just the one. The stupid smirk on his stupid face makes me want to slap it off. “No,” I snap. “I didn’t do anything aboutthat.In fact,thatis nowthose.” While his smirk falters, I dig into my purse and grab the ultrasound pictures. I slap them against his chest, forcing him to take them. “Yeah, you heard me. Congratulations. We’re having twins.”
His fingers crease the thin paper as he focuses on the images and drops a curse. “Two of them? No.” He shakes his head in denial. “No...that’s it, Rosanna. I’m done. I’m out of here. I told you more than once, but did you listen? Of course not. You and your fucking bleeding heart can’t comprehend—”
“Stop. Just stop. Do you really want to do this in front of company?” I offer a tense smile to said company. “Connor, I’m so sorry that you got stuck in the middle of this. I’m sure the last thing you want is to listen to us argue. Thank you for the things you bought, though. I guess I’ll see you later at work?” Maybe? If he doesn’t decide to take his business elsewhere because the manager—me—at Wright’s Furniture Shop is a complete nutcase having a domestic dispute in front of himaftervomiting all over him.
Dark brown eyes meet mine in concern. “If it’s all the same to you, I’m staying right here. You want him gone, I’ll do it for you. The lease being in your name means you don’t have to listen to any of this.”
Safety.That’s what I see right now as I stare into those dark chocolate pools. Exactly what I felt when he wrapped his jacket around me the first time we met.I’m safe with him.
“Just fucking great, Rosanna, bringing him into this.” My head turns to Silas as he stares a hole into Connor. “This...this tattooed thug is your new boyfriend now?”
I throw a hand out for Connor’s thick bicep, halting his lurching movement forward. “Tattoos don’t m—”
