Page 87 of One Reckless Night

She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. “You didn’t want to know. You pushed me away, Jared. You made it clear that I didn’t mean anything to you. And now I’m just another problem for you to deal with. But I’m not going to be. I’ll do my research somewhere else. I don’t know if it will do anyone any good. But you don’t have to worry about me and my pregnancy getting in the way of your life plan.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I said firmly, my voice low but steady. “This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about us. About the baby.”

She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Don’t act like you care, Jared. You got what you wanted, didn’t you? You slept with me, and now you’re done. I don’t need your help. I don’t need your money. And I definitely don’t need you.”

“That’s not what this is about,” I said, stepping closer to her. “You think this is just about sex? That I only cared about getting you into bed?”

“Isn’t it?” she shot back, her eyes blazing with anger and hurt. Her voice cracked slightly, betraying the emotion she was trying to hold back. “You made it pretty clear that you weren’t interested in anything more than that. So don’t stand here now and pretend like this means something to you.”

I clenched my jaw, frustration and guilt simmering beneath the surface. She wasn’t wrong—I had pushed her away, kept her at arm’s length because I was afraid of letting anyone get too close. But hearing her say it out loud made it feel a million times worse.

“Look, we’re not going to get anywhere like this,” I said.

“Go chase your girlfriend,” she hissed. “I’ll be out of your way, and you will be free to continue your relationship with her. My child and I will be just fine.”

“I’m not fucking with Gemma!”

She snorted. “Fucking with her is probably an appropriate term. I don’t care, Jared. You can do whatever with whomever you choose. I just don’t have to stick around and watch it happen.”

I stared at her, my fists clenching at my sides. “You’re not leaving,” I practically growled. I didn’t care if it sounded like an order. This wasn’t just about her anymore, or even about me—it was about the baby, about the work she’d poured her heart into. “This is your dream job, Amelia. You don’t just walk away from that. You fought to get it. Don’t let Gemma take that from you.”

She whirled on me, her eyes blazing with a fire that made me step back. “There’s more to life than this,” she snapped, her voice trembling with anger. “And it’s your own damn fault for not seeing that. You’re so obsessed with your career, with your control, that you can’t even see what’s right in front of you. You pushed me away, and now you want to act like you care? Like this all matters to you? Don’t.”

I blinked. Her vehemence took me by surprise. Before I could respond, she was already storming out, the door slamming shut behind her. I stood there, frozen like a dumbass. She always did that to me. She always left me feeling at a loss for words. That never happened to me. I always knew just what to say.