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I knock on Dean’s apartment door, hoping he’s home. He hasn’t answered any of my calls or texts. I hope he’s okay and not in the hospital. The fight looked horrible. I knock a few more times before Dean answers the door with a towel around his waist. It hangs low from his narrow hips, leaving little to the imagination.
“Hey,” I say when our eyes meet.
He shakes his head at me in disbelief. “It’s true, isn’t it?” The words sound as if they burn his tongue. “How
could you do this?”
“I didn’t do anything, Dean. We did this together.”
He turns his head to the side, giving me a good view of his bruised cheek and eye, the black and blue already setting in.
“Can I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“I can’t…” He takes a few steps back, staggering backward into his apartment, the door still ajar. “I need time.”
“Please, Dean.” I push my way inside and slam the door behind me. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” His mouth twists in disgust. I’ve never seen him this angry before. “Sending Mike Tyson after me or for hiding our child?”
“I was coming here this weekend to tell you in person. I thought it would be better that way. I never meant for any of this to happen. Duke wasn’t supposed to say anything.”
“Oh, and that makes it all better?” He turns his back to me and walks into the living room. “Get out, Kat. I can’t do this tonight. My face and head are killing me. I can’t sit here and fight with you.”
“But I’m your best friend… and your girlfriend.”
He spins around to face me, his teeth clenched in anger. “Don’t use that line on me. We’re not… we’re nothing. You’re a fucking liar!”
“Dean, c’mon.” I inch toward him, my heart breaking with each step I take. “Don’t act like this. I messed up big time. I know that. But we can fix this. I’m only three months pregnant. We can still do this together.”
He stares at my stomach, which looks mostly the same. “My baby,” he whispers, looking as if he’s in physical pain when he grabs his left shoulder. “How could you, Kitten? Why?” He falls to the floor next to the couch and rests his head against the leather. “Call a doctor,” he says, breathless.
I rush to his side, my fingers wrapping around his bicep. “You’re having a panic attack, Dean. Control your breathing and everything will be okay.”
“Duke was telling the truth,” he chokes out.
I nod. “I wasn’t trying to hide this. You have to believe me. I just wanted to wait for the right time.”
As he attempts to regain his breath, Dean places his big hand on my stomach. I cover his hand with mine, and his breathing slows to a normal rate.
“I love you, Dean. I never meant to hurt you. I was coming here to tell you that you’re going to be a father and that I’m moving here to be with you. I want this to work. Please don’t be mad at me.”
“Why would you hide this from me? You had so many times to tell me over the phone.”
“I had to tell my dad and brothers over the phone, but I knew I would see you before them. So, I figured I could wait a few weeks.”
“You’re talking about my child.” He shakes his head. “Our child. I would never look at him or her as something I need to deal with. I’m not my father.”
“I know that, Dean.” I let out a puff of air. “That’s not what I meant. It came out wrong. See, this is why I wanted to have this conversation in person.”
“I would have preferred to find out from you and not your asshole brother as he’s throwing punches at me.”
“He shouldn’t have done that. I asked him not to. But you know Duke. He’s such a jerk. I’m sorry.”
“Duke will get suspended for it,” he says. “He attacked me with brutal force and knocked out a linesman. He’ll be lucky if he’s off suspension by the end of the season.”
“Yeah, I know. My dad’s pissed. You should have seen him trying to report what happened between you and Duke. He even apologized on-air to you and the league for Duke’s behavior.”
“It’s not your dad’s fault that Duke’s an asshole.”
