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Silence, again.
This time, he sits back on the sofa and bends over with his face between his legs. His arms are resting on his knees, but they appear to be shaking. Neither of us saying a word, the silence continues as the clock ticks over.
“I’m engaged,” he mumbles.
“Yes, you are. I don’t want anything from you.”
“I love Eloise.”
Still, without knowing what the hell happened in London, the name and sentiment strike a nerve with me. Almost like a ‘how dare I ruin things for him’ attitude. It dawns on me that he doesn’t even take a moment to ask me how I’m doing, whether I’ve had morning sickness, or anything about the baby.
This was a bad idea. I should have just kept this a secret and moved away and life could continue for him. Except you want the best for your unborn child, and having a father around who is a positive male role model is supposed to be good thing. I wouldn’t go as far as saying the Jerk could be a positive role model, though.
Again, I shouldn’t have breathed a word.
“Marcus. Does he know?”
“No . . . I thought you needed to know first. I will tell him tomorrow.”
“I want to be there when you tell him,” he responds, threatening me as he struggles to compose his anger.
“Wha . . . why? I don’t want to deal with your ego bullshit,” I inform him. “I’ll just tell him and it’s over.”
I want him to leave. I want to climb under my covers and cry myself to sleep. I’m scared, frightened, and unsure of how I am going to raise this baby alone. Somewhere deep down inside I wish he would have stepped up and taken responsibility for his actions. But true to form, he grabs his cell and wallet from the table without making eye contact.
“I have to go.”
There are no more words, and the second he is gone I begin to cry myself to sleep.
Chapter Eleven
One thing that doesn’t surprise me about Marcus’s kitchen is that it is a complete and utter mess. It’s midday, Saturday, a
nd the place looks like a tornado has just blown through. My OCD is having a heart attack, desperate to grab some disinfectant and scrub the whole place clean, but this isn’t the purpose of my visit. Although I am wondering if it would be highly inappropriate to offer to clean his apartment after I tell him I’m pregnant with his cousin’s baby?
A late night drunken call from Marcus alerted me to the welcome back party being held for the Jerk and what’s-her-face. Okay, that’s mean. She’s got a face, a pretty one at that, so no need to get on that jealous horse, Presley!
According to Marcus, Haden never showed. Eloise was worried but somehow got over it and partied hard with the rest of them. Of course, I know why he didn’t turn up; he was probably smashing up the city, picturing my face on every pole.
So here I am, sitting in front of the countertop as Marcus sits beside me looking like death. Dark circles surround his dull green eyes, and his skin looks pale and sickly. Even though we are indoors, he is wearing his hoodie with the hood covering his head. The sun filtering through the small window appears to irritate him and he squints his eyes involuntarily, curling his body like a nocturnal animal.
The giant curveball to this mad situation—I didn’t expect the Jerk to be here as well.
He turned up only moments ago and sent Eloise on a mission to get everyone coffee from the café a couple of blocks away. She hadn’t appeared as wasted as the rest of them, and still looked stunning after a night of partying. A mini-argument erupted after she blatantly refused to be his coffee monkey, but he managed to somehow convince her.
Haden stands against the sink, and just as I predicted, bandages are wrapped around his right hand. I probably should ask if he is okay, but that would mean I care, which I don’t.
He is purposefully avoiding eye contact with me and is clearly still very pissed off, insinuating that this is all my fault. Well, it takes two to tango buddy, and one selfish dick to blow his load.
Earlier I had asked for a glass of water, but after witnessing how dirty the kitchen is, I leave my untouched glass sitting on the bench. I am parched, but can’t be bothered to rinse the glass out. Marcus interrupts my thoughts, questioning why the three of us are standing in the kitchen.
So, I start with the beginning—what happened that night in the alley. Throughout my recollection of the events, I honestly have to pinch myself. Here I am, standing with a guy I was fooling around with and a guy who would be my child’s father. Throw Jason into the mix and it’s like Three Men and a Baby. Ah, that Tom Selleck is one gorgeous fox!
Calm the hell down, Kitty. Stop sidetracking and clean up this goddamn mess you created!
The reality of the situation is that I barely know them, have no clue when their birthdays are, let alone their favorite colors. Okay, favorite color is lame, but I cannot feel any more like a stranger in this confined room. I have a better relationship with the man who owns the local Laundromat, and that’s saying a lot.
“You’re pregnant with Haden’s baby?” Marcus laughs, shaking his head in disbelief. “Honestly, what a sick joke you guys came up with.”
