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TESSA SITS BESIDE ME,her drink still halfway to her mouth as she stays completely frozen in shock. Safe & Sound, the non-profit she founded a couple years ago, is pretty much empty, but there are still a few people walking around. None of them matter right now to Tess, though. I'm not even sure anything is registering.
“Before you spill this all over yourself,” I say as I grab the cup from her hand and place it back on the table.
She shakes herself out of it. “There are a million things I thought you were going to say when you told me you need to talk, but that wasn't even on the damn list.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“A baby, Easton?” she balks. “You're going to have a baby?”
Tyeler steps into the room. After meeting Tessa at Carter's birthday party, they got to talking, and Tye felt strongly about what Tess is trying to accomplish here—helping people who have gone through traumatic experiences and need help from somewhere that doesn't consist of a couch and a shrink that just asks you how something makes you feel. It was only a week later that Tye started helping out around here, and the two of them have become pretty good friends, much to Knox's dismay.
“Did you know about this?” Tessa asks her.
Tye tilts her head to the side. “Which part? The pregnancy, or the dumbass move he made?”
Tessa whips her head over to me. “What dumbass move?”
“It's nothing,” I rush to add.
Tye scoffs. “Sure, if you consider blaming the mother of your child that she should have killed your baby sooner anothing.”
Tess's jaw drops as I roll my eyes. “I did not! I merely insinuated that an abortion might be a good idea.”
Before I can react, Tessa winds back and smacks me upside the back of the head. I wince in pain, but at least it wasn't as bad as when Tye got me in the balls. I put my hand on the point of assault to protect myself.
“Ow! What the hell is with all you women hitting me today?”
Tess looks over at Tye. “You?”
“No,” I answer for her. “She just held a knife to my throat and then crushed my balls to the point where I might not have to worry about knocking up anyone else.”
My ex purses her lips and looks over at her psychotic counterpart. The corners of her mouth raise as she goes for a fist bump. Of course she's proud. These two were a match made in hell. No wonder Knox is so against them being friends.
“Okay, I'm leaving,” I declare.
Before I can stand up, Tessa reaches out and puts her hand on my arm. It's enough to keep me in place. She gestures for Tye to go, and when we're alone, her expression softens.
“It's going to be okay, E,” she says softly. “You've made some mistakes, but not ones that have the ability to ruin everything beyond repair. Just talk to Kennedy. You two will come up with a plan. There's nothing you can't handle.”
Every word that comes out of her mouth is exactly what I should be hearing. The thing I should convince myself is true. The advice I should be taking without hesitation. But it's too late for that. I'm a monster who does nothing but break everything I touch. There is no helping me.
I lean on the table with one arm crossed over the other as I swallow my pride and speak the words that have been on my mind since I found out the news.
“I practically raped you and drove you to attempt suicide, Tess. I don't deserve her, and I definitely have no business being a father.”
