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He gave a short nod and grinned. “That’s all I ask. Thanks, Ellison.”
“Yeah, sure.” I watched Jasper walk over to his SUV and hop in the driver’s seat, surprised he showed up without his henchman Terry, who would soon become his brother-in-law.
There was only one opinion I could trust when it came to this, only one person I could talk this out with. Maddie.
I pulled out my phone and shot off a text.
Jameson: You up?
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Madison
“Well fuck me, that explains a lot.”
The past week made a whole lot more sense when I saw the little lines on the pregnancy test. The fits of tears at Molly’s rejection. The constant pining over Jamie, a man who wanted nothing to do with me. The need to get away, to be on my own.
It was all emotional bullshit that I tried hard not to dwell on because it was useless. It didn’t help with anything other than stagnation, and it wasn’t my fucking style.
Now I knew why it had become my style.
Because I was fucking pregnant!
Pregnant. A goddamn statistic. How many girls had I judged and mocked from the San Bernardino trailer park for getting knocked up and left alone? Too many. Enough that karma was having a fucking field day with me.
“Ha, ha, bitch.” I shouldn’t be surprised that this little curveball came just as I decided to get my life together and do it on my own.
It was an unspoken rule for people like me. The minute my life started going a little bit good, the universe sent a bomb to remind me who I was and where I came from. It showed up to remind me that no matter how far I traveled, how high I climbed, I was still nothing more than trailer trash.
Reminder received.
It was well past midnight, and I’d skipped Sunday dinner, so I was not only knocked up, but I was also hangry.
I sat in the middle of the bed, scowling at the piss-covered stick, willing one of those damn lines to fade away. To tell me this was all a big joke meant to remind me not to let anyone, especially a man, get too close.
My phone buzzed on the desk and I glared at it, knowing exactly who it would be. Not just because Jamie had been calling and texting nonstop since he gave me the cold shoulder, but who else would be calling at the exact moment I found out the worst news of my life?
Thankfully, it was just a text.
Jameson: You up?
That was the universal request for a booty call and it shocked me, though I guess it shouldn’t have. The past few days had proven that I couldn’t expect anything good from anyone, no matter the connection I thought we shared.
I stared at the screen for a long time, deciding first whether I’d respond at all and then, how I might respond. Was this the kind of conversation you had over the phone? Should I even say anything when I hadn’t made up my mind how I felt about being pregnant, other than absolutely, totally fucking fucked?
Madison: Yeah, I’m up.
It was the first time I’d answered his texts in a long time, and Jamie responded immediately.
Jameson: Can we talk?
I shook my head at the screen even though he couldn’t see me.
Madison: Nope.
Jameson: Please?
He sent a tempting smiley face emoji as if that would clear everything up.
Madison: “I’m fucking pregnant.”
Sent with an angry face. But, before I could toss the phone back on the bed, it was ringing and vibrating in my hand. I rolled my eyes as it rang, and Jamie’s gray eyes appeared larger than life. I tapped the accept button and grunted, “What?”
“I’m coming to pick you up.”
I stared at the phone for a moment and shook my head.
“No, you’re not. I’m not in the headspace for you right now.” Even as I said the words, tears started to sting my eyes, and my emotions threatened to bubble over at the sound of his voice.
“I’m coming,” he growled, his voice determined and worried.
“Jamie, don’t. Please. I need to process this shit.” I swiped at my tears and then ran a hand over my head. “I need to figure out what I’m gonna do.”
Silence fell for a long moment, and when Jamie spoke, there was a hint of darkness in his voice. “What do you mean, what you’re gonna do?”
I squeezed my eyes shut tight and shook my head as more tears rolled down my cheek. Silent tears streaked my cheeks that spoke volumes of the decision I had to make.
“Maddie?”
“I’m here.”
“Talk to me,” he said, his voice strained and filled with worry.
“Oh, now you want to talk? Now that it’s convenient for the great Jameson Ellison, he wants to talk.” I let out a loud, bitter laugh and shook my head. “Look, Jamie, this pregnancy wasn’t part of the plan. I have a life, now, and a job, and even a car of my own. A kid right now would fuck all of that up. That’s not what I want.”
