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“Nope.”
Her gaze lands on me in expectation. “But you’re going to before you leave,right?”
“Not exactly. I was, uh … thinking about, say,never?”
“What?” she screeches. “Have you lost yourmind?”
“It’s for thebest.”
“You can’t do that.” She leans forward to take my hand in hers. “Don’t see this as me being unsupportive, but that’s fucked up. And that’s coming from a girl who faked a relationship with a douche bag formonths.”
“It’s for the best. I’m going to raise this baby on myown.”
“Why?” She shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and sighs at the same time. “And I suppose you want me to keepquiet?”
My voice cracks. “Yes.Please.”
“If I do what you’re asking, I’ll be hurting Dallas. I’ll be hurting the man I love. It’ll ruin my relationship with everyone in their family if they ever find out.” Her eyes start towater.
This is the first time I’ve ever doubted my trust inher.
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them. If the truth does come out, I’ll tell them you had noidea.”
Stella turns around at the same time my attention goes to the door when it opens. Hudson is staring at us with a bloodthirsty expression on hisface.
“Excuse me for interrupting,” he huffs out. “I was searching for my bride-to-be.”
Did he hear our conversation?The look on his face confirms he heardsomething,but howmuch?
“I wasn’t eavesdropping … at least, not at first,” he goes on. “Some words of advice: when you have a conversation about fucking someone’s life up, you might want to lower yourvoices.”
My heart thuds in my chest. “Hudson, please,” I beg. “Please don’t tellhim.”
He moves into the room, closing the door behind himself, and thrusts his finger my way. “Don’t you fucking dare ask me to keep this from my brother.” His piercing stare goes to Stella. “And please tell me you weren’t going to agree toit.”
Stella’s eyes swell as she throws her arms out toward me. “She’s my bestfriend!”
“And he’s your soon-to-be brother-in-law who deserves to know!” he yells. “That’ll be my niece or nephew. Did you even wonder how keeping this to yourself would hurt me and myfamily?”
Talk about a fucking loudmouth.
“Keep your voice down,” I hiss inwarning.
His face hardens, almost appearing sinister, and sweat builds along his forehead. “I swear on everything that I will hate you if you do this. You don’t pull shit like this on a man, especially one who is as good of a father as Dallas. He’s not some piece-of-shit, deadbeatdad.”
I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to not only stop the tears, but to also block out the view of Hudson’s disgust. “It has nothing to do with him. It’s what’s best forme.”
“Bullshit. It’s you beingselfish.”
“Hudson,” Stella snaps. “Enough!” She pulls herself up from the floor and helps me to my feet. She doesn’t release my hand until I’m stable. “What are you so afraid of, Willow? What’s the worst that couldhappen?”
Fear does the Macarena in my stomach. I can’t tell them the truth. “Everything,” I release. “He’s a grieving widower who regrets touchingme.”
Stella’s face softens. “This secret will add to his hurt when he finds outlater.”
“That’sifhe finds out.” I peek over at Hudson, the anger still manifested everywhere on hisbody.
He locks eyes with me and shakes his head. “Un-fucking-believable. You fucking do this to him, Willow, and I will never speak to you again.” His glare goes to Stella. “Good memories of our engagement night, huh?” He turns his back on us and slams his hand against the wall before opening the door and stormingout.
