His jaw is tight. “You told me you can’t have kids. You fucking insisted I didn’t need protection. Did you plan this?” He leans in closer, and this time there’s no mistaking the anger in his eyes. “Maybe the kid isn’t even mine.”
“What?” Anger washes through me in a hot wave, burning up my neck. “I haven’t slept with anyone else since the night I met you.”
“Yeah?” His face is white, two red spots forming on his cheekbones. “I’ve trusted you. I believed every single word you told me, but right now I don’t know what the hell to believe anymore. What do you want from me, Layla?”
Oh God. He thinks… he thinks I did this on purpose? That I lied and let myself get pregnant to ask for… what, money?
Crap.
“Screw you.” I climb to my feet, leaning against the wall for balance, my chest on fire. “Screw you and your suspicions and you know what? Get out!”
“Layla—”
“Get out!” Pulling back my hand, I slap him across the face. “How dare you. Get out of here.”
Cursing, he turns on his heel and walks out.
Part of me really wishes he’d stay and overcome me and take me to bed. Talk this out. That he’ll apologize.
Part of me is glad he left because I’m so damn angry.
And my heart feels like it’s breaking in half.
What just happened?
***
He’s not happy I’m pregnant.
Raylin was wrong. Holy crap, I was wrong. He said he wanted a family with me, so why was he pissed?
He’s shocked. I get that. Hell, I’m so shocked I can’t stop the tremors coursing through my body.
I’m sitting on the still unmade bed, the cell phone with the prepaid card Rook gave me in my hand.
I’m going to call Dorothy. I’ve made up my mind. Not like I’m putting anyone in danger, am I? Not if I don’t tell her where I am. I just need to hear her voice.
These past couple weeks I have been in a funk, but nothing like now. This fight with Hawk is a black hole, sucking me in, a rollercoaster of emotions going down, never up. Going into darkness. The things Hawk promised me, the way he held me, it’s all turned to ash.
I’m sinking fast.
Someone knocks on the bedroom door again. I locked it after Hawk walked out. Someone shouts my name.
I mark Dorothy’s cell number and walk into the bathroom, close the door behind me. I press Call.
It rings and rings, goes to voicemail.
Jeez today. “Dodo, call me, okay? I’m fine, but I really need to talk to you. Please.”
I disconnect and sigh.
Now what? What do I do? I place a hand over my stomach, then stare down at it, as if I can see a difference from fifteen minutes ago.
God.
I start when my phone buzzes with a message. With shaking hands I open it.
It says, “Lay, can you come over? Can’t talk right now. Need to see you, too.”