Blurred Lines (The Line Between 1.5)

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll find him myself!”

My father started for the front door, and I raced after him in a panic.

“Don’t!” I grabbed his forearm, and pulled him back. He turned, his tall figure looming over me.

“Why not? He should be here with you, telling us he’s the one responsible for this!”

“Erik -” my mother started but I cut her off.

“He doesn’t know.” The first tear slipped over my eyelid, and I flicked it away quickly. I hated showing emotion, but for some reason my chest was tight, and filled to the brim with everything I was feeling.

With pinched brows, and a taut expression, my father looked at my mother and then back at me. “Do you think he’ll stick around once he does know? He is no more prepared to be a father than you are a mother, Jade. He’ll run the moment he finds out, and then what?”

“Then I’ll love her enough for the both of us!” I cried. “Reid can make his decision once I tell him, but either way, this baby” – I flattened my palm against my still flat belly – “will be loved by me.”

I will love her. I already do.

We had yet to find out the gender, but I had a feeling in my gut that it was a little girl. My little blessing.

“So you’re going to throw away your future, your dreams for this child?” My father barked. “You can’t be that reckless! You’re not ready to be a parent!”

I straightened my shoulders, and stood tall. “What would you know about being a parent?” I asked through gritted teeth. “You’re never here.”

My fathers’ face remained stoic, but his reaction to my words reflected back at me through his eyes, contrition shining the brightest.

“This was not part of my plan,” I said, swallowing back the emotion clogging my throat. “And neither was falling in love with my best friend,” – my fathers’ eyes widened at tha