Stepbrother's Gift

“Not only is he the father, but he's paying her to shut her up.” I heard her sigh. “Look, just be careful is all. And definitely bring a condom if you're planning on getting something out of your system.”

My hand strayed to my belly. It was a little late for that, I thought. Still, just because it was possible that James was being a Deadbeat Dad to Audrey's baby didn't mean that he would do that to me, his stepsister.

Did it?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I almost didn't go.

My plane ticket was already booked, and I had already packed my bag in anticipation, but I felt sick to my stomach.

How could he do that? How could he abandon a pregnant woman and his own unborn child? How could he hold a legal guillotine over her head when she was in this state?

I knew James was an asshole, but not like this. He was the cocky, confident kind of asshole, not the kind that ruins a girl's life and pays to cover it up.

How little did I know about my stepbrother? How much did I really want his child if he did all that?

In the end, I loaded up myFace and looked at a few pictures of him. Not only did I start to get wet just thinking about his hard body on mine, but I wanted to hear it from him before I believed it. I made sure not to tell Nicole where I was going, grabbing a cab while she was still in class.

I went to Boston, determined to get answers.

***

When I landed at Logan International Airport in Boston

, I sent James an email.

Where should I meet you?

I received an email back right away.

We go on in two hours. Come by the coffee house now and I can get you setup at my place.

Nothing more than that. His short replies were becoming more and more frustrating. I knew that he was busy, but a little bit of reassurance would be nice. Of course, he didn't know that I was aware of Audrey, or that I needed reassuring at all. That didn't make me feel any better.

As soon as I got outside, I felt the chill of the Boston winter run through me. My denim jacket was still zipped up, but I only had on a halter top underneath it and a pair of tight jeans under that. I figured if I was here to be a band's groupie, I might as well look the part. I flagged down a cab and gave the cabbie the address of the coffee shop.

On the way over there, I thought over all the information I had and whether or not I could draw an alternate conclusion. James was paying Audrey's medical bills, and she wasn't allowed to talk about it. Her boyfriend from senior year of high school was not the father. On top of all that, she was in Boston for a concert at just the right time.

I sighed to myself as I touched my belly. Nothing was confirmed yet, but I knew I was already pregnant with his child myself. If James found out, would he make me sign a contract like Audrey? Would I receive a payout, with James' lawyers specifying that the child would never know who its father was? Half of me thought it was impossible, but the other half knew it was possible, and that half wanted to cry a little.

At least the baby would have a rich Uncle James, I thought with a half-hearted smile. No matter what, James would have to see his child occasionally. Maybe he'd have a change of heart down the line.

That was an awful big 'maybe'.

I had come this far, though, and there wasn't anything I could do about it now. I'd have to act like nothing was wrong for tonight. When I had a minute alone with him, I'd dance around the question, gauge his reaction about certain things. I figured that, by the end of the trip, I'd know about Audrey at least.

Part of me wondered how I'd react, even if he didn't plan to treat me the same way. I wanted him all to myself, but if he had another baby in the world, he'd never be fully mine. I knew that was an irrational fear, but I worried all the same. Maybe it was just pregnancy hormones.

After what seemed like forever, we pulled up to the coffee shop. I paid the cabbie and looked at the door. Outside, a simple chalkboard stand had “Lefty and the Sharks: 9:00 PM” written on it.

I was ready for tonight.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

As soon as I walked in, the hum of excitement was tangible.

The coffee shop was not a concert venue, but it's pretty obvious that they were trying their best to make this an event. All the tables had been moved away from the stage to the other side, making it super cramped. In fact, I saw some of the tables disassembled and shoved in the very back corner.