Prince Pucking Charming

“Are you okay?” Austin asks her. “Did something happen? You know, I’ve been reading a lot of books, so I can help you with the baby. So, I’ll know what to do.”

“Austin, you already know what to do.” Kat smiles. “You helped raise me.” She looks at Austin and me as she says, “All of you did a good job with me. This isn’t your fault. I did something without thinking, and now, I have to deal with the consequences. But I’m not upset about it, okay? I don’t look at this baby as a bad thing. If anything, it’s what I needed to force me to move back to Philly. I wanted to be with Dean anyway. We’re just starting sooner than either of us had expected.”

I lean against the edge of the couch, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers. Austin blows out a deep breath. My dad shoves his hands into his jeans pockets and forces a smile. The twins are oblivious to our conversation, too busy playing some stupid video game.

“I don’t want you to give up on your dreams to go running across the country to be with a man,” my dad says to Kat. “Your mother did it for me.” His eyes fall to the floor as he sighs. “She could have done so much more. She wanted to help people, and I took that away from her. I don’t want the same to happen to you.”

“Dad, c’mon,” Austin says. “Mom didn’t give anything up. She had us. Kat’s not doing the same thing. She’ll find a job in Philly after the baby is born.”

“Austin is right,” Kat says. “I’ll get another internship after the baby is born. The one I had sucked anyway. I was never allowed to do anything other than order lunches and make coffee. Mr. Hopper treated me like crap and made me cry all the time. It was awful.”

I stand up, balling my hands into fists at my sides. Austin’s mouth curls up into an angry snarl.

Dad’s nostrils flare. “He did what?”

Kat raises her hand to silence him. “Dad, chill. It’s okay. I don’t work there anymore.”

His eyes widen. “Hopper made you cry?”

“Guys, calm down, okay?” Kat is way too relaxed when I want to beat the piss out of her former boss. “He’s an asshole, and I don’t work for him anymore.”

“I’ll have his job,” Dad snaps.

“I’ll kill him,” I growl.

“That asshole will pay,” Austin mutters.

“We got your back, Kit-Kat,” Theo says, raising the controller in his hand.

I didn’t even think the twins were paying attention to us. Most of the time, the boys live in their own twin world.

Travis points at Theo. “Yeah, what he says.”

“I’m gonna miss you guys.” Kat throws out her arms, and we give her a massive group hug.

“Don’t kill anyone for me,” she says, laughing.

“I can’t make any promises,” I say.

“That’s what you said when I told you Dean is the father of the baby, and look at the mess you made.”

“It’s just a suspension,” I counter.

“Twenty games,” Dad snaps. “That’s a big deal!”

Yeah, I know. Get off my ass.

“Now that I have so much free time, I can go bother Kit-Kat in Philly.”

“Oh, no, you don’t, Denny.” Kat moves her hands to her hips, which makes her stomach look more pronounced. “You’re not going to harass Dean and me after what you did.”

“Why? Is your little boyfriend afraid I’ll kick his ass again?”

“First off, he’s not little. And second, you’re an asshole for going after him. You took Dean by surprise when you told him I’m pregnant. That wasn’t even a fair fight.”

I shrug. “I would’ve kicked his ass either way.”