“How could you even think that of me?”
“This isn’t the first time it’s happened to me. In fact, this isn’t even the first pregnancy scare I’ve been through with a woman. But if you’re telling me what I think you are—the fact that you’re actually carrying my child—it would be the first time the rumor was true!”
He lunged at me and I stumbled back, my ass hitting the edge of the back of the couch.
“I didn’t try to trap you,” I said, with a whisper. “I love you, Gray.”
His body stopped and his face contorted before a breathless chuckle fell from his lips. And that breathless chuckle turned into ironic laughter. And that laughter turned into a seething sound that bled through his teeth as his eyes locked with mine.
“There’s no way that child is mine. For all I know, it’s Andy’s, and you’re pawning it off on me for a better future.”
“What?” I asked flatly.
“You know the kind of shithead he is. The kind of deadbeat life you’d lead with carrying his child. But you’ve been screwing around with me, so telling me it’s mine at least gives you a shot at a decent life.”
“How could you say that? I just told you I loved you!”
“Why was my money such a big deal to you in the first place?” he asked. “When we first went at it before we both left, you said you figured out how much I was worth. My net worth. You looked it up. And you were upset I hadn’t told you about it. Why?”
“Because you were lying to me, Gray. I knew nothing about you, and I wanted to know more.”
“So, it’s all a coincidence that your questions surrounded how much money I had. It’s all just a coincidence that you wanted to listen to me talk about my massive house so you could ogle me with those innocent doe eyes.”
“Gray, stop it,” I said as tears welled in my eyes.
“No. No, I won’t stop it. This has all been an act, hasn’t it? This was your way of trying to make a better life for yourself. This is your way of being a gold digger. Hiding it under this innocent act of yours while you batted those eyelashes at me and yanked me by my chain.”
“How could you think that about me? I just told you I loved you!”
“Nobody loves a billionaire, Michelle! Just his money. And you’re no different. I know what the town’s talking about. I know why your boss fired you. They’ve all figured out that you’re doing Andy behind my back, and I’ve been too damn blind to see it.”
“For the last time, I’m not screwing around with my ex!”
“Then why did a bunch of high school girls whose mission is to always seek out the scaly, nasty truth come in talking about it today? Hmm? Why did the damn florist of all people look at me with pity in her eyes and confirm what those girls were talking about? The entire town is talking about it, Michelle. Do you really mean to tell me an entire town is wrong about you?”
“You said it yourself, this town is poisonous, Gray.”
“And you want to get out of it.”
“If I can, yes. Especially now that I’m pregnant. I don’t want to raise a child here. Would you?”
“I’m not raising any child because I have no idea if the child is even mine, Michelle.”
“Whose else would it be? I haven’t been with Andy in over three months! I’m only two months along, at best, Gray,” I said.
“Oh, trust and believe I will be getting a DNA test on that child. If this is the game you really want to play, rest assured you will be dealing with my lawyer.”
“What!?” I exclaimed.
But Gray stormed out of the room without a second thought.
“Where the hell are you going?” I asked.
“I’m leaving,” he said, as he stormed into his room.
“So that’s your M.O. right? You just up and leave when things get too tough or when things don’t go your way? Well, believe it or not, Gray, I can’t run from what’s happening,” I said.
“Good. Because you should take a good hard look in the fucking mirror and try to sell yourself on your own damn story before you try to sell it to me.”