Hothead (Irresistible 4)

Maybe he’ll be excited to be a father.

He might be craving the stability.

Maybe this will be his push to realize that he loves you.

When the elevator doors finally opened, I was standing in the middle of the kitchen with my breath hitched in my throat.

As usual, Drew’s eyes found me immediately, and just like that, those steely eyes I had watched all night on TV warmed over. When he smiled, I felt the emotion well in my chest.

“Hey, you,” he said, sounding that distinct kind of post-game tired that I’d come to love so damned much. I closed my eyes as he floated over to me, pulling me into his arms and holding me tight as he murmured into my neck about how much he missed me.

I closed my eyes as I melted into his embrace, my breaths becoming hiccups as I fantasized that he felt two heartbeats pressed against him instead of just one.

“Baby. What’s going on?” Drew pulled away, frowning when he caught the look in my eyes. He brushed back the hair from my face. “Evie. Did something happen?” he asked, his tone hardening as if he was already preparing to take care of something or someone. When I shook my head, he thumbed a tear from my cheek. “Then what is it, Evie? Tell me so I can fix it.”

My heart twisted at his words, and I gazed up at him. He was so damned gorgeous as he searched me with those sparkling green eyes. He looked so full of warmth and love and concern, and all these things I’d never have expected to see in his face before.

I told myself it could be fine. I repeated it a thousand times in my head before just blurting it out.

“Drew, I’m pregnant.”

My heart promptly broke when his hand dropped from my cheek. I forced myself not to cry as I watched him immediately step back.

“Evie. What are you talking about?” He looked at me like I had lost my mind. “That’s not possible. We used protection every time.”

“I – I don’t know…” I trailed off, realizing I’d never paused to wonder how this could have happened. “I don’t know how it happened, Drew. Maybe a condom broke. I don’t know. All I know is that I took a pregnancy test as a joke with Aly, and before I knew what was happening, she was telling me that I’m the one who’s pregnant.”

Drew stood a full two steps back now as he stared at me. I felt my pulse rising with every second of silence that passed – with every second that his gaze returned from warm to steely.

“Don’t you dare look at me like that,” I hissed.

“Like what.”

“Like I’m just another person in your life you can’t trust. Don’t you dare look at me like I somehow planned this, Drew.”

“That’s not how I’m looking at you.”

“It is,” I seethed, the knife in my heart twisting as Drew fell silent, not even bothering to deny it any further. I let a tear fall as he turned away from me, palming the top of his head as he stared at the wall. I watched him shake his head, as if he refused to believe this.

This nightmare.

“You think this is easy for me, Drew?” I whispered. “I agonized for days about this. A part of me knew you were going to react exactly like this, and it’s been eating at me for so long that all I want right now is for you to hold me. I just want you to hug me again and say you can fix this, but you won’t. Right?” I demanded, my voice trembling and the tears falling as I watched him stand there coldly.

It was silent for so long, but when he finally spoke, I wished he hadn’t.

“This wasn’t part of the plan, Evie.”

Ouch.

I hadn’t thought this could hurt more, but apparently Drew wasn’t finished.

“A lot of things haven’t been a part of the plan,” I replied shakily. “I wasn’t supposed to fall for you, and I did. You weren’t supposed to care about me, and you do. This baby wasn’t supposed to happen, but he’s here.” Drew shot me a look. “She’s here. Whatever it is, it’s not going anywhere.”

“You want this baby?” Drew asked.

I stared at him.

Four words and I was officially shattered. To pieces. Because it was clear to me at this point that we were done here.