Page 208 of Unhinged

I stand as he ignores Amos and demands, “Where were you last night? Where are you going now? Are you coming back?” He asks in rapid-fire as his voice grows more frantic. “Are you really fucking leaving me?”

Val goes over and puts her arm around his waist. “Greg, it will do no one good to get worked up. Deep breaths.”

Instead of pushing her away, he drapes his arm over her shoulders like a lifeline. “Simone?” his voice cracks, and it slays me. Typically, I go for theatrics, especially when I think it’ll get me somewhere or make someone laugh. Still, after what I experienced yesterday, I’m subdued when his brown eyes plead for things I don’t have in me to give.

I step back, wary but fighting for strength and courage. Greg clears his throat, but it remains hoarse. “Can we talk? Please?” His worried gaze falls to my stomach and then flies back to my face. I can’t let him twist in the wind.

“Um, for a couple of minutes.”

Amos says, “Val and I can go into the kitchen or upstairs to check your room.”

I shake my head and pick up my coat. “We’ll go outside.”

Val lets go of Greg. “We’re right here if you need us.” She clutches Greg’s arm, squeezing it before rubbing my back as Greg opens the front door. When he goes outside, Val whispers, “If you decide to stay, that’s okay too. No pressure either way. We support you.”

I nod and force a smile I don’t feel. I learned how to do that from my brother. He told me it’s the most minor yet most challenging stunt he ever has to do. I totally get it.

Greg waits for me on the porch, and I nod toward his truck. He eagerly heads there but stops short of picking the front or back seats. I go for the front and note a second of disappointment on his face.

Before climbing into the passenger seat, I take a deep breath. As soon as we shut the doors, I ask, “Did you mention the pregnancy to Amos or Val?”

“No. Did you?”

“No. Only Candi knows since she went with me.”

Greg glances at me with shame in his eyes. “I’m sorry I was such a prick to you.”

“You were.”

He sighs as he grips the steering wheel. “The assault, CF, Shasta, Eden… They all pounded me at the same time.” Greg licks his lips as he looks out the windshield.

“I need—”

Greg turns toward me. “No. Just listen. I’m sorry I said that shit. Please forgive me. I want to be in our kid’s life every single day. I didn’t mean what I said about you cheating or my consent. I know you wouldn’t fuck around on me. Even though I wish it hadn’t happened so soon, you had my full participation, albeit unconventional. I gotta admit, thinking of you playing with my cum and me knocking you up from another room is insanely hot. I must have some real balls, as they would say.” He grins, but I can’t revel in it.

“Greg, come on. I’m not in the mood to joke around.”

“I know, but I need to say something to lighten things between us. We have so much to think about and to do right now.”

“No. You have law school coming. You need to focus on that.”

Greg shakes his head. “Don’t care at the moment.”

“There are only certain times of the year to take the LSAT, and if you want to get into school this fall, take it now, if it’s not already too late.”

“That’s the last thing I’m worried about. I’m getting my paralegal job back, either here or in Richmond. I need to make more money again. We can’t raise a family with what I make at the bar.”

“Please let me—.”

“And with CF, whatever happens is beyond my control, but you’ll get the test, and we’ll know more of what we’re facing.” Tears blur my eyes at seeing his new happiness. When he notices, he scoots closer to the console between us. “Buttercup, I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m here for you every step of the way. I’ll go to doctor's visits with you, and I’ll give you massages. We’ll even find new positions to screw, so it’s more comfortable for you and not obvious to the kid what Mommy and Daddy are doing. Wow. Mommy and Daddy. When I imagined being called Daddy, it wasn’t in this context.” Greg giggles, but when he notices my tears falling, he laughs more, assuming their tears of joy.

“Please stop.”

“No way. We have to get an apartment. Like today. We’ll need to buy a new crib since I left the other one at the apartment. That’ll be another fun Target trip, right? I’ll be in the delivery room with you. I’ll hold your hand and cheer you on, but I don’t know if I can watch you push our baby out of your pussy. Holy hell. Probably no kid number two since I won’t be able to get hard again.” He sucks in a loud breath. “Son of a fuck. We’re having a baby.” Greg puts his hand on my stomach and bites his lip.

I sit, frozen, as he rambles and rubs his fingers over my shirt. I picture us happy and making plans. He says, “We’ll figure this out. It’ll be hard as hell, but I’ll never turn my back on either of you.” He stares at my stomach. “It’ll be okay.”

I sniff as I wipe my cheeks. “No, it won’t be.”

---