Page 5 of Always Right

“What the hell are you doing here?”

I gasped, dropping the picture on the floor and watching it shatter, much like my heart did when I saw him standing against the wall, another beer in his hand.

He was a fucking mess.

His hair was disheveled, he hadn’t slept, and he looked like he hadn’t showered but there I stood, hoping at the end of this he could take me into his arms and tell me we would be okay.

“I asked you a fucking question,” he said, his tone making me flinch.

“We need to talk.”

Derek scoffed before gulping what was left of his drink before throwing the can toward a trash bag that laid on the floor and missing.

“But please stop drinking.” There was a flash of remorse in his eyes as I whispered those words, brief, but it was there. He was there somewhere, hiding behind the alcohol.

He had to be.

He promised not to leave me.

Promised we were forever.

“I have nothing to say to you. You took everything from me, Hannah, again. I’m not doing this shit anymore. Get the hell out.”

If I left, I wouldn’t have the courage to look for him again and tell him.

Say it.

Don’t wait.

“I’m pregnant.”

My voice broke as I said the words aloud, but he heard me. I knew he did. His eyes widened and for a moment, it looked like he wasn’t drunk anymore, the disbelief in his face and the small hint of excitement I thought I saw shine through his eyes told me he heard the two words that left my lips.

“What did you say?”

“I said I’m pregnant.”

Silence surrounded us. It could have been seconds, minutes, hell, maybe hours—as his drunken mind tried to process what I had said. It was as if he found himself at the edge of a cliff, gazing at the broken bridge in front of him, debating whether to cross it. And for a moment, I thought he would take the jump. Just for a fleeting moment, I let myself think he would take the leap with me.

I was wrong. Oh, so wrong.

“You’re kidding, right?”

I blinked, stunned at the bitterness in his voice.

I shook my head slowly as he took a menacing step toward me, losing myself in the intensity of his dark green eyes. “I found out a few days after...after our fallout.”

I took a step back and he took another step forward, our little dance until my back ended against the wall with Derek towering over me.

“How convenient,” he said, placing a hand over my head, the other on my cheek. I let out a shaky breath, unsure what the hell he was going to do. I was corralled, his body against mine, the fire in his eyes setting me ablaze...though I didn’t know what it was that burned.

“You know what? I think I do have a few things to say.” His eyes dropped down to my lips and he smirked, mockingly. “You really think saying you’re pregnant will make me run back to you? Do you think it’ll make me forget the shit you put me through? Stealing from me? Betraying me again? You did it once, of course you would do it again.” He leaned in, gripping my chin in his hand. He wouldn’t hurt me, no.

Not physically.

But the violence in his words was unmatched.

“I’m not falling for your shit again.”

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