Page 65 of Knocked up By the Minotaur

“I’m going to keep it,” she says quietly, although her expression is slowly shuttering blank as she watches me. “No matter what happens between us, I’m going to keep my baby.”

I shake my head, taking another unconscious step back. I don’t know how to process this, my mind is frozen, glitching, and fear is tumbling through me like an iced waterfall. It’s not that I don’t want… I do, I think I—I want Grace, and whatever else that may mean, but—I don’t… What if I…

Disappointment and sadness sparks in her eyes, and she looks down. “I see.”

“No, Grace, I—” I move towards her again, but then my doorbell rings and I pause, taking a second to process the sound, as if it can’t be real. “Grace…”

It rings again, and with furrowed brows, I turn on autopilot and head out. That wasn’t the buzzer from downstairs, but my actual doorbell. Who…?

When I open the door, I come face to face with Sera, who is wrapped in an overcoat and holds my spare keycard between two red-painted fingernails.

“You never took this back,” she says, her voice sultry and playful. “I figured my invitation was still open. Need a warm body for your bed?”

I blink, my brain still trying to kick into gear. What in Zeus’s over-glorified balls…?

She slips past me, and my mind slaps back into focus as she enters my home. I turn and reach for her, ready to gently but firmly push her back out, but she dances out of my grasp with a flap of her large wings, and chuckles.

“Grabby, are we?” She unties the sash holding her coat and shrugs her shoulders, and the material slips free of her wings and falls to the ground. “That’s okay, I like it rough.”

I suck in a sharp, angry breath as her completely nude body is bared to me, and I stride forward and scoop her coat back up.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I say lowly, as I lift her coat towards her. “Put this back on and get the fuck out.”

“Aw, come on, baby. What’s got you all twisted up?” She trails her hand along my chest, but when I bat it away, she uses it as an opportunity to twist her fingers along my forearm instead. “You used to love it when I swung by unannounced.”

Before I can so much as move, her eyes snap across the room, and her smile turns wicked and sharp.

“Oh, you’ve got company? Next time let me know, and we can reschedule.”

I run a hand over my horn in frustration, and shove her coat against her chest as I take a step away, and turn to Grace. I don’t say anything. I don’t know what to say that wouldn’t immediately sound like a sleazy excuse or attempt to cover up.

“Just go, Sera,” I say instead, still watching Grace’s face. She’s doing a mighty effort to hide her emotions, but I can see the hurt clearly shining from here. “And leave my keycard behind.”

When nobody moves or says a word, I look back to my ex, whose expression has turned ugly. I match it, letting my anger show as I stare into her dark red eyes. “Get. Out.”

“What does she have that I don’t?” she suddenly rages, throwing her arms out and displaying her nude body in full. “Look at me, I’m still in my prime! You used to love running your tongue over every inch of this body.”

“Sera!” I hesitate to grab her while she’s naked, to throw her physically out while I’m angry and might hurt her, and she uses this to her advantage.

“I’m twenty-nine years old, Oli! I’m still young and wet and hot for you, but you keep looking at this shriveled up husk instead of me! I can give you what you need, you can have as much pussy besides mine as you want, as much time to yourself as you please—I don’t care! Isn’t that what you need? Isn’t that who you are?”

I suck in a breath, my ears ringing with anger and frustration and a deep well of hurt that keeps spilling over every time I look at Grace’s face.

“She’s fucking pregnant, Oli! Did she tell you that? Huh? What the fuck are yougoing to do with a child? As if you want children, a male like you would choke and wilt in a home like that.”

“If you don’t leave right now,” I say quietly, clenching and unclenching my fists as the ringing in my ears gets louder. “I will call the sheriff’s office to have you removed. And everyone will know about this by morning.”

She gasps, but instead of Sera walking for the door, it’s Grace.Panic grabs me by the throat.

“Wait,” I whisper when she passes me, touching her forearm to stop her.

She doesn’t even pause, shaking me away and turning her face from mine. “Let me go, Oli.” She rubs at her wrist and quickens her steps. “I need to go.”

And then she’s out, and the door clicks softly behind her. I stand staring at her, not knowing what to do. Should I chase after her, is that what’s expected? Do I respect her wishes and let her have the space she asked for?

“I guess that just leaves the two of us,” Sera eventually murmurs, and I hear the rustle of material dropping to the floor.

Slowly, I turn and walk back towards her, once more picking up her coat. But her smile falters as I look down at her coldly.

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