Page 59 of Tore Up

“Sit down,” he told me in a firmer tone this time.

Each step I took felt like I was pulling chains that weighed a ton behind me. When I reached the chair, I slowly eased down onto it, knowing that the minute I was seated, things were going to besaid that I didn’t want to hear. It was as if a storm was spinning in my head that wouldn’t slow down for me to make sense of it all.

“You’re pale,” Linc said. “Take a deep breath and let it out.”

I nodded and did as I had been told. It didn’t help.

Like last time, he sat on the edge of the desk in front of me. Luther was leaning by the window, looking out, while Bane was now behind me. His scent might be the only thing keeping me steady. If he knew that, he’d scowl at me or possibly grimace.

Fender sat down in the chair to the left of me and rested one of his ankles on the opposite knee.

Linc glanced at him. “Need a drink?”

Fender shook his head. “Not before noon. I’ll leave that to Bane.”

Linc released an amused chuckle.

Luther turned to look back at us and held up the glass in his hand. “Don’t judge,” he said with a smirk.

“Ares is dead,” Linc said without any ease into it or warning.

I’d known that. My chest didn’t constrict, nor did my eyes fill with tears. There was no sudden wave of emotion. I had already lost Ares. Whatever grief I might have felt with his death had come and gone before today. It felt as if a door had slammed on any connection I’d once had with him. Severing it, along with one with Nick, Iris, and even Carina. The only sorrow I felt now was for my little brothers. I ached because I doubted I’d ever see them again. I would miss them growing up. They were the only family I had left that I would grieve over.

I nodded my head once to acknowledge it.

Linc’s gaze flicked up to Bane, who was behind me, then back to me. “The recording you heard of the phone conversation, it came from Ares’s cell phone. He had a program on his phone that recorded every call on your sister’s phone and sent it to his phone. The moment a call went in or out of her phone, he wasalerted and could listen to it.” He cleared his throat and reached for the iPad behind him.

Oh God. I didn’t want to listen to more.

“We’ve heard every call made between you and Crosby. If he’d used his cell, we would have known someone was recording his calls and tracked it down to Ares. But Crosby bought a cell phone just to call and text you. For several reasons that are easy to guess. The first being so that Saylor wouldn’t see it. She knew the passcode to his cell phone, and I am sure she looked at it often. But also to keep you hidden from the family until he was ready.”

He held the iPad in front of him, then tapped it.

“I took the test.” My voice sounded shaky and on the verge of tears as the recording played aloud.

“And I told you that whatever it says, I am not going anywhere. I love you, Halo.”

Crosby’s voice hurt to hear. I pressed a fist to my chest and dropped my gaze to my lap. I wished I had been able to tell him I loved him, but I hadn’t wanted to lie.

“It’s … it’s positive,” I said just above a whisper. “I just don’t know how. I … we … we always used a condom.”

He let out a sigh.

I closed my eyes. I could remember all the fear and uncertainty I’d felt, standing on the front porch, telling him this. The snowball effect after this call had destroyed so many people.

“Angel, listen, one broke a few weeks ago. The second time we were together. It was an old one, but that was all I had on me. I had known I shouldn’t trust it, but I got carried away. I’m sorry—only because I know you’re upset and scared right now. But I’m not sorry because you’re pregnant.” He paused. “Because I get to keep you forever. We will move in together. I want this. I want you.” His voice took on a pleased tone. As if he was actually excited about the situation.

“Crosby, we can’t do that. I don’t make enough money, andneither do you,” I said into the phone, talking quietly, not wanting anyone in the house to hear me.

He laughed softly. “Let me worry about the money. I will take care of everything. I swear it. Trust me.”

“I could get another job,” I told him. “If this is really what you want to do, I’ll start looking this next week.”

“Angel, stop. I’m serious. When I said I love you, that meant I will take care of you.” He sounded fierce, and I had wanted to believe that so much. Although I had been sure it would take me having a second job.

“As sweet as that is, what you make, working at those stables, can’t pay for all we are going to need. Babies are expensive, and I don’t even have health insurance. The cost is not all going to be on you,” I replied.

Another chuckle from him. “All right, let’s just agree to talk about this later. I’ll be there tonight when you get off work. Everything is going to be fine. I just need to hold you. No talk about money tonight.”

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