Page 102 of Fatal Attraction

“So, what do we do then?” he asked, sniffling.

“We love her,” was my soft response. “We love her and give her all the support she needs, no matter how much it hurts.”

Forty Four

Phoenix

Spike was right. I was a fucking idiot.

She was going to smite me.

Yell, scream, and tell me to go to Hell and never come back.

Fuck, I couldn’t this.

“I’m with you,” my partner said as he soothingly rubbed a hand up and down my back. “Always, brother.”

My shaky hand lifted and planted two light knocks against the door. As it opened, we both stepped away, and I blew out a relieved breath when Charlotte’s father, Gary, opened it.

I liked Gary. We had a little bit of time to talk since Spike and I ran into him in the hallway earlier, and he seemed like a good man and a good father. Of course, I couldn’t exactly say the same for Charlotte’s mother, June. I get there are two sides to every story, but from what little I’d heard from Gary and Charlotte, that woman was insufferable to be around.

Which was why I was a bit surprised to find her in the room with Charlotte yet again when Gary stepped aside to let us in.

And then there was Harley, Chief, Captain Burgess, and of all fucking people,Karl.

Jesus fucking Christ.

How?

Did we miss something?

When did they get here, and how in the hell did Spikeand I not notice it?

Each and every eye in the room landed on us, and I gulped, usure of what to do or what to say.

“You came back,” Charlotte said almost breathlessly, as she one-handedly sat up straighter in bed, hissing a little. “Are-are you okay?”

I gaped around the room, a little uncomfortable being put in the spotlight like this. There were things I had to say to her, and I didn’t exactly want an audience for this particular conversation.

“Can we talk, please?”

“The cat’s out of the bag now,” she said, her eyes flitting into a lethal glare as they flicked across Spike and settled on her father.

Gary frowned, innocently throwing up his hands and bellowing out an exasperated sigh. “It was an accident, pumpkin.”

Wait…What?

Did this mean everyone in the room knew Charlotte was pregnant?

“Tell me you didn’t,” I said to him.

The only words Gary could manage to say was, “I’m sorry,” before he turned away from us and left the room.

“Say no more,” Harley said, rising to her feet with an awkward smile on her face. Cap, Chief, and Captain Burgess followed. It had taken a moment for Karl and June to get the memo but eventually, they let out tired sighs and scrambled out of the room, leaving Spike and myself alone with Charlotte.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she whispered, “but it’s like I told you, Phoenix, I’m not Kendall. I’m not aborting the babies.”

My heart skipped a beat. “You-you’re not?”

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