Page 13 of Forever My Boy

“I can’t be with you anymore, Josephine.” Liam, the man who owns my heart, who conceived a child with me, turns and walks down the hall.

Did I hear him correctly?

I step out and see him dodging people as he makes his way to the stairs. “Liam!” I yell, then yell again. “LIAM!!”

Only he doesn’t turn around. He doesn’t come back to me.

Heading back into my room, I do everything I can to fight back the tears. I pick up the phone and dial his number, but it goes straight to voicemail. I try again, and again, only to get the same results. The anguish builds and I don’t know what to do.

Mason will know.

Mason searched for Liam.He went to the Westburys, but Liam wasn’t there. He wasn’t at the water either. He was nowhere to be found.

I give Liam time.

Time to come back.

Time to figure things out.

Time to call.

When he doesn’t, I dial his number and tears start instantly when his voicemail picks up. “Liam, please call me. We need to talk.”

Only he doesn’t call back and I’m angry. So fucking angry that he got me pregnant and I’m here and he’s not. I’m hurt and broken that he won’t call me back, that he won’t show up at my door and tell me how sorry he is and that everything will be okay.

And I tell him.

“I hate you. I hate you so much for what you’ve done to me. Are you listening to me? I hope you’re happy and in a ditch somewhere. You’ve ruined my life.”

And I still wait for him to call.

He never does.

When I go to call him again, his number no longer works.

And now neither does mine because what’s the point?

My life is over.

Except it can’t be because I’m carrying a baby—one I already love.

When I went to the doctor to confirm my pregnancy, they gave me an ultrasound. I’ve seen this baby growing in me. He or she is mine, whether Liam wants to be in our lives or not.

Tellingyour parents you’re pregnant at eighteen is probably the hardest thing anyone can do. I expected my dad to lose his mind and storm out of the house, but he didn’t. He held me and told me how sorry he was that Liam was gone. He’ll never know what those words meant to me.

From that moment, Liam became nothing in our house.

He’s not the father of my baby, but my ex.

He’s not the man who walked out on responsibility because he didn’t know. Everyone believes if Liam knew, he would’ve stayed, or I’d be with him right now. He didn’t abandon his child. He leftme.

I can raise this baby on my own. It’s important I do it. My parents suggested I move home, but it’s not what I want. I want a college degree and am determined to get mine. I can’t let this baby grow up and find out one day I didn’t finish school because I became a mom. This baby will know I chose to be their mom every day for the rest of their lives because I was in love.

In love with him.

In love with her.

Ridiculously in love with their father.

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