Page 103 of Crazy Imperfect Hearts

Instantly, the room falls silent, everyone eager to hear why they’ve been summoned here so urgently.

Regan is standing off to the side, nestled next to Maddie Calloway as if she’s worried she’ll faint at any second. I’m not sure she’d be wrong. Sheislooking a bit pale. A few of my friends and relatives have noticed her and are giving second glances. Makes sense considering Regan is the one person who seems out of place. She’s the only person in this room who doesn’t have ties to anyone else here.

“We all know how the rumor mill goes in this town. I wanted to bring you all here and make sure you know the truth before you start hearing reporters spin the story.”

“How come Regan Lucas is here?” Storm Calloway calls out from the far corner.

Suddenly, three dozen pairs of eyes are trained on Regan. Despite her always saying she couldn’t care less what people think of her, I think she might actually collapse. I go over to her,take her elbow, and lead her back to stand beside me. “It’s going to be fine. It’ll be over in a second,” I whisper.

“Oh my god,” my cousin Sydney shrieks. “Are you a couple? Are you getting married?”

Gasps, incredulous huffs, and even laughter echo throughout Blake’s living room.

I’m about to open my mouth, when Regan speaks instead.

“No! No, no, no. Absolutely not,” she says, her steadfast denial driving a spike deep into my heart.

“Then what’s this all about?” Addison Calloway asks.

“We’re not getting married,” I say. “You all should know better than to think I’d put anyone throughthatagain.” I chuckle awkwardly. “And, um… we’re not… together.” I glance at Regan. “But we are having a baby.”

More gasps. People look to each other to make sure they heard correctly.

“You’rewhat?”someone shouts from the back.

“We’re having a baby.” I reach over and touch Regan’s stomach. “Regan and I are having a child together. It’s a boy. He’s due in March. And we’re going to co-parent.”

“But…” Amber Thompson steps forward, studying her friend. “You’re not together?” She turns to me, raising a glaring brow, and I just know what she’s thinking—that I knocked her up and am refusing responsibility.

“By choice,” Regan says. “I turned thirty-five. Then Teddy was born. And you and Quinn adopted. I knew something was missing.”

“Same for me,” I assert. “I can’t seem to stick to any relationships with women, but I’ve always wanted kids. It seemed the perfect solution for both of us.”

“Wait,” Dani Calloway says, “so this wasn’t an accident?”

“No, Dani, this wasn’t an accident,” I confirm. “This was planned. And it wasn’t impulsive either. We have a contract outlining the legalities of how we’ll be raising our son.”

My mother steps forward, tears drowning her eyes, and takes Regan’s hand. “Contract or no, you’re having my grandchild, and that makes you family.”

She pulls Regan into a hug. Regan hugs her back. Her eyes even close. I know she’s thinking about her own mother and how she wishes she might react when hearing this news. But from what she’s told me, it’ll be nothing like this.

People swarm around us, firing off questions.

“Calm down, calm down!” I yell. “We’ll answer all your questions. That’s why we’re here. For damage control. There will be a story coming out tomorrow about this. A reporter who tried to get an interview from me after the whole Lissa engagement story hired someone to follow me. She has pictures of me going into the OB’s office. Photos of Regan and me together. She gave us two days to tell family. I have no idea what her story will be. She promised if we told our side, she’d be merciful. I guess we’ll see. But we wanted to make sure you knew the truth.”

The truth.

The words swirl in my head.The truthis we’re secretly sleeping together—even Sylvia Franco knows that, though she promised not to report it.The truthis I want more than a co-parenting situation with our son.The truthis I love the woman standing to my left.

But no one outside my siblings will ever knowthattruth. Not Sylvia Franco. Not the dozens of people in this room. And especially not Regan.

After answering what seems like a hundred questions, the room is quiet again.

“So that’s it?” Sydney says, her eyes bouncing between us. “You’rejustgoing to co-parent? There’snothingbetween you?”

I swallow and look at Regan. For a fraction of a second, I think I see something in her eyes. Something that’s obviously not there.

I shake my head, doing my best not to look disappointed, and say, “There’s nothing there. Nothing but friendship and a desire to have a child.”

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