Page 58 of Big Red

The day she chose Senior was the day she drew the line in the sand.

On the drive home, the rage takes over me. I am ready to explode. I thought I had buried my feelings for my parents, but seeing Paula today struck a fuse.

All the memories came flooding back to me. Every hit, every insult, every sleepless night I went to bed hungry, listening to my mother be beaten was replaying in my mind.

I am so zoned out I don’t even realize that I have pulled up to our home until Cindy taps my shoulder.

“Dad, are you alright?”

Trying to save face, I give her a small smile. “Yeah, baby girl, I’m okay. Let's get these bags inside.”

When we exit the truck, Marco is on his porch and yells to Cindy and Colt to come over when they are done. Something about Hannah already being there, and they are hopping onFortnite.

After we get the bags inside and unloaded, the kids double-check if it is okay to go over to Marco’s. I hurriedly agree, seeing as I am not in the best mood.

I sit in the kitchen, sulking and downing shots. I don’t want to be this angry. I need to calm down because getting upset over this is pointless. Nothing would change.

After taking another shot, I decide to go and see Alice. She’s been sick for a few days, so I want to see how she’s feeling. Plus, that woman always seems to reel me in whenever my anger gets the best of me.

When I make it to her home, Debbie opens the door, letting me in. She lets me know Alice is in her room, so I go up the stairs. As I approach her room, I hear Will’s voice, and his words make me come to a screeching halt.

“I don’t know how he’s going to feel about this, Alice, but you have to tell him. He deserves to know. But just know that if he turns his back on you for some reason, I’ll be behind you every step of the way.”

My body freezes. I can't handle this. Not her, too. Ineedher. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but her response infuriates me even more.

“I hear you, but for now, I think I’m going to keep this to myself until this drama dies down. Once it does, I’ll tell Red.”

I’m pushing through her bedroom door as soon as the last word leaves her lips.

“Tell me what?”

Alice sits on her bed, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Automatically, I know whatever she’s hiding isn’t good.

I swear I can't catch a damn break. Every woman in my life always finds a way of betraying me. I actually thought Alice would be different.

“What? You forgot how to talk? What is it you're hiding from me?” I grit out.

Alice's eyes wander to her dresser before quickly looking away. If I hadn’t been staring at her so hard I wouldn’t have noticed. Walking over to the dresser, I see a positive pregnancy test.

Almost instantly I become more enraged than I have in my entire life. I remember her words the first night we had sex, like yesterday.

I can't get pregnant.

“Wow, you really had my ass going,” I spit before locking eyes with her again. Will opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. “Last time I checked, I wasn’t talking to you. This is between me and her. You can leave.”

His eyes turn thunderous as he stands to his feet. If he thinks I’m scared, he better think twice. It would be in his best interest to get the hell out of my face.

Alice grabs his arm, shaking her head vigorously. “Will, it’s okay. You can go. He’s right. This is between me and him.”

He looks like he wants to object but walks away instead. After he’s gone, I turn back to Alice.

“I don’t know how this happened,” Alice says.

I scoff and drag my palm down my face, trying to reel in my emotions, but that’s easier said than done. With everything between Declan and Chloe and then seeing my mother today, I’m not in the best head space. Add on to the fact that I know Alice would have deliberately hidden this from me is like the cherry on top of this shit show of a day.

“I really thought you were going to be different, but you’re just like Chloe. Lying to me just to get a baby out of me. Tell me something, are you going to drop this baby off on my porch before disappearing like your mother did to you?”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I want to take them back. All the emotions on her face are wiped away as she stares at me blankly.

---