Page 83 of Cruel Devotion

“Oh, my—” She let out a loud breath and dropped to the chair. “My God, Haley. I thought I told you to be careful.”

“And I was. YouknowI take the pill.”

“And yet…” She raised her brows.

“And yet, it happened.”

She was quiet for a long moment, staring at me. I saw all the emotions flit over her face. Surprise and then shock. Understanding and confusion. Disappointment and then joy. In the silence, I gave her a chance to overcome the pairs of opposites that flogged her.

“You’re not…” She furrowed her brow. “Are you going to listen to that awful woman and get rid of it?”

I laid my hand over my stomach. “Hell no.”

She grinned. It was weak at first but brightened. “Another baby in the family.”

I held my arms out, and she came over to hug me, rocking me on the couch as she laughed and expressed her excitement for another baby to welcome into the world. Unlike Mrs. Young, Aunt Cindy knew this little boy or girl would be a blessing to cherish, no matter what.

“And that means another person in the house.” I cringed, waiting for her reaction.

“Well, obviously!”

“No, not just the baby. Eli, When he moves in with us until the baby comes.”

She sobered up. “Until you move, too?”

I nodded. “I don’t want to raise this baby near his parents.”

“I doubt he would, either.” She frowned, though, watching me and looking like a worried parent.

“We’ll still move. I don’t know if this pregnancy will mean waiting or what, but my future isn’t here, Aunt Cindy.” It couldn’t be if I wanted the best for my baby, which meant not raising him or her in such a closed-minded community full of people who held biases and judged too quickly.

“I know, but…” She sighed. “He’s going to stay here to help you with the pregnancy?”

I nodded my head. “Well, sure. He’s going to be hands-on.” There was no question that he would want to take care of me every step of the way. “But also because he has nowhere else to go.”

For the next half hour, I explained it all. How his mom came here, what she said. How his parents treated him and their act of disowning him.

“And it looks like they cut off his phone already.” I lifted mine. “I tried texting him and calling him throughout the day, and it’s like his number is shut off. Natasha wanted to talk to him, too.”

Aunt Cindy pursed her lips. “I think I still have my old phone. He could use that and get a new number for it.” She shrugged. “I’ll add him to the plan and he can, well, I don’t know, help out around the house so we can call it even.”

I also told her about his school issues, and in the end, she agreed with me that plans would have to wait for a final decision about whether he could graduate or not.

Eli showed up soon after, with Finn and Davina in tow.

“So, is this, um, home sweet home until the end of the semester?” he asked me as everyone came inside. We decided a dinner of pizza was in order before bringing all his things in.

“Yes,” Aunt Cindy said as she got out plates and napkins for this impromptu need to host a meal here. “You are welcome to stay here until graduation.”

He hugged her. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back, Aunt Cindy.”

“Hush.” She smiled, hugging him back. “Pay it forward by being a good man for my niece.”

“He already is,” I said.

“I will do my best to be the first and only man for her,” Eli replied, almost cockily before coming to me and kissing me. “Because that’s how much I love her.”

Those three words. He’d said them like it was the most natural truth to share.

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