Page 82 of Cruel Devotion

“Information about what?”

She went on to ask me about my scholarship. My grades. My plans. She wasn’t asking for small talk, and as I answered her, I felt very much put on the spot, like this was an interrogation.

An interview.

If she was eager to check me out and vet me as someone she’d want in Haley’s life, she was a little too late for that to matter. Haley was mine. We were staying together becausewewanted to be together, in love and with a bright future.

My parents wouldn’t dissuade me from being with her. And I bet Haley wouldn’t let Cindy or Natasha talk her out of being with me, either.

Natasha wasn’t asking about anything to do with my intentions for her sister, though. She was more focused on details about my scholarship, like the amounts, the date it was granted, who was on the committee, and for me to forward all my grades to her. And she asked for many details about that night that the car was damaged at that party. When she asked for more about Drake, I got a little suspicious.

“Natasha? I can’t help but get the feeling these questions are for a reason.”

“They are,” she answered bluntly. But she didn’t elaborate. “I’ll let you go with one last one.”

“Shoot.” As much as I wanted to be on Haley’s sister’s good side, I was desperate and impatient to get back to her at the house.

“Do you honestly want to take care of Haley and your child?”

I laughed once. I couldn’t help it. It was that ludicrous. “Yes. Yes, Natasha, I do. It’s ridiculous to assume I wouldn’t.”

She arched a brow. “Why is it ridiculous?”

“Because I love Haley. And I already love our child.”

She slowly smiled. “You sure about that? We’re young. Those are some big promises.”

“Yeah, we are young. And they are big promises. I stand by them.”

She didn’t seem entirely convinced yet. “You spent a long time bullying her.”

“I did. I will regret it forever. And I will spend the rest of my life working for her forgiveness.” I didn’t falter, not looking away. “This did happen fast between us, but that doesn’t make what I feel for her any less true.”

I loved Haley with my whole heart, and I wished I could’ve said that out loud to her first.

29

HALEY

Aunt Cindy’s reaction went about as well as I figured it would go.

When she came home from work early, I thought she did because she was so concerned about me when I felt so crappy that morning.

Instead, she wanted to know if it was true.

“Mrs. Martinez said she heard the barista from the café say that she overheard Mrs. Young telling her friend that she disowned Eli because he knocked you up and he refuses to leave you or make you get rid of the baby.”

She’d let that all out in a frantic rush the second she flung the door open and gawked at me on the couch.

“Is that true?”

I opened my mouth to reply, but she lowered her gaze to the coffee table, where the pregnancy test sat on a paper towel.

She drew in such a loud breath in a scandalous gasp that I feared she’d knock herself over.

Pointing at it, she said, “Itistrue!”

“Surprise…” I said weakly, using jazz hands.

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