Page 36 of Before You Go

My lips part in surprise. That is not what I expected him to say. Poor Shelly.

“Someone told the media that they believe she is his mistress, and they are going to run a story about it at some point tomorrow. Billy’s grand plan is to play it off like I’m the one in a relationship with her. I’m not, but in order to keep him from going to the media about your pregnancy, I’m going to go along with it.”

“Why would you have to go along with that?” I feel sick—physically sick—at the idea of him even pretending to be in a relationship with someone else. It doesn’t bode well for me and my future if I’m already feeling possessive over him, especially since we don’t really know each other. Right now, he is nothing more than a guy I had sex with once. Oh, and the father of my unborn child.

Maybe that’s what it is.

Probably, I lie to myself.

“He threatened to go to the media with the news about your pregnancy if I don’t.”

“He’s blackmailing you?” He doesn’t nod nor say yes, but I know that’s exactly what’s happening. “I’ll tell my dad about the baby.”

“Are you ready to do that?” he asks gently, and I tug my eyes off his and drop them to the top of PJ’s head.

I’m not ready. Not yet. I want more time—not just for me, but to figure out what is going to happen with Dayton, if he’s going to be involved. I need to know that before I tell my dad. Not that it will make it easier, but I don’t want my dad to pressure Dayton into making a decision before he’s ready.

“You need time, and that’s okay.”

“You need time too.” I lift my eyes back to his, and his jaw shifts. Yeah, he needs time. Maybe he still doesn’t believe that this is his kid. I don’t fault him for having doubts—not when it shouldn’t even be possible for him to get someone pregnant. Still, I can admit that it stings a little.

“What does you being in a relationship with her entail?”

“I’m not sure at this point. I’m guessing I’ll just need to say that she and I are together if anyone asks.”

Yep, I feel sick.

I let out a slow breath, willing the knot in my stomach to loosen. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. This isn’t on you.”

“It kinda is, though. You wouldn’t feel forced to do this if it weren’t for me.”

“No, I wouldn’t be forced to do this if Billy wasn’t fucking another woman while he’s married. And trust me, Franny, he would have found something else to use against me, even if you weren’t in the picture. He’s a dick.”

“Agreed.” My nose scrunches, and his eyes drop to it, a small smile ghosting across his mouth. Turning away from me, he goes to the toaster and takes out the toast, placing it on a plate.

“Thank you,” I tell him when he slides the plate my way and scoots a fancy butter dish across the counter. I’m not hungry anymore, but I know I need to eat, so I put PJ down on the floor and take the knife Dayton gives me.

“When is your next doctor’s appointment?” he asks after I take a bite of toast.

“Next Thursday.” I want to ask if he wants to come, but I don’t.

“Did they give you a due date?”

“December eighteenth,” I tell him after swallowing another bite. “During my last visit, they just ran a bunch of tests and asked me a lot of questions. This one, they’re going to do an ultrasound.”

Maybe that’s why it still hasn’t hit me that I’m actually going to have a baby. Maybe I’ll feel differently after I have my next appointment and they do the ultrasound and I hear the baby’s heartbeat. Right now, it feels like I’m in this weird place where I know this is really happening, but it doesn’t exactly feel like it’s happening to me.

“Who’s going with you?”

“I’m not sure. My mom went to the last one with me, and it was a lot. She kept asking a million questions, and even though I know her heart is in the right place, it was overwhelming.”

“Could I go?”

That knot in the pit of my stomach gets tighter.

Seconds ago, I stopped myself from asking if he wanted to come with me, but now that he’s asked, I’m not sure I should say yes. Probably because I know there’s a chance I’ll be doing this alone, and I don’t want to get used to having him around.

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