Page 121 of Can't Text This

“This is where I work.”

“This is where my son goes to school.”

“I…” Her hand flies to her head as my words sink in. “But how?”

“Um, because he’s seven?”

“I mean, how is your child seven? Aren’t you my age?”

“I’m twenty-six,” I tell her.

“I…I thought your son was younger, like two, three max…not seven.” Her brows scrunch together. “How old were you when you had him? Eighteen?”

“Nineteen,” I correct.

“Oh. Wow.”

There’s judgment in her eyes. It’s something I’m used to, but not from Monty.

She realizes the way her words sound, and her mouth drops open. “Crud. No. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to sound so…well, rude. I amnotjudging you for being a teen father.”

“Good, because I refuse to be ashamed of it.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

“I know.”

The hall grows quiet and I’m worried as shit she can hear my heart trying to pound its way out of my chest.

How in the fuck is this happening right now?

“How come we never talked about this?” The words tumble from her mouth so fast I almost miss what she says. “I mean, in all the conversations we’ve had together, how did none of this ever come up?”

I shrug. “We made assumptions and stuck to them.”

“I’ve never been one to make assumptions.”

“You also weren’t the kind of person to make out with a stranger in the bathroom, but you did.”

“I did.” She smacks a hand to her forehead, the other clutching her stomach. “I take one step out of my comfort zone andthishappens. Karma, that’s what this is—for leaving my family, for not following rules, for—”

I grab her pacing form, stilling her movements.

“Stop. You’re making me dizzy.”

Her eyes are brimming with unshed tears and worry as she glances up at me. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “This is all my fault.”

“No, Monty. It’s just a weird-as-shit coincidence.”

“Why weren’t you here last week?”

“Why wasn’t I where?”

“Here. Parent-teacher meetings. You weren’t here.” Her eyes widen. “Oh gosh, I met your ex—Holly. She was so nice, so pretty…sonot me.”

“I like you better.”

Though the comment is true, it’s also a tactic to get her to calm down. She doesn’t laugh.

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