Page 30 of Summer Shivers
“He was my friend.”
Ty scoffs. “Some friend.”
“And this led to you getting married?” Martin interjects. Ty resumes pacing angrily in the space behind our chairs. Any second now it’s going to occur to him, there’s no baby in my life right now.
“Yes. Harrison pointed out that I had no idea how long Ty would be gone and that the baby would benefit from a two-parent household. He knew that I was insecure about my own upbringing in the foster care system.”
“And where is the baby now?” Martin asks softly. The question I don’t want to answer. The memory breaking my heart all over again. It was the worst possible pain imaginable. I don’t want to put Ty through it. No one should have to experience that.
A sob escapes my throat before I can stop it. I bring my hand up to my mouth to cover it and take a few deep breaths, trying to compose myself before I continue.
Martin hands me a box of tissue. I nod in thanks. Emotion still too heavy for me to talk. It feels like she’s being ripped from my body all over again. How do I tell Ty I was carrying a baby he didn’t know about? And that she died.
“She—” my voice croaks. I take a moment to blow my nose and clear my throat. I refer to the fetus as her. Because in my imagination there was a baby from the moment I learned I was pregnant. I’ve always wanted kids. With Ty.
“The fetus was not viable and died in the womb. We had to abort at six months. It would have been a girl.” I bury my head in my hands and sob. Not caring any longer to pull myself together. It was a tragedy. I have a right to feel despair.
Ty falls to his knees, releasing something between a groan and cry of anguish. It’s devasting to hear. He drops his forehead to the floor before him, rocking back and forth.
I should have known it would affect him like this, he’s always wanted to be a dad. The chance to raise someone in the exact opposite way he and his brother were: with love, patience, understanding, and time.
And, I should have realized he would get angry. Ty doesn’t deal with any emotion, outside of anger, well. If he starts feeling something he’s not comfortable with, he just channels it to anger.
Like he’s doing now.
He stands, takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly, before approaching my chair. He leans forward, his hands resting on the arms, his face inches from mine. “Let me see if I got this straight, Genevieve,” he starts. “You were pregnant with my baby and didn’t tell me.” The look on his face is pure hatred and anger. Even though I expected both reactions from him, I can tell now I’m not prepared for them. Any ounce of self-assurance I may have held inside me shrivels down to nothing. “Then, the baby died, and youstill didn’t tell me?” He roars the final words.
“Fetus,” I whisper.
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” I sob. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“Becausehesaid it was?”
I nod dumbly.
Ty cries out with rage and turns to punch the wall. Leaving a decent sized hole in his wake. Then he shocks both Martin and I by leaving. Moments later we hear his motorcycle peel out of the drive and race down the road.
My body shakes from adrenaline and fear. Not fear of something Ty will do to me, more fear of what he’ll do to himself.
“So, aside from all that.” Martin waves a hand at the hole Ty left in his wall. “How are you managing? Do you have everything you need?” Martin stares at me intently.
I shift in my seat, then realize what he’s asking. Payment. Lawyer’s like to get paid. “I’m okay financially. I have some cash Harrison left me in the safe. I can pay you for your time.”
“That’s not what I’m asking,” Martin says, surprising me.
I look at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”
“The fortitude to get through this.”
Ah, that.
“I think so.”
“You feel up to telling me the rest?”
I share with him everything else that happened up until Tyler appeared at my door yesterday morning. He takes notes on everything.
