Page 71 of A Secret Chance
“You did.” Lauren knew that she was totally in the wrong but didn’t know how to backpedal.
“It doesn’t make any sense.” He said. “Why would I care if you have a kid? Is that what you think of me? That I wouldn’t be interested in you if you had baggage?” He stepped back from her, and she stepped forward filling the gap between them.
“I was going to tell you,” she whispered. She tried to take his hand again. “That’s what I was going to tell you this morning.”
“I still don’t know why you couldn’t have told me this before.” Baxter pulled his hat off his head and ran his fingers through his hair.
“Baxter.”
“What?” he snapped.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”
“You think?” His eyes were narrow, and he stepped to the door of his car. “Lauren,” he began and turned to face her. He sighed and leaned against the door, “I fucking love you.”
Lauren felt the tears spring up in her eyes. “I love you t—”
“Stop,” he snapped. “I love you and you lied to me – for no reason at all.”
The tears were streaming down Lauren’s face and she didn’t move to wipe them away. “There was a reason,” she whispered. She knew deep down that she had lost him.
“And what reason could there be for you to keep something like that from me?”
“She’s nine,” Lauren said.
“So?” Baxter shook his head. “What does that matter? You’re unbelievable.” He shook his head and turned to open the car door. Lauren stepped back and held her breath as he froze.
“She’s nine?” He still hadn’t turned to face her.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Nine.” She pulled her sweater tighter around her body, the cold finally making its way past her adrenaline. “She’s yours.”
Chapter 26
THE BLINDS IN HIS ROOMwere programmed to automatically rise at dawn. Baxter sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. His head throbbed like he had a hangover, even though he hadn’t had a drop. The events from the night before came rushing back to him as he jabbed at his phone to turn off his alarm. He had cycled through a myriad of emotions, and sleep had eluded him for most of the night. He had gone to bed in a rage, woken up in the middle of the night to sadness, but now the rage was back.
How dare she.
