Page 55 of The Monster I Loved
“Thaddeus, it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Melissa said. “If you want, I can suck on your dick while you sit at your desk for a bit; maybe that will bring some life to it.”
The images did sound arousing, but the woman I’d have liked on her knees in front of me wasn’t in this room.
I sighed. “I still have work to do. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that. Let’s do this later.”
“Fine. I’ll stop by tonight to fuck you.” She pouted.
That didn’t even sound enticing; Mimi riding a cock that only wanted Summer.
“Melissa—”
“No, I’ll be there tonight. We have to start working on the baby. I told you to stop fucking me with a condom on long ago. It’s time.”
Not waiting to hear if I agreed, Mimi left, and every part of my body was grateful she was gone.
13
THRILLER
Summer
The days were dragging.There were only eight left until Halloween and, for once, I wished time would move faster. That way I could know once and for all if I was pregnant. Waiting to get tested was an agony I couldn’t cope with, so even though I’d told Daisy not to bother, I did buy one of those at-home tests. Yesterday, I’d perched on the edge of the bath, holding a pee-soaked strip in my trembling hands. The minutes I had to wait for the result felt like an hour. My stomach lurched at the two strong pink lines.
Pregnant.
Days passed as I waited for my doctor’s appointment. I kept having nightmarish visions of being in the clinic, only to end up having my worst fear repeated back to me.
“You’re pregnant.”
If it happened, the words would hit me like a boomerang.
Of all the permanent marks I could’ve walked away with from that night, a baby was the last on my list. It’d literally tie me to him forever.
Wild thoughts flashed through my head. Would the Fitzgeralds drag me to court and yank full custody from me? Ashley and Henry were going through that right now. Could I feed my baby on the entry-level salary I earned?
To think, that night I burst into that home fully expecting I’d end up with a murder hanging over my head. Instead, I have my father’s murderer hanging onto my womb. How could you even plan for an insane detour like this?Maybe, don’t get tipsy on the night you’re supposed to shoot your archenemy dead. Clearly, that one Halloween party created more problems than it was worth.
And how do Ifeel about Thaddeus? He took away the last important person from me but now might have given me a child. Could I still hurt him? Would the child resent me for killing their father? After frosting the pumpkin-shaped cookies I made last night, I packed a few for Marni and was determined to use the session to gather my thoughts. Nobody better to do that with than my accommodating therapist. Who, thank goodness, told me to stop by after I blurted out I was pregnant over the phone. Knowing Marni was busy and had made time for a lunchtime appointment in her schedule for me, I laid the container of thank-you pumpkin cookies on the seat next to me and drove through town to her office. Marni opened her door.
“These are for you,” I said, shoving the container to her chest.
Marni took them with a smile and wasted no time. “Are you really pregnant?”
Walking past her, I lowered myself onto the cracked leather couch.
“According to the at-home test I am, but it’s not one hundred percent.” I crossed my legs.
After lowering the container to the desk, Marni grabbed her pad and pen, then came to sit by me. “Is it Thaddeus’s?”
I stiffened. How? Of all the men in Tarrytown, how did she guess? “Well...”
“Wow. Okay, I see you’ve kept some things to yourself in our weekly sessions.”
“Marni, it wasn’t my proudest moment.”
“Tell me what happened,” she prompted, and I did. I filled her in on all the parts I didn’t previously. The very strong punch, using the bathroom, and the man I slept with.
“You had no idea at all it was Thaddeus?” Marni asked in a tone I didn’t miss. She thought I had done it intentionally.
